Chess pieces? (Photo: Helena Hurme)

I think I took this picture of chess pieces made from glass at Kalle's Inn during sunset, but I am not sure! I should check the next time I'll be there.

Fallna änglar (Foto: Helena Hurme)

Dessa fyra kvinnor figurerade på teaterscenen på Wasa Teaters gård under Konstens natt. De dansade alla väldigt bra. Också deras fall var planerade. Alla kvinnor drack under föreställningen (åtminstone symboliskt). Glaset i handen på kvinnan till höger i fonden syns inte.

Idel gitarrer (Foto: Helena Hurme)

Detta är nästan det närmaste jag kunde komma Gubbrockarna under Konstens natt med mitt teleobjektiv. Jag tog bilden utan något som helst stativ. Jag tycker själv att jag var ganska stadig på handen. Jag hade ett 70-100 millimeters objektiv och använde 190 mm med f 5.3 och 1/60 sekund samt +1 EV.

Gubbrockarna i aktion (Foto: Helena Hurme)

Under Konstens natt i år ålade jag mig fram mot Gubbrockarna. Någon frågade mig om jag har någon bekant som spelar i orkestern, men jag svarade att nej, men jag har en bra kamera! Dom släppte sedan fram mig och med teleobjektivet fick jag till och med närbilder (denna är dock tagen med ett "vanligare" objektiv). Jag brukar säga att när man har kameran med sig, är det som att gå med en hund. Det är "walking with a mission" och fastän man är ensam, känner man inte av det.

Motion på äldre dar? (Foto: Helena Hurme)

Denna äldre dam sprang upp för kullerstensbacken nära Borgå domkyrka och fick mig att komma ihåg att Newsweek i våras skrev om att det är just bland över femtioåringar som den största motionsexpansionen kommer att ske. Jag har själv försökt följa den regeln. Idag cyklade jag bara 28 kilometer på morgonen för jag fick utländska gäster som kom prick tolv, men förra söndagen blev det 43 kilometer och på lördagen 35 och veckoslutet innan ungefär lika mycket plus alla promenadkilometrar. Rekommenderar absolut denna mängd motion, för man blir i längden mycket pigga av det. I Vasa har jag hittat en förträfflig rutt: längs stranden från centrum ut till ABC vid motorvägen, runt mot flygfältet och in mot Gamla Vasa och sedan längs Vöråvägen till Karlebyvägens Neste och antingen genom Smedsby till centrum eller ännu hellre längs cykelvägen till Singsby och vidare till Gerby och kanske ännu till Västervik och hem via Vikinga. Största delen består av ypperliga cykelvägar. Särskilt den från Smedsby till Singsby tycks vara ny och är i mycket gott skick. Den är kanske just därför full av rullskridskoåkare. Och att åka cykel är bland det bästa jag vet!

A lonely boy (Photo: Helena Hurme)

This boy was left by his friends. They were all swimming. That is why he was wrapped in his towel. We looked at him from the porch of a rented cottage and I would so have wanted to lend him a warm blanket but thought that he might have felt uneasy in front of his friends so I did not do that.- The two next pictures below are taken from the same porch.

Sprutande vatten (Foto: Helena Hurme)

Kolla bilden nedan. Den är tagen precis på samma ställe efter den här bilden. Denna bild tog jag med en snabb tid (1/1500, f 4) så att jag lyckades fånga dropparna utan att deras rörelse syns. Vilkendera bilden är sann? Jag tycker att man på detta sätt kan bevisa att det inte är enbart digitalkamerorna som förvränger verkligheter utan redan valet av objektiv eller slutartid är att inverka på "verkligheten" (om man nu kan tala om EN verklighet. Jag tror hellre att varje individ upplever verkligheten på sitt sätt).

Sprutande vatten (Foto: Helena Hurme)

Den här bilden tog jag 2003 på campingplatsen i Riihimäki. Ett alldeles fantastiskt ställe med riktiga stockstugor vid en konstgjord liten sjö. Rekommenderar absolut! Dit far jag nog tillbaka, fast ensam. - Jag använde med flit en riktigt lång exponeringstid (1/50 s., f 11) för att fånga det sprutande vattnet.

En hoppande hare (Foto: Helena Hurme)

Den här bilden tog jag sommaren 2003. Jag råkade ha teleobjektivet på kameran när den hoppade upp och skuttade iväg. Bilden är inte alldeles skarp, men den får duga.

Randig himmel (Foto: Helena Hurme)

Den här bilden tog jag under Konstens natt runt halv sextiden på kvällen när jag stack mig in på jobbet. Jag tyckte att den randiga himlen var intressant.

