I’m at my happy place, I can hear the birdsong, sound of the wind, bee’s buzzing in this so called place of silence. and smell scent of the Lily of the valley.
Lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis) is well known for its delicate bells and beautiful sweet scent. You’ll find lily of the valley throughout the northern hemisphere. Signifying the return of happiness, the plant is synonymous with the month of May, and it is indeed the birth flower for May.
Lily of the valley meaning
A symbol of purity, joy, love, sincerity, happiness and luck, lily of the valley . It’s actually the national flower of Finland, and in France, on 1st May for La Fête du Muguet, lily of the valleys are gifted to loved ones. This French custom dates back to the 16th century ) – symbolizing luck and happiness.
I’m at my happy place, I can hear the birdsong, sound of the wind, bee’s buzzing in this so called place of silence.
Blossoms…
Here are some signs of spring , the joy and the glory of nature. I had made up my mind not to take flower pictures as I have so many of them already, but I did anyways.
Apple tree blossoms are in full bloom at the moment, what a glorious sight
I’m at my happy place, I can hear the birdsong, sound of the wind, bee’s buzzing in this so called place of silence.
The variations of green…gotta to love it.
Here are some signs of spring , the joy and the glory of nature. I had made up my mind not to take flower pictures as I have so many of them already, but I did anyways. Cherry tree blossoms…well got to love them
I’m at my happy place, I can hear the birdsong, sound of the wind, bee’s buzzing in this so called place of silence.
The variations of green…gotta to love it.
Here are some signs of spring , the joy and the glory of nature. I had made up my mind not to take flower pictures as I have so many of them already, but I did anyways. Forget me not – I did not forget these tiny little wonders
🦋 butterflies are so lovely … Here are some I have been lucky to capture.
And as Denzil wrote: For Nature Photo Challenge #13 we focus on Butterflies. Butterflies of course are beautiful, photogenic, and interesting. They deserve to be protected just because they are butterflies and worthy of our love and protection. However, they are also highly useful insects.
If you ask me to name these species, no, not able to do that, but as stated they are lovely.
Photographs were taken at the Botanical Garden in Helsinki, and I do not remember the name of the flower. It is pretty, it is orange and that’s all good.
Well it has been cold lately, but hopefully it will in coming day warm up a little bit. Hoping. I got inspired when I found my old photos from the Botanical garden and took on myself to visit the place again.
You can see the spring is not all that advanced here, because the trees are just about to bloom, is that the appropriate here, maybe not, but the are nearly ready to glow in vibrant new green leaves. And some red leaves also could be seen.
Early sign of spring
Different types of Anemones were also in bloom, some fading away.
Daffodils flowers symbolize new beginnings, rebirth and the arrival of spring. The ancient Greeks associated the flower with self-love, while in Victorian England, daffodils were given as gifts to express admiration and respect. In literature, the daffodil is often used as a symbol of unrequited love and hope.
“Picasso said that no one has to explain a daffodil. Good design is understandable to virtually everybody. You never have to ask why.”—Hugh Newell Jacobsen
Photographs were taken at the Botanical Garden in Helsinki
“A tulip doesn’t strive to impress anyone. It doesn’t struggle to be different than a rose. It doesn’t have to. It is different. And there’s room in the garden for every flower.” – Marianne Williamson
🌷 Tulip
“The tulip is a courtly queen, whom everyone bows to on first acquaintance.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
“Tulips are the perfect embodiment of grace and elegance.”
Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow. It’s what sunflowers do. – Helen Keller
bud of a sunflower 🌻
Pick up a sunflower and count the florets running into its centre, or count the spiral scales of a pine cone or a pineapple, running from its bottom up its sides to the top, and you will find an extraordinary truth: recurring numbers, ratios and proportions. – Charles Jencks
Roses get all the glory, but sunflowers provide all the cheer. Whether encountering them growing wild in a field, or for sale at a local shop, sunflowers just exude happiness. Add some sunshine to your life
“Where flowers bloom, so does hope.” – Lady Bird Johnson
We are still in very early stages of spring, but moss is is green. I know this is not really flowers, but it is my blog 🙂 so this is what are my take on flowers this week. Moss is so pretty and interesting if you look closely.
