Sandy’s prompt for Friendly Friday reminded me of a visit to the Skansen Museum in Stockholm,where I felt the presence of old world shadows.
In the midst of a Swedish winter, the shadowy silhouette of the bell tower in Stockholm’s Skansen Museum was an imposing and slightly daunting sight set against the crepuscular morning light.
Swedish farm houses were dark and the winters bitterly cold. Many families lived in the same house for generations and the darkest corners of the room echoed with imagined shadows of the past.
Skansen’s Farm labourers cottage
Taking refuge inside, farmers and their labourers would enjoy consuming a hearty meal, particularly at Christmas.
For those who have Swedish heritage, visiting Skansen is a way to bring history alive and feel more of a connection with the past.
“Photographers are writers- Writers are photographers: we catch a glimpse of something beautiful – a flower, a glance, a window – and catch it into our camera or writing lens: add a bit of glimmer, a ghost of a shadow, allowing the background to sink into fuzziness while focusing on the sharp beauty; thus, we highlight the romance of life.”
What beautiful words from Pam – inspirational words that inspire us to become better photographers, whether we are amateur or professional. We strive to become photographers that capture the emotion in a scene, or evoke a feeling from the viewer.
It is my photographs that tell me that four years ago I was leaving Poland on a flight to Denmark. I was overjoyed to be in Denmark, but so sad to leave Poland behind.
Five years ago, I took photos of our newest family member.
While six years ago, I was driving overland across the mountains and fjords of Norway.
Poland to Denmark
Two Schnauzers
Norway
Ten years ago, the following photo reminds me of the serenity I felt the day I was punting on the Avon River in Christchurch, New Zealand. It was just two weeks before the first of two devastating earthquakes to hit that city.
The Avon River, Christchurch
More than 40 years ago, I was about to fall in love. Not with a boy, but with the snow. I was leaving for my first skiing holiday with friends.
Without photographs, these memories and feelings might be lost in the passage of time.
Memories are made of moments.
Life is a collection of such moments fused into an ever-changing continuum.
The transient nature of life’s experiences are one reason why we take photographs. Like time travelling, photographs are a way to give life to the past, so we can imagine again that moment in time, in all its visual richness.
Looking at photos might evoke a feeling of NOSTALGIA.
Feeling Nostalgic
Join the Weekly Friendly Friday Challenge Theme
To join in with this week’s challenge theme, simply create a post, including a pingback, using the theme Nostalgia, and tag it:
“Friendly Friday – Nostalgia”
Be sure to leave a comment below,as well as the pingback, so others can read your post.
Write a Little More for Friendly Friday
As this is the first Friendly Friday post for the month, we would love you to write a little bit more about your chosen photo/s. It’s far more interesting to hear the narrative in addition to the photos that you post. [This does not have to be a lengthy]. Here are some ideas if you are stuck on what to write:
What is its significance or history of the photo/s?
Where and when were they taken?
Why was it taken?
Post a recipe/ re-tell an old story that relates to the topic
Monthly Guest Blogger – A Mindful Traveller
Each month, Sandy and I publish a Friendly Friday post from a guest blogger. This month the wonderful Lorelle from Melbourne, Australia, who blogs at A Mindful Traveller will be our guest blogger and will take about an old family recipe that evokes Nostalgia for her. The post will be published here at StPA tomorrow.
If you are interested in submitting a guest post for Friendly Friday, please contact me or Sandy, via the Contact pages or our WordPress Profiles.
Weekly Photo Challenge Next Week
Next week, Sandy will have a new topic for Friendly Friday. Follow our blogs to receive new themes each week.
Young girls are pretty much divided into two camps – generally speaking. You are either a PINK or a PURPLE girl.
As each person’s eye sees colour, and variations of hue, a little differently and individually to the next, what is one person’s dreamy hue might be something another person intensely dislikes.
Tassie Tulips
Pink or Purple?
