Debbies Six Word Saturday
Soft and sweet milkshake at sunset
Tag: sunset
Nature’s Evening Palette
This is where I was at 4 PM, and it looked like this in Espoo, Finland. The sun was beginning to set, casting a warm glow over the landscape, just a moment after some rain had fallen. The clouds hung low, creating a dramatic backdrop against the richly colored sky. It was a moment quickly passed, capturing the beauty of nature as the day transitioned to night. Posted for John’s Cellpic Sunday.
Lens-Artists Challenge #374—On the Move!
How do you travel? Where do you go? Share photos of your favorite ways to be “On the Move!” You can find his very thorough introduction to the challenge here Johnbo .
Travel first thought was airplanes, automobiles, and trains, all symbols of movement across vast distances and gateways to new experiences. I’ll post photos of them to capture their majestic presence and the adventures they facilitate. Not this time, however! Instead, I wanted to take simple approach to this – one drive home.
This perspective struck me while we were driving home from Lahti, a city located about 100km north of our home. The journey was beautiful due to the sunset, adorned with forest, fields and gas stations. What truly captivated my attention was the fact that the sunset we witnessed was a full 10 minutes earlier than the one occurring in Kirkkonummi. This little detail made me reflect on how small variations in geography can significantly change sunset time. Well, anyway, I took a shot from the spot where we paused for a late lunch; the sky was painted in vibrant hues just as the sun was setting at 15:39, marking the time when we started our ride home
Sidenote: I was also looking for shadows 😅 in this square crop. I found a strong contrast shadows in the shot below for NovemberShadows.
As we started to drive home, we were amazed at how much traffic there was; but compared to some other roads traveled, not that much; everything is relative. Back to this drive: then again, we don’t usually make this drive at this time of the year, so what do we know? One thing I do know is that I love watching the sky and clouds while in the car; today, the sky was colorful and beautiful for most of the drive. The hues of orange, pink, and purple blended seamlessly, painting a breathtaking canvas that caught our attention at every turn. At one point, it was cloudier with a bit of a drizzle, but that phase lasted just a while.
I like being in the car, on the move, going somewhere; it gives a sense of freedom and adventure. I enjoy that, without distraction, we talk more and share stories that we often overlook in the hustle and bustle of daily life. We listen to music; this time it was a Classic Rock mix. We would sing or mumble along to our favorite songs, letting the rhythm of the melodies fill the air, creating a traveling atmosphere. Doing nothing as the world outside passes by, we are lucky enough to observe it together. Stepping out of the topic for a bit, I’ve realized that I hardly listen to music anymore, and when I do it’s mostly in the car. It’s interesting how our lifestyles change and how certain habits fade away over time. Music used to be such a significant part of my routine, from playing my favorite albums at home to discovering new artists while hanging out with friends. Have you noticed that in your life?
We appreciate Egidio for leading us back to Lens-Artists Challenge #31. His theme of “Looking Back” opened the door to a wide array of stunning landscapes. Next week, Patti will take over as the host of the challenge, set to launch on Saturday, November 22, at noon Eastern time. Don’t forget to follow her Pilotfish Blog to ensure you catch her challenge announcement.
To wrap this up, the theme is: How do you travel? Where do you go? Share photos of your favorite ways to be “On the Move!” Be sure to link your response to Johns post or leave your link in a comments Also, use the “lens-artists” tag to help people find your post in the Reader. To find out more about responding to Lens-Artists Challenges, check here.
Nature’s stunning Canvas
We have had two beautiful sunsets this weekend, each more captivating than the last. The colors have been really intense, creating a display that left us in awe. As the sun dipped below the horizon, the sky transformed into a vibrant canvas, splashed with hues of orange, pink, and purple. Nature truly does provide the best art with big and bold strokes, reminding us of its incredible power and beauty..
This first set is me facing the camera to the west sky. The photos in can be enlarges by clicking the photos, I even recommend you to do so 😀
Now facing north ern sky the colors were pink and blue, usually the colors are not so strong.
