I am so waiting for spring and summer that I drove to this small shop in the countryside that this lady keeps in her barn and home to buy linen clothing which is so nice to wear. Natural fabric and bright colors are the items she brings from Italy to her shop. I did not need anything but I did end up buying a green linen dress, a fuchsia linen tunic, necklace, and scarf to match the colors of the tops I brought. I cannot wait to wear them.
That what I wrote above is why I took these photos on our way there, I mean come on, April and the day was as wintery as it could be, it snowed several times during the day. Well, new snow is the death of the old snow as a Finnish saying goes.
on a hill looking downFlooding ditches snow covered field in April under grey skiestrees on a hill
Details from nature is my other option, the ball hydrangea has weathered the winter well, and I love how the structure and texture has begun to show. I know I have taken similar shots before, on many occasions, but honestly near home there is not much that inspires me at the moment. So, any opinions as what to post as my entry for week 14 ?
Nature shots aren’t restricted to wildlife out in the middle of nowhere. Nature Photography is here to make us feel connected with our home, this pale blue dot 🌍 we call earth. Go out and capture the beauty that surrounds us all.
Nature shots aren’t restricted to wildlife out in the middle of nowhere. How about a starry night shot with a long shutter? Or the waves of the ocean with a high shutter speed to freeze motion? Not possible for me, we have snow, rain an slush… still!!!
Nature Photography is here to make us feel connected with our home, this pale blue dot 🌍 we call earth. Go out and capture the beauty that surrounds us all. I took these of the hill that is just behind our backyard. Capturing weather, snow.. and the the trees on the fill.
Snowing sideways…
the wind has slightly let up…but still snowing pretty heavily
Nature in detail was my option, the ball hydrangea has weathered the winter well, and I love how the structure and texture begin to show. I know I have taken similar shots before, but honestly near home is not much that inspires me at the moment. So any opinions as what to post as my entry for week 14 ?
This week, in search for emotion and someone to photograph, I think I have over used my model, so I gave him a week off 🙂 I am full of emotions, I took some selfies as I had no one to else available had a busy week at work and did not getting anything done. No grandkids live near any more, because their expressive faces would have been so easy to capture true emotion.
On to a “creative-led” challenge this week! Really the core of what photography is about, the core of EVERY story – Emotion. Strong photos should tell a clear story and evoke feelings in those who see our shots.
sad, tired …
What could emotion look like? Perhaps the happiness reflected in the eyes of a child, the look of love shared between a couple, the joy of a team celebrating their latest win on the football field or even the pride of a baker showcasing their latest creation. Human emotions run deep and are varied – we can be pensive, or be battling our inner demons – introspective portraits can tell compelling stories.
Slightly optimistic, I will come up with something…
I have been recovering from an oculoplastic surgery, I look like an owl. I have since Thursday been doing cold treatment, eye drops and antiseptic cream in eyes several times a day. So trying to get a shot of any sort of activity has been a challenge.
But we did go out for lunch yesterday so I took some shot then. I actually sat in the restaurant with my sunglasses on the entire time, felt a bit silly, but no way could ruin other peoples appetite by showing my eyes.
This week, in search for An Activity
At any given point of time, we’re all doing something, so let’s capture that this week and shoot An Activity. This week’s challenge is deliberately open-ended and is there for you to make the most of your creative juices. Basically, think of a verb, something ending in -ing.
we do need to eat …
Capture a moment in time that depicts someone doing something. Set the tone of the image to add more depth and emotion to your shot. Think about why you want to capture this particular scene and how you can best convey that to your viewer. How ? Make good choices with your lens, composition, lighting and of course, how you edit your image in the end.
we could go walking
me watching hubby dropping snow from the patio roof..
This week, we’re going low, or at least shooting Low Key.
A low key image is going to have shadows, dark tones and, in a lot of cases, the subject of the photo is the only thing shown off with your lighting.
And speaking of light, there is usually only one source of lighting, but be careful because you could shoot with one light source and still not be hitting a true low key photo.
Low Key
Monochrome profile in Low key
A low key shot draws the viewer’s eye to your subject with no distractions. Think drama, intensity, and moodiness.
If you’re thinking low key is only for studio work, think again! You’ll see in our examples great low key photos of wildlife, architecture, even landscapes.
Low key photography doesn’t mean it has to be a black and white photo. It’s the overall dark you find in the tones, not the absence of color, though that works, too.
I did have an idea at to begin with to this challenge, yesterday I was given too many options. If you have read or seen any of my posts you will know, well, I have a dilemma . Drove to Helsinki to check out the beautiful city library, the whole square where it is located is full of reflection opportunities.
Light. That’s the medium photographers create their art with. We usually play with light and shadows but this week we’re going to try something often overlooked – Reflections. Boost your photo’s aesthetic by using reflections – add more depth and complexity with this aspect of photography and see the world in a whole new way.
The first shot is not from there but from my office window as I thought it came out rather nicely.
Office view from my office to a traffic circle in Kirkkonummi.
Be creative and think of using symmetry with mirrors or tangentially, go beyond the literal. Visualize your composition, be patient and don’t hesitate to try new stuff out to get a great shot.
Take time to observe your surroundings for cool opportunities out there or feel free to make your own indoors. Just ask yourself: “What is the light doing here ?”
Support for the current situation in the world can seen in reflection
Music hall and Helsinki sign reflected from the opposite building Reflections on entrance to the Oodi library
Oodi is a striking building with its glass and steel structures and wooden façade, its design a combination of traditional and contemporary flavours. The energy-efficient library is an impressive calling card for Finnish architecture.