When we are young and asked what about our favourite colour, most girls will answer pink or purple. Very rarely, yellow or any other colour. This usually translates to little girls wearing predominantly either pink-coloured or purple-coloured clothes and decorations.
And never the Twain shall meet.
Just as most young boys will preference red as their favourite colour. At least in Australia, this is the pattern that we regularly see and hear, with young children.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that a Pink girl won’t wear, or use, other colours at all. It only means that when you ask a young girl what her favourite colour is, she will generally answer “Pink,” or she will answer, “Purple.”
It’s a thing.
Definitely a pink theme here but with a touch of purple
The Princess top in the above photo was purchased in Legoland in Denmark and was highly sought after in the Pre-school crowd at my daughter’s Kindergarten, especially so as it was unobtainable, in Australia. Fights even broke out, between the girls, over who got to wear it and there was lots of pouting from the ones that missed out. I had to ban the top from being worn to Kindergarten. My guess is the pink girls were the ones fighting.
One day a play date with a four-year-old friend of my daughter ended in tears. The little girl refused to leave our house unless she was allowed to take the Princess top home with her! My daughter naturally refused such an offer.
As for me: I used to be a purple girl, never a pink girl, but life changes you.
I had a wishy-washy lilac painted room as a child, as pastels were really the fashion. Yet, I have way too much Scandi genetic material to be completely sold on pastels, so a more cleaner, intensive colour is my choice these days. Yet looking through my WordPress archives, I note that most of my photos are indeed shades of purple, usually in the form of flowers.
I did find this gaudy ‘Pet Expo’ photo hidden in my archives:
This one didn’t have much choice in the matter!
We also see lots of pink in nature.
Or is it purple?
Pink or purple?
Join the Weekly Friendly Friday Challenge Theme
To join in, simply create a post, including a pingback, using the theme The Colour Pink, and tag it:
“Friendly Friday – The Colour Pink.”
Be sure to leave a comment below, so everyone can find your published post.
As this is the first post of the month, we ask you to post a little bit more about your chosen photo. This is not compulsory, but it is much more interesting to hear the narrative behind the photo. This does not have to be a lengthy piece.
Here are some ideas if you are stuck on what to write:
What is its significance or history of the photo/s?
Where and when were they taken?
Why was it taken?
Post a recipe/ tell a story that relates to the topic
Monthly Guest Blogger – Vero
We will soon be publishing a Guest post celebrating this theme, from the wonderful blogger Vero, in two parts. The first part will be published here at StPA tomorrow and the second part at Vero’s blog, so do check that out.
If you are interested in submitting a guest post for Friendly Friday, please contact me or Sandy, via the Contact pages, or via our WordPress Profiles.
Weekly Photo Challenge
Next week’s Friendly Friday Photo Challenge will be found at Sandy’s blog. See you there.
As much as we have all seen photos of pet photos on the web, quirky or funny cat/dog videos never fail to get a laugh from their audience.
Clever Schnauzer
I know Schnauzers are clever, food-obsessed creatures, but did you know that, too? I am sure Peggy from Where to Next? and Alejandro from Chief Writing Wolf do.
Tiffany was my beloved Standard Schnauzer. A rescue dog who was truly the most wonderful companion. I mean just look at those eyes!
Tiffany
I have loads of Schnauzer photos. I rarely show anyone. 😉
The Friendly Friday Photo Challenge is about community and interacting with other bloggers. It’s a weekly blogging challenge where participants have an opportunity to share photographs from their world in a post based on, or around, the weekly theme. Everyone is welcome to join in.
Prompts are posted for one week alternating at Sandy’s blog and mine, so I’ll be posting the next prompt here at StPA next Friday 14th – that is a special kind of day with the new prompt.
You can also refer to the instructions Sandy has provided otherwise click here.
A reminder that the Friendly Friday Photo Challenge begins this Friday 31st January.