The same was at the south looking sky.
The sky was on fire yesterday
In the quiet of the night
Yesterday was a hot and humid day which was slightly cooler after a thunderstorm that hit us in the late afternoon.
The night was cooler only +20 Celsius so I took my camera for a walk to capture the beauty of summer nights.
Then I walk to the north side of my house and the sky was in totally different tones of color
Stunning Views of Aboriginal cultural landscape
We arrived at Peterborough around 2 and our accommodations were ready. To my surprise we
stayed in a house owned by elderly gentleman named Jim. Somehow, I was expecting motel again.
His house was split in half and this pleasant fellow lived in the other half of the house. After arriving fairly early we had plenty of time start exploring the area. We managed to visit Bay of
Islands, Bay of Martyrs and The Grotto.
Bay of Islands Coastal Park is part of an Aboriginal cultural landscape. The Southern Ocean has carved a stunning collection of rock stacks and sheltered bays with and small beach coves near Peterborough. This one was nearest to us and our first stop.
Bay of Martyrs. According to local legends, it got its name from a pretty brutal showdown between the Kirrae-Wurrong people and the early European settlers. This clash, which some folks call the “Bay of Martyrs,” resulted in the tragic loss of many Indigenous lives and is crucial in understanding the area’s colonial past. The cliffs surrounding the bay are a reminder of that tough time, showing the lasting impact of colonization on the land and its original peoples.
The Grotto was fun because we arrived just after a bus load of Asian tourists. When I saw the steps and long line of people leading down to the Grotto I thought I would never be able to see it. Then I realized that they were all patiently standing in line waiting for their turn to take selfies or have friends take pictures against the Grotto. I wasn’t having any of is, so passed everybody in the line, because there was plenty of room on the deck to take pictures. Luckily, there was a lady standing there who called “next” every 30 seconds to get the line moving. I thought she was the guide for the group but later I saw her with her husband, who had been standing in line that I passed. Anyway, I got some decent pictures but not right in front of the Grotto.
The Grotto is perhaps the most enchanting of all the rock formations in this part of Australia. Part-blowhole, part-archway, part-cave.
After having only the disappointing breakfast/brunch in Port Fairy we had to go grocery shopping in
Port Campbell. Got some disappointing sandwiches , we were having so much bad luck with our food choices and finished them with tea in our beautiful half-house, but not halfway house. Then it was time for another beautiful sunset. This time we welcomed at Bay of Islands.
The afterglow of the sunset.
After we settled in that evening we got a very disturbing phone call from Ritva’s cousin Heli. She informed us that we wouldn’t be able to visit Ritva’s other cousin, Kari, in the mountain city of Talbingo. Kari’s wife, Susan. had just gotten bad health news and she was not, understandably, in a state to welcome guests. Such sad news to receive. We had planned on staying for few nights with them and we were slightly panicking. However, Heli graciously welcomed us to stay as long as we wanted in their home. Phew, problem solved, for now. So grateful.
To be continued 😀
Text credit Mara Sillanmäki
The Robe Obelisk: A Historic Landmark
Tucked away on South Australia’s rugged Limestone Coast, is the stunning Robe coastline. Tons of travelers have pulled up here and ended up totally enchanted by its charm, and the word got out, that is how we found it.
After arriving we took a quick drive around the area and went to find our sunset spot. It’s hard to miss the brightly painted, 12,2 meters tall Cape Dombey Obelisk. The path to the Obelisk was closed as it sits on an eroding promontory and is unsafe to access. Pounding waves on the rocks around the obelisk could lead to it collapsing into the sea at any time, but there was also a chance it could remain there for another 100 years. You can also see the Robe Lighthouse in some of the photos, we only saw it from the distance.
I hope I’m not wrong saying that that photos tell the story better than my words could. Click the images to enlarge them, I recommend it.
