Category: Art

Fate

9th December 2025
Poetry
0 Comment
  1. Things to Do in the Belly of the Whale
  2. From Blossoms
  3. Wild Geese
  4. The Peace of Wild Things
  5. My Gift to You
  6. Departing Spring
  7. The Skylark
  8. What a Strange Thing!
  9. Although The Wind …
  10. The Old Pond
  11. Spring Is Like A Perhaps Hand
  12. Hast thou 2 loaves of bread …
  13. Youth and Age
  14. A Postcard From the Volcano
  15. The Kraken
  16. He wishes for the Cloths of Heaven
  17. There Is a Solitude of Space
  18. Because I Could Not Stop for Death
  19. Mad Song
  20. Answer July
  21. Success Is Counted Sweetest
  22. Hope Is the Thing with Feathers
  23. The Bluebird
  24. A Vision of the End
  25. The Crying of Water
  26. A Rose Has Thorns As Well As Honey
  27. Winter
  28. The Dark Cavalier
  29. There is no Life or Death
  30. Sheep in Winter
  31. To a Snowflake
  32. Sextain
  33. A Crocodile
  34. Sea Fever
  35. The Giant Cactus of Arizona
  36. The Coming of Night
  37. Going to the Picnic
  38. Moon Tonight
  39. A Southern Night
  40. Greenness
  41. Twilight
  42. On the Wing
  43. In Summer
  44. Before Parting
  45. Sonnet
  46. The Red Wheelbarrow
  47. Acceptance
  48. At The Pool
  49. Incurable
  50. Bluebird and Cardinal
  51. [Say What You Will, And Scratch My Heart To Find]
  52. The River
  53. Vas Doloris
  54. Squirrel
  55. Ghosts
  56. The Spirit of Poetry
  57. Nightfall in the Tropics
  58. Journey of the Magi
  59. The City Lights
  60. January
  61. Winter Night
  62. My Heart Has Known Its Winter
  63. Things Said When He Was Gone
  64. Jabberwocky
  65. Expectancy
  66. Surrender
  67. At the Mid Hour of Night
  68. Fog
  69. The Things I Love
  70. Spring
  71. The Earth-Child in the Grass
  72. The Rivals
  73. A Line-storm Song
  74. To the Daisy
  75. It sifts from Leaden Sieves
  76. The Unquiet Grave
  77. In Summer Time
  78. Wine of Summer
  79. The Alchemist
  80. A Serenade
  81. Meeting Ourselves
  82. Early Waking
  83. Sir Walter Raleigh to His Son
  84. Art
  85. Freedom and Truth
  86. Sonnet LIX: Love’s Last Gift
  87. Fate

Photo by kilarov zaneit on Unsplash edited by me

 That you are fair or wise is vain,
Or strong, or rich, or generous;
You must have also the untaught strain
That sheds beauty on the rose. 
There is a melody born of melody, 
Which melts the world into a sea. 
Toil could never compass it, 
Art its height could never hit,
It came never out of wit,
But a music music-born
Well may Jove and Juno scorn.
Thy beauty, if it lack the fire
Which drives me mad with sweet desire, 
What boots it? what the soldier’s mail
Unless he conquer and prevail?
What all the goods thy pride which lift, 
If thou pine for another’s gift?
Alas! that one is born in blight,
Victim of perpetual slight;—
When thou lookest in his face,
Thy heart saith, Brother! go thy ways. 
None shall ask thee what thou doest, 
Or care a rush for what thou knowest. 
Or listen when thou repliest,
Or remember where thou liest,
Or how thy supper is sodden,—
And another is born
To make the sun forgotten.
Surely he carries a talisman
Under his tongue;
Broad are his shoulders, and strong, 
And his eye is scornful,
Threatening, and young.
I hold it of little matter,—
Whether your jewel be of pure water,
A rose diamond or a white,—
But whether it dazzle me with light.
I care not how you are drest,
In the coarsest, or in the best,
Nor whether your name is base or brave, 
Nor for the fashion of your behavior,— 
But whether you charm me,
Bid my bread feed, and my fire warm me,
And dress up nature in your favor.
One thing is forever good, 
That one thing is success,— 
Dear to the Eumenides,
And to all the heavenly brood. 
Who bides at home, nor looks abroad,
Carries the eagles, and masters the sword.

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 – 1882) was an American essayist, lecturer, philosopher, minister, abolitionist, and poet who led the New England Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century.

To read more poems, click here.

Love my work? Support my journey by buying me a coffee or sharing it on your preferred social network. And don’t forget to swing by my online shop to check out my latest prints and gifts. Thank you 🙏 !

