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  1. Ice Swimmer says

    All pictures are from April 2016.

    The islands Lehtisaari an Kuusisaari are islands in the bay Laajalahti (literally Broad/wide bay) which is west of the Helsinki peninsula. Suomenlinna sea fortress (built in the 18th century by the Swedish Realm, which Finland was a part of, partly with French funding) is in the Helsinki Archipelago in the Gulf of Finland

    First picture: Clouds, sea and Lehtisaari. The island is owned by the Church (parishes of Helsinki and Vantaa and is mostly a residential area with some parks. Lehtisaari means leaf island.

    Second picture: Evening sky and sea seen from a gun port in Suomenlinna (Sveaborg before Finnish independence) sea fortress, in the southernmost island Kustaanmiekka (literally the Sword of Gustavus, the name was a birthday present for the crown prince, later king Gustav III of Sweden). The birds are silent swans, which have become more common on the sea shores of Finland in the last few decades.

    Third picture: Laajalahti, sunshine and rain clouds. This picture is from the western shore of Laajalahti to northeast. I think the big white building in the middle is Hotel Kalastajatorppa (Fisherman’s cottage) in the wealthy Munkkiniemi (monk peninsula because it was property of an Estonian monastery in the middle ages) neighbourhood.

    Fourth picture: A Birch, Sea and the islands Kuusisaari and Lehtisaari. The birch is silver birch (Betula pendula), in Finnish rauduskoivu or riippakoivu, the latter name alludes to the sagging ends of branches. Kuusisaari (translation: spruce island) is home to some embassies, the Didrichsen art museum and rich people.

    Fifth picture: Closeup of wild chives, moss and some unknown plant by the sea. It isn’t actually on a cliff, rather on a low slab of bedrock (my language fail). The unknown plant (with the spotted leaves) may be some kind of stonecrop (Sedum).

  2. johnson catman says

    Ice Swimmer @1:
    Beautiful photos! It is amazing how far cell phone photography has advanced in the last few years. Of course, the photographer has a lot to do with how well the photos come out also! You have a great eye for setting up the shots.

  4. says

    The gunport shot is my favourite, that’s just so beautiful. Next fave is the birch, that’s a fabulous tree.

  5. Ice Swimmer says

    Thank you all for the kind words.

    johnson catman @ 2

    The technology helps a lot with learning by doing. About the only rule I know is putting the target 2/3 way from the edge.

    Lofty @ 3

    I got lucky, even when there were rain clouds on the sky, the sea was almost calm.

    Caine @ 4

    Yes, the white trunk so unlike other trees with their darker grays, browns, oranges and greens.

  6. says

    Ice Swimmer:

    The technology helps a lot with learning by doing. About the only rule I know is putting the target 2/3 way from the edge.

    You’re a natural. I didn’t know the rule of thirds when I first started taking photos, but did it naturally. It can be good to know the basic rules, mostly because it helps when it comes to breaking said rules.

  7. says

    Ice Swimmer:

    The unknown plant (with the spotted leaves) may be some kind of stonecrop (Sedum).

    Oh, that’s it! Now I know why it was so familiar.

  8. rq says

    Yep, my favourite is the gunport, too. Beautiful warm colours and nice framing, with excellent shadow/light contrasts. Gorgeous shade of red.

  9. Ice Swimmer says

    Caine @ 6

    I heard about the rule of thirds somewhere and after trying it out it made a lot of sense. I’m not against learning the theory so I’m now checking out a book about photography (old one, but I think the principles stay the same at my level).

    rq @ 8

    Thank you. Evening light around the time of sunset is wonderful.

  11. Ice Swimmer says

    Giliell @ 10

    Thank you! If the rock on which the chives grow hadn’t been dry enough for me to lie on, the picture wouldn’t exist. I think the light will be different in summer when the reeds and/or bulrushes that grow in the water a few meters away cast their shadows.

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