Linked to One Word Sunday at Debbie’s here
Lens-Artists Challenge #295 – Rock Your World
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 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.
Extremely often seen in urban habitats
For Debbie’s Six Word Saturday.
Lefkara alleys
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.
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.
Posted for Cee’s Which Way Challenge
Door at Suomenlinna fortress
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.
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.
For Dan’s Thursday Doors
Flower of the day – Orchids ~10.04.2024
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
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.
Orchid
For Cee´s Flower of the Day.
Vizcaya Museum window
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.
Tinka the cat
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
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
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 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.
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
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.
This is so not what I wished for in April. Amidst the blizzard’s icy fury, silence reigns.
Flower of the day
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
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.
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
Our Lady of Sorrows Church, Riga
This image portrays my sister standing in the shadow, framed by an open doorway shot of her on the way out of Our Lady of Sorrows Church, that reveals a sunlit street beyond. In my opinion the interplay of light and shadow creates a dramatic and artistic effect.
Dan’s Thursday Doors
Our Lady of Sorrows Church is a Roman Catholic church in Riga, the capital of Latvia. The church was built in 1785.
Monochrome – an old, weathered building
The cobblestone streets led me to an enigmatic relic—an old, weathered building that stood defiant against the passage of time. Its walls bore the scars of countless seasons, each crack and peeling paint layer a testament to memories etched into its very essence.
The windows, some boarded up like secrets held too close, others revealing glimpses of the past, beckoned me closer. The sun, cast its golden brushstrokes upon the facade. Shadows danced, revealing hidden nooks and crannies. I imagined the building’s heyday…
Posted for Dawn’s Monochrome Madness
Hydrangea Edits
The delicate beauty of hydrangea petals as they slowly deteriorate during the winter months is truly captivating. The intricate lace-like patterns that emerge from this natural process are a testament to the mesmerizing transformation that nature undergoes throughout the seasons. It’s truly remarkable how something as fleeting as the delicate decay of flower petals can create such a stunning visual display.
I love trying to bring it out details in my edits. If you are not familiar me as a photographer, I love the editing process. The framing of the subject and capturing the mood and details. Mostly, I do my best to stay true to the subject, just to enhance it a bit. Sometimes, well quite often I take artistic liberty when editing. I often convert the images to black and white as I find it it brings the essential part to focus. Or I play with the tone of the photos. Both styles shown in this post.
The last two images are true to what I saw. The last image is the original RAW shot, no edits. Above it is a a cropped and slightly edited version and on the top you see how I played with the image.
Posted for Cee’s Flower of the Day
yellow
Debbie’s One Word Sunday Yellow is this weeks theme. I bought myself flowers and just by luck there was some yellow flowers in the bouquet. What is the chance of that?
What I want to bring you with yellow flowers is the brightness of the sun, the cheerfulness of a new day, and the promise of positivity. If you are seeking to be inspired by warmth, enthusiasm, and joy, yellow flowers is an impeccable choice. Yellow flowers have been cherished for centuries for their ability to convey a message of happiness and friendship.
the Factors Walk windows
River Street is along the broad Savannah River. The century old buildings, once cotton warehouses, have been converted to antique shops, distinctive boutiques, spectacular galleries, quaint brew pubs, fabulous restaurants, unique nightspots, elegant inns and hotels.
we visited the section known as the Factors Walk, an original cotton trading area. It was constructed in 1817 and contains several pedestrian bridges that cross over the street below. Taking time to cross the bridges and reflect on the lives of those almost two centuries past, is mesmerizing. These walks have surely been crossed hundreds of thousands of times by many a hard working soul.
Last on the card – from March 2024
The rules are at the bottom, but I have to bend them a little bit, so I have also included the edited one except the one from my mobile.
This was the last photo on my Sony camera- shot with macro lens. The unedit on the top if could not tell 😀
I took a photo of bread with my mobile and unfortunately that is the last photo there. Luckily it was not the selfie I took 🙂
I took my OLYMPUS camera to a walk in the middle of March.
1. Post the last photo on your SD card or last photo on your phone for the 31st March or whenever your last photo was taken.
2. No editing – who cares if it is out of focus, not framed as you would like or the subject matter didn’t cooperate.
3. You don’t have to have any explanations, just the photo will do
4. Create a Pingback to this post or link in the comments
5. Use the tags The Last Photo and #LastOnTheCard
Spring day
Yesterday felt like the first day of spring, the temperature was about +9C the sun was out – shining bright and there was hardly any wind. I ended up sitting on the patio and watched the snow melt. It’s truly fascinating how the change in weather can bring about such a delightful shift in our surroundings. The gentle warmth of the sun, the gradual disappearance of snow, and the newfound opportunity to spend time outside can truly rejuvenate our spirits. It’s moments like these that make us appreciate the beauty of nature and the promise of new beginnings.
For Cellpic Sunday
Lens-Artists Challenge #293 – water motion
Water, the very essence of life, is rarely still. It flows, it crashes, it tumbles – a mesmerizing display of motion that has captivated humanity always. For this week’s Lens-Artists challenge, Sofia came up with this topic. Her post has beautiful inspiration to us all. I absolutely love the water element, she could not have chosen a more boundless topic for me.
The ocean, Earth’s pulsating heart, breathes life into every corner of our existence. Its currents carry warmth and coolness, shaping climates and nurturing ecosystems. As we gaze upon its boundless blue, we sense eternity.. The oceans salty embrace cradles memories, dreams, and the promise of distant lands.
Also the sea, with its endless horizon. It cradles life within its depths. The salty air invigorates our senses, reminding us of our primordial connection to the vast expanse beyond. Standing on a rocky shore, waves crashing at our feet, we feel both insignificantly small and profoundly connected.
Rapids are a symphony of whitewater, a chaotic dance of water rushing over rocks and churning into frothy pools. Rapids are a playground for the adventurous, and experience the rush of nature’s power.
Waterfalls are nature’s grand displays of cascading beauty. A curtain of water plunges down a cliff face, mist rising like a mystical veil. The sound is a deep, resonant roar, a constant reminder of the force of gravity. Waterfalls leave you breathless, humbled by the sheer power and timeless elegance of water on the move.
Lakes, nestled between mountains or hidden in forested valleys, mirror the sky’s moods. Their stillness invites contemplation. We watch ripples expand, carrying our thoughts across the water’s surface. In their quietude, lakes hold our reflections, revealing both our vulnerabilities and resilience. Still waters, their glassy surfaces reflect the world above—a mirror for our innermost musings. Here, we find solace. In the quietude, we glimpse eternity—the timeless dance of light and shadow.
From the rhythmic pulse of waves to the heart-pounding rush of rapids and the serene majesty of waterfalls, water in motion offers a mesmerizing spectacle for all. Whether you’re a beach bum, a whitewater enthusiast, or simply an admirer of nature’s beauty, there’s a form of water motion that will capture your imagination and leave you wanting more.
Last week Tina‘s challenge gave beautiful faces from around the world with so many emotions on display. I truly enjoyed seeing all these people in your posts. Next week John will present us with a new challenge, looking forward to seeing what he came 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 –30032024
Saturday tune for Easter.
Somebody That I Used To Know by Gotye / and by @cdkcompany
Said Gotye of the song’s inspiration and meaning, it was “definitely drawn from various experiences I’ve had in relationships breaking up, and in the more reflective parts of the song, in the aftermath and the memory of those different relationships and what they were and how they broke up and what’s going on in everyone’s minds. Yeah, so it’s an amalgam of different feelings but not completely made up as such.”
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.
Ritva Sillanmäki Photography 