Tag: outdoors

Captures from Finland, Landscapes

Water, the essence of life, flows endlessly through the rocky crevices and gentle streams. It is a symbol of resilience, adaptability, and transformation. Just like water, we too must learn to flow through life’s challenges, gracefully navigating the twists and turns that come our way.

Imagine a babbling brook, its gentle melody soothing your soul. The water, sparkling in the sunlight, dances over pebbles, creating a symphony of nature’s music. It reminds us to embrace the beauty and serenity of the present moment.

As water cascades down a waterfall, it reminds us of the power and strength within us. With every drop that falls, it signifies the potential for change and growth. Just as the water carves its path through solid rock, we too can carve our own destiny, shaping our lives through determination and perseverance.

So let the flowing water be a constant source of inspiration. May it remind you to adapt, to embrace change, to find strength in the face of adversity, and to let your spirit flow freely. Like a river, may you navigate through life with grace and purpose, leaving your mark on the world.

Pebbles in sunlight with water flowing over them

gravel roads

I was playing with my photo, or should I say editing my images. I shoot in raw so I can easily play with the color tones and change the mood. Mostly I stay true to the actual photo. If I don’t I mostly bring it to in the open. I usually do not like over edited and color enhanced photos. If it is beautiful – it is that with out over doing it. There are lots of images like that in Instagram, the may look lovely. but realistic is long way from them.

As I’ve opened about that… lets go. The image above is the original photo. I have edited the light and contrast.

Below you can see too mood changes as I yellows and softened the greens to get a more autumn feel to it. The one on the right I added orange tones and blue tones to the green.. autumn also , but the mood is totally different.

Then there is the monochrome image. Time well spent editing ☺

Any thoughts about these, please share, I would love to have opinions on these.

Flow – river flow

The river makes the water flow. That’s how I live. I just let everything flow. Flow with the river.

Vitor Belfort

Everything flows and nothing abides, everything gives way and nothing stays fixed. – Heraclitus

Rainy day

Posted as part of Six Word Saturday

“The best thing one can do when it’s raining is to let it rain.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

“The sound of rain needs no translation.” – Alan Watts

“When it rains, the streets start to get deserted! And the rain has a special sympathy for those who wander in the street despite the rain!”

“The only thing I shall want for a rainy day will be my umbrella.”

“Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet.”
― Roger Miller

Mushrooms pop up in the rain

Nature

My first post to the this challenge, six words in the title and photos to match it.

August End

Captures from Finland, Landscapes

I don’t know why I am having such a hard time getting back to the groove of posting. I have not taken many photos, well of flowers I have, as I got several bouquets for my birthday and I needed to use them to get some nice flower shots.

Yesterday was a typical Finnish August day, sunshine and rain in sequence. I went to the seaside with the idea of sitting there and enjoy the scenery and relax, and take few photos. I did take some photos, but sitting there and relaxing, no. Did not happen it started to drizzle and rain. I did get some nice shots of clouds.

August is coming to an end, this morning I woke up to a thunderstorm – a good one. Lots of rain, and flashes and the pressure of thunder made windows resonate. It was so close. I should have gotten up to take photos, but I rather continued sleeping.

Weather

I have been uninspired and slightly depressed ( I just had a birthday) about growing old, a small age crisis 🙂 plus for some reason I actually ache real physically. So much joy in getting old. So I have been absent from the blog world mostly. I will weather this, I am totally working on it. As a positive person I do not dwell on these for long.

I took these some days back when we had some rainy days. They someway reflect my mood…. I see a small light ahead, and it is getting brighter. A minimalistic take on the weather

Cloud watching

We have had what we a typical Finnish summer lately, that’s to say, constantly changing weather, rain, clouds, sunshine and anything between.

Lahti harbour is where you will meet us Lahti residents, and summer residents especially in the summer. The harbour is full of restaurants and cafés. We had coffee at cafe Kariranta Located in the old Vesijärvi train station building, Kariranta is the true gem of the harbour. Pastries baked in the café will make your mouth water.

Coffee and strawberry and blueberry cheesecake

We went there after having chosen the paint to our kitchen floor. We have always thought that it was old traditional gray paint used in old houses, and apparently it is, but actually it was green with gray tones. So weird 😊

Nature- Tree Bark

Photography

Keeping it short and sweet

I walked around my summer house yard looking for bark, as we have lots of trees on out blot, So all new quickly taken shots for Denzil’s Nature Photo Challenge #22 Tree Bark

We have lots of birch tree on our yard, new and old one, that are about 100 years old. That ‘ what The photos are.

