Saturday Classics –20042024

Saturday Classics

This stirred my memories this week. I often listen to alternative rock… this is not all that rock, but the label of the band is that.

Keane – Somewhere Only We Know 

“Somewhere Only We Know” is a song by English alternative rock band Keane, officially released as the lead single from their debut album Hopes and Fears.

I read that: Keane lead vocalist Tim Rice-Oxley revealed in 2004 of the meaning of the song: It’s about being able to draw strength from a place or experience you’ve shared with someone. I think it’s an idea a lot of people can relate to. It might be about a geographical space, or a feeling; it can mean something individual to each person, and they can interpret it to a memory of theirs… It’s perhaps more of a theme rather than a specific message

Oh, simple thing, where have you gone? I’m getting old and I need something to rely on So tell me when you’re gonna let me in I’m getting tired and I need somewhere to begin

Lepis is hosting Saturday Classics, you can add your own link here Saturday Classics

On Her page she writes: This blog is back with hosting the Classics after few years break. This time we’ll be playing on Saturdays and you can link straight here on this own page. Rules: There are no rules, as long as the song you play is a classic in your mind. Linking open 8 am and closes 12 pm.

Idyllic old town street

Captures from Finland

These are from Tammisaari, it is an idyllic old coastal town . In the old town, the streets have been in the same places since the 16th century, and from the names you can tell what kind of professionals lived on which street, such as Liinakankurinkatu, (Weaver st.) I have photo of that one below. Hatuntekijänkatu ( Milliner street), Nahkurinkatu ( Tanner street), etc.

Liinakankurinkatu

In the windows of old houses in coastal cities, you can notice a stand with two mirrors attached to it. It is a street mirror whose name has become a gossip mirror in the mouth of the people. Gossip mirrors have mirrors curved in both directions that open outwards. Looking from the inside, you can see the events of the entire street through the mirrors. Old times security cameras ? 😂

Posted for Cee’s Which Way Challenge

Rustic Charm of Barn Doors

Captures from Finland

This old , rustic wooden door has timeless beauty. Each weathered plank, each sturdy iron hinge and bolt, bears witness to the passage of years gone by, weaving together a narrative of resilience and enduring charm. This barn door stands surrounded by lush greenery, where green foliage delicately caresses its time-worn frame.

The earth in front of the door reveals its well-trodden path, marked by patches of grass and traces of constant use. I took this shot late afternoon as the sun casts enchanting shadows upon and around the door, adding an extra layer of depth to its rustic allure, an enduring appeal of ageless craftsmanship.

Posted for Thursday doors

In the other photo you can see the whole building and area around these doors.

Monochrome Madness #6 – Everyday Objects

Black and White photos, Still life

So this is posted for Sarah of Travels with Me, who’s prompted this week’s challenge for Leanne’s Monochrome Madness. The first three I took this morning after I saw the topic. Tinka was just having a sip of water, while I was having my morning coffee. I thought I’d cook something with pasta today so I’ll have to choose witch pasta to use. I came to my study and thought that should I apply some makeup on, or not 😀 Probably not.

I mean, those are okay shots or do I have anything in my archives I could post. Off course I have, so I found few and convert them to monochrome . As always, all the images can be enlarged by clicking on them even if in a gallery.

freezing time in dew-kissed splendor

Flowers

In the quiet dawn, dew-kissed leaves awaken. Each droplet, a crystal globe, clings to the verdant tapestry of life.

    Whispers of renewal, as morning breath stirs the air.

    Hold on, even when gravity tugs. Reflect, for within each drop lies a universe.

    In the quiet dawn, dew-kissed leaves awaken. Each droplet, a crystal globe, clings to the verdant tapestry of life. 

    Within these glistening orbs, secrets unfold, And so they linger, these liquid gems, In this delicate dance, they teach us, an ethereal moment, freezing time in dew-kissed splendor.

    CFFC:  Things that are Wet

    white framed window

    Captures from Finland

    As I am so waiting for summer or even spring to really arrive I am posting this traditional window(s) for Monday Window

    In the vast Finnish countryside, you’ll find the charming traditional Finnish falu red log houses, each one telling a story of generations past. These beloved structures, affectionately known as “Grandma’s cottages,” evoke a sense of nostalgia and warmth, reflecting a simpler time when life was closely intertwined with nature. w

    The distinctive falu red hue, derived from a traditional Scandinavian pigment, not only adds a striking visual appeal to these log houses but also serves to protect the wood from the elements, ensuring their longevity for years to come. As sunlight filters through the small, paned windows, it illuminates the cozy interiors.

