Plants in Winter

Many plants looks in winter time very different than in summer. Some of those can be photogenic also in winter.

Place: Tornio, Finland
Photo: Plants in Winter
Date: 28th of January

Camera: Canon EOS 60D
Lens: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM
Shot: 1/320 sec. f/7.1 50mm ISO 100

Editing: Color temperature colder, sharpening, little bit cropping.

I tried different kind of color temperature settings for this photo, but using colder setting it looks a bit like painting.

Regards,
Mika

Flashlight on the White Background

This is one kind of test photo. I wanted to use simple white background and check what kind of photos I could take.

Photo: Flashlight on the White Background
Date: 12th of January, 2017

Camera: Canon EOS 60D
Lens: EF 50mm f/1.8 STM
Shot: 1/4000 sec. f/1.8 50mm ISO 100

Editing: Cropping and sharpening. Then I edited using different kind of filters.

Idea for this white background I got from this video, where they show how to take product photos simply.

I just wanted to try in the low light and photo above a result. This was just a quick test, so have to try more using different kind of objects and lights.

Regards,
Mika

Ice Crystals in the Window

I saw these tiny ice crystals in our balcony windows. Ice crystals were very small and I had to use macro lens together with extension tubes.

Place: Tornio, Finland
Photos: Ice crystals in the window
Date: 6th of November, 2016

Camera: Canon EOS 60D
Lens: Canon EF100mm f/2.8 USM + Kenko Extension Tubes.

Editing: Cropping, more contrast, sharpening.

Here is another.

Winter has just started here in North Finland, so there will be lot of photos regarding winter and snow in this blog.

Regards,
Mika

Train Bridge and Windmills

This just a interesting example how focal length effect to background of the photo. Here in the photo train bridge is on the front and windmills on the background are quite far from the bridge. Windmills look colossal.

Place: Tornio, Finland

Photo: Train bridge between Tornio in Finland and Haparanda in Sweden and windmills.

Date: 3rd of November, 2016

Camera: Canon EOS 60D

Lens: EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS 

Editing: Sharpening and cropping.

Any idea how to use this feature and do some funny tricks?

Regards,
Mika

Rajalla Mall in Tornio

I took this photo today from the border of Finland and Sweden. The Rajalla Mall in the photo is in Tornio in Finland side, but I took this photo from Haparanda Sweden side.

Place:  Tornio, Finland
Photo: Rajalla Mall in Tornio
Date:   25th of October, 2016

Camera: Canon EOS 60D
Lens: EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

Editing: B&W conversion, more contrast, highlights down, more sharpness, cropping.

Tornio is my home town, but this was also new angle to the mall for me too. Always something new.

Regards,
Mika

Found the keys - Where is my Porsche?

Now in autumn every place is full of fallen leaves. I decided to play little bit with the leaves and took few photos.

Place: Tornio, Finland
Photos: Fallen leaves
Date: 19th of October, 2016

Camera: Canon EOS 60D
Lens: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM
Shot: 1/30 sec. f/5.6 50mm ISO100

Editing: Cropping, sharpening, highlights down, more contrast.

Same photo as a B&W is also effective.

Leaves and mobile phone.

It was also fun to play with depth of field when taking these photos.

Regards,
Mika

Northern Lights - 13th of October 2016

This evening we had some Northern Lights here in Tornio. This was my best one today.

Place:  Tornio, Finland
Photo:  Northern Lights
Date:   13th of October, 2016 at 22:23

Camera: Canon EOS 60D
Lens: EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM
Shot: 5 sec. f/3.5 15mm ISO320

Numbers in the Northern Lights forecast have been very high today for the whole evening and night. Unfortunately there came also some clouds, so I couldn´t take so many photos. Hopefully some evening again.

Regards,
Mika

One Day - One View

I took today photos in the morning and later on early evening from the same place. Weather just was totally different.

Place: Tornio, Finland

Photos: City View toward Tornio vity hall

Date: 12th of October, 2016

Morning fog was so thick, that it was not possible to see city hall at all. Later on sun was shining and clear sky.

Regards,

Mika

Tornvallen - World War I Fortification in Haparanda

Tornvallen fortification was built in the end of World War I in 1918 to defend the railway bridge, which was under construction. Fortification include two bastions. The bridge was completed in October 1919. Tornvallen means Tower Hill in English.

Place:   Haparanda, Sweden
Photos: Tornvallen fortification
Date:    4-6th of October, 2016

South bastion.

Fact sheet of Tornvallen.

South bastion inside.

Bastions have connected with the tunnel. Stairs go down to the tunnel.

South bastion inside from another direction.

South bastion on the left and north bastion on the background.

Railway bridge between Haparanda in Sweden and Tornio in Finland. Connection tunnel between the bastions is just under railway, where I took this photo.

North bastion.

North bastion inside and stairs to the tunnel.

Only two years and this place will be already 100 years old. Piece of local history here in Haparanda-Tornio area.

Regards,
Mika

Muskrat Swimming

I took this photo few years ago in Tornio bay area, when muskrat was swimming grass in the mouth.

Place:  Tornio, Finland
Photo: Muskrat swimming
Date:   27th of June, 2011

Camera: Canon EOS 60D
Lens: Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS
Shot: 1/320 sec. f/6.3 250mm ISO125

Editing: Cropping and sharpening

This summer I didn´t see any muskrat even I tried to find several times.

Regards,
Mika

Swans Flying

I was yesterday biking and taking photos, when I saw a flock of swans flying toward south.

Place:   Tornio, Finland
Photos: Flying Swans
Date:    1st of October, 2016

Camera: Canon EOS 60D
Lens: Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS

Editing: Cropping, sharpening, highlights down

Here is another flock.

