Maybe you thought I was done with photos from Sibelius Hall in Lahti. You were wrong. And, it will continue 🙂
Monday Window: 9 September 2024
MOnday window
Tag: architecture
Lens-Artist challenge #309: Balconies
So today’s topic is balconies. PR has presented us with this topic and has provided lovely shots to be inspired by. I have a few balcony shots myself, although I’m sure I’ve posted them before. My focus is mainly on nature photography, so I have fewer shots from cities. However, I must admit that balconies make for a nice photography topic. There’s something charming and delightful about capturing the unique character of different balconies, each telling its own story. Whether it’s the intricate designs of wrought-iron railings, the colorful array of potted plants, or the cozy nooks for outdoor seating, balconies offer a myriad of photo opportunities. The interplay of light and shadow on a balcony can create captivating compositions, while the connection between indoor and outdoor spaces adds depth and interest to the photographs. Overall, exploring the world of balconies through photography provides an exciting visual journey, allowing us to appreciate the beauty and diversity of these architectural features.
This above shot is from Amalfi. The gallery below is balconies from Savannah (click to enlarge)
Charleston balconies
Above we are back in Italy and the below shot is from Nice.
Lens-Artist challenge #309: Balconies
I reallythought I wouldn’t be able to find that many balconies, I,m happy to have found some interesting and colorful balconies . Please go discover your set of balconies and be sure to link them to PR’s post and to use the Lens-Artists Tag to help us find you. Thanks also to Elizabeth for last week’s Pairs challenge. It was great seeing the many variations of the theme and creative approaches to her subject.
Next week we return to our normal schedule with Patti leading the challenge on her Pilotfish post. We hope you’ll join us then. Until then, keep on smiling.
Looking for more information on joining our challenge? Click here.
Simple and peaceful interior at Asikkala Church
Linked to Six Word Saturday at Debbie’s here
Thursday doors ~ Helsinki
Nothing grand, just few doors and windows Posted for Dan’s Thursday Doors
MOnday window 13-05-24
This week I will post this as Monday window and building that might we in need of a bit refurbishment. But i looks Ok in a photograph even if not in mint condition.
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
appreciate the uniqueness of doors
Lately on Thursdays I have been posting photos of doors, since I started doing this I have discovered that I loads of them in my archives. Dan’s Thursday doors has given me a great reason to post them.
What is the fascination to take photos of doors, and I know I am not the only one. So I gave myself a t moment to think about it.
Taking photos of doors has become a delightful pastime for many , myself included, and it’s fascinating how something as seemingly mundane as a door can capture our attention. I took so many door photos when we visited Savannah.
Is it the architectural beauty, as doors come in an array of styles, from grand wooden entrances to charming little garden gates, each door tells a unique story. Or is it capturing these details allows us to appreciate the beauty in everyday structures.
Is it because doors symbolize transitions, opportunities, and boundaries. Do they evoke feelings of curiosity, wonder, and anticipation. We wonder what lies beyond that closed door, and our imaginations take flight.
I have noticed as I focus on framing the shot, adjusting angles, and noticing small details, I become fully present in the moment. It’s a form of meditation—a way to escape the noise of daily life and immerse ourselves in the visual world. The act of observing and capturing doors and it’s surroundings becomes a calming moment.
The surroundings around the doors change with the seasons. Flowers bloom around them in spring, leaves fall in autumn, and snow blankets their thresholds in winter. Always something new to discover. Additionally, the play of light and shadow on doors varies throughout the day. A door that looks ordinary in the morning might appear enchanting during golden hour.
So, the next time you encounter a captivating door, take a moment to appreciate its uniqueness. Capture it with your camera, and perhaps you’ll discover a hidden world waiting to be explored—one door at a time!
yellow facade & rectangular windows
A building with a warm, yellow facade, features rectangular windows, each framed in white. On the left side, a small balcony french balcony. Shadows of bare tree branches are cast upon the building’s facade, creating an artistic pattern. The blue sky reflected in the windows show the fair weather of this day.
The warm yellow hue of the building’s facade, the crisp white window frames, and the intricate patterns created by the tree shadows make this shot interesting.
Ludwigs Monday Window: March 11, 2024
Glass echoes city’s indoor-outdoor dance.
The Forgotten Entrance
An old, weathered building caught my eye, its facade worn and crumbling. The central focus for me was the wooden door, partially broken and barricaded, as if guarding secrets from the past. The door is framed by a stone archway, its edges chipped and revealing the bricks beneath made me stop to look more closely as it gave the entrance so much depth.
