Testing the Sotra bridge

I have used the initial picture here (a RAW-file) to test several software packages. However, I found that I wanted to use this one for something - so why not here? Though I have shown it often enough from various angles etc etc

(For the technical interested it was treated by Photoshop CS3 with the plug-in for RAW-files)

The winter is closing in

It is still October, but the snow has reached the mountain tops

O is for Olsvold in ABC Wednesday

I suspect everyone who reads this will ask: Were or what is Olsvold? Olsvold is a small hamlet on the island of Radøy north of Bergen, Norway. It also happens to be my mothers maiden name - and thus also the surname of my grandmother.

Everyone has four grand parents. In my case, only one was alive: the mother of my mother, or "Bestemor" (grandmother) as we used to call her. She was a grandmother of the kind fairytales are made of. Living as a widow on a small farm with all the chores that goes with it, she had non the less always time for a small boy when he came to visit. when the 8-year old boy wanted to try out his new camera - she was there. When later on the terribly out-of-focus picture was presented by the proud little boy - the grandmother was even more proud. I don't think they make grandmothers like that any more.

She had only one son who ran the farm with her, but it was too small to feed them both, so he had to have outside work. He never married and passed away before her, and the farm passed over to a cousin of mine who has kept up the agricultural tradition as best as possible given the current
political and economical climate in Norway. But he also had to have outside work - as a teacher.

I took the pictures below two years ago. The main building is the white house in the lower left corner.




Here is the farm from another angle.


One result of all this - the name Olsvold is no longer in my family. A pity, really.

Today's post is part of the the third round of ABC Wednesday. The founder, Denise Nesbitt, has changed the rules to make the system more practical. There is now a no-comment blog where you can post a copy or short version of your post with a link-back to your original post for the full version and comments. Scanning through this no-comment blog will give you lots of Ohhhs (I hope)! She has also set up a site where you can log on via Mr. Linky if you want to do that.

A bridge - a part of my daily world

Those who have followed this blog will know that I'm interested in bridges - anyone living along the coast of Norway will be that. They will also recognize this bridge as the Sotrabroen (the Sotra Bridge) - a subject I have shown very often. It is also a daily part of my life since i Cross it at least twice a day. I'm so interested in Bridges that I host a small, monthly meme the first Monday in each month called Bridges between on this subject.

The present picture is also my first foray into the dark forest of HDR (High Dynamig Range imaging) . The aim of this technique is to extend the dynamic range of pictures and is supposed to require two or more pictures of the same subject. However, following the advice of Troy Mullens, I have tried to make it work with only one. This is based on a high contrast image - as I said, my first attempt.

Back to the present:

Have a look at other places around the world with That's my world.

Odd shot - my first(?)

Oh, shit...

Please visit Katney's Kaboodle for more about Odd shots!

Today's flower has wilted

A memory of a summer that was

PS The Today's flowers meme is hosted by LUIZ SANTILLI JR. . Please visit and enjoy.

Sky Watch Friday on Top

We are not alone in watching the sky. For some it is part of their duty.

PS Please visit Sky Watch Friday's own site for more.

Red water

At our newly started photoblog, there has been a show of water this week - both dripping and running and and a lively discussion of the techniques to be used.

I have little experience with this kind of thing, so I have used the evening for some experiments. With the camera on a tri-pod, a powerful flash, my daughter armed with a large white paper and a mirror for reflection and a red towel at the bottop of the sink, I set to work.

Drip-drip and 52 pictures later....

I had better do some more experiments

N is for Night in ABC Wednesday

My view at NIGHT.

Today's post is part of the the third round of ABC Wednesday. The founder, Denise Nesbitt, has changed the rules to make the system more practical. There is now a no-comment blog where you can post a copy or short version of your post with a link-back to your original post for the full version and comments. Scanning through this no-comment blog will give you No Nonsense (I hope)! She has also set up a site where you can log on via Mr. Linky if you want to do that.

This is My World

A new Meme is being launched today called That's my world.

This is My world. This what I see every day. This is the Fjords of Norway - it is even three of them meeting beneath my terrace an evening in June. I cannot live without the water. If I can't see it , I have at least to know that it is near at hand. I have to be able to smell the salt water.

For the particulars: This is the seaway entrance to Bergen, on the western part of Norway. It is what the cruiseships meet when they come (this is for you IMac!). I have seen them all and have photos of many of them.

This is my world. This is my life.



Have a look at other places around the world That's my world.

Today's flower is a Strange Fruit

Found this morning in a local garden

PS The Today's flowers meme is hosted by LUIZ SANTILLI JR. . Please visit and enjoy.

Ny nettbasert fotoklubb

English Comment: This post is mainly directed at any Norwegian readers who may pass by. It concerns a new member-based photoblog in Norwegian ( http://norsknettfoto.blogspot.com/) three of us are establishing. However everyone is welcome to watch the pictures!

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Nå har noen av oss stablet på beina en ny fotoblogg. Den har fått navnet Norsk Nettfoto med adressen http://norsknettfoto.blogspot.com/. Dette er ikke en meme, men er tenkt å være en nettbasert fotoklubb beregnet på dem som liker å fotografere for fotograferingens egen skyld og som er interessert i å lære mer, vise egne bilder, få kommentarer, gi kommentarer, komme med tips, motta tips - i det hele tatt: sette FOTOGRAFIET som sådan i sentrum.