Below are reflections on the Music Hall in Helsinki
I am posting this for no other reason that I came across it when looking at my archives of photos. well I liked it.
Fruits of Maple tree
Acer platanoides, Forest Maple it’s called in Finland or just maple, is a deciduoustree, growing to 20–30 m (65–100 ft) tall with a trunk up to 1.5 m (5 ft) in diameter, and a broad, rounded crown. The bark is grey-brown and shallowly grooved. Unlike many other maples, mature trees do not tend to develop a shaggy bark. The shoots are green at first, soon becoming pale brown.
It has been a busy week at work, spring is arriving with speed as light time is about 40 min longer every week. It was such a joy to wake up today and the sun was already lighting the woods at the back of our house.
The situation in the world is unfortunately causing anxiety, as we share a long border with Russia. So much information, so many variables and really how much can you take in. I tend to work my daily thoughts in dreams and at the moment, it feels like I am combining what I watch on tv, even as light television shows about home fix shows, to war, and my daily life. So I can say lots of things are happening in my head.
So not to be too messed up, here are very structural photos 🙂 of buildings and interiors from Kaapelitehdas (cable factory) in Helsinki.
I had no idea to begin with to this challenge, but as we yesterday went to a museum tours, it kind a came to me. The new locations and the lights there and few moments captured my attention. I have 20 hours to choose what I am going to submit. Want to help me?
The first one I liked that the girl in the phot and the subject where both looking down. same but with to different compositions. These are from Pictorialism – the Dawn of Photographic Art
The Rule Of Thirds – one of the earliest photo composition techniques that an aspiring photographer comes across in their photo journey.
It’s simple, versatile, and effective in many situations.
It’s a classic for a reason – it works well and improves photographic composition immensely.
Simply put, place two vertical lines to divide the image into 3 equal columns and two horizontal lines so you also have 3 equally-sized horizontal rows so the entire scene is divided into 9 segments. (Think, tic-tac-toe grid.) Place points of interest in the scene where the lines meet to improve the overall look and feel of the image.
it snowed yesterday, a lot! We got so much snow in our backyard, well in the front too 🙂 I took these first three this morning during the blue moment. The others a little bit later, you can see how it effected the colors.
I had to struggle with this, as the weather did not in anyway give any reason to want to go and explore. It was a really wet week, there was slush everywhere, angle deep in places. It has been raining or snowing most of the time, not my kind of weather.
The great unknown – it’s often a good idea to visit new places and experience new things. That’s why this week, we’re encouraging you to take shots of places hitherto Unexplored.
You can find new places and experiences wherever you are – in a bustling city or an idyllic rural setting and everything in between. Take a moment to think about what you want your image to portray – excitement, beauty, nostalgia or even something poignant. Since you’re likely going to be in a new place, do be patient with yourself and the surroundings.
Well, one place near by saved me, it was not totally unexplored as I have been there once before. It is only a little white lie..
I have been watching these to dog friends play if not daily, then weekly. Looking at them from my office window. They are big, but still puppies and enjoying themselves playing in the snow. This time I decided I will take photos of them. Cute, aren’t they?
I love taking photos, I have been am a self learned photographer, even if I say so myself, I have a good eye. I see beauty all around me.
I take photos of everything that catches my eye, be it a tiny detail of a plant, beautiful view or urban surroundings.
Want a Portrait?
I love taking photos of people from babies to the more mature with the life showing in their appearance and face and everything in the between. Trying to the capture the essence of that person and find the individual beauty in everyone.
If you like the way I capture people, I would love to come and take photos of you or your loved ones. I always use natural light and like to take photos in locations where they are comfortable.
I have added Portfolio of Portraits so you can see my style.
Olen ollut itseoppinut valokuvaaja, vaikka itse sanonkin, minulla on hyvä silmä. Kauneutta on joka puolella kun oikein tarkkaan katsoo.
Otan kuvia kaikesta mikä osuu silmään, olipa kyseessä sitten kukan yksityiskohta, kaunis maisema tai urbaani kaupunkiympäristö.
Tykkään ottaa kuvia ihmisistä vauvoista vaariin. Käytän aina luonnonvaloa ja pidän valokuvaamisesta paikoissa, joissa kuvattava tuntee olonsa mukavaksi, kuvata heidät heille tärkeässä ympäristössä
Yritän vangita kuvattavana olevan henkilön olemuksen ja löytää jokaisessa heidän yksilöllisen kauneuden. Otan ylioppilaskuvia, rippikuvia tai vaikka jos omaksi iloksi haluat kuvan ilman sen kummallisempaa syytä Jos pidät tavasta, jolla kuvaan ihmisiä, tulen mielelläni ottamaan kuvia sinusta tai läheisistäsi
Oheisesta linkistä näet ottamiani Portfolio of Portraits
Three weeks I have been home and the cough continues, I am so tired of this. I have been watching the weather change from really to cold to the plus with grey skies and melting snow. Yesterday it snowed again and I went to the patio to capture it with my backyard view as a backdrop.
Snowing
In spite of been stuck at home I decided to participate to a challenge 52 frames. One photo a week on a certain topic. The first one was my BW selfie I took just at the beginning of my omikron journey, the second of my frosty tree. I am working on the third.
close up of a pine tree on snow
These shots have nothing to do with the challenge, obviously, other than that the scene is the same as in my previous shot, my backyard view. I took some more artistic liberties with the featured image at the top, does it work, or not?
Ritva Sillanmäki Photography 