Double-crested Cormorant
Something personal
Some ranting from a blogger who usually does not share that much personal staff other than photographs, that also tell a story about a woman who is happy and has a positive outlook on life. I still do have a positive attitude, in spite of this post.
I think this is the most I’ve written about me personally about what I do, or did for a living. I have tried not to be a bore, but why not share. I have nothing to loose or be ashamed off, not an employer or a co-worker to to take offence of my opinions.
So I have a dream, of seeing far away places, sunset and sunrises, new experiences and being able to work to support myself.
It is a good thing. I am not going to let this thing get me down, make my bitter or loose hope.
I am a middle aged woman, with a dream, even though I know it won’t come true, it is still a dream. I would love to earn from my art and photographs.
Or getting a job. I have been unemployed for a 18 months and not a job in site for a woman of my age. Covid-19 is also a factor, but a small one compared to age discrimination. I am being put into my own reference bloc; not innovative enough, too expensive, too much experience, too much wrinkles (no I know that is not the issue)it is the age factor.
Also in Finland, it seems to be impossible to get a assistant, coordinator or office work position if you do not have a degree from a Vocational university also known as university of applied sciences. I don’t have that, I have hands on experience since 1990’s, only 30 years, but now days it does not account for nothing ( she says bitterly 🙂 )
Covid-19 made it nearly impossible for anyone to get employed, in Finland 60% of the workforce worked from home. And in is still an ongoing thing. it is time consuming, job applying for jobs, The CV is ready, but writing a letter to go with is so hard when basically all you wish is to get a job and you have to sell yourself in in every letter, but also trying to tell them why you want to work for them… really. I want a job, I do not have a five year plans etc. I don’t care that much which sector they are in, I want to use the skills I have and earn a living.
the look
Learning is fun
The more that you read, the more things ou will know. The more you learn, the more places you’ll go.
-Dr. Seuss
Naples Pier – Before & After
I like this shot of the Naples Pier I took few years ago. The sun was low and it came shining under the pier. I transformed it to blank and white image. I think i works both ways.
Pier – before &after
This first photo is an unedited straight from my mobile that i converted to black and white image. I took it at a Pier in Kaivopuisto in Helsinki on a very misty day.
Spam, Spam & Spam
I have been having trouble with getting the comments and likes etc to my screen. This feature did not at all, I mainly saw them on my app on my phone. Not the most convenient to say the least, it frustrated me totally. I got help, I have to say that when you contact the help on WordPress they do respond immediately. I appreciate that. That said, I had an invasion of spams, mainly from Russia and they all were sent in the past week over 2500 of them. They jammed my sites!!!
That is huge amount – 2500 spams in weeks time, please see your sites if similar thing is happening to you. All these came after I’ve updated the themes on both of my sites Ritva’s Art- Photography and ART BY RITVA .
The photo I’ve chosen is in no way related to the topic. It is a photo of an old ledger book. I just like the photo 🙂
August 25th
“Nature always wears the colors of the spirit. ”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
Autumn picks
Cherries to to cherish.
Apple a day….
Sunset
Beautiful sunset at near my summer house in Lahti, the green fields and orange sky make a beautiful contrast. Mist always adds an extra plus to the scenary
Ihana auringonlasku lähellä mökkiäni, vihreän ja oranssin kontrasti on aivan ihana. Sumu aina tehostaa kuvan tunnelmaa. Kyllä kesällä on niin kaunista.
August moon
Hi all,
long time since I posted here, summer being one of the reasons. Other is my digital art project that i have organized. I have also deleted two of my sites. Trying to organize my hobbies. I will most likely revamp this site too now that I am on a roll. Just to here to tell all is good, no covid or anything else but laziness with lack of posting, but I am back.
Details of carriages
Details of the harnesses and carriages were that dates from the 1880’s.
I did a set in color and in black and white, as I’ve said before, the atmosphere is totally different in them, in my humble opinion. Do you agree or disagree?