Unforgettable Sunsets: Second Valley
One night would have been enough at BreakFree Hotel but we had already paid for two nights. In the morning, we spent couple hours at the empty pool area, and I managed to burn myself a little bit. I wasn’t cautious enough while spreading the suntan lotion. I must mention that the temperature had dropped from 38 to 24 degrees overnight.
Rest of the day was spent in Normanville and Carralinga. The haze made the coastline look super soft, giving it this dreamy vibe that kind of mixes the sky and sea together. Plus, the light shifts when you look around in different directions along the beach, casting a warm golden glow that really brings out the shapes of the land. It’s one of those spots where you can just chill and soak in the laid-back surroundings and the gorgeous views that are all around you.
Fortree Lookout had an old truck as attraction, we noticed several old trucks during our trip. Also the colorful water tank was interesting.
The sunset at Second Valley takes the cake for the day. First of all, I helped Asian male free a stingray from his fishing hook. I held the pole, and he cut the line. I asked him about the hook still in stingray’s jaw. He said that in salt water it can get rid of hook quite fast. Does it rust fast of something, I don’t know. Second Valley had all you needed for taking beautiful pictures. A dock, rocks and limestone coast.
Ever changing sky.
Text credit Mara Sillanmäki
Henley Beach: Sunset Views and beach rave
Last stop was as mentioned before Henley Beach, where Ritva had lived as a small child. The duplex
was still there and that house was only about 200 meters from the ocean. The value of the property
might have gone up since the late 60’s when they lived there.
At the beach I heard techno music and I saw people dancing on the grass. I got closer and noticed
that most of the dancers weren’t young as I expected. They must have members of the original rave
era, them being in their fifties and sixties. There was a lady mixing and a MC hyping the crowd. It
sounded really good and I even sent some video clips to our son, who is a DJ. He liked them too.
Henley was much busier than Glenelg and a fun beach. For lunch we had fish fry for two that was
more like for four people. Couldn’t finish all that batter and grease. Too hungry to take photos of the food and also it was so hot as we could not find a spot in the shade and had no wish to inside the restaurant.
To be on a beach and not take sunset photos would be a crime. The beauty of nature unfolds before your eyes as the sun dips below the horizon, painting the sky with hues of orange, pink, and purple, creating a breathtaking canvas that seems almost surreal. Time passed quickly while watching people and the ever changing colors of the sky, each moment providing a new angle of light and shadow, a new opportunity for capturing the perfect shot. A local had kindly told us on which side of the pier the sunset was better photographed, with less people in the way.
Text credit Mara Sillanmäki
Adelaide arrival and Glenelg Beach
Monday morning, we had to get up early to make the flight to Adelaide. The flight was 2 hours, and the time distance was 30 minutes. The scenery from the airplane was fascinating when we got closer to Adelaide. Sometimes it looked like they had made crop circles. We had reserved a car from Hertz for the next three weeks. We were told that they had a high-end Corolla for us 😊I never found out what high-end in this case means. Maybe it had good cruise control, because it was the only thing I thought was above normal. And the rent-a-car places never disappoint. You always go the counter expecting you have paid all expenses beforehand, but NO! This time they blamed a third party, Finnair, that we hadn’t paid the return fee. Return fee was returning the car with New South Wales plates to Sydney in NSW. What can you do. We had to pay 250 euros extra.
First few kilometers were exciting hence, to driving on the wrong side of the road but I got into the groove fast. It is much easier driving nowadays because of the navigation systems. You can mostly concentrate on driving and not reading a map.
Boutique Hotel Adabco close to the center of the city proved to really nice and the room was really large. Only negative thing was that there is no free parking. You had to park on the street for maximum of two hours between hours of 8 am to 6 pm. Naturally I ended up with a parking ticket for 66 AUD. Breakfast was included but not on the premises but in Greek café Diaspora. We had walk for about 400 meters but the choices for breakfast were good.