Strandbodarna i Borgå (Foto: Helena Hurme)

Man måste inte alltid fara utomlands för att fota. När jag besökte mina föräldrars och farmors och farfars gravar i Borgå såg jag massor med turister med kamerorna runt halsen (visste ni förresten att Nikons handbok uppmanar en att inte bära dem runt halsen för man kan strypas!), kom jag på att jag kan sälla mig till skaran. Här är en idyllisk bild. Jag tänker sätta in någon av domkyrkan i paket men det får bli till en annan gång för jag somnar just vid datorn.

PS I turned the comment function off because of spam to this blog.

Guess what this is? (Photo: Helena Hurme)

Although this picture is taken in Australia, there is nothing very Australian about it! My friend Sarma's sister Dace asked in a comment to one of my pictures what my subjective experiences were of Australia. I thought of: 1) The vastness of the land; 2) A clear British influence (school uniforms, juges with wigs, unheated rooms (even in a hotel!) as well as visually a clear American influence (houses where the facade is nice but that is about all; the same color scheme in cloths shops -much violet, much bluish green, rather murky colors); restaurants are often eateries (altough I got some fabuolous meals for istance at The Point in Melbourne or in an Italian restaurant in the same city) ; 3) Nice and kind people everywhere; 4) Rather big income differences; 5) Enormous vegetables and a lot of different varieties; 6) Much sugar in food, called "low fat" (but with a lot of calories); 7) Huge cakes; 8) No proper rye bread, only a spongy variety (except in European delicatessen shops), and 9) a much colder winter than I had expected in June-July.

By the way: the picture is a detail of a glass ball i saw in the Victoria Market in Melbourne!

From the hotel window (Photo: Helena Hurme)

This picture I took from the window of the Carlon Crest hotel in Melbourne towards Lake Albert.

Slot machines in Mildura (Photo: Helena Hurme)

My friend Sarma tried to take me to places where I could see something else than just the four star conferene hotel. With this in mind we visited this hall with slot machines. We even played for 5 AUD each. Sarma won and I lost her five dollars...

Sydney from above (Photo: Helena Hurme)

Here is a wide angle view of Sydney from the revolving tower.

Symbols of Sydney ( Photo: Helena Hurme)

The bridge and the opera house are perhaps the two most prominent symbols of Sydney, here in on picture.

Two Sydneys (Photo: Helena Hurme)

This picture shows the dual nature of at least some Australian cities: the highrise contain mostly offices, the population lives outside the central part of the city. Of course the small houses seen in the picture belong the the richest segment of the population.

Two supermen with capes (Photo: Helena Hurme)

This picture does not need a text, only careful looking...

Purple cauliflowers (Photo: Helena Hurme)

These purple cauliflowers are not colored! Generally, all vegetables were much bigger in Australia than in Europe.

A red lamp distict? (Photo: Helena Hurme)

This picture is taken from Kowloon over to the Hongkong side.

A strip club? (Photo: Helena Hurme)

Honestly, I do not know what this picture depicts! I have called it a strip club...

The Sydney tower (Photo: Helena Hurme)

The revolving tower in central Sydney is reflected in one of the skyscrapers.

The Sydney bridge from above (Photo: Helena Hurme)

This picture of the Sydney bridge is taken from the revolving tower downtown.

Bridgewalkers in Sydney (Photo: Helena Hurme)

I still regret not having walked the bridge in Sydney! THAT would have been an experience to remember...

The Sydney opera house (Photo: Helena Hurme)

This is the typical picture of the Sydney opera house, taken from a boat.

The Sydney opera from behind (Photo: Helena Hurme)

I took this picture with a telephoto lens from the revolving tower in Sydney. Usually one sees the operahouse from the sea.

Two Australian parrots (Photo: Helena Hurme)

To a Finn, colorful parrots are very exotic. I wonder whether these are fighting? At least the one on the right moved its head vigourously which can be seen as unsharpness in the picture.

Ramada Hongkong (Photo: Helena Hurme)

I ordered my hotel room in Hongkong on the Internet and I was very positively surprised with it. The Ramada Hongkong hotel (there is a Ramada Kowloon as well) was officially rated as a three star one, but the room was definitely a four star one. There was no swimming pool, which would have been good when it was 35 centigrade but the shower was excellent. The hall and bathroom had marble floor and there was a small living room with a television and a bedroom. It was possible to close the glass door between the two parts. It was very easy to take a tram downtown for only 20 euro cents. I would any time recommend this hotel and if I ever return to Hongkong, I would choose this one.

A Colgate smile (Photo: Helena Hurme)

Isn't he (I am sure it is a he...) sweet! Look at that smile...

British influence (Photo: Helena Hurme)

The fact that the Queen of England is also the sovereign of Australia can be seen in many ways. One is the judicial system, as in this picture, another the use of school uniforms ( I am not sure that I have a picture of one).

A wild koala (Photo: Helena Hurme)

On the trip to The Great Ocean Road, the car stopped near a forest with wild koalas. Using my telephoto lens, I managed to get a picture this one sleeping in a tree.