    Embracing the essence of hygge, the Finnish art of coziness and contentment, “Grandma’s cottages” beckon visitors to step inside and experience a slice of authentic Finnish hospitality. The red log houses stand as a testament to the enduring spirit of tradition and the enduring beauty of simple, rustic architecture.

    Cellpic Sunday

    animals, Photography

    Once again it has been a slow week behind the camera, Tinka to the rescue. While I was doing my posts she came to me clearly wanting me to open the window so she could enjoy the fresh air. She was once again so cute, I just had to take a photo

    Tinka

    Lens-Artists Challenge #295 – Rock Your World

    lens-artists

    Let’s Rock Your World this week – I will try my best to do as requested. Donna invites us to showcase anything from rocky landscapes to cobblestone streets. I know for sure this is a topic that is close to Donna’s heart, she has so often shared her love to rock formations – as she has showed once again in her beautiful photos. Her post gives us so many beautiful examples of how to approach this challenge. She does know her rocks and captures them beautifully.

    I sometimes struggle to get terms right. The solid rock that exists below the ground surface is called bedrock. This type of rock is “in place,” unlike material that has been moved from another location by weathering and erosion. Bedrock forms the foundation for the layers of soil and sediment above it, which is super important for supporting entire ecosystems and shaping the landscape. Plus, the characteristics of bedrock can really affect how landscapes form, how groundwater moves, and even how soil develops. I live next to bedrock – a hill with trees and moss over it.

    My life is built on a solid rock as Finland’s bedrock belongs to the old Precambrian (period 4,600 – 570 million years ago) in the bedrock area of Northern and Eastern Europe, or the Fennosarmatian bedrock craton, which is one of the oldest parts of the Eurasian continent.

    Beaches and seaside are great places to enjoy the smooth surface of rocks, solid or not.

    I love sitting at beaches, seaside watching the water hit the rocks and cliffs. Or piling them up. So meditative.

    Stones, rocks are used in old castles this example is from Raasepori. The tunnel and walls of Suomenlinna fortress. Old Stone Church of Lammi is solid as a rock. As are the stone steps and walls from this old building.

    I am ending this post same sentiment as Donna. He is as the song says, solid as a rock, is and has been for over 40 years.

    Last week we learned so much froms Johns Before and After challenge. Next week I am hosting, hope I will be able to bring you something interesting enough to get your imagination flowing.

    Until then, keep smiling ☺

    To participate in this challenge, you should link to or leave a comment on the week’s host’s original challenge post and please use the #Lens-Artists tag in your own post, so the post is easily found in the Reader.

    And if you want even more information on the Lens-Artists Challenge, please click here.

    Saturday Classics –13042024

    Saturday Classics

    Saturday tune for Easter.

    Gene Pitney – Something’s Gotten Hold of My Heart (1968)

    This was originally a #5 hit for Gene Pitney in the UK in 1967. When Almond covered the song in 1989, he invited Pitney to sing on it with him, which Pitney was happy to do. That version was a hit #1 in many countries including the UK, but Pitney’s record label refused to release it in America, where Pitney was from. They were afraid that young listeners who were not familiar with Pitney or Almond would think they were a gay couple.

    Lepis is hosting Saturday Classics, you can add your own link here Saturday Classics

    On Her page she writes: This blog is back with hosting the Classics after few years break. This time we’ll be playing on Saturdays and you can link straight here on this own page. Rules: There are no rules, as long as the song you play is a classic in your mind. Linking open 8 am and closes 12 pm.

    Lefkara alleys

    Photography, Travel

    Some years back we visited the hilly village of Lefkara is divided into Pano Lefkara and Kato Lefkara , and is famous worldwide for its old-school crafts of lace embroidery and intricate silverwork. The village sits at the base of the Troodos Mountains in the southeast, at an altitude of 650 meters above sea level.

    Blue Shutters
    Houses built with horizontal layers of limestone interspersed with pebbles.

    Wandering the beautiful alleys of the tiny village reveals good examples of the area’s architecture: houses built with horizontal layers of limestone interspersed with pebbles. It is one of the few villages in Cyprus where the houses are built almost entirely of local white stone, which contrasts beautifully with the terra cotta roofs. The picturesque quality of the village’s architectural style is further enhanced by the charming cobblestone streets and colorful flower-filled gardens that adorn the pathways. Walking through these alleys feels like stepping back in time, as each building tells a story of the village’s rich history and unique craftsmanship. The harmonious blend of natural materials and traditional design creates a timeless allure.

