Colors of Fall

Bringing my blog back to life, as promised

Here is a small collection of photos taken in September and October. I absolutely love all the photo opportunities of the autumn season, bringing such bright and beautiful colors.

After the Rain

Have you noticed; how after a rainfall the colors of nature seem to come out more clearly and beautifully than before?

Everything has been cleansed by the millions of raindrops falling..

Now mother nature takes a deep breath; all renewed, shaking off the very last drops of water

Ready to embrace the warmth of the sun

Amazing Planet

If you – like me – are fascinated by majestic landscapes and beautiful nature scenery; here’s a link that you must not miss out on.

It will take you to a site called Amazing Planet, and that’s exactly the right word for it: amazing. This gallery shows a variety of breathtaking scenes from all over the globe; sunsets, waterfalls, beaches, trees and forests, and more.

It makes me remember two things. One: that planet earth itself is one of our greatest sources of beauty; it surrounds us, we just have to look beyond our everyday struggles to see it. And two: how I really wish to spend a lot more time with my camera close at hand (and perhaps even a few airline tickets in my pocket)

Enjoy!

Click on the photo to visit Amazing Planet

One Year with my Camera

This week marks one year of blogging for me. If you like, you can read my very first blog post here Welcome to My Voice It was written in May last year.

Wow, it seems so long ago! Certainly my writing has turned out somewhat different from what I was planning at the time. But through the writing process I have learned a lot. Hopefully my blog has also brought a bit of inspiration to the world out there. And not to forget: it’s been fun!

Given my love for photography, I was thinking; what better way to remember this past year than through the lens of my camera? I have been wanting to make a slide show like this for a long time, and actually I was planning to add some self-made music as well but.. to be honest I’m a little short of spare time these days. I’ll keep that thought for another day:)

Tell you what; why don’t you put on your own favorite music while watching this, that way everyone will be happy:) Or, you can find one of my personal favorites here.

There is a Silence

This photo was taken last year in May. It’s something of a personal favorite. Not necessarily because of its quality, but because of the feeling it brings. I remember that evening stroll well; just me and my camera. It was one of those quiet evenings when it seems like nature itself is holding its breath. Even the wind was still. The only sound I can remember was that of a few birds taking off from the nearby lake.  It was almost magical; an evening for walking slowly and quietly.

“Within each of us, there is a silence, a silence as vast as the universe. And when we experience that silence, we remember who we are” Gunilla Norris

Great thoughts are wonderful. They can really lift us and make us reach for what seems to be impossible, pushing us to accomplish wonderful things. And I admit; I love that approach towards life. However, every now and then it’s good to think quiet thoughts, to balance the mind. I believe this is crucial to us, as most of us do live in a fast-speed and somewhat noisy world. That’s part of the reason why I have a genuine love for nature. To me, few other places bring such peace and renewal to the soul, or in other words; an opportunity to recharge my batteries.

Seeking nature is something I have been doing ever since early childhood. There were summers I hardly slept indoors at all:) Perhaps that’s why this quote really makes sense to me; I need that silence every now and then, the silence of nature which leads to that inner silence. To put my mind in order. To remember who I was. To remember who I still am.

I think it’s a good thought.

Take care. L

Not so Frosty

Just to balance, and perhaps share a little warmth in the middle of January; here’s a few summer photos.

Frosty Morning

Woke up this morning only to discover two things; the temperature outside was really cold (15 Celsius below) and of course, that my car – which sometimes seem to have a mind of its own – didn’t feel up to the challenge..

So I set out for a pretty cold, early morning walk with my kids. And even though we all dressed up like we were headed for a polar expedition, I had to put my feet in some hot water when I came back home, to be able to feel them again

Below are some photos of nature’s own winterly works of art: Ice.

It’s fascinating; the surface of the ice was so glassy-smooth that somehow, it almost felt warm against my finger tips. Isn’t that strange.

October Photos

Waking up this morning I was amazed by the beautiful light outside! I even skipped my breakfast (and that doesn’t happen a lot )

Here’s a few shots showing the beautiful colors of October.

The Colors of Change

We know for a fact, change is an inevitable part of life. Still, our immediate response to change often seems to be resistance.

When we realize that something in our lives is about to change, it is often seen as a threat. We wish to stay with the routine and what’s familiar and safe. We wish for things to stay the way they always did. I suppose it’s only natural. After all, in order to move on we must leave our own comfort zone, and head off to what’s unknown and uncertain. Clearly it’s uncomfortable. It may be scary or even hurtful.

Even so, I believe we owe it to ourselves to ask this one question; Why do I wish to stick with what’s familiar and safe? Is it because it’s really something good, because this is everything I wanted my life to be like?

Or is it because I am afraid to embrace the unknown, because I am unwilling to admit to myself that there is something unsatisfactory or incomplete about the life I am currently living?

As we grow older, we watch and interact with the world around us; we learn, we explore, we realize things we previously would fail to understand. We reach the end of an era, and the beginning of something new.

Life itself is our teacher, continuously educating us as we keep walking its path. And change is necessary for us to reach our dreams and let us become who we need to be deep inside. And so it comes down to this:

Being willing to surrender what we are, in order to embrace what we may become.

Nature welcomes the Colors of Change. Do you and I have the courage to do the same?

Along the Beach

I got the chance to borrow a 100 mm lens from a friend the other day, so I headed off to a nearby beach for an hour of fun and appreciation of nature.

The results can be seen below. Comments will be appreciated! )