Cold weather can certainly make you feel chilly. When it snows and ice forms, it adds an extra layer of coldness to the surroundings, no doubt about that.. Stay cozy and enjoy the winter scenery!
We here in south of Finland don’t have snow yet, so these are from my archives.
CFFC: Anything that makes you feel cold
I always liked to visit the marina on gray November days. There was something about the contrast between the white boats and the gloomy sky that fascinated me. The marina was usually lively and crowded, but on those days it was almost empty. The only people I saw were some boat owners, checking on their vessels and doing some maintenance and few people on a walk.
The sky is gray, the water is dull and the air is cold. I see the boats are moored, the sails are furled , the marina is quiet with hardly anyone around. But I don’t mind, I like it here.
These photos I took using my mobile phone and then proceeded to enhance them using the Lightroom mobile app. By transforming the gray tones into a delightful shade of blue, I managed to infuse the photos with a much lighter and uplifting mood.
November in Finland, a world of gray,
Where autumn whispers its final farewell,
Leaves relinquish their vibrant display,
And nature succumbs to the winter’s spell.
The air is crisp, with a biting chill,
As frosty breath dances upon the breeze,
The sun, a timid presence on the hill,
Casting feeble rays through the barren trees.
The days grow shorter, the nights grow long,
As darkness blankets the land in its embrace,
A melancholic hymn in nature’s song.
Yet amidst the gloom, a flicker of light,
As candles glow in windowsills,
Warmth and coziness fill the bitter night,
A sanctuary from the winds that blow.
November in Finland, a somber sight,
A season of reflection, a time for respite,
Where nature’s cycle finds solace in solitude.
The CFFC theme is spring – woods.
Outside it is raining heavily and we have autumn storm with heavy winds blowing outside my window so looking for photos of spring is nice, something to look forward to. I could easily skip winter.
We have lots of woods to choose from as forests cover more than 75 percent of Finland’s land area. Add to that the share of water bodies in Finland’s surface area is large. The area of inland waters is about 10% . So we have 15% left to live in 🙂
The green of spring is beautiful and the birch trees are so lovely, not complaining of the others either. Fresh new green – makes my heart sing.
Wood sorrels raising their heads in moss is a sure sign of spring
Posted for Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge
I am going to post images new and old of this genre in this new topic name. Shortly described below as what I want to convey in this photos.
In Helsinki library- I saw this man waiting – alone for company and I liked how he had placed his hand on his chest. The back-lit light made this shot for me.
Street photography captures candid moments of daily life in public spaces. From bustling city streets to quiet suburban neighborhoods, we try to document the raw and unscripted moments that unfold around us. With an emphasis on capturing the essence of a scene or the emotions of the people within it, street photography offers a glimpse into the beauty and diversity of the world we inhabit. Whether it’s a fleeting expression, a captivating composition, or an unexpected juxtaposition, street photography celebrates the beauty and intrigue found in everyday moments.
I am going to post images new and old of this genre in this new topic name. Shortly described below as what I want to convey in this photos.
Helsinki at night – looking into a cafe seeing people enjoying the company of friends.
Street photography captures candid moments of daily life in public spaces. From bustling city streets to quiet suburban neighborhoods, we try to document the raw and unscripted moments that unfold around us. With an emphasis on capturing the essence of a scene or the emotions of the people within it, street photography offers a glimpse into the beauty and diversity of the world we inhabit. Whether it’s a fleeting expression, a captivating composition, or an unexpected juxtaposition, street photography celebrates the beauty and intrigue found in everyday moments.
it is the time that time of year again when the magical color show begins, it’s not at it’s best glory as yet. But You can smell , sense the coming autumn.
Autumn: a tapestry of vibrant hues and gentle transitions, where nature bids summer adieu and welcomes the season of reflection and harvest.
it is the time that time of year again when the magical color show begins, it’s not at it’s best glory as yet. But You can smell , sense the coming autumn.
Autumn colors paint a breathtaking masterpiece on nature’s canvas. As the crisp air descends, the foliage transforms into a vibrant symphony of oranges, yellows, and reds. The once lush green leaves now burst with warmth and enchantment. Each tree becomes a glorious work of art, showcasing the beauty of transition. Take a moment to immerse yourself in this kaleidoscope of hues, as nature bids farewell to summer and welcomes the season of harvest and reflection.
Posted for Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge
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.
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.
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
“The best thing one can do when it’s raining is to let it rain.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
“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
My first post to the this challenge, six words in the title and photos to match it.
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.
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
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.
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 😊
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.
After rain I love the smell of the nature and the rising mist on the fields
Keeping it short and sweet
I found these as I went through my archive for Denzil’s Nature Photo Challenge #21 water plants
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.
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
Last night after a rainy day the sunset came and it looked like this. Orange and green go together well 😊
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…
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 😊
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 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
Ritva Sillanmäki Photography 