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Sonnet LIX: Love’s Last Gift

25th November 2025
Poetry
0 Comment
  1. Things to Do in the Belly of the Whale
  2. From Blossoms
  3. Wild Geese
  4. The Peace of Wild Things
  5. My Gift to You
  6. Departing Spring
  7. The Skylark
  8. What a Strange Thing!
  9. Although The Wind …
  10. The Old Pond
  11. Spring Is Like A Perhaps Hand
  12. Hast thou 2 loaves of bread …
  13. Youth and Age
  14. A Postcard From the Volcano
  15. The Kraken
  16. He wishes for the Cloths of Heaven
  17. There Is a Solitude of Space
  18. Because I Could Not Stop for Death
  19. Mad Song
  20. Answer July
  21. Success Is Counted Sweetest
  22. Hope Is the Thing with Feathers
  23. The Bluebird
  24. A Vision of the End
  25. The Crying of Water
  26. A Rose Has Thorns As Well As Honey
  27. Winter
  28. The Dark Cavalier
  29. There is no Life or Death
  30. Sheep in Winter
  31. To a Snowflake
  32. Sextain
  33. A Crocodile
  34. Sea Fever
  35. The Giant Cactus of Arizona
  36. The Coming of Night
  37. Going to the Picnic
  38. Moon Tonight
  39. A Southern Night
  40. Greenness
  41. Twilight
  42. On the Wing
  43. In Summer
  44. Before Parting
  45. Sonnet
  46. The Red Wheelbarrow
  47. Acceptance
  48. At The Pool
  49. Incurable
  50. Bluebird and Cardinal
  51. [Say What You Will, And Scratch My Heart To Find]
  52. The River
  53. Vas Doloris
  54. Squirrel
  55. Ghosts
  56. The Spirit of Poetry
  57. Nightfall in the Tropics
  58. Journey of the Magi
  59. The City Lights
  60. January
  61. Winter Night
  62. My Heart Has Known Its Winter
  63. Things Said When He Was Gone
  64. Jabberwocky
  65. Expectancy
  66. Surrender
  67. At the Mid Hour of Night
  68. Fog
  69. The Things I Love
  70. Spring
  71. The Earth-Child in the Grass
  72. The Rivals
  73. A Line-storm Song
  74. To the Daisy
  75. It sifts from Leaden Sieves
  76. The Unquiet Grave
  77. In Summer Time
  78. Wine of Summer
  79. The Alchemist
  80. A Serenade
  81. Meeting Ourselves
  82. Early Waking
  83. Sir Walter Raleigh to His Son
  84. Art
  85. Freedom and Truth
  86. Sonnet LIX: Love’s Last Gift
  87. Fate
Waterlilies

 Love to his singer held a glistening leaf,
     And said: “The rose-tree and the apple-tree
     Have fruits to vaunt or flowers to lure the bee;
And golden shafts are in the feathered sheaf
Of the great harvest-marshal, the year’s chief,
     Victorious summer; aye, and ’neath warm sea
     Strange secret grasses lurk inviolably
Between the filtering channels of sunk reef.  


All are my blooms; and all sweet blooms of love
     To thee I gave while Spring and Summer sang;
     But Autumn stops to listen, with some pang
From those worse things the wind is moaning of.
     Only this laurel dreads no winter days:
     Take my last gift; thy heart hath sung my praise.


Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828 – 1882) was an English poet, illustrator, painter, and translator, who helped found the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.

To read more poems, click here.

Love my work? Support my journey by buying me a coffee or sharing it on your preferred social network. And don’t forget to swing by my online shop to check out my latest prints and gifts. Thank you 🙏 !

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My New Photo Project: A Desert of Waves, a Wilderness of Water

20th November 2025
Photography
0 Comment
This abstract photo of sea waves, captured using the Intentional Camera Movement (ICM) technique, presents a fluid, impressionistic view of the ocean. The image features horizontal streaks of deep blue and soft grey tones, blending seamlessly to mimic the motion of waves. The blurred effect creates a silky, almost liquid texture, with lighter patches of sunlight reflections. The colors shift subtly across the frame, evoking the ebb and flow of the tide in a dreamy, artistic manner, capturing the essence of the sea's movement on that September late afternoon.

Today I want to offer you an insight into one of my recent photo projects for a change. “A Desert of Waves, A Wilderness of Water” is a series of 13 abstract seascapes I created using the Intentional Camera Movement (ICM) technique. Thunderous seas turn into liquid silk. 