    The houses here are not those of farmers but the homes of merchants and artisans. The houses are stone-built, some with doorways providing glimpses of flower-filled and vine-covered courtyards, while others are two-storey colour washed residences with balconies and intricately patterned tiled floors.

    Dipotamos Dam

    Posted for Cee’s Which Way Challenge

    Lefkara village view

    Door at Suomenlinna fortress

    Captures from Finland, Photography

    This week I found this door from my archives. I decided to add some other photos from above and around the door as well.

    Suomenlinna is unique in that although it is a bastion fortress, it is irregular in shape as a result of being built on a cluster of rocky islands with highly variable terrain, requiring a very free adaptation of the theory of fortifications developed in Central Europe.

    Steel door at bastion fortress

    Suomenlinna is to large extent historically authentic, i.e. consisting of original structures. Several significant layers of historical development in fortifications and shipyards may be seen on Suomenlinna. The dry dock at the heart of the fortress was the state of the art in 18th century technology.

    bastion fortress

    For Dan’s Thursday Doors

    Flower of the day – Orchids ~10.04.2024

    Flowers

    Continuing to post orchids – as it seems I have a lots of images of them unpunished in my archives. And it is a beautiful flower.

    For Cee’s Flower of the Day.

    Monochrome – visit to the blacksmith

    Black and White photos, Captures from Finland

    Outside of the city and into the country in Monochrome Madness was the Leanne’s post this week. Since it is a great topic, I decided to follow her lead.

    Visiting the local blacksmith a few years back the photos have a sense of nostalgia and tranquility. As I walked through the idyllic countryside, the sight of the red cottages against the backdrop of green fields was truly enchanting. The gravel roads, weathered by time, led the way . The old trees, with their gnarled branches and thick canopies, stood as silent guardians of the road, offering shade and a sense of wisdom to the travelers passing by. It was a scene that seemed to be frozen in time. And as a profession a blacksmith is a dying breed.

    I do love black and white photography, but this time I left the red buildings as is because they are so in the heart of Finnish countryside. A traditional Finnish falu red log house in is so common. The Finnish expression punainen tupa ja perunamaa, “a red cottage and a potato patch”, referring to idyllic home and life, is a direct allusion to a country house painted in falu red.

    Falu red  – Punamulta : is a permeable red paint commonly used on wooden cottages and barns in  Finland, Sweden, and Norway.

    Vizcaya Museum window

    Interiors, Traveling US

    The Vizcaya Museum and Gardens stand as a testament to the vision of businessman James Deering. Constructed between 1914 and 1922. This is one of the window’s, beautiful stained glass windows looking towards the garden.

    Monday Window

    Tinka the cat

    animals

    This week, I captured only a few photos worthy of sharing with my mobile. Despite Tinka’s reluctance, she remains a pretty little cat always ready to pose. These are my submissions for Cellpic Sunday.

    ✝ Cross

    Captures from Finland

    The old graveyards hold a poignant history within their grounds. As you cross walk through these hallowed spaces, you are met with an abundance of touching life stories etched into the very fabric of time, while the marks left on gravestones and crosses bear witness to the passage of time itself.

    Each weathered inscription, each lichen-covered monument, and each carefully crafted symbol represents a life once lived, a journey once taken, and a story once told. These grounds whisper tales of joy and sorrow, of love and loss, and of the intricate tapestry of human existence.

    Linked to One Word Sunday at Debbie’s here

    Lens-Artists Challenge #294 – Before and After

    lens-artists, Photography

    I will go straight to what John wrote” One of my favorite things is to take the images I captured from my camera and put them in a workflow through two or three different photo editing applications”. I love doing this too. He asks us to feature three or four images in your gallery that you tweaked for whatever reason and the original image out of the camera. Here are my Before and After

    I was going through some old photos, and this corner in an old building with light coming in from above, the texture of the walls set my creativity to flow and edited it for this challenge. With this first photo I am giving you more details to explain the edits I did.

