It was windy, the sky was gray with the sun coming out only for a moment every now and then. I loved the contrast between the green leaves and branches against the dark sky.
May 16th, Sunday
Tag: valo
May 15th, Saturday finds
As I pointed out in my previous post, it is time to pick up my camera and take it out. I did. Here are some of the captures from the first outing, still need to get in the the groove. I will try to find new ways to capture same wonders that I have photographed every spring, because the same things delight me every time.
We found the nest of common blackbird in our woodpile. I did take few photos, but we left it all alone. Hope the squirrels dot get to it before the hatch.
Summer house season has started
Life once again has changed, I have once again time to pursue my hobbies. My fixed term ended after a yea, so I find myself unemployed, and at my age getting new position is not a given. Well now I hopefully will be able to comment and participate more in the wonderful world of blogging 🙂 as I have been rather absent on that regard lately. I do look though and read post but have been rather silent. It might change.
We started our summer house / cottage season later than ever, middle of May. Usually we are there already in April, but this spring has been so cold and we had so much snow that there was no point going there. But last weekend we did go and you could see the green take over the bleakness in your eyes. I am loving it. The light is wonderful. I took these setting sun shot at 23.30 at night. The moon on the other side of the house and the setting sun on the side.
Saturday was nice, warm and sunny, but the clouds and cold wind greeted us on Sunday, but it was time to head home anyways.
St. Michael’s Church
Yesterday while in last minute I was looking for a architecture find to post for 52 frames I also very quickly took photos of the church, I was planning to post shot of the library alone but ended up using a shot of both. I only had 20 minutes to take photos so I did not have awful lot of time to think about angels. Well I did capture the early spring green on the trees and as the leaves are still so small you can actually see the church too.
Kirkkonummi’s medieval stone church is located in the center of Kirkkonummi. The exact time when the church was built is not known, but the work apparently began in the 15th century. A wooden church must have previously stood on the site. Kirkkonummi’s church is named after St. Michael’s Church, after the archangel Michael.
Originally, Kyrkslätt’s church was very small. In addition to stone, brick was used as a material. In the 18th century, the church began to be expanded, and in the middle of the 19th century it was rebuilt into a cruciform church, the shape the church still has. The church’s belfry was built in 1824.
After the Continuation War, the Soviet Union claimed the Porkala area as a base, and Kyrkslätt’s church stood on the lease area. During the Porkala parenthesis 1944–56, the church was used i.a. as an officers’ club and warehouse. After the Soviet era, the church was in poor condition.
Immediately after the area was returned to Finland, the church began to be repaired under the leadership of Olof Hansson. Then the interior of the church was completely renewed in the 1950s style.
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Spring
It is finally here 😊spring! The beautiful new green is pushing through. The birch trees look lovely with light green leaves the grass is fresh green, small flowers are emerging from the soil. I feel myself coming alive. Today is sunny and warm, i am embracing this yearly miracle. T cleaned the dust from the camera, I am ready once again to capture the beauty of this season.
My hands are itching to get started
Moss, the evergreen
“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
Beige
Beige is dependable, conservative, and flexible. The color beige is neutral, calm, and relaxing. The attributes and meanings associated with beige change based on the colors it accompanies.
The color beige offers some of the warmth of the color brown and the some of the crisp and coolness of the color white. While it is a relaxing color, beige is often seen as a dull and boring color.
Easter Sunday
Let the photos show our Easter 🐣 activities. It was sunny but rather cool, but we had coffee
at Löyly outdoor deck enjoying the ✨ sea.
We enjoyed Late lunch at Sea Horse , a restaurant serving traditional food since 1932
April Saturday
I am so waiting for spring and summer that I drove to this small shop in the countryside that this lady keeps in her barn and home to buy linen clothing which is so nice to wear. Natural fabric and bright colors are the items she brings from Italy to her shop. I did not need anything but I did end up buying a green linen dress, a fuchsia linen tunic, necklace, and scarf to match the colors of the tops I brought. I cannot wait to wear them.
That what I wrote above is why I took these photos on our way there, I mean come on, April and the day was as wintery as it could be, it snowed several times during the day. Well, new snow is the death of the old snow as a Finnish saying goes.
