Sunday 26 April 2015

No eye has seen



That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, 
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined 
what God has prepared for those who love him."
1. Corinthians 2:9

Same love by Paul Baloche

:   :   :

Guiding God
be with us
in our going out
and coming home
in our journeying
and returning
in our decision making
and organising

Guarding God
be with us
through the calm
and through the storm
be our comfort
when we’re hurting
be our helper
when we’re falling

Gracious God
walk with us
every moment
of this new day




:   :   :


Blessings to your week,
Nina 

Here's a printable 
for you 


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Photo: iPhone 5S & Camera+, Snapseed, Mextures, Afterlight, VSCOcam applications

Friday 24 April 2015

Miracles blossom




Where hope grows,
miracles blossom.

Elma Rae


:   :   :


Spring has awaken the nature's vitality - the bright green leaves are appearing in the trees and bushes.
It is a joy to follow the explosion of flowers up in the trees, their progress from buds to white, rosa and yellow flowers ...



I spotted a bee the other day, and a fly found it's way to my office yesterday ... 
These cheerful finds witness that spring comes year after year!

Let's find pleasure and joy in the little things,
Happy weekend greetings, 

Nina

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Photos: iPhone 5S, Camera+, Snapseed, Mextures, VSCOcam - the bee with an Olloclip lens

Monday 20 April 2015

Good Books




“Good books, like good friends, are few and chosen; 
the more select, the more enjoyable.” 
Louisa May Alcott

:   :   :

Wishing you glimpses of sunshine and joy,
together with a good friend or a favourite book,
for this upcoming week,

Nina 

Lightroom Preset Dark Light by Kim Klassen
Textures: Atwood by Monas' Pictoresque, Effervesent 23 by 2 LilOwl's, Simple 1 by Kim Klassen, Sunshine 4 top Left from the Illumination Collection by Love that Shot


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Sunday 19 April 2015

I am Quiet




Of one thing I am certain: my soul has become calm, quiet, and contented in You.
    Like a weaned child resting upon his mother, I am quiet.

Psalm 131:2 The Voice



Shepherd of my Soul by Rivers and Robots

:   :   :


May I arise this morning
feeling your warmth
embracing me,
conscious of your love
forgiving me,
knowing your peace
within me,
feeling your Spirit
strengthen me,
hearing your whisper
encouraging me.





:   :   :

Blessings to your week,
Nina 

Here's a printable 
for you 


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Photo: Canon IXUS 220

Saturday 18 April 2015

Create a Painterly Canvas Effect with Textures and Photo Veil [Photo Recipe]





Easter Tulips and the first episodes of the 4th season in Downton Abbey, inspired me to create this still life photo with a painterly canvas effect. 
At times I wish it would be possible to live one day in the early 19th-century ... Either in an aristocratic British family or on a Souther cotton farm in America. I would love to experience the interior design and the style of the dresses, and the etiquette in general, trying to perceive the difference in classes those days - that may be a bit hard to imagine in our modern society. 

I used a burlap cloth as a back drop to my image. I made the setting beside a window, using natural side light coming from the left. I did set the books, the can with the tulips, the small plate with a single tulip and a dried leaf to the right side of the frame, leaving the negative space to the left - for the painterly canvas effect, that would create the warm, old mood to the image.



This is how I proceeded with the editing and adding layers:

1. I adjusted the cropping of the image, making use of the rule of thirds, so that the tulip on the silver plate is in line with one of the golden sections.
2. I sharpened the image a bit, and adjusted the contrast, highlight and shadows in Lightroom.
3. Thereafter I opened the image in Photoshop, and added the following layers with 3 textures and one photo veil:
  • Camembert texture from Olde World Collection with blending mode Saturation, opacity 40%. Blending mode Saturation with the Camembert texture creates a vintage-like warm glow to the image - you will notice this effect when you look at the books in the before-after-image below. I brushed the texture effect away from the tulips, since I wanted to keep some of their blue-lilac color.
  • Lavendel Glow Left - Vertical photo veil from the Illumination Collection with blending mode Soft light, opacity 15%, adds a soft lavendel light effect.
  • Salerno texture from the Olde World Collection with blending mode Soft light 15% adds a mild and soft painterly effect. I brushed some of the effect away from the upper right corner, using a brush with 50% opacity.
  • Riviera texture from Olde World Collection with blending mode Hard Light, opacity 39%, adds some more painterly effect to the image. Using a brush I removed the texture effect from the tulips and the books - leaving it on the negative space, to my "canvas" background




What I like about Still Life Photography is the process of creating the image - Both setting up the scene, and the post processing ... Thinking about the light, the shadows, the balance, and what I want to focus on, together with the style and the feeling, I wish to convey. 
Already as I was setting up the books and the tulips, I had the textures from Olde World Collection in my mind - I like the rustic touch and the warm colour effect they create.