Moss grows where nothing else can grow. It grows on bricks. It grows on tree bark and roofing slate. It grows in the Arctic Circle and in the balmiest tropics; it also grows on the fur of sloths, on the backs of snails, on decaying human bones. It is a resurrection engine. A single clump of mosses can lie dormant and dry for forty years at a stretch, and then vault back again into life with a mere soaking of water.Elizabeth Gilbert
The moss sits hedgehog-like on the stone, softly hibernating, gently green. Kelsey plucks it, surprised by the wetness that remains from the morning rain when every other thing has been dried by the sun.Angela Abraham
“Where flowers bloom, so does hope.” – Lady Bird Johnson
This wonderful plant has so many uses and yet is often neglected in our society. The primary use of the dandelion plant is for its superior liver cleansing qualities. The plant is a powerhouse of nutrients! -Valerie Hoffman
I was looking for a specific photo, instead I found this. I took this shot of the beautiful mountains and forest in Sequoia National Park in Three Rivers CA.
Why it has gone unnoticed before I don’t know, I rather like.
I know…It’s Tricky! Enjoy the chance to think outside-the-box for this challenge. What tricks do you use to get the shot you want? I don’t know if I really have any…. editing, that is my main trick.
One thing I often do to get great nice bokeh shots is have a flower in my hand outstretched towards the sun coming throughout the trees and taking a macro shot that way… easier on my knees 🙂 mostly I like to take close ups so that the object is back-lit.
somethimes you just have use thte natural settings, bend down and get the shot.
Water , droplets splash… usually I need assistance, often from my husband, or the water dripping down from the spout to the water barrel below. Or like my here my husband dropping Ice into the the glass
Drops in a barrel
Trick, well I think the most impostant trick is to be observant and have patience especially when photographing nature, animals, bugs. Well anything really, many times getting a a good shot is due to a good luck. Right time at the right place. How you place the camera. Mostly that you pay attention. That’s my trick really.
People photography is a art of its own, you have to find the essence of the person, and the right angle to bring the best of the peole features, expressions to shine in the the photo. Once again, be alert.
Composition, framing the photo is essential for a great shot depending what you want to enhance and showcase in the photo. Below some shots from Amalfi coast.
This week Anne invites us to share experiences . Experiencing something for the first time can be exhilarating, exhausting, and engaging.
Seeing something new in nature, visiting a new city. Listening to music, sounds of nature, art in all forms. I thing I get most from seeing, experiencing natures wonders.
I have also got great joy visiting the Great ocean road in Australia. I have done several posts from that trip. I still have lots of shots not share. Awesome place. Waterfall, rolling hills, animals in the wild… I could go on and on..
I love the rugged coastline there and in Northern California
and Oregon also, memorable and beautiful experiences.
Seeing the red woods in California Sequoia National Park, the magnificent trees.
Seeing the desert and it rough beauty of Valley of fire In Nevada
Thailand, Sri Lanka, India the different type of nature, culture. European countries with the long history and beautiful architecture, Italy, The Amalfi coast, Venice. France, Paris, Nice´ on and on I could go here too
You need not go far, you can experience a misty morning or evening. Sunset or sunrise that amaze you in your own yard. It is a new experience everytime, if not, would we not try to capture when ever it is possible.
Experience – is seeing the same old as something new everytime -living the moment. It can be as mundane as experiencing your morning coffee everyday. Maybe today with toast, tomorrow with pancakes… I don’t know, we must not forget the little everyday moments.
I have a soft spot for black and white photography, it is expressive and minimalist in and very mood enhancing.
Light continues tobe the theme, as it is the thing that uplifts me the most at the moment. I posted yesterday shots of advancing sping yesterday. Today it is raining, slush and snow. Well they do say, new snow is the death of old snow this time of the year. Today I converted few into monochrome images.
“The eye is always caught by light, but shadows have more to say.” ~ Gregory Maguire
Reflections on water
“There is strong shadow where there is much light.” ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Shadow play on ice
“There’s something strange and powerful about black-and-white imagery.”