On either side of the door, partially closed white shutters cover windows, hinting at a time when life once thrived within. Nature has begun to reclaim the space: grass grows defiantly, and tree branches reach out, casting shadows. I felt the overall mood was somber yet serene, evoking feelings of nostalgia and the inexorable passage of time.
For Thursday Doors
The image below suggests it’s the same building by the first glance, or very similar one, by the looks of it also looks like it’s been abandoned. I have no recollection if this is the case. In this shot the main focus is an old, curved wooden door it is set within a worn-out stone archway, where the stones have eroded to reveal the bricks underneath, but not so obviously as in the previous entrance.
There are several white-framed windows along the walls, each with a small ledge below. One of the windows on the upper left side holds potted plants on its ledge, bringing some life to the otherwise deserted scene. Some of the windows suggest that this is not totally abandoned, just a wild guess on my part. I took these photo several year back in Estonia.
Monday window – Fading Memories
This buildings evokes a sense of nostalgia, mystery, and the passage of time. The building stands as a silent witness to stories untold, waiting for someone to unravel its secrets. The old, weathered building with visible signs of wear and tear. The architecture, though aged, has a distinct character that draws the eye.
Its walls, once proud and white, now bear the scars of time—cracked bricks, peeling paint, and a sense of melancholy. The window, a relic of better days, gazes out onto the road.
A bittersweet nostalgia hangs in the air—the ache of what was and the whisper of what might have been. The window yearns for a pair of eyes to look through it once more, to see beyond decay and find beauty in fragments. The overcast sky casts a soft light, enhancing the eerie and abandoned feel of the scene.
Ludwig’s Monday Window I found these from my archive – do not know the state of the building now as this was taken several years ago.
Old barn door
As I drove through the rural area of Kirkkonummi, my eyes were drawn to an old barn building standing by the roadside, quietly whispering for attention through its weathered exterior. The barn, which has clearly weathered the passage of time, seemed to exude a quiet charm that piqued my curiosity, and I couldn’t resist the urge to pull over and capture its essence.I spent some time capturing the details of the barn doors. Surrounded by the enchanting hues of autumn foliage, the scene evoking a sense of nostalgia and peacefulness.
Posted for Dan’s Thursday Doors
Lammi Church
As I was looking for doors, I didn’t go outside, ’cause the roads are so icy at the moment due to the weather we’ve been having lately. Today, for the first time in days, I see sunshine and blue sky. It has been gray, wet, or misty. Yesterday’s storm in Norway brought us winds and rain in the morning,but it also cleared the skies and boy, does it feel good. I feel somewhat uplifted, what a mood changer the sun is. Have a great Thursday. This post is linked to Dans Thursday Doors
So here are some photos from the Lammin Church and yes some doors.
Middle Ages
According to current research, the medieval church in Lammi was built between 1490 and 1510. The church is dedicated to St. Catherine of Alexandria, a learned martyr who died in 307, in whose memory e.g. St. Catherine’s Monastery in Sinai. Before this church, Lammi has had two older churches, possibly built of wood.
Fire
Until 1918, the interior parts of the church were wooden. This wooden church was badly burned during the Finnish Civil War on April 29, 1918.
After the fire, only the gray stone walls remained of the church. In the same fire, the pulpit donated to the church in 1692, part of the church’s archives, and the tabul and its medieval church bell were destroyed. After the fire, the reconstruction of the church and church was planned by the architect Usko Nyström.
French doors
This week, I have edited an image featuring French doors and Juliet balconies for Dan’s Thursdays Doors challenge.
After weeks of seeing only white around me, I needed some color.
Instead of simply applying the conventional technique of converting the imagery to monochrome, I took a different approach by emphasizing the composition of each photograph. Each composition offers a slightly different perspective on the same scene: a charming old yellow building in the picturesque city of Nice, adorned with elegant French doors, adorned with green shutters, and complemented by Juliet balconies. One of the balconies charmingly displays an array of flower pots, while the other serves as a picturesque backdrop for laundry drying in the gentle breeze. .
Street Photography – walking street
A pedestrian area in the shopping area in Níce some years back. It was early October, but the weather was still nice and warm, and there were lots of people on the move. The shops were situated in lovely old buildings with Juliet balconies and green and white shutters in front of the windows. The atmosphere in the area was energetic and vibrant, as locals and tourists alike meandered through the charming streets, and the sight of colorful displays in the shop windows. The gentle warmth of the sun added to the allure of the scene, casting a soft golden glow over the picturesque architecture and creating a captivating ambiance.