We spent the afternoon and the sunset at Glenelg Beach. We got there around 4 pm and found deckchairs for us at the Moseley Beach Club. Luckily it was off-season so were able to keep the chairs until past sunset at 8 pm. Of course, we bought lunch and couple cool drinks to justify our stay. Temperature was close to 40 degrees Celsius so it was also good to have umbrellas to cover us. Later during the day bar had a skilled guitar player/singer. He played suitable mellow songs for us: Bob Marley, the Eagles, CCR, etc.
A funny Welsh guy came to talk to us few times. He was getting more drunk and louder each time but he was a lot of fun. I sure he had a rough morning because they had on early flight waiting for them. His son was getting married in Sydney in few days and a group of 19 people from the same Welsh village had been travelling for few days before the wedding. The rest of the group is going to be pleasantly surprised at the wedding because a guy from the village, who emigrated to Australia 30 years ago, is going to show up.
Sunset was beautiful and the lighted Glenelg ferris wheel was great too. Check out the pics!
From Blue Moment to sunset
Just now I went to my front door and back to my patio in the backyard to capture these stunning pink clouds of blue moment and sunset. The sky was painted with hues that can only be described as pink .-), transforming the ordinary evening into pastel beauty. I shot them on my iPhone, which is always handy for such spontaneous moments, as seeing the sunset . As I stood there the chill of winter slightly bit my hands and feet as I did not put my winter jacket on, or shoes. these colorful skies pass so quickly, views now saved on my device, I am linking it to John’s Cellpic Sunday to share the beauty that can be found in everyday moments.
Glorious sunset
Such vivid orange colors.
Summer sunset
I was going to leave it to one photo, but I couldn’t resist capturing more of the breathtaking scenery. The misty sunset painted the sky with hues of orange, pink, and purple, creating a mesmerizing display of nature’s beauty. Surrounded by the tranquility of the countryside, there were no neighbors in sight, allowing me to fully immerse myself in the moment. The absence of gnats or mosquitoes was a welcome surprise, and as the clock neared 11pm, the lingering light of the sunset filled me with a sense of contentment. It was a perfect ending to a busy day, leaving me feeling truly happy. 😃
I took photos to all directions but east, I was too lazy to go and walk to the road. Instead, I found a myself staying on our own plot of land , It ialways nice to see how the colors and light varies depending which direction I am looking at.
South view
pointing my camera to the west in these two photos
You see what I mean, could you limit your photos to one, maybe, me no way. Sorry for the overload
Wordless Wednesday
Last on the Card – June 2024
Months pass so quickly. Already July. I had my grandkids visiting us for ten days. On the last day the the youngest enjoyed this sitting hammock and he was so cute I had to take a several shots this was one of them.
I took this with my iPhone 14 Pro
.
This one is from my Olympus taken on the June 19th. I think I have not shared this one yet of the strawberry moon.
These Oak leaves photo is taken with my old, Sony camera with a macro lens on June 12th
For Brian’s Last on the Card – June 2024
Cellpic sunday – Whispers of Birch
I have to admit that lately I have been a lazy photographer, and most of the time I’ve taken photos with my mobile. I have two previous posts about the beauty of summer nights and these were taken the same night. I took these first, then went to get my camera to take better shots of the moon. The iPhone has a great camera, with a RAW option, and you can get great photos with it; even the zoom is okay. But you can also edit and crop the images as a way of enhancing it.
It’s amazing how much the technology in smartphones has advanced, allowing us to capture stunning images without the need for additional equipment. The convenience of having a powerful camera always at hand has certainly made me rely more on my mobile for photography. Despite its compact size, the iPhone truly delivers remarkable image quality, especially in low light conditions. The ability to edit and refine the pictures directly on the device further adds to the appeal of mobile photography, providing a convenient way to enhance the visual impact of the captured moments.
The color of the sky, clouds and mist set such a beautiful view, that I only slightly edited the contrast and light in Lightroom app – nature did the rest.
Whispers of Birch
Birch trees stand sentinel, white and tall, Their leaves a verdant canopy, a gentle sprawl. Mist weaves through their trunks, a spectral dance, As dusk paints the sky in hues of chance.
