This were taken with my mobile from the car while in Helsinki last weekend for I edited them into monochrome on my mobile with LightRoom Leanne’s Monochrome Madness
Monochrome Photography in Helsinki: March Sunday
Tag: iPhone photography
Lens-Artists Challenge #391 – Phone Photography
Tina’s – Phone Photography challenge is super relevant right now; it totally shows how far mobile photography has come, just like our smartphone cameras have leveled up. Her post is great inspiration, so do check it out and join in.
I’ve taken a ton of pics with my phones over the years. Right now, I’m using the iPhone 17 PRO, which is a recent purchase, and let me tell you, its camera setup is awesome with that triple-lens system and cool features like Night mode and Deep Fusion. The picture quality is great, and honestly, having such a great camera on me makes it so easy to grab those spontaneous shots!
I had no complaints about my previous iPhone 14 PRO; I got great shots with it for three years, and most of the images that I will share are shot with it.
Taking a self portrait with a phone is so much easier than camera, sharing a recent on of myself – in monochrome as I do love that style.
Please remember to include a link to Tina’s post and utilize the Lens-Artists Tag so we can easily find your photos. Huge thanks to Egidio for demonstrating the impact of black and white photography and how our minds can visualize colors through imagination. Lastly, I hope you to join us next week when Patti guides us through her Pilotfish post. Until then, let’s keep exploring, broadening our horizons, and maintaining a positive mindset.
I’m having a bit of a tough time keeping a positive mindset and staying motivated to get things done, but I’m really trying to push through. Every day has its moments. I just keep reminding myself that it’s all about just doing it. I am not depressed or anything, just lacking in the motivation part. My motto is even “Inspiration exists, but it needs to find you working.” I hope you get why I haven’t been commenting lately, but I promise I’ll check out the posts, even if it takes me a bit longer. Engaging with the posts matters to me, and I’m doing my best to get back on track and jump in more.
Please see this page for more information about the Lens-Artists Challenge and its history. If you don’t want to miss any future challenges, please consider subscribing to the team members’ websites. Here we are:
The Lens-Artists: Tina, Patti, Ann-Christine, John, Sofia, Anne, Egidio, Beth, and myself Ritva.
Tulip Beauty in Monochrome and Color
Monochrome Madness is giving us a free week, which means no specific prompt this time around—so much easier to choose the topic. I thought it would be lovely to post flowers, so this week I’m excited to share some gorgeous tulips that a dear friend gave me. I snapped these beauties against the window, using backlight to really capture the details of the petals in the monochrome images. Plus, since I’m also sharing this with TheFlowerHour, I’ve included some colorful images too, taken in light coming mostly from the side above. Just wait until you see the lovely orange shade!
A striking contrast of black and white captures a bouquet of tulips, with the dark background emphasizing their delicate petals and complex textures in the first image in the gallery. The other two monochrome portrayals showcases the arrangement of tulips in a vase, featuring intricate details set against a gently blurred backdrop. Complementing and contrasting this is the radiant bouquet of orange tulips, artfully positioned in a cobalt blue vase atop a wooden table, exuding vibrancy and charm.
Click the gallery images to enlarge them
February Outdoor Fun: Snow and Sunny Skies
A sunny February day filled with winter delight was immortalized through my mobile phone. The vast blue skies contrasted spectacularly with the shimmering white snow. With a mild temperature of -4°C, it felt delightful to be outdoors, with children engaging in various winter activities. While the little ones might not recall this adventure, the adults surely will.
Sharing for Johnbo’s Cellpic Sunday.
A Peek into My Artistic Desk
I have already shared the photos I’ve taken this week, but here are a few fresh ones straight from my phone. I captured these at my other desk — I have two: one for computer work and another for my small artistic projects; these are from that workspace. Just a little peek into my study.
Participating in Johns Cellpic Sunday
Coffee Break Photography
I had to run some errands and took the opportunity to have a coffee break. And being Monday, why not take a few new photos for today from the cafe? I took a cozy seat by the window just for that reason, allowing the sunlight to illuminate my space. As I sipped my coffee, I looked around, hoping to find something else interesting to capture through IPhone. The people engaged in conversations, the barista expertly crafting intricate latte art, and the aroma of freshly baked pastries wafting through the air. A perfect setting for a spontaneous photography.