Ice and water
Compare to edit, color versus black and white version. But I also with the shadows…
I took this a couple hours ago, after rainy and very misty days, the sun is out, and lots of snow has melted. I went for short drive to Humaljärvi (Lake humaljärvi) it is still covered with ice. This part where the water flows it was open and I got these artistic reflection shot.
This week Sofia invites us to show you what Spring means to us. Is it about new beginnings, Nature reborn or a new chance to go and enjoy the outdoors?
This is a no brainer, I mean, obviously it is about light. Me and so many other when the spring begins to show first signs of more light the constant marvel of it… we do, every year as if this was something unexpected. The joy of it is so awesome, it wakes us up from the winter hibernation, we slowly come put of houses.
When does spring start? In 2023, the official first day of spring is Monday, March 20. This date marks the “spring equinox” in the Northern Hemisphere. That is today!
( Is the spring equinox the same as spring solstice? Equinox vs Solstice An equinox occurs at the start of the spring and fall. The solstice occurs during the summer and the winter. Occurs on March 21 (Vernal equinox) and on September 23 (Autumnal equinox).
No matter where you are on Earth, the equinox brings us a number of seasonal effects, noticeable to nature lovers around the globe. At the equinox, Earth’s two hemispheres are receiving the sun’s rays equally. Night and day are often said to be equal in length.
The fastest sunsets and sunrises of the year happen at this time. We’re talking here about the length of time it takes for the whole sun to sink below the horizon. Sunset or sunrise you have to be quick to act, if you wait long enough you will only see tail end of it.
First you notice is the snow and ice melting.The fields with the soil coming visible and mornings of mist. Everything is brown. Only moss glows green. The lakes and sea is been freed from under the ice.
Everywhere! Forget about the weather for a moment, and think only about daylight. In terms of daylight, the knowledge that spring is here – and summer is coming – permeates all of nature on the northern half of Earth’s globe.
Notice the arc of the sun across the sky each day. You’ll find that it’s shifting toward the north. Responding to the change in daylight, birds and butterflies are migrating back northward, too, along with the path of the sun.
The longer days do bring with them warmer weather. People are leaving their winter coats at home. eople are raking the leaves from their yards. Trees are budding, and plants are beginning a new cycle of growth. In many places, spring flowers are beginning to bloom.
new fresh green – not visible here yet, but it is a sign of the glorious days of spring finaly here.
Spring is full of hope, l ight, beauty and blooming of nature. One of the best of season’s
To start with he photos were not all that good, but I liked the light in them, so I made the in to art.
Same road, photos taken right after each other, so the light is little different, I used two different brushes to get a different outcome by thete texture.
Lens-Artists Photography Challenge #239 – Finding Peace. Tina from travels and Trifles is hosting, and her theme – Finding Peace is so near last weeks topic, to me at least.
I am not a religious person, I do not go to church all that often, my church is the nature. My religion is more to do with my conscience – what is right and wrong. Treating everyone equally, respecting nature and the world around me. But I do find that church is a calm place to find peace .
Finding peace is different for everyone, often it is related to being alone.
Find peace, don’t waste energy wishing things were different or trying to change other people. Stay focused on managing your own thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
Find peace, by taking appropriate accountability. Be responsible for your own choices, but also acknowledge factors beyond your control–like the state of the economy, the weather, and other people’s choices.
Focus on the things you can control.
Be comfortable in your own skin. Don’t waste your time worrying about whether other people approve of their choices. Instead, focus on living according to your values.
Striving to be the best you are is healthy. But insisting on perfection is an uphill battle. Acknowledge your flaws and weaknesses.
Inner peace comes from knowing your beliefs and the willingness to act according to them.
Forest is a great place to find peace, hug a tree, sit on a rock breathe in the peace. Sit by the sea, move your hands on the rock, get the energy of the smooth softness of te solid surface. Listen to the sea and nature around you and find your inner peace. Watch the clouds move and create beautiful art in front of your eyes.
The Sony has been in less use since I bought a new lighter one to carry around, its a Olympus E-M10 Mark II with a 14-150mm lense and I have a OM-D M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 45mm 1:1.8 for street and portrait photography
Ritva Sillanmäki Photography 