A few weeks ago, I dreamed about huge waves crashing thunderously on a rugged beach. The full moon, high in the pitch-black sky, illuminated an alien landscape. 

No trees or shrubs, no dwellings, no boats. No people. No animals or birds (I knew this in my dream). An utterly deserted landscape, devoid of any life. Nothing but the huge rocks and the surf glittering like tiny diamonds in the moonshine. Nothing but the endless rumbling of the waves and the cold silvery moon. “A desert of waves, a wilderness of water” (Langston Hughes). 

The dream made such an impression on me that it haunted me for several days. I couldn’t get that desolate landscape out of my mind. So, I did what any artist would do: set to work. I wanted to capture that landscape in my mind in a series of photos, and I knew it wouldn’t be realistic photos from the beginning. The atmosphere called for something else.

As luck would have it, we live by the sea. So every day, I would go down to the beach and experiment with ICM (Intentional Camera Movement). The light, the color of the sea, the clouds, they all factor in. I knew how I wanted the photos to look like; I tested different settings and motions; I learned patience. And got the photos I wanted.

This abstract photo captures sea waves using the Intentional Camera Movement (ICM) technique, resulting in a dynamic, flowing composition. The image features swirling patterns of blue and grey tones, with soft, overlapping waves that create a sense of continuous motion. The blurred effect eliminates distinct edges, giving the photo an ethereal, almost fabric-like texture. The varying shades of blue deepen toward the edges, enhancing the illusion of waves rippling across the frame, evoking a hypnotic and serene oceanic movement.

When I move the camera during 0.5 to 2 second exposures, the energy of the sea becomes pure color, rhythm, and texture. Sharp horizons, foam crests, and clear wave shapes disappear. What’s left are flowing, painterly images that feel more like silk, smoke, or desert dunes than water.

The colors are subtle but bright. Deep indigos and cool steel-greys fill the shadows. Warm amber and burnt orange, reflected from sunlit rocks, shine through the lower layers like fire under ice. Blurred, overlapping strokes give a hypnotic sense of constant motion, like a tide that never ends. Edges fade, shapes blend, and the sea feels weightless and soft, almost like fabric.

I took these photos along the coast, a stone’s throw from our house, during the calm hours of dawn and dusk. Each image is a single in-camera exposure. There is no digital painting, no layering, and no added blur afterward. No AI (it’s sad you have to say this these days). What you see is exactly what the moving lens captured in that brief moment.

The title shows the main paradox: a desert made of waves, a wilderness made only of water, mixing dryness with wetness and emptiness with movement. This series invites you to move beyond literal images. Instead, it encourages you to feel the ocean’s rhythm, offering an abstract look at movement, light, and the beauty of letting go.

This abstract photo captures sea waves using the Intentional Camera Movement (ICM) technique, resulting in a mesmerizing, fluid composition. The image features smooth, concentric streaks of blue and grey tones, creating a sense of motion and depth, as if the waves are swirling in a circular pattern. The blurred effect eliminates sharp details, giving the photo a dreamlike, almost painterly quality. The darker shades at the edges gradually lighten toward the center, enhancing the illusion of waves rippling outward, evoking a serene yet dynamic oceanic scene.

Origin of the Phrase “A Desert of Waves, A Wilderness of Water”

The phrase originates from the poem “Long Trip” by the renowned African American poet Langston Hughes (1901–1967). It was first published in 1926 as part of his seminal collection “The Weary Blues”. The full poem reads:

The sea is a wilderness of waves,  

A desert of water.  

We dip and dive,  

Rise and roll,  

Hide and are hidden  

On the sea.  

Day, night,  

Night, day,  

The sea is a desert of waves,  

A wilderness of water.

This evocative imagery captures the vast, untamed expanse of the ocean, evoking themes of isolation, rhythm, and perpetual motion that are recurrent in Hughes’s work, particularly in pieces inspired by his experiences near waterfronts and as a young seaman. The poem reflects the Harlem Renaissance era’s exploration of African American identity and the natural world’s metaphors for human endurance.

As an artist, you’re always struggling to create the vision in your mind in whatever medium you’re working in, only to fail when you do – more often than not. But this was one of these dream projects where I didn’t fail. I love how the photos turned out. 

You can see the rest of the photos in my photo gallery and buy prints in my online shop if you like them too.

Related Posts

Love my work? Support my journey by buying me a coffee or sharing it on your preferred social network. And don’t forget to swing by my online shop to check out my latest prints and gifts. Thank you 🙏 !

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A Moment Gone Forever