Monday Window: 9 February 2026
Spontaneous Mobile Shot: A Lightbulb
A spontaneous shot of a light/lightbulb I saw caught my eye. I fancied how it looked and quickly decided to take a shot, capturing the essence of the moment in a single frame. At the time, I had no idea where to use it, as it didn’t fit into any particular theme I was working on. However, after giving it some thought, I realized that it would be perfect to share in John’s Cellpic Sunday. Mobile photography does make it easy to capture these small observations, as it is always handy.
the Stillness of a Winter Night
Cold and bright night,
moon shines high,
trees shimmer with frost,
whispering secrets in the winter sky.
Each breath a cloud,
every shadow a ghost,
the world wrapped in silence,
a beauty, a host,
like a scene on a postcard.
Smoke rises gently from the chimney,
stars blink down in their velvet attire,
as whispers of dreams float higher and higher.
February’s breath, crisp and clear.
That is what it was like when we came home Sunday evening.
Helsinki’s Holiday Lights
So far, December has been unseasonably warm, characterized by gray and rainy weather; we’ve only enjoyed one sunny day here in southern Finland. The dreariness of the skies affects my mood, it really does. However, we did go to Helsinki to see live music and on the way we saw the season’s festive lights in Helsinki, which I found to be quite tastefully arranged, stylish would be my word. I snapped a few iPhone photos to preserve the memories, but unfortunately, none turned out well in terms of quality—they’re all somewhat blurry. I’ll attribute this to the frigid weather; the biting wind was so cold it left me shivering, making it hard to hold the camera steady.
Americana Sounds
Livemusic, americana, mexicana? We went to see a top band assembled by Alejandro Escovedo and Sami Yaffa in Savoy in Helsinki. A long-time songwriter (74 years old), Escovedo was born to a family of Mexican immigrants, and he often sings stories about the experiences of immigrants in the United States, a musical family as only 8 out of the 13 children became musicians. Brothers Coke and Pete once played in a small Chicano band called Santana. Pete’s daughter is Sheila E.
This was a new artist from Texas to me; I loved how he told the stories about the songs. I can say I truly enjoyed this wonderful artist’s music there is something to be said about to listening to live music played by wonderful musicians.
The photos are nothing to brag about, but will be a reminder of nice evening. For John’s Cellpic Sunday
Emotional Minimalism
I got a request to show my new vase with flowers that I featured in my how to survive November round post. I am not happy with any of these, not even the edited one.But here they are for John’s Cellpic Sunday.
Cellpic Sunday- Ladies lunch
It seems that I am frequently posting food photographs on this post, showcasing the delightful variety of dishes that capture my attention. However, I haven’t taken many photos with my phone this week. I do like taking shots of beautifully served food, usually it’s a meticulously plated gourmet meal at a restaurant. I always strive to highlight the artistry and creativity behind every plate.
Yesterday I had lunch that took four hours with a friend; we enjoyed a three-course meal and a bottle of nice wine, savoring every bite as we reminisced about our past adventures together. Good conversation kept going, even though we got into a rather fiery one about what’s happening in the world, but we remained polite, respecting each other’s viewpoints while passionately expressing our own. Ultimately, we thought about the issue the same way but approached it from different angles, and this diversity of thought only deepened our connection, allowing us to appreciate the complexities of our discussions.
Starters: Burrata cheese, marinated tomatoes, Marcona almonds, and fresh basil and Creamy chanterelle soup with allspice cream and thyme
Mains: Grilled pepper steak with garlic–blue cheese gratinated potatoes, tomato–onion salad and creamy pepper sauce
Desert: French lemon meringue tart with vanilla tuile
For John’s Cellpic Sunday
Cellpic’s of a delicious meal
Starters or to share: King prawn pan with pilpil parmesan butter, rucola, and bread and Mains: Grilled beef tenderloin with fried king prawns in jalapeno sauce and grilled sweet potato
John’s Cellpic Sunday
Cozy Kitchen Window
A view of a kitchen through a window, featuring Tinka sitting on the windowsill and warm yellow light illuminating the interior.