Winter is coming and all swans will fly to south warmer place.

Regards,
Mika

Moon, do you read me?

Full moon was just few days a go on 16th of September 2016. I took this photo yesterday evening. Aerial is just on the front of the moon and gives cool effect for the photo.

Today I tried to take better photo of the moon. I took many photos using different Manual settings and this was finally the best shot after heavy editing.

Place:  Tornio, Finland
Photo: Moon
Date:   18th of September, 2016

Camera: Canon EOS 60D
Lens: Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4.0-5.6 IS
Shot: 1/40 sec. f/7.1 250mm ISO100

When I wrote heavy editing I want to show first the original shot without any editing.

Moon is very small and details are hardly visible. So what did I do?

Original photo is 5184 x 3456 pixels. Edited photo is only 576 x 576 pixels, because I had to crop it so much. Then I added Contrast. After that Highlights down even more. Finally photo is Sharpened heavily.

I'm quite happy for the edited photo.  What do you think?

Sigma and Tamron have both 150-600mm SuperZoom. That kind of lens would be so much better for moon and animal shots. Maybe some day.

Regards,
Mika

Dragonflies

I took these dragonfly photos on the same trip and same place like the previous photos about small frogs.

Place:   Riekkola, Haparanda, Sweden
Photos: Dragonflies
Date:    7th of September, 2016

Camera: Canon EOS 60D
Lens: EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS

Editing: Sharpening, highlights down, cropping

I have posted before dragonfly photo also earlier, but that was different species.

Also these mating dragonflies are different species than last time.

Dragonflies are interesting object for taking photos, but season for dragonflies will be very soon over here in North Europe.

Regards,
Mika

Small Frogs

I was watching yesterday swans on the seaside, when I suddenly realized there are jumping something just next to me. There was several small frogs. Size of the frogs were about 3cm.

Place:    Riekkola, Haparanda, Sweden
Photos: Small frogs
Date:     7th of September, 2016

Camera: Canon EOS 60D
Lens: Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS

Editing: Sharpening, contrast, saturation, cropping

This was nice, when the frog was on the leaf.

Same frog. Just different angle.

Here another small frog tries to hide and be invisible.

I haven´t seen frogs here in Finland or just other side of the border in Sweden for long time. Here are frogs, but I just haven´t been in that kind of place recently.

Regards,
Mika

Double Bridges

Walking bridge to Pikisaari Island and Tornio old bridge on the background.

Place:  Tornio, Finland
Photo: Double Bridges
Date:   5th of September, 2016

Camera: Canon EOS 60D
Lens: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM
Shot: 1/80 sec. f/22 50mm ISO160

Editing: Sharpening, highlights down and cropping.

This was interesting and new angle to old bridge, which I saw when I was biking. I just had to turn back and take the photo.

Regards,
Mika

Northern Lights Season Has Started

Looks like Northern Lights season has already started here in Tornio, which is in south Lapland in Finland. There has been Northern Lights already many nights during last week. This photo I took from our condo balcony few nights ago.

Place: Tornio, Finland
Photo: Northern Lights season has started
Date: 3rd of September, 2016 at 01:25AM

Camera: Canon EOS 60D
Lens: EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM
Shot: 6 sec. f/3.5 15mm ISO1000

Editing: Sharpening, highlights down, little bit cropping.

This is just a beginning of the Northern Lights season. Best time to see Northern Lights is usually from January to March, when are cold and clear nights, so this was nice surprise to see the Northern Lights already now. Waiting for the more clear nights!

Regards,
Mika

Barnacle Geese Landing on Water

Flock of barnacle geese landing on Tornio River.

Place: Haparanda, Sweden

Photo: Barnacle geese landing on water

Date: 20th of August, 2016

Camera: Canon EOS 60D

Lens: Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS

Shot: 1/2000 sec. f/5.6 250mm ISO250

Editing: Sharpening and cropping

This is the same flock of barnacle geese like photo I posted earlier.

Regards,

Mika

Sparrowhawk

Yesterday I was outside of my condo in the middle of Tornio city and I saw sparrowhawk gliding in the sky.

Place: Tornio, Finland
Photo: Sparrowhawk
Date: 26th of August, 2016

Camera: Canon EOS 60D
Lens: Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS
Shot: 1/1600 sec. f/5.6 250mm ISO320

Editing: Only sharpening and cropping.

Hawk was quite high and it was gliding opposite direction of me, so I coundn't get as sharp photo as I wanted. Also I had to crop it quite much. Anyway it was interesting to see hawk flying in the middle of city area. Never seen before.

Regards,
Mika

Ferris Wheel

I took this photo from old Tornio water tower, when Suomen Tivoli amusement park was visiting in town.

Place:   Tornio, Finland
Target: Ferris wheel
Date:    20th of July, 2016

Camera: Canon EOS 60D
Lens: EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS
Shot: 1/400 sec. f/7.1 250mm ISO100

Editing: Straighten, sharpening, B&W conversion, removing highlights, cropping

Regards,
Mika

Snowmobiling on water

Sometimes it´s possible to see something, which is not normal. It can be for example snowmobile riding on water.

Place:   Tornio River in Haparanda, Sweden
Target: Snowmobile on the water
Date:    15.7.2016

Camera: Canon EOS 60D
Shot: 1/1600 sec. f/5.6 250mm ISO320

Editing: Only cropping and some sharpening.

I like motor sport and taking photos about motor sport. Just have to set the shutter speed to fast enough and that´s it.

More snowmobiling photos on water in Tachometer.

Regards,
Mika