...Wishing you creative moments with photography and editing,

Nina





Sunday 12 April 2015

Live in Peace



And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. 
For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. 
And always be thankful.

Colossians 3:15

Humble King by Brenton Brown

:   :   :


I enter this day with joy
knowing you are with me
every step of the way,
knowing there is a purpose
to each breath that I take,
knowing there is a hope
toward which I walk.

I enter this day with faith
knowing you are the strength
which I depend on,
knowing you are the love
that is all embracing,
knowing it is your peace
which calms my soul.

I enter this day with praise
knowing that I worship
with service as with voice,
hoping that my words
might reveal your truth,
hoping that your grace
might touch another heart.




:   :   :

Blessings to your week,
Nina 

Here's a printable 
for you 


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Photo iPhone 5S - Camera+, Snapseed, Brushstroke,TangledFx Apps
Textures - Tableaux Old Style by FrenchKiss by Kim Klassen, Makawaofrom Kalani Collection by Love That Shot

Friday 10 April 2015

Sweet Everyday



Something happened this week, that really made me appreciate the sweet, normal everyday life ... 

Wednesday at noon I was driving in downtown. As I was holding at a traffic light - out of the blue - an accordion-style car crash took place ... An inattentive driver crashed into the van behind me, that again crashed into my car - and pushed my car up to the car, that was holding before me.

I am so grateful, that nobody got injured (besides the possible whiplash traumas) ... I am still a bit chocked ... If the van wasn't behind me, taking the worst, our little car (with me inside) would have been smashed... Thankful for protection - God's angels were busy that day!

Afterwards I had a check at ER, just to be sure that the neck region was fine ... and all is well - all the vertebras are still in line and in right order (as much as it is possible in my case: I have a whiplash injury dating back to a a car accident in -89).




In short, my ordinary everyday has definitely gotten a new glow ... I cherish 

- waking up to sound of the alarm, that is telling me that a new day is dawning
- the way my husband crosses his feet as he is writing
- hearing the nearby church bells at 8 am close to my work
- standing in a queue at the supermarket
... just being at home with my family





The poem "A Tribute to the Everyday Things" by Danish poet Dan Turell has been translated into English ... Making a creative and fine window into noticing the happenings making our everyday life so precious.


Wishing you a weekend with extraordinary focus on the sweet and ordinary rituals and happenings in the ordinary days,

Sunday 5 April 2015

Joyful Easter




Jesus said to her, 

“I am the resurrection and the life. 
The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 
and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. 
Do you believe this?”

John 11:25-26


Alive by Nathalie Grant


:   :   :


Gracious God,

We praise you for the light of new life
made possible through Jesus.
We praise you for the light of new life
that shone on the first witnesses of resurrection.
We praise you for the light of new life
that continues to shine in our hearts today.

We pray that the Easter light of life, hope and joy
will live in us each day;
and that we will be bearers of that light
into the lives of others.

Amen.



:   :   :


Wishing you a Joyful and Happy Easter,
Nina 

Here's a printable 
for you 


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Photo iPhone 5S - Photo Veils frothe Illumination Collection by Love That Shot 

Wednesday 1 April 2015

Month in Photos [March 2015]




It was one of those March days
when the sun was hot and the wind blows cold:
when it is summer in the light,
and winter in the shade.

Charles Dickens



Yes, Charles Dickens describes the March days in a nutshell - Light and sun, with a fresh and cold breeze.

Looking back to March, I remember:

  • Early mornings with tea ... Sun rays creating plays of shadow and light in the kitchen
  • Having the wooden Cubebot-robot as my muse for the daily pictures - it was a good kick start, but Cutebot took a bit too much attention in the photos, so I decide to exclude him from the frame 
  • Enjoying the soft afternoon light on my back as I was biking home from work
  • Sharing the joy of our younger son, who has been learning new card tricks ... It's amazing and impossible to figure out, how he does it
  • The pleasure of listening to the old, classic masterpieces, as our older son practices for his piano lessons
  • Finding inspiration via photography courses at SkillShare
  • And the inevitable winter flu, that finally caught me and made me stay in bed a few days ... just sleeping
  • The joy of spotting sighs of spring all around ... Yes, the spring has arrived - with buds, flowers, sun, rain and - snow!






Above a peek into the daily captures (well, almost daily - with the exception of the flu),

Nina


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A Month in Photos by Mona's Pictoresque
Maaliskuun kollaasihaaste by Pieni Lintu
Weekly Top Shot by The View From Right Here
Saturday's share Fest by The Sits Girls
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