The evening cradles them in twilight’s hark. Silhouettes against the canvas of fading light, They sway, entwined, in nature’s quiet rite. And there, where fog and foliage converge, A sacred silence settles—a tranquil surge.
So let us linger here, beneath their boughs, Where time suspends, and dreams are allowed. In this ethereal embrace, we find our place, As birch and fog weave magic, leaving no trace.
A Mystical Dreamscape
A serene Finnish lakeside, the air thick with warmth and the scent of pine. As the sun dips below the horizon, a soft mist rises from the water, cloaking the landscape in mystery. The birch trees stand like silent sentinels, their leaves rustling gently in the breeze. The sky, painted in hues of lavender and dusky pink, seems to hold its breath, waiting for the stars to emerge.
In these misty summer nights, time loses its grip. The world becomes a dreamscape, where reality and imagination intertwine. The distant call of a loon echoes across the water,. The wooden sauna, perched at the edge of the shore, emits a comforting warmth, inviting late-night conversations and laughter you can hear carrying across the water.
As darkness settles in, the mist thickens, blurring the boundaries between land and water. The moon, casts its glow upon the ripples, creating a shimmering path that leads to infinity. Perhaps it’s the magic of these nights that makes lovers embrace each other, stealing a kiss under the veil of mist. Or maybe it’s the promise of endless possibilities—the feeling that anything could happen in this enchanted realm.
In Finland’s misty warm summer nights, reality fades, and enchantment takes hold. It’s a time when the ordinary becomes extraordinary, and the heart opens to the beauty of the ephemeral are you by the lake or next to the fields
Mist rises like a delicate veil, weaving through the grasses and clover. It’s as if the earth exhales, releasing whispers of relief of the warm day.
The trees, their branches etched against the fading light, stand sentinel. Each leaf catches a droplet of mist, turning it into a tiny gem. The air is cool, yet infused with warmth—the remnants of a sun that lingers in memory. Birds settle on fence posts, their calls softened by the mist, creating a symphony of hidden melodies.
As the last rays slip away, the mist thickens, blurring the boundaries between earth and sky.
Sunset is always a treat
Visit to the outhouse around 11 PM, the sun is setting, nothing spectacular, but always a joy to see colors in the sky. The spots on the window, just dirt. Plus, this is an unedited shot, something I rarely post. Live dangerously… 🙂
The header shows the colors at slightly different direction.
This is for Cellpic Sunday and Sunday Stills
lines
On the road again. Lines and lanes leading us towards a beautiful sunset on the warm and wet Saturday here in Southern Finland.
For OneWordSunday and Cellpic Sunday
Sunset behind the hilltop
Today I caught a beautiful sunset from my patio, we had huge rise in temperature in the past two days and the snow covered trees are now gone. The trees still gave a beautiful contrast against the colorful sky
Frosty window view
Yesterday, the last tail of the sunset seen through the slightly frosty window.
John’s Cellpic Sunday
Driftwood by the sea
Achieve finds, these two sunset photographs with driftwood are from the California coast – exact location I do not remember.
Lens Artists Challenge #250: Skyscapes or Cloudscapes
This week, Amy challenges us to post some beautiful sky or cloudscapes.
what can I say, great topic. I have so SO many cloud and sky shots. When in a car I live watching the clouds, more often than not we have clouds in the sky here in Finland, it is m feeling, not an actual fact, but let’s go with that anyways. I did dig up some information about clouds, if not interested skip that and just view the photos. That is my thing anyways… enjoy. And Thanks Amy this was just up my kind of topic.
