June, July and August are probably going to be the most quiet times on this blog.
Not really sorry, but I’m going to apologize for enjoying the summer and totally neglecting writing anyway.
Especially being in Finland, where “summer” is defined somewhat different than elsewhere in the world.
Especially when we’re going on our 6th consecutive day of sun and 20+ degrees Celcius. That’s quite an achievement.

Suffice to say I’m out…
Enjoy the summer, as I will, and I’ll be writing whenever it might be raining

D200, ISO100, 1/125 sec @ f/8, Sigma 10-20mm

Maybe you’ve figured it out… I’ve got something with moss…
I wanna sleep on it…

D200, ISO100, 1/90 sec @ f/4, Nikkor 70-200mm, 1,4x teleconverter

And we came across this rock. My better half pointed out after seeing it on the screen that the rock with the grooves in it looks like a forest. And she’s right! A forest in a forest in a forest in a….

D200, ISO100, 1,5 sec @ f/19, Tamron 28-75mm

(… like I do every day).

Myeah, I know… I guess I’m a bit ignorant when it comes to that. I love nature, I love taking pictures in nature, but in a lot of cases I know the big lines of what I’m shooting, but have no clue specifically what I’m taking pictures of.
Bad, bad, I know…
Rule 1 in photography: Know what’s in your picture.
I know what’s in my pictures. It’s a tree. A bird. A mushroom. A flower.
So today I was taking a walk out in the forest and came across a spruce-like tree. And all I ever knew was that spruces and the likes stay green the whole year around. So when I saw a yellow spruce-like tree I was wondering. Until my better half (who’s a lot smarter than I am anyway) told me it wasn’t a spruce, but a larch.
And sure, they turn yellow. And even lose their needles. It looks funny to me for some reason.

D200, ISO100, 1/60 sec @ f/19, Sigma 10-20mm, on-camera flash

D200, ISO100, 1/60 sec @ f/19, Sigma 10-20mm, on-camera flash

Just for the fun of it, I took it to Photoshop and inverted the colors.
How’s that for a Christmassy feeling?

Opened in Photoshop, Image - Adjustments - Invert (Ctrl or Cmd I)

I saw it already from the weather (well, if I may believe the stories it’s been fall here ever since the beginning of June), but nature itself wasn’t really sure yet what to do.
This afternoon I drove by this house and noticed this beautiful Thicket Creeper creeping up along the facade. You can really see the colors go from green to a deep burgundy red and it makes the house pop out instantly, even if it’s a bit further off the main street.

And I guess it means that fall’s really begun now.
I’ll probably get a lot more photos with all different kinds of colors. Looking forward to it.
If only it wouldn’t rain this much…

D200, ISO100, 1/45 sec @ f/4, Sigma 10-20mm

Supposedly the most popular place for picking berries and mushrooms in the greater Helsinki area. I went there with my better half for a good hike and some more colorful pictures than edible mushrooms. The lush green of the moss for example. It’s so soft that you have to suppress the urge to just lie down and go to sleep in it (I’m still not completely rid of my jet lag, so it really was tempting).

D200, ISO100, 3 sec @ f/13, Sigma 10-20mm

The marshes (Mustalampi) also looked very tempting. Looked, though… step in it in the wrong spots and you’ll be in water all the way up to your knees, if not higher.

D200, ISO100, 1/6 sec @ f13, Tamron 28-75mm

D200, ISO100, 1/6 sec @ f/13, Tamron 28-75mm

And many other colorful and less colorful things. If only we had more time… the 10 km walk that we did took us a good three hours. I take all the blame for it.

D200, ISO100, 1/90 @ f/5.6, Sigma 10-20mm

D200, ISO100, 1,5 sec @ f/13, Sigma 10-20mm

D200, ISO100, 1/30 sec @ f/5.6, Sigma 10-20mm