    This is the one I added light and contrast, texture, and clarity. I also added some vibrancy but used less saturation. I toned down highlights, lessened blacks and shadows. I did not change the composition.
    This is the one I added light and much more contrast, texture, and clarity. I also added some vibrancy towards yellows and added orange to the shadows. I toned down highlights but not as much as in previous version, used more blacks and shadows. I did not change the composition.
    For this image I converted the original image to black and white. I did not touch the exposure or contrast. I turned down the blacks, added dehaze and texture. I turned the colors all down except purple and magenta that I added a bit
    Original photo, no edits.

    This shot I took while running to the seaside to capture the sunset at Páfos in 2011. The original is very bland, but with my newfound editing skills I was able to bring the warm tones of the moment into the photo.

    I adjusted the exposure and contrast down as well as the highlights and blacks. I toned down the texture, but added clarity and dehaze. Touch of added vibrance and saturation. Added touch of orange to highlight and midtones. Then inspired by John I changed the sky and did lots of little fixes and had an enhanced version, that I then converted to black and white. I have very rarely changed skies, because I try mostly keep it real – well the way I see it – or in this case remember seeing it.

    This is a street view from Vancouver that I converted to monochrome – I am a big fan of B&W images. The last one is trying to replicate the style lots of movies and TV shows now use, with teal and orange colors. In both edits I have also edited the exposure, contrast and shadows and light.

    Original photo from the camera.
    Vancouver Street View – Monochrome
    Vancouver Street view – movie style. With teal and orange tones

    Last week we enjoyed the inspiration from Sofia – Water motions , it was a theme I really enjoyed. I saw so many wonderful posts about it. Next week Donna is bringing us a new challenge, looking forward to seeing what she comes up with. Until then, keep smiling ☺

    To participate in this challenge, you should link to or leave a comment on the week’s host’s original challenge post and please use the #Lens-Artists tag in your own post, so the post is easily found in the Reader.

    And if you want even more information on the Lens-Artists Challenge, please click here.

    Saturday Classics –06042024

    Saturday Classics

    The lyrics convey a feeling of being lost in one’s thoughts while people and their actions become mere shadows and echoes.

    Harry Nilsson – Everybody’s Talkin’ – Midnight Cowboy

    “Everybody s talkin at me I don’t hear a word they’re sayin, Only the echoes of my mind. People stopping staring, I can’t see their faces, Only the shadows of their eyes. I’m going where the sun keeps shinin Thru’ the pouring rain, Going where the weather suits my clothes, Banking off of the North East wind, Sailin on summer breeze And skipping over the ocean like a stone.

    Lepis is hosting Saturday Classics, you can add your own link here Saturday Classics

    On Her page she writes: This blog is back with hosting the Classics after few years break. This time we’ll be playing on Saturdays and you can link straight here on this own page. Rules: There are no rules, as long as the song you play is a classic in your mind. Linking open 8 am and closes 12 pm.

    Amidst the blizzard’s icy fury, silence reigns.

    Captures from Finland, Photography

    This is so not what I wished for in April. Amidst the blizzard’s icy fury, silence reigns.

    April blizzard

    SixWordSaturday

    Flower of the day

    Flowers, Still life

    I should say flowers of the day. Here are some still life photos of the flower bouquet I got myself for Easter. I took these and wanted to play with the idea of creating an art photography type of images.

    That was the aim, did I succeed I’m not sure. I had fun editing the images, that I know. The rose captures my mood today, that’s for sure.

    I read that , for photography to be Fine Art, it must be more than just a literal representation of something. The image must communicate that it was deliberately curated by an artist to convey an idea, not just snapped by a camera to immortalise a scene.

    Cee’s FOTD

    delicate blooms

    Flowers, Nature

    We had a few days of spring, so I took advantage of the opportunity to capture the mandatory photos of snowbells. As one of the first flowers of spring, they symbolize new beginnings, hope, rebirth, and the ability to overcome challenges. The sight of these delicate blooms filled me with hope and positivity.

    Snowbells in April

    However, nature had a surprise in store for us – a fresh coat of snow arrived just two days ago. Despite the unexpected turn of events, I seized the opportunity to capture the enchanting snow-covered landscape. It’s fascinating how the same scene can take on a different, yet equally captivating, appearance with a layer of snow.

    As I’m writing this, a snow blizzard rages outside. While witnessing a snow blizzard at this time of year wasn’t what I had in mind, it’s a poignant reminder of nature’s unpredictability and the beauty it holds, even in the midst of unexpected circumstances.

    Posted for Cee’s Midweek Madness Challenge