These are cloud types in Northern Hemisphere
 | Cirro-form The Latin word “cirro” means curl of hair. Composed of ice crystals, cirro-form clouds are whitish and hair-like. There are the high, wispy clouds to first appear in advance of a low-pressure area such as a mid-latitude storm system or a tropical system such as a hurricane. |
 | Cumulo-form Generally detached clouds, they look like white fluffy cotton balls. They show vertical motion or thermal uplift of air taking place in the atmosphere. They are usually dense in appearance with sharp outlines. The base of cumulus clouds are generally flat and occurs at the altitude where the moisture in rising air condenses. |
 | Strato-form From the Latin word for “layer”, these clouds are usually broad and fairly wide spread, appearing like a blanket. They result from non-convective rising air and tend to occur along and to the north of warm fronts. The edges of strato-form clouds are diffuse. |
 | Nimbo-form Howard also designated a special rain cloud category which combined the three forms cumulo + cirro + stratus. He called this cloud “nimbus”, the Latin word for rain. The vast majority of precipitation occurs from nimbo-form clouds and therefore these clouds are generally the thickest. |
Clouds in the Northern Hemisphere can vary depending on the latitude, season, and weather patterns. For example, in the mid-latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere, clouds tend to form ice more often and contain less liquid water than in the Southern Hemisphere. This is because the air in the Southern Hemisphere is cleaner and has fewer aerosol particles for cloud droplets to freeze around.
One of the most interesting types of clouds that can be seen in the Northern Hemisphere are noctilucent clouds, which are the highest clouds on Earth and can only be observed at night during summer months. They are made of tiny ice crystals and reflect sunlight from below the horizon, creating a blue or silver glow.
Noctilucent clouds are only visible at night during summer months because they are very high up in the atmosphere, around 76 to 85 km (249,000 to 279,000 ft), and they need very cold temperatures and low pressure to form. They also need sunlight to illuminate them from below the horizon, which only happens during astronomical twilight in summer at high latitudes.
Above are clouds and skies from finland, below sunsets from all Sri Lanka (man gliding) next to it sunset in India, the red moon. Unser it a sunset and clouds in Key West, Florida. The very blue and red sunset is from Cape Verde. The last three are from Australia.
These first three are from are skies from Florida. Next two from France – Nice. Last row is Italy, USA – California and last Australia- NSW
I invite you to join us this week to, challenge hosted by Amy to post some beautiful sky or cloudscapes.
Glorious sky
It is against lots of quide lines as how to compose a photo, but this all about the glorous sky. I captured these shots from a moving car.
Savannah
Savannah, the first of these posts, I have way too many pictures of the city to try to get them all in one post. Just not possible. Let’s get started with the arrival.
I have to add that for years I have wanted to go to South Carolina and Georgia, after reading books by Pat Conroy and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt. And finally we arehere! It only an hour drive from Hilton Head but it was already dark when we got to Savannah. Driving along highway 17 and across the Little Black River Bridge was an experience itself.
Once again we drove towards beautiful sunset, just have to show these beautiful colorful sky’s.
Finding the hotel parking was really hard because of some road work. The hotel had sent us an advance warning and instructions, but they were of no help. Finally, I was able to navigate to the River Street below the hotel and walked to the reception. Luckily the parking was right next to the hotel and we didn’t need the car for two days.
We were really pleasantly surprised by hotel, Olde Habour Inn. It was originally built for Tidewater Oil Company 1892. Set between River Street and Factors Walk, this storied hotel is housed on the shores of the Savannah River in a former (and allegedly haunted) warehouse. Our 1-bedroom suite had a nice sized living room, hardwood floors, old logs and iron works were partly visible. Turn-down service included ice cream. Included in the room price was nightly cocktail hour from 5.30 pm to 7 pm with wine and tasty snacks. Breakfast included coffee, orange juice and muffins in the lobby. I have to add that front dest clerk Martin and the bell man/waiter Kevin were really friendly and helpful with everything. We also inquired about possible extra night, but the hotel was fully booked for the upcoming MKL-day long weekend. Only one 2-bedroom suite was available for the price of
$400. If you are visiting the city and need to book a room, I can recommend this one.
I am ending this post with two more sunset pictures taken also from a moving car.
Ritva Sillanmäki Photography 