52 Frames, Week 14: Nature! #2
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Details from nature is my other option, the ball hydrangea has weathered the winter well, and I love how the structure and texture has begun to show. I know I have taken similar shots before, on many occasions, but honestly near home there is not much that inspires me at the moment. So, any opinions as what to post as my entry for week 14 ?
Nature shots aren’t restricted to wildlife out in the middle of nowhere. Nature Photography is here to make us feel connected with our home, this pale blue dot 🌍 we call earth. Go out and capture the beauty that surrounds us all.
52 Frames, Week 14: Nature!
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Nature shots aren’t restricted to wildlife out in the middle of nowhere. How about a starry night shot with a long shutter? Or the waves of the ocean with a high shutter speed to freeze motion? Not possible for me, we have snow, rain an slush… still!!!
Nature Photography is here to make us feel connected with our home, this pale blue dot 🌍 we call earth. Go out and capture the beauty that surrounds us all. I took these of the hill that is just behind our backyard. Capturing weather, snow.. and the the trees on the fill.
Nature in detail was my option, the ball hydrangea has weathered the winter well, and I love how the structure and texture begin to show. I know I have taken similar shots before, but honestly near home is not much that inspires me at the moment. So any opinions as what to post as my entry for week 14 ?
52 Frames, Week 13: Emotion
This week, in search for emotion and someone to photograph, I think I have over used my model, so I gave him a week off 🙂 I am full of emotions, I took some selfies as I had no one to else available had a busy week at work and did not getting anything done. No grandkids live near any more, because their expressive faces would have been so easy to capture true emotion.
On to a “creative-led” challenge this week! Really the core of what photography is about, the core of EVERY story – Emotion. Strong photos should tell a clear story and evoke feelings in those who see our shots.
What could emotion look like? Perhaps the happiness reflected in the eyes of a child, the look of love shared between a couple, the joy of a team celebrating their latest win on the football field or even the pride of a baker showcasing their latest creation. Human emotions run deep and are varied – we can be pensive, or be battling our inner demons – introspective portraits can tell compelling stories.
Or just happy ….
Sunset
“There’s
a sunrise and a sunset every single day, and they'reabsolutely free. Don`t miss so many of them.” – Jo Walton
Sunrise
“We need to be reminded sometimes that a sunrise last but a few minutes. But its beauty can burn in our hearts eternally.” – R. A. Salvatore
I’m walking
I’m walking, I’m walking, walking in sunshine.
Helsinki seaside on a sunny day with the mist rising in the back and taking over the sunny sidewalks soon after these photos were taken.
52 Frames, Week 11: An Activity!
I have been recovering from an oculoplastic surgery, I look like an owl. I have since Thursday been doing cold treatment, eye drops and antiseptic cream in eyes several times a day. So trying to get a shot of any sort of activity has been a challenge.
But we did go out for lunch yesterday so I took some shot then. I actually sat in the restaurant with my sunglasses on the entire time, felt a bit silly, but no way could ruin other peoples appetite by showing my eyes.
This week, in search for An Activity
At any given point of time, we’re all doing something, so let’s capture that this week and shoot An Activity. This week’s challenge is deliberately open-ended and is there for you to make the most of your creative juices. Basically, think of a verb, something ending in -ing.
Capture a moment in time that depicts someone doing something. Set the tone of the image to add more depth and emotion to your shot. Think about why you want to capture this particular scene and how you can best convey that to your viewer. How ? Make good choices with your lens, composition, lighting and of course, how you edit your image in the end.
Color or black and white.
52 Frames, Week 10: Low Key!
This week, we’re going low, or at least shooting Low Key.
A low key image is going to have shadows, dark tones and, in a lot of cases, the subject of the photo is the only thing shown off with your lighting.
And speaking of light, there is usually only one source of lighting, but be careful because you could shoot with one light source and still not be hitting a true low key photo.
A low key shot draws the viewer’s eye to your subject with no distractions. Think drama, intensity, and moodiness.
If you’re thinking low key is only for studio work, think again! You’ll see in our examples great low key photos of wildlife, architecture, even landscapes.