Posted for John’s Cellpic Sunday and Monday Window: 6 October 2025
Friday mood
Serene Nighttime Moment
I was going to bed a bit earlier than my husband, as I had had enough crime for the day while he continued watching Law and Order. After a long day, I felt tired. I had closed the door to our bedroom at our summer home, seeking quiet from the sound of the TV. However, Tinka, our mischievous cat, seemed determined to disrupt my plans; she has an uncanny knack for opening doors and an unmistakable dislike for anything that blocks her pathway. The moment she managed to nudge the door open, a soft glow of light poured in, casting gentle shadows across the room. In that serene moment, I picked up my phone and captured this shot. I have to say, the camera phone takes really nice nighttime images, making even the dimmest light appear vibrant and full of life. The interplay of shadows and lightshowed me of the peaceful and warm atmosphere of our home, and I couldn’t help but feel grateful for these little moments of joy that come unexpectedly.
Seasonal lights
Yesterday – finally we hanged some seasonal lights to our backyard to brighten the dark nights. Tinka enjoy the sight too 🙂 Two of them are from my bedroom and other through the window in my living room.
John’s Cellpic Sunday
Capturing Unique Cafe Moments
These are not the best shots I’ve taken with my mobile, but I had fun experimenting with light settings. The last set is taken from inside a cozy cafe, looking out through the window— searching for funny reflections that add an interesting twist to the ordinary scene. It’s amusing to notice how, in some of the pictures, there are lots of people appearing without heads. These unusual captures reminding me of the joy that comes from simply observing the world around me while sipping on a warm cup of coffee.
For John’s Cellpic Sunday.
Capturing September Moonlit Moments
I have mostly used my phone to take photos lately as it is always available and convenient to carry around. On Thursday evening at 9 PM, I captured some beautiful moments while we left home to drive to our summer house, eagerly anticipating the relaxing weekend ahead. Our goal was to arrive there that night so we would be refreshed and ready to start our workday early on Friday. By planning this, we aimed to sidestep the afternoon traffic, which often adds unnecessary time to our trip. The other photo was taken at 10:40 PM, just as we arrived, with the warm glow of the house welcoming us.
I have to say mobile is not the best to take moon shots, but I had to try. Here are the results; I edited them in LR – not classic. I have the mobile version on my phone, which is quite handy for quick access and sharing. When I first looked at the moon through my mobile lens, it looked so huge and captivating, almost as if it were within reach. The smoke trailing from a plane nearby created an interesting contrast, and the street lamp at the end of the road nicely framed the scene, making a beautiful leading line that draws the eye toward the celestial body. It reminded me that sometimes unexpected beauty can be captured in the simplest moments.
For John’s Cellpic Sunday
This is when we reached the countryside, and the field was blanketed in a delicate mist that swirled gently around us, creating an ethereal atmosphere. The moon cast its soft glow upon the landscape, illuminating the field with a silvery light that made everything appear almost magical; plus, the car lights enhanced the scene by bringing out the subtle details in the corner of my photo, creating a perfect backdrop for the moment. I just rolled down the window and seized the opportunity to capture this sight with my camera.
Embracing the Beauty of a September Morning
A warm September morning with mist over the fields still at seven, not yet eight :-), sun shining down gently, casting a golden hue over everything. The soft rustling of leaves , while wildflowers peek through the dew-kissed grass, adding splashes of color to the tranquil scene. Birds chirp, creating a cheerful symphony that fills the air, their sweet melodies .. As I stroll through the road, the earthy scent of damp soil creating an aroma that invigorates my senses. I can’t help but feel a deep sense of joy. This natural, simple countryside beauty, I really appreciate the little things that often go unnoticed. So pretty, just love it.
Becky’s Seven for September #20
Ritva Sillanmäki Photography 