Well, I do like playing with my images, so once again I did a monochrome version, but this time I am more inclined to go with the color version as my favorite, go figure :-) The golden glow more obvious in it.
Lens-Artist Photo Challenge #282 – Dramatic
This week, Patti from is asking this question: what makes a photo dramatic? Maybe it is processed in black and white, or it has vivid colors. Maybe a person, place, or object is captured from a unique perspective or it is a macro shot.
I took this from the plane, the mountains make a dramatic scene behind the clouds.
The word “dramatic” holds immense significance for me – it encapsulates the sense of grandeur and intensity that is ever-present. It’s remarkable how the play of light in photographs can be so distinctive and impactful. In contrast, everyday life may not exude the same overt drama; seemingly mundane events can often hold hidden depths of emotion and sentiment beneath a tranquil facade. Being of Finn, I acknowledge that we may not be the most openly expressive people, yet our emotions are profoundly felt and deeply rooted.
These I took In Níce, France
For me, the sea stands as one of the most profoundly dramatic elements, alongside the ever-changing canvas of clouds. Nature, or rather the weather, serves as the catalyst for many of these breathtaking phenomena.
Furthermore, the architectural details has the potential to evoke a dramatic impact through the interplay of light, shadow, and contours.
This is detail of the roof Monte Carlo Casino. The interplay of dark skies and beautiful old architecture creates a mesmerizing contrast that captivates the senses. The looming presence of the dark skies serves as a backdrop, intensifying the timeless allure of the architectural marvels.
Skyline from Monte Carlo some years back.
“An event or circumstance sudden and striking,”
I sometimes capture documentary shots, sometimes I see people who are down on their luck. Even though I don’t know their stories, seeing these homeless men sitting on the streets of Las Vegas was truly a poignant and sad sight. They are not sharp images on purpose…
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.
Street Photography – at the mall
I don’t know if this is really street photography, but let’s pretend so.
I took this yesterday at the mall. I needed to get out of the house. I was really proud, I didn’t buy anything, nearly did, but I reasoned with myself, I don’t need this, put it back to the rack.
Street art Doors
Walk down this quiet thoroughfare and you find yourself in a different world, dominated by the ever-changing street art that covers every wall. and in this case door 🙂
Wander through Melbourne’s laneways
Lose yourself in a wonderland of colourful street art,. Here are some of the street art found in laneways dotted around Melbourne, these ones are on painted on doors .
Thursday Doors is hosted most Thursday by Monsieur Dan Antion.
Stained glass Door, and windows
Welcome to the Parliament Building, home to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia.
. The Parliament Buildings were officially opened on February 10, 1898. I visited the building in 2016
Stained glass door in the Parliament Building, all of their stained glass was shipped from England to Victoria. So, Even though this was a post about the doors, the windows are so much more beautiful.
Posted for Dan’s Thursday Doors
Lens Artists Challenge #276: Looking Up; Looking Down
This week James of Jazzibee wants us to look up and down; I will demonstrate that’s what I’ve done several times:-)
To see small things you often need to look down. I was really happy find this penguin in its natural habitat – in the nature. A crab on the rocks at a beach, and as well as this little green frog. Turtles. To see Koalas in the nature we found ourselves looking up.
This was from my previous post – but I am looking down 👇
Cities are great places to look up or down. The ones below are from Melbourne.
Sea – Ocean, flowing water, waves.. love, just love watching it
These are taken below or underneath the subject – architectural design choices.
Up and down that’s were your eyes go when looking for something to photograph.
Lens-Artists Challenge #274 – Filling the frame
This week, Anne challenges us with, Filling the Frame.
Filling the frame in photography is a technique that can have different effects depending on how you use it.
It can help you to direct the viewer’s focus to your main subject, by eliminating distractions and negative space. It can also help you to accentuate simplicity in your composition, by highlighting the shapes, colors, textures, and details of your subject. It can also help you to create emotional impact in your image, by making your subject appear larger, closer, and more intimate.
Some of the techniques for filling the frame are: You can get closer to your subject, either physically or by using a zoom lens, to fill the frame with more of your subject. You can also crop your image during editing, to remove unwanted elements and adjust the composition.
