By the sea again

For sure sandy beaches are more comfortable, but beaches with rocks have a sort dramatic quality and look really beautiful. I love water in any form, and always liked the stories and myths of great explorers crossing the sea.

Photo by Monika Csapo

*click on the photo for full size version

Still Life Photos

In life everything has a start. It is the moment when the idea is born, the moment when we first think about it. The shorter the time between the idea and the realization of the idea is the higher is the chance that it will be actually done.

An other very positive side of ideas besides that many time they lead to real actions is that many times they are connected to something new what we haven`t done yet. We have to go and explore, think about options, and try new things. When we admit that there is still so much we do not know yet, but realize the will in us to learn the whole process of turning ideas to reality can be something very joyful and positive.

Spending time on learning and practicing something we love is not a time wasted if we know the goal we want to reach and even unsuccessful attempts to reach it are a successful step. Because we use our time to get closer to something what is important for us, so we use our time well.

Photo by Monika Csapo

Still life photography has been a new field to me, and I do not remember exactly how this idea came that i would like to try still life photos, but now I realized that this field of photography as well hides in itself endless creative opportunities. From thinking about colors, shapes and composition to adding even symbolic messages to pictures this field is a real creative paradise.

At the weekend I tried some flower shots and something called "dramatic still art". It was fun to go to the shop and browse fruits one by one trying to find the one with the best color and the perfect shape- it gave a new dimension to the usual food shopping.


These and the one photo above were my favorite shots:

Photo by Monika Csapo

Photo by Monika Csapo

I know that in photography only the end result matters, but since I am learning to understand the light better, and so might some of you too, I would like to add that the photos above are unedited, original images. The color world is the result of the chosen light source and camera settings, not afterprocess.

Sunset Spotting

This weekend there have been many people at Suomenlinna-much more as usual- enjoying this beautiful sunset. It was a nice collective experience. It was a it tricky to climb the hills to get this view, because most of the roads are still covered with ice. There was also a bit of sledding on the way back , but this sunset was worth the hassle.

It would be cool if they would organize every now and then some sunset parties and set up sound systems to let people enjoy some quality electronic music while enjoying this view. For example I could imagine to listen to Sekuoia: Rituals with this.

Horizont

Helsinki, Finland. Photo by Monika Csapo

It has been still very windy by the sea, but this view is worth freezing a bit, As you can see on the bottom right corner of the picture there is ice floating on the surface. It is not only a great view, but it makes also a a very nice and relaxing sound as the waves crash along the sea shore. I want to capture this phenomenon through photos, but i will have to work a bit more on this idea to get proper photos.

As I was taking photos the whole environment was very peaceful again. People were walking their dogs, some others took a walk at the trail where this bridge is located and on the way back i met a cute teenage couple who were on a date.

I got also a great compliment from a friend yesterday for this picture. She told me that she thought that the photo above which was shot in manual mode with a tripod and is the original and unedited picture was a processed one based on the picture quality.

Right before sunsrise

Helsinki, Finland. Photo by Monika Csapo

It was early in the morning when I took this photo. I had to walk from the railway station to the harbor because there were no trams going yet. It was interesting to walk the empty streets of Helsinki early Sunday morning where the only people besides me were a policeman, some security guys and street cleaners. Actually I have never seen the city so empty before.

As the boat left the harbor it was still dark. I arrived at 7:15 am on the island, and although I could see lights in some windows, there was no one outside on the streets. The atmosphere was a nice mixture of comfort and solitude this way that I saw that also others were already awake, but I could enjoy the empty space and silence around me still.

I downloaded a compass-app, but it was so cold and windy that I did not have the patience to read the instructions so I just started to walk towards the direction where I saw that the sky was getting brighter. I walked around the island by the shore, this is how I got to this place.

I liked the blue shades of dawn mixed with the green of the sea and the white-yellow of the street lamps. Also the whole scene had a certain dynamic, this is why I decided to take the first photos here.