Friendly Friday
This photographic challenge is about community and interacting with other bloggers, sharing everyday photographs of things from our world. You don’t need to be a ‘pro’ to join in, either. Mobile, Point and Shoot or SLR photography formats are all perfectly acceptable. Your blog doesn’t even have to be about photography in order to participate.
Each Challenge runs for one week, from Fridays to the following Thursdays, when the new prompt is released.
Are you ready?
How Friendly Friday Works
The Host bloggers, Amanda and Sandy come up with a suggested theme each Friday, and post a photo that they think fits. After that, you formulate a blog post, showcasing photographs based on your own interpretation of the theme, and publish them in a new Blog post.
Write as little or as much, as you wish, to accompany your photos.
To make it easy for the host bloggers and others to find you, title your post “Friendly Friday Photo Challenge: (theme of the week)”
Include in the post, a ping back to the host blogger, ie. either Something to Ponder About, or The Sandy Chronicles and we’d love it if you could tag your post , ‘Friendly Friday.’
Photographic prompts for the Friendly Friday Challenge, at Something to Ponder About, will begin again from January 31st, 2020. We have some exciting photography prompts planned.
On Friendly Friday 7th February, our new Friendly Friday challenge host, Sandy from The Sandy Chronicles will post her first weekly prompt. We will then alternate between my blog, StPA and Sandy’s blog, from week to week, on a Friday.
I do hope you will continue to enjoy and post along with us on Friendly Fridays.
Huge thanks goes to Manja and Snow for their past contributions. I hope we will still see them host again and participate from time to time.
Get ready to join in with Friendly Friday!
How to do that?
Read how below.
How to join in the Friendly Friday Photo Challenge
Publish a new ‘Friendly Friday – xx Prompt name xx,’ post which includes a URL link to this post, and don’t forget to tag your post, ‘Friendly Friday.’
Add either of the Photo Challenge logo, to your post, if you wish.
Copy the post’s published url into the comments on the host FF post, so other readers can visit your blog.
Visit other Friendly Friday entries by following the links. It’s fun to see the varying interpretations!
Follow the host blogs to see future prompts.
While there is no deadlines for the Friendly Friday challenge, it seems that almost everyone does post prior to the Thursday, after the post is published, so from this year we will have a deadline of one week for each prompt.
Come back and visit StPA on January 31st for the first 2020 prompt.
For those who have been following this, or my blog, A Home by the Sea, the weekly theme will come as no surprise as I have been working towards this all throughout 2019.
Theme for Friendly Friday This Week
MOVING
The theme ‘Moving’ might mean new beginnings – the end of one chapter in your life and the start of another.
The end of one journey and the start of another.
Moving might mean moving on, or moving away.
Tearful Goodbyes or Happy Welcome Homes.
Moving might mean a mode of transport – trains, buses, boats or cars.
Norrheimsund, Norway
Moving means change, something we face in everyday life.
Change brings new opportunities and may be exciting for some.
Your interpretation of the theme might be some kind of speed blur or special effects with camera shutter speeds.
What is your interpretation of the theme of Moving?
Show me in photos – I would love to see what you make of it!
Scroll down to find more detailed instructions on joining in with this photography challenge.
Join the Team at Friendly Friday
My co-host Snow and I are also looking for another blogger to help host Friendy Friday for 2020. As a host you would need to:
Choose the Friendly Friday theme
Publish two posts a month, or less on negotiation
Visit the participant’s blogs and respond to the Friendly Friday comments on your blog post
Liaise with other co-hosts
Sounds Easy?
It is – and you get to meet and chat with other bloggers from all around the world.
If this sounds like you, please let Amanda or Snow know via our contact pages.
November Friendly Friday Photo Challenge
I am very grateful for Manja from Manja Mexi Mexcessive for stepping up to Host the Friendly Friday Photo Challenge for me, during my very busy month of November. Thanks so much, Manja!
Post a comment below and include a ‘Friendly Friday- Moving’ ping-back in your post, so others can find your entry.
