november 28 this wintery scene is from a nearby park that used to be a military base. it's by the sea and there are interesting historical buildings and the area full of photo opportunities. but when you pass the last buildings there's a big wide open grassy area that one must cross to get to the sea. it's always more windy once you get past these trees and the place has a stark naked feel to it- like you are leaving civilization behind. with the bare trees and dusting of snow blurring the changeover from land to sea i honestly think i captured the essence of the moment here, like an impressionist painter would strive for. indeed i have blurred the image slightly to give it the look of a painting but there is one small detail that i really love. not only does the walking couple relate to the two trees but the small gap between their left arms and bodies is repeated in the lowest branches between the trees. when i realized this it blew my mind
july 8 i had a love-hate relationship with these three immature gulls.
who lived on the roof next door. every night starting before 3 AM and lasting all day they would screech this piercing cry that sounded far more like an ancient dinosaur than a bird. it wasn't possible to sleep because no matter how much they were fed they were all still begging for more. and there were other nests on other nearby rooftops. Yet we witnessed them growing from since the day they walked out of the nest until well after they learned to fly. and there were some priceless moments. they weren't the least bit afraid of us and we got to know them well with their individual traits and manners. now they're still around and i suspect they still recognize us but once they mastered flying they kept to the other gulls. i already anticipate there will be a new nest on that roof come spring. so i am catching up on my sleep now that i have the chance
july 14 it's summer and time to live it up. these teenage girls are clearly making the most of it as they take the 8 m/25ft plunge. the rhythm of these two gives a sense not only of the fun and thrill of the moment but also that they are very close. meanwhile somewhat comically the lone guy far below them appears comparatively lifeless and downtrodden as he stares into the stone wall he will have to climb to reach any height in life
august 4 this photo is taken from the lighthouse on the island in the previous photo. the august wind is fresh and it's a great time and place for sailing. i grew up with boats and my family were avid sailors, first racing class B catamarans and later larger blue water boats. i haven't done much sailing since moving to norway years ago but scenes like this bring memories of the wonderful adventures i've had at sea in years past.
october 16 for several years we have been trying to grow different varieties of squash with no luck. one year the young plants were ruined by a snail invasion. one year a late frost killed the seedlings. the next year a family of hedgehogs ate the plants but they also ate the snails so we were not too dismayed. but this year we sowed the seeds in a tall wooden box covered with glass and one plant in particular, a sweet dumpling squash really thrived. it grew over 5 meters/ 16 ft long and produced more squash than we could eat. we were both happy and proud to share the colorful and tasty squash with friends.
october 16 one beautiful sunny autumn day i drove to a part of Larvik i seldom visit- the mouth of the Lågen river. there is a nice pathway along the river and harbor and i was hoping for some great riverside shots. the parking for the path is close to the terminal for the passenger boat to Denmark. there i was astonished to see four white tents that looked more at home in a fairy tale. it turned out that the tents were placed there temporarily for covid testing of passengers but that did not deter me from taking a few shots. with the blue sky as a background, the shots of the tents were far more interesting than the rather mediocre shots from the riverside
june 1 seagulls may not be on your list of favorite birds, they can certainly be a nuisance at times. nonetheless taking a closer look reveals some fascinating details. for instance the harmony of the colors of the eye and beak. or the parallel lines behind the eye and beak. it looks like a work of modern art yet it is a timeless design. and how is it they manage to stay so white all the time?
november 28 the approach of winter is a time for reflection. at sunset the play of light on the sea sets the mood. each of those dark stripes are shadows from the crests of the remains of waves that have lost their momentum. evening is approaching, winter is approaching yet i linger here by the sea in no hurry to be anywhere and just let time pass itself.
october 30 "Photosynthesis is the only significant solar energy storage process on Earth and is the source of all of our food and most of our energy resources." source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2949000/
here i am very satisfied with the colors, form and lighting, but this photo is more than pretty. it depicts the breakdown of chlorophyll which is what causes the leaves to change color in the autumn. chlorophyll is essential to photosynthesis and photosynthesis is essential for life as we know it. this photo captures a stage in the truly amazing process.