After approximately ten minutes I continued moving, because it was impossible to stand still for so long time in the cold weather. The sun did not rise (visibly) instead of that I landed in the middle of a random snow storm.  I could continue listing all the other things I saw on the way, but all these are so minor and insignificant compared to the general feel of being alone on the empty streets at dawn so close to nature seeing how a morning really looks like when there is no noise around.

The most impressive experience was when I walked over the bridge on the island and a sea breeze came from the right. I could see the wind diving into the water and continuing "running" in parallel lines in it like some water snakes swimming under the surface just like as if it would be some surrealistic movie. It was an amazing view and also a very deep natural experience. I really suggest to everyone to get up at least once in his life before sunrise and go to nature to see how it looks like when life starts on that day.

5 Photo Tips For Shooting Outdoors This Winter

1, Do not rely 100% on weather forecasts, The accuracy of forecasts (for sunrise) might vary to a big extent even on two following days.

2, You can not have enough layers of clothes if you take photos on an island in winter. Count 4 layers for the upper body and add +2 to layers to it if you plan to stay outside for at least 90 min. Wear a full-body base layer.

3, Prepare for it that cold really kills batteries. Then do not be surprised if it kills it much faster as you
thought it would.

4, If it will be a windy day according to the weather forecast and you shoot on an island do not be too happy that it means clear skies. It  actually means you freezing down to the bone.

5, Have a ready list of the places you want to take photos of already before starting the photo trip. Minus degrees and chilly wind are not best friends with random inspiration.

*Here you can read a useful article about how to prevent and treat frostbite:
http://www.ibtimes.com/frostbite-physiology-how-bitter-cold-can-freeze-you-down-bone-1530056

Dawn

Helsinki, Finland. Photo by Monika Csapo

A house by the sea

Helsinki, Finland. Photo by Monika Csapo

the same from a bit closer:

Helsinki, Finland. Photo by Monika Csapo

Helsinki by night

Helsinki, Finland. Photo by Monika Csapo

*(please click the photo and view large)

Color-play blue-red

Details of my new favorite scarf which i got as a present from Germany.

Scetch 1.2015

The result of a short scetching (1/3 pics, 1 pic/sec) for color world and poster feel.

Merry Christmas- A sabotaged photo shoot

I wish you peaceful holidays with the werk photos of a sabotaged photo session with Seppo. I planned to take some Christmas pictures of him wearing funny fox ear flaps, but as you can see he had a different opinion about my plans. He did not like the ear flaps at all, and I had to rush to a meeting discussing the details of an other photo project so this is what was left of  my excellent idea :)..

Bled, Slovenia

It was a great surprise to see how many Japanese tourist visit the Lake Bled each day. Buses come here every day from morning to evening- even when the weather is not so nice. The lake is a great natural site for sure. But speaking of the never ending Japanese tourist-flow, the people who work at the regional tourism office must be some marketing geniuses or close relatives of the Japanese royal family..

Mountains over the clouds

A breathtaking view from the plane. Not a perfect picture, but the circumstances were not perfect either. It made me think about how great it would be to go once with a small jet to take proper aerial pictures of mountains and/or sea shores.

Snow again (Töölö, Helsinki)

There is a new baby in town! I traded my 18-105 mm lens for a used 16-85 mm  (F 3.5-5.6) Nikkor lens. The main reason for change was the better image quality of this lens and the plus 2 mm.

*Officially this will be my Christmas present, but unofficially I will start to use it as soon as I can and smuggle it back under the Christmas tree later.

Winter feel Helsinki14

I love these snow-covered trees, and snow in general. There is also a practical reason why some people are so happy about snow here up North: since it reflects light the days (and also the nights) are much brighter when some snow falls.

Copenhagen photos

In every city there are houses, people, streets. But for some reason each city has its own atmosphere. This is what makes travelling interesting.

Flag and raven, Helsingør (Denmark)

Sweden

Kronborg, Hamlet-castle

Danish blue, a yard in Copenhagen

Saw this on the way to Thorwaldsen Museum

Houses of the Indre by 1

Houses of the Indre by 2

Bikers

Alexander Nevsky Church, Copenhagen