Publish a new ‘Friendly Friday – ‘Moving,’ post including a URL link to this post, tagging the post, ‘Friendly Friday’ Add the Photo Challenge logo, too, if you wish.
Copy the published url into the comments below, so other readers can visit your blog.
Visit other Friendly Friday entries by following the links. It’s fun!
Follow the host blogs to see future prompts.
Please note there is no deadlines for any Friendly Friday challenge.
Have you ever been a bit unhappy with how a photo turned out? Something a bit askew or colours washed out, or the subject didn’t have the same punch that it seemed to have i.r.l?
All of us have experienced that from time to time. The revolution in digital photography means that we can always take another shot.
Sometimes though, we want to play around a little and improve on the angle, colours, texture, of photos or add an filter or effect to it. Some of us prefer no filter, and that is fine, whilst others like ot have a little fun with their photos. Monochrome gives a nostalgic effect.
Friendly Friday – Photo Edits
This week on Friendly Friday your topic is ‘photo edits’. You can also choose to post the same photo two different ways if you don’t know of/have access to editing software, such as a before and after scenario.
It could be a before /after photo taken of the same subject at two different times, of the day or year/s, or at two different angles.
You might decide to simply crop a photo or add a fancy frame or effect. If you can, please include the original photo, so we can compare.
Scroll down to more detailed instructions on joining in with Friendly Friday .
Publish a new ‘Friendly Friday – ‘Photo Edits,’ post including a URL link to this post, tagging the post, ‘Friendly Friday.’ Add the Photo Challenge logo, if you wish.
Copy the published url into the comments below, so other readers can visit your blog.
Visit other Friendly Friday entries by following the links. It’s fun!
Follow the host blogs to see future prompts.
Please note there is no deadlines for any Friendly Friday challenge.
Have you ever visited a remote place, off the beaten track? Places in regions or locations so remote you are unlikely ever to meet another tourist? Perhaps you live in such an area?
Hardangervidda – Norway
This is the theme for this week’s Friendly Friday Photo Challenge.
‘Remote’
Not a soul here – The Carlo sand blow
All on their Own in remote Queensland
A remote 30 MIle beach on Stradbroke Island
The Remote and Eternal Snows of Norway’s Jotunheim Mountains
Perhaps the prompt, “Remote” means something entirely different for you.
This week’s prompt was inspired by Chris from the blog lifeofrileyow.com who is currently travelling to the very remote regions of North western and Central North Australia.
Let’s share some remote photos from around the world on Friendly Friday!
Remote and rural Norway-Sweden Border
Post a comment below and include our ping-back in your post, so I can find your entry.
This photography challenge is posted every Friday by
If you have been following Friendly Friday for a while, you might recognize a similar photograph to the one below, from one of our previous Friendly Friday photo challenges – ‘Between the Lines.’
The Golden hour is a wonderful study for budding photographers. Sometimes sunrises appears best shot with a warm glow and other times with cooler tones, as seen below.
This surfer has the best view of the sunrise as he waits for the right wave.
Sunrise is the Earth’s golden hour. It is manner from heaven for photographers, especially with the light reflecting in the clouds.
I am at heart, a morning person, so it is relatively easy for me to be ready with mobile phone or camera, before the sun gets up.
The reward is seeing a sunrise like this: –
The time it took for this fiery yellow ball, (we all depend on), to move over the horizon in this photo, was less than two precious minutes, yet it was enough time to energize me and fill me with positive anticipation for the day ahead.
Near the Tin can Bay Dolphins
Have you noticed that special light at this time of the morning?
It’s an in-between time, not fully formed daytime, and definitely not the dark side of night. Sunrise is a time of transition, of change, of movement into a new reality. A new day full of optimism and hope.
Magic and Promise
Sunrises are, however, a little more challenging for photographers to capture correctly. And I am no expert. I shoot for my own personal satisfaction and preference.
Shooting into the sun of the morning produces varied results
Early morning light tends to be cooler (higher blue) than light in the late evening, which leans toward more warm color castings consisting of orange and red.
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