Low key photography doesn’t mean it has to be a black and white photo. It’s the overall dark you find in the tones, not the absence of color, though that works, too.
Mist morning
still posting photos that have a small painterly feel to them.
Winter road
I am posting this photo as it looks slightly like a painting, muted tones, not so crisp and I like it for some reason.
A touch of spring
We are having a beautiful day with temperatures on the plus side and you can hear snow melting, but do we still have lots of it to melt.
My husband was doing his best to give the spring help by making creeks so that snow and ice would melt quicker
Texting and conversations
“Producing a photographic document involves preparation in excess. There is first the examination of the idea of the project. Then the visits to the scene, the casual conversations, and – talking, and listening, and looking, looking. … And finally, the pictures themselves, each one planned, talked, taken and examined in terms of the whole.”
52 Frames, Week 9: Reflections!
I did have an idea at to begin with to this challenge, yesterday I was given too many options. If you have read or seen any of my posts you will know, well, I have a dilemma . Drove to Helsinki to check out the beautiful city library, the whole square where it is located is full of reflection opportunities.
Light. That’s the medium photographers create their art with. We usually play with light and shadows but this week we’re going to try something often overlooked – Reflections. Boost your photo’s aesthetic by using reflections – add more depth and complexity with this aspect of photography and see the world in a whole new way.
The first shot is not from there but from my office window as I thought it came out rather nicely.
Be creative and think of using symmetry with mirrors or tangentially, go beyond the literal. Visualize your composition, be patient and don’t hesitate to try new stuff out to get a great shot.
Take time to observe your surroundings for cool opportunities out there or feel free to make your own indoors. Just ask yourself: “What is the light doing here ?”
Oodi is a striking building with its glass and steel structures and wooden façade, its design a combination of traditional and contemporary flavours. The energy-efficient library is an impressive calling card for Finnish architecture.
Below are reflections on the Music Hall in Helsinki
Green fruits of Maple
I am posting this for no other reason that I came across it when looking at my archives of photos. well I liked it.
Acer platanoides, Forest Maple it’s called in Finland or just maple, is a deciduous tree, growing to 20–30 m (65–100 ft) tall with a trunk up to 1.5 m (5 ft) in diameter, and a broad, rounded crown. The bark is grey-brown and shallowly grooved. Unlike many other maples, mature trees do not tend to develop a shaggy bark. The shoots are green at first, soon becoming pale brown.
Cable Factory
It has been a busy week at work, spring is arriving with speed as light time is about 40 min longer every week. It was such a joy to wake up today and the sun was already lighting the woods at the back of our house.
The situation in the world is unfortunately causing anxiety, as we share a long border with Russia. So much information, so many variables and really how much can you take in. I tend to work my daily thoughts in dreams and at the moment, it feels like I am combining what I watch on tv, even as light television shows about home fix shows, to war, and my daily life. So I can say lots of things are happening in my head.
So not to be too messed up, here are very structural photos 🙂 of buildings and interiors from Kaapelitehdas (cable factory) in Helsinki.
Lights and costumes
Yesterday, when visiting the Theater Museum in Helsinki. There was lights and actions as small visitors had fun with the props they had at display.
52 Frames, Week 8: Rule Of Thirds !
I had no idea to begin with to this challenge, but as we yesterday went to a museum tours, it kind a came to me. The new locations and the lights there and few moments captured my attention. I have 20 hours to choose what I am going to submit. Want to help me?
The first one I liked that the girl in the phot and the subject where both looking down. same but with to different compositions. These are from Pictorialism – the Dawn of Photographic Art
The Rule Of Thirds – one of the earliest photo composition techniques that an aspiring photographer comes across in their photo journey.
It’s simple, versatile, and effective in many situations.
It’s a classic for a reason – it works well and improves photographic composition immensely.
Simply put, place two vertical lines to divide the image into 3 equal columns and two horizontal lines so you also have 3 equally-sized horizontal rows so the entire scene is divided into 9 segments. (Think, tic-tac-toe grid.) Place points of interest in the scene where the lines meet to improve the overall look and feel of the image.
These are from the Theatre Museum.
Ritva Sillanmäki Photography 