The heaven on fire (Photo: Helena Hurme)

One more sunset picture from Mildura, Victoria, also this one taken from a moving car. It took me a little bit of thinking to understand that the sun moved in the north, so first my whole world literally was turned upside down during the Melbourne conference. I had a compas with me and it helped to put things right! People laughed at the compas but it really helps when one has walked in malls or metro tunnels and exits in odd places.

Clean Singapore (Photo: Helena Hurme)

Singapore certainly is the cleanest metropole I have visited so far. This polished stone in fromt of a shopping center is good evidence of this.

A dead kangaroo (Photo: Helena Hurme)

My friend Sarma took me to Victoria market in Melbourne. There I saw this dead kangaroo hanging on a wall. I do not mind, I only state a fact. I know tourists, especially Americans, who visit Finland are horrified that we eat reindeer meat, i.e. "Rudolph". I guess that for many Europeans, kangaroos are seen only as cute touristic animals as well. In fact, I had a meal with different game, including koala and buffalo, if I am right. Perhaps I even had kangaroo meat. The meal was one of the best in Australia.

Yarn at the Victoria tapestry workshop (Photo: Helena Hurme)

Here is a sample of yarns at the Victoria tapestry workshop in Melbourne.

Dream and reality (Photo: Helena Hurme)

I find that advertisments and reality make interesting combinations, as in this picture from on one the leading malls in Hongkong.

Waiting for Superman? (Photo: Helena Hurme)

This lady was probably waitin gor her Superman... Generally, heels were higher at least in Sydney and Melbourne than in Finland. Hers were not extremely high, even.

Australia from above (Photo: Helena Hurme)

This picture is taken from the plane from Singapore to Sydney. The lens was a Nikkor 70-210 mm, with a fical length of 210 mm, f 9.5 at ISO 1250. I had to use Photoshop to correct the too dark picture. I am surprised at how well one can see details, taking into account that the plane flew at 10 000 -11 000 meters! One can see the wastness of Australia, I think.

A tiger at the Night zoo (Photo: Helena Hurme)

One of the highlights of my trip was a visit to the night zoo in Singapore. It was forbidden to take pictures with flash, so I had to change the sensitivity of my camera to two steps over 1600 ASA (!). Shutter speed was 1/4 seconds with f/4.5 with a Nikkor zoom lens 35-135 mm, f 3.5-4.5. I have seen better pictures of tigers but under these circumstances, without a tripod, I am quite satisfied with the picture. And the walk was a very pleasant one. I could well think of returning to Singapore already because of the zoo, especially at night.

A Singaporean (Photo: Helena Hurme)

This man was outside a mosque in Singapore. I did not want to aim my lens too clearly towards him and therefore the picture is not the best possible. To me, it looks as if he had a fur hat. I have seen that in Finland as well, on a man going to the sauna (!). It isolates the head quite efficiently from heat. In Singapore, it was a flat 32 degrees centigrade.

A Singaporean facade (Photo: Helena Hurme)

Although the skyline in Singapore seems to be dominated by skyscrapers, there are also smaller houses. This one was on a tourist street.

A Singaporean mask (Photo: Helena Hurme)

I guess this is the closest one can come to graffiti in Singapore! This was on the back wall of a metro station.

A black swan (Photo: Helena Hurme)

I had always thought of black swans as phantasy birds, a bit like griffons! I did not see one white swan in Australia, but several black ones. This one swam in Lake Albert in Melbourne.

Gone fishin' in Singapore (Photo: Helena Hurme)

This guy stood fishing with skyscrapers behing his back! I find that the metal grid accentuates his belly nicely.

Fishing in Hongkong II (Photo: Helena Hurme)

This man was sitting on the Star Ferry pier in Hongkong, fishing through a small hole in the floor with just a line in his right hand! I wanted to take the picture as unobtrusively as possible. Therefore, the shot is not the best possible,

Fishing in Hongkong I (Photo: Helena Hurme)

Having fished salmon for about 10 years with my late husband, I still see fishermen everywhere. It is surprising how common it is to fish even in big cities. This man fishes from the Star Ferry pier in Kowloon with central Hongkong in the background.

A Hongkong tram (Photo: Helena Hurme)

I liked the trams in Hongkong. They were cheap and frequent and the windows were open so the journey was bearable despite the 35 degrees centigrade temeprature and a humidity of around 80%.

Hongkong transportation II (Photo: Helena Hurme)

This type of small carriages were very popular on very busy streets in central Hongkong. I made the picture from the upper deck of an open tram.

From the Otway tower (Photo: Helena Hurme)

Here I looked down from the Otway Fly tower, high above the rain forest tree tops. Still, I would have liked a little bit more thrill! (I have, after all, jumped from a parachute tower of the same height...)

Wild kangaroos posing (Photo: Helena Hurme)

This picture (from Mungo National Park near Mildura in Victoria, Australia), as many others from my trip this summer, is taken from a moving car. I especially like the way the kangaroo at the left is sitting!