The last two are from my archives, the first one is a from the redwoods and second one is from an old oak tree where the insects had done natures art work. To me it looks like and deer on a walk about.

Misty field

After rain I love the smell of the nature and the rising mist on the fields

Nature- water plant’s

Keeping it short and sweet

I found these as I went through my archive for Denzil’s Nature Photo Challenge #21 water plants

Nature- black in nature

Black is a color that lacks hue and brightness and absorbs light without reflecting any of the rays composing it. It is characterized by the absence of light, enveloped in darkness

I found these as I went through my archive for Denzil’s Nature Photo Challenge #20 BLACK

He is looking for photographs of Black in nature. Guidance: The only criterion is that I would like you to photograph things in nature that are totally or mostly (so let’s say more than two-thirds) black.

Soil is the first thing I thought of, but at the moment everything is mostly green. I was not going to dig for it. Lets start with this pretty bird with a white beak. There is an another one too with a white beak 🙂 and one more. These are few things in nature that I have photographs of that are black.

The Black Phoebe is a dapper flycatcher of the western U.S. with a sooty black body and crisp white belly.

One of the most abundant birds across North America, and one of the most boldly colored, the Red-winged Blackbird is a familiar sight atop cattails, along soggy roadsides, and on telephone wires. Glossy-black males have scarlet-and-yellow shoulder patches they can puff up or hide depending on how confident they feel.

European Male Coot

Always seen on or near water, this wetland bird is a great example of a black bird with a white beak. As seen in the picture above it has a white beak with a white patch on its forehead, also known as a frontal shield, they also have red eyes. The males and females are very similar, however in breeding season the male’s frontal shield will be noticeably wider than the female’s.

Black squirrel, black cows and a dog. Alligator – Black?

Australian magpie below

After the rain

Last night after a rainy day the sunset came and it looked like this. Orange and green go together well 😊

Nature- Fern

One of the evergreens in my garden and also the ferns growing in nature appeal to me. Obviously I have taken many photos of it. Here are few of my favorite ones.

I found these as I went through my archive for Denzil’s Nature Photo Challenge #19: Ferns

These i took few days ago…

Rain, rain and rainbow

We drove back to our summer house and as I was sitting by the fireplace it started raining and I went from window to window trying to capture it. These are the unedited photos 😊

Nature- Cacti

Not the typical plant to Finland, so obviously these are not from here, the locations were i took these are Red Rock area in Nevada and Nice in France. The last set is from Crete with yellow flowers.

Cacti, the so important part of nature in the desert. I found these as I went through my archive for this challenge Cacti

I found these as I went through my archive for Denzil’s NPC #18 Cacti

Midnight

Midnight at my house in the countryside, love the summer light and yesterday we had some rain so the mist created a lovely atmosphere

The trees framed the scene beautifully

summer 2023 – 8

Photography, Traveling US

June, summer is here even though the temperatures are not that high. Nature is giving us its best that’s for sure. Midsummer is here and we are enjoying the light.

Bees, the so important part of nature. I found these as I went through my archive for this challenge Bees

I found these as I went through my archive for Denzil’s NPC #17 Bees

Sequoia – 1

Huge mountains, rugged foothills. Gorgeous views in my opinion. Worth taking a photo in my mind.

I looked at my old photos and noticed many that I have not given too much thought to, these are two of them. In these photos from Sequoia- ( more to come)I am returning to my past style. Let the photos speak for themselves. As it what I am better at than writing 🙂

Stunning views

summer 2023 – 3

June, summer is here even though the temperatures are not that high. Nature is giving us its best that’s for sure.

One of my favorite flowers. Peony.

For Cee´s Flower of the Day.

summer 2023 – 2

June, summer is here even though the temperatures are not that high. Nature is giving us its best that’s for sure.

Snails, those slimy little things that eat my plants.., . I found these as I went through my archive for this challenge Snail’s

I found these as I went through my archive NPC #16 Snails

summer 2023 – 1

June, summer is here even though the temperatures are not that high. Nature is giving us its best that’s for sure.

Birds, not my expertise at all, sometimes I get a nice shot, but sometimes is the thing as I do not have the equipment to get the spot on shots. I found these as I went through my archive for this challenge Birds feeding and drinking

I found these as I went through my archive NPC #15: Birds feeding and drinking

Spring 2023 – 7