Filling the frame in photography is a versatile and powerful technique that can enhance your images in many ways. However, it is not always the best choice for every situation. Sometimes, you might want to leave some negative space or background in your image, to create a sense of context, depth, or contrast.
I already posted this once, it is a very recent shot and I am very happy with it . I used crop technique to get the result. As with the shots below of fruits, berries and vegetables You can also use a macro lens to fill the frame with small subjects, such as flowers, insects, or jewelry.
These are taken below or underneath the subject – architectural design choices.
Traffic below
My last set is portraits.
Lens-Artists Challenge #274 – Asymmetry
Face is the first thing that came to mind, we are all a bit lopsided, right. It has been demonstrated in photo manipulations that symmetric face is odd. I have no photo for this or the interior one, but they came to mind first about the word asymmetrical.
In fact, we’d argue that asymmetrical (yet balanced) rooms are among the most interesting, unique, and elevated spaces. With an asymmetrical approach, you need to reject the literal, mirror-image equilibrium and seek out balance in more abstract terms.
We are exploring asymmetry with Donna. I liked this – Asymmetry – an informal sense of balance.
I really don’t think about any style when taking a photo, I only think about a composition that is pleasant to my eye. In this post I am sharing photos from Brisbane.
My first image is of The Brisbane River is the longest river in South-East Queensland, Australia, and flows through the city of Brisbane, before emptying into Moreton Bay on the Coral Sea
These are taken below or underneath the subject – architectural design choices.
Traffic below
My cousin took us all around Brisbane, he knew the town and all great spots for photos and as he had been builder on many of the buildings we saw, he had so much knowledge about them, This place offered a great framed view of the city. But I think I got it right in terms of these not being symmetric, but the opposite.
concrete blogs by the sea.
My last one is an image of flowers by the beach on a misty morning
LENS-ARTISTS CHALLENGE #273 – SYMMETRY
I think this says it all about this weeks theme, symmetry is everywhere. You just need to keep your eyes open,
Sofia is this week’s host for the Lens-Artist challenge
Church is an obvious choice when searching for symmetry , and I am sure I am not the only one pointing it out.
Flowers – obviously 🙂
Windows …hmn 🙂 and architecture has it in all shapes and forms
Nature, lets not forget it is in all creations. Wings of the pelican are rather symmetric, Yes?
Symmetry is everywhere as you can see 🙂
If you want more information on the Lens-Artists Challenge, please click here.
Lens Artists Challenge #251: Buildings and Other Structures
Anne wrote: My challenge for you, this week, is to find your own fascinating structures that capture your attention, tell a story or are just beautiful. You can capture new scenes or take a trip down memory lane in your photo archives. Lens Artists Challenge #251: Buildings and Other Structures
I am going to be brief worded, I have had the flu now for over a week so I am not at my best, it really drains you from all energy. SO I apologize for lack of responses to comments I’ve received. I will get to them.
So many to choose from, and without any reason I went with these. Enjoy.
Urajärvi Manor is one of the oldest manor museums in our country, having bequeathed their home for museum use by Lilly and Hugo von Heideman. The Empire-style mansion is located in Itä-Asikkala, Urajärvi.
The current main building was completed in 1810, the earlier one burned down and its exact location is unknown. The main building was initially a one-story building with a mansard roof. It was extended and raised into a two-story empire-style building in 1839-40 when the new manor owner Axel von Heideman moved into the house with his wife Sofia. The second floor was built only for grandeur and the fashion of the time. There are living rooms only at the ends.
The English-style park of Urajärvi Manor Museum with its romantic walkways and viewpoints is an experience worth seeing and experiencing
A quick stop to old town int Nice in France, I am drawn to the old architecture, the colors and rooftops .
the colorful and slightly dilapidated houses of Cape Verde attracted me and almost asked me to photograph them. Some had been nicely renovated.
These two modern high-rise building’s are from San Francisco, they are impressive, but they lack warmth and soul
These are from Brisbane in Australia, similar high rise buildings as above, but you can see an old building left by the sea front. What difference in style. I was very attracted to the l Queenslander houses.
And if you did not know the header is Sydney Opera house 🙂
Posted for Anne’s Lens-Artists Challlenge
Remember to link to this challenge when you post and use the Lens-Artists tag. Anne wants to see all your artful structures
Colorful doors
I have come across so many doors while looking at my fellow bloggers posts. So I thought I would post few too. Here are some colorful doors 🙂 from Savannah, Georgia.