Vi har gjort dette medlemsbasert slik at bare medlemmer kan legge ut bilder og kommentere, men alle kan lese. Dette har vi gjort for å kunne beholde en viss oversikt og ikke for å være vanskelige. Det er ikke spesielt problematisk å bli medlem: send en av oss (John, Rune eller Ivar) et ord eller benytt en av adressene som står på Norsk Nettfotos side, og du får en offisiell "invitasjon" som du så bekrefter. Vi har startet litt på forhånd for å prøve ut systemet - ta en tur innom og se om du kunne tenke deg å være med. Noen flere er allerede blitt med. Vi er på jakt etter dem som liker å leke med kameraet for å se hva som kommer ut av det. Den virkelige fotoglede.

Her er en liten collage over noe av det som er kommet inn de få dagene dette har vært oppe. Det kommer fra seks forskjellige personer.


Grunnen til at vi gjør det er todelt. For det første er vi litt lei av "nice colours" kommentaren i de tradisjonelle memene og for det andre har vi liten sans for den nedlatende holdningen man ofte ser hos "forståsegpåerne" som lett dominerer enkelte andre steder. Vi vil være for amatørfotografen i godt humør.

Sky Watch Friday Visits the Museum

Sky watching from the world's most famous museum

PS Please visit Sky Watch Friday's own site for more.

M is for Mortsund in ABC Wednesday

ABCWednesday this time is from a small place called Mortsund on the island of Vestvågøy in the archipelago Lofoten, Norway. The area is special to me since my mother-in-law came from this little hamlet, and thus "one half" of my wife. Last year there was a gathering of relatives going back to my mother-in-laws granparents. More than 100 persons living all over Norway attended.

The picture beneath was taken as the plane was preparing for landing at the local airport and shows the area as it is now.



Here we are at sea level with Mortsund to the right and Ballstad with its mountains in the background.

My mother -in-law grew up in the 20's and 30s when the living was hard in Norway, especially in peripheral areas like Lofoten. One had to make a living from what nature provided - which in this area for a large part meant the ocean with its products. The families also tried to do some small scale farming, but as we can see that was not easy.

The main product from the sea was fish, especially cod. The fish was cleaned and hung on drying racks like these until they became ready for export as stockfish. By the way, the racks below now stands approximately where my wife's grandparents lived.

Whaling was also one of the ways of getting food, both for their own use and for sale. This is still being allowed in a small way.

If nothing else, they could not complain about the view - only these small rocks and islands protected them from Vestfjorden - Norway's widest and most exposed fjord. In practice the North Atlantic Ocean.



Today's post is part of the the third round of ABC Wednesday. The founder, Denise Nesbitt, has changed the rules to make the system more practical. There is now a no-comment blog where you can post a copy or short version of your post with a link-back to your original post for the full version and comments. Scanning through this no-comment blog will give you More Ms! She has also set up a new site where you can log on via Mr. Linky if you want to do that.

Today's flower - a yellow autumn

A rose is still a rose - even when it rains.

PS The Today's flowers meme is hosted by LUIZ SANTILLI JR. . Please visit and enjoy.

Thirsty doves

In the the square of The Old Town (Palia Poli) on the island of Rhodes (Rhodos, Rodos) in Greece stands an old fountain and water post. Like all such structures around the world, it atttracts both tourists and birds - and they are all thirsty. I let the tourists take care of themselves and concentrated on a dove.

"Ah, that was good!!!"

"What - another one of those irritating tourists with a camera! Can't a decent bird have his drink for himself?"

"Oh, well - he will just have to find himself his own waterhole!"

An award from Petunia

Petunia has designed her own award for Positive blogging - meaning the ability to distribute some smile and pleasure to others through their blogs.

And I have received one!

Thank you Petunia - very much indeed!

Meanwhile back home...

The ducks are getting lined up

Sky Watch Friday goes fishing

Watching the Sky while waiting for the fish

PS Please visit Sky Watch Friday's own site for more.

A fountain in a small Greek village

I found this little fountain in a small mountain village on the Greek island of Rhodes (Rhodos, Rodos).

I fell for it as fast the water fell out of it.

L is for LINDOS in ABC Wednesday

Lindos is a small town on the Greek island of Rhodes. It is also known as the White town of Rhodes and has a history that goes back well into ancient, historical times. Wikipedia says:

Lindos was founded by the Dorians led by the king Tlepolemus of Rhodes, who arrived in about the 10th century BC. It was one of six Dorian cities in the area known as the Dorian Hexapolis. The eastern location of Rhodes made it a natural meeting place between the Greeks and the Phoenicians, and by the 8th century Lindos was a major trading centre. Its importance declined after the foundation of the city of Rhodes in the late 5th century.

In classical times the acropolis of Lindos was dominated by the massive temple of Athena Lindia, which attained its final form in around 300 BC. In Hellenistic and Roman times the temple precinct grew as more buildings were added. In early mediaeval times these buildings fell into disuse, and in the 14th century they were partly overlaid by a massive fortress built on the acropolis by the Knights of St John to defend the island against the Ottomans.

That Lindos snuggles beneath its Acropolis can easily be seen below.

The streets of Lindos are extremely narrow, and you are not allowed to drive into the town or park there - indeed, it is not possible to drive further than the town square.

Tourists have to park in the large car park above the town. They can then walk down (it is not far), take the free shuttle bus or hire one of the many donkies.

The town has of course its fair amount of tourist based trade which fill up the narrow streets close to the square.

But you don't have to walk far to see something like this: a beautiful doorway. Lindos is famous for its doorways (called hokhláki).

Or you might find one of the many small churches.

So if you should ever find yourself on the island of Rhodes, you could do worse than rent a car and head for Lindos.

Today's post is part of the the third round of ABC Wednesday. The founder, Denise Nesbitt, has changed the rules to make the system more practical. There is now a no-comment blog where you can post a copy or short version of your post with a link-back to your original post for the full version and comments. Scanning through this no-comment blog will give you more Learning about words beginning with L! She has also set up a new site where you can log on via Mr. Linky if you want to do that.