celebration – Ritva Sillanmäki Photography

Patti wrote; I hope you join us this week and share your celebrations from near and far. Show us unique, universal, and memorable events that endure in your memories. Limit your photos to 5, if you can!

How and what do you celebrate in your part of the world or in places you’ve traveled? Do you commemorate an historical event? The grape or olive harvest? Religious events? Do you go to music festivals? What milestone events do you commemorate? Show us joyful, solemn, traditional, or avant-garde festivals, parades, feasts, holidays…to name a few. She does give us lots of Ideas.If you haven’t seen it yet, I urge you have look at her post.

We often celebrate around food, these are taken when we celebrated out 30th anniversary.

Now I am trying to decide how to approach this theme. I am going to just jump here and there…

Five is going to be easy for me, as I don’t have that many festive photos. I am not big on photographing celebrations, or participating in them, preferring the quieter moments that often go unnoticed. I like more intimate parties so that you can talk and more importantly hear others as well, immersing myself in genuine conversations that reveal deeper connections and shared stories. Those are my kind of celebrations; the laughter, the warmth, and the meaningful exchanges become the highlight of the event for me. The thing is, I usually don’t take photos then, as I find myself engaged in the moment, enjoying the atmosphere rather than capturing it through a lens. Instead of preserving memories in photos I treasure them in my heart, believing that some memories are best experienced in real-time, without the distraction of a camera. That is only half true, I do take photos on some occasions, but nowadays to post them is always not so straightforward.

Urban public space with modern architectural fountain — The six friends joyfully sharing laughter on wide, tiered stone steps in Sydney, with a large white sculpture in the foreground and a modern glass building reflecting the vibrant atmosphere. The scene captures the essence of friendship and the simple joys of youth, illuminated by soft daylight.

south Beach Miami-19 — A group of friends enjoying a relaxed day at the beach under a sky filled with fluffy clouds, it was a celebration of friendship and selfies if *I recall* correctly. Shot in South Beach Miami

newyear (33 of 34) — Well Once or twice I have also taken firework shot, this was New Year 15 years ago 😂

Military family dressed for formal event — A wedding party waiting from the happy couple to arrive for the photoshoot.

Life is a chaotic celebration demanding your full attention, so don’t take it for granted! In this relentless race, wake up and recognize the beauty that surrounds you—it’s time to spread some serious positivity and shake things up! ( I should take up my own advice ) I am looking forward to seeing your celebrations.

Last week, Anne hosted a perfectly themed Summer Daze challenge. It featured delightful hazy lazy summer days, beautiful settings, stunning sunsets, and plenty of enjoyment, making it a truly relaxing photographic adventure.

Next week is Egídio’s turn to lead us, Saturday 8^th August.

You can keep up with all of our challenges by subscribing to the Lens-Artists team members websites: Tina, Patti, Ann-Christine, John, Sofia, Anne, Egidio, Beth. Ritva,

For information on how to join the Lens-Artists challenge please click here.

Until then, let’s keep exploring, broadening our horizons, and maintaining a positive mindset

The Header is from Paso Robles wineries in California