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Hartola – Koskipää mansion
Visiting Hartola for the first time, there is not that much to see but we saw the main attractions I assume.
The main green building dates from the 1828. The larder is from the same period and has been built over cellars which date back to the 18th century.
The red side building was constructed in two phases, first came the “savupirtti” (literally a smoke-hut in which there was no chimney) built in the 17th century. The work was finished in the 1850’s. The yellow building, which was the main one during the middle of the 17th century, is not used as a museum.
The shed in which the harnesses and carriages were formerly kept now houses the agricultural section of the museum, and dates from the 1880’s. The windmill was build in 1840. The buildings were all originally here except for the windmill, which was transported to the museum in 1965.
Haikon Kartano
The first known reference to Haikko Manor dates back to the year 1362, but the present Manor House was built in 1913, it is located by the beautiful archipelago about 7 kilometres from Porvoo. Now days it is a Hotel Haikko Manor and Spa.
Old town Porvoo
as it is not recommended that we travel abroad at the moment, we have been visiting picturesque towns and places in Finland. Let me introduce Porvoo to you again with few new photos. It was so full of local tourists that I did not take many photos from the streets. Enjoy a a small photo tour from this lovely town.
Old Porvoo, with its red-ochre painted riverside warehouses, is one of the most photographed national landscapes in Finland. Here you can admire the colorful wooden houses and stroll the winding cobbled streets – as if in a children’s story book.
Ekenäs Old Town
I have been lazy and on holiday, we have done few trips to town near us.
Ekenäs Old Town with its wooden houses spreads out to the seashore. The street names tell the story of the life of the townspeople and how they got along hundreds of years ago. Here, the streets have stayed the same since the 16th century. Street names such as the Hatter’s Street , Linen Weaver’s Street , Cloth Weaver’s Street , Smith’s Street and Tanner’s Street reveal that Barcken’s peninsula in Ekenäs once was populated by skillful craftsmen.
The grey stone church was built in the 1680s on the initiative of Count Gustaf Adolf Leijonhufvud. The church was badly damaged in a fire and owes its present appearance to the reconstruction in the mid-1800s. The latest restoration was made in 1989-1990. There are several valuable items in the church, including a pulpit from the 1600s.
Most of the buildings in the Old Town date from the late 18th and the 19th century, but the area grew out of a 16th century fishing village that the Swedish king Gustav Vasa granted a town charter in 1546 – a few years before Helsinki.
In the summer, you can peep over the fences to the enclosed courtyards. The small signs with names of fish, as given to the blocks in the 19th century, and the cast-iron lamp posts give the face of the Old Town that little extra. The small street mirrors or “gossip mirrors” in the windows, elegantly crafted garden gates and the intricately decorated window frames are all details worth spending time looking at.
Garden nuisance
Snails are a nuisance in the garden, they leave slim and holed leaves behind as the move around the garden.
Lighter mood
Here is a more “lighter” mood, summer yellows and whites , more documentary take on my flowers. One pink one too
Flowers
I am on an editing frenzy, trying to apply all the new skills I have required during the isolation period. I took these shots after a rainy moment. These are all rather dark, I am trying to capture the evening mood to them. How did I do? Too much?
After the rain
I captured these droplets after a rain, even if I say so myself, I like it 🙂
Evening Blues
Misty sunset
Sunset
Last weekend ended our long summer heat chapter of temperatures around +30 C, it is not that common to have that warm weather here. I am getting old, as I who loves the warm weather, thought that it wont’t hurt if it comes down a bit. It didn’t need to turn to +15 C and rain, but it did, that Finnish summer for you.
Well on the last warm “tropical evening” I drove to several lakeside spots to capture the lovely sunset. The mosquitoes did bother me a bit, but it was a lovely evening.
Orange Boat
Hyvää juhannusta ! / happy midsummer!
Summer flowers
This time of the year one is for sure not without things to photograph, I’ve taken these from our summer house, where the nature is near and present at all times. I know I post similar photos every year, but I am also delighted by them yearly.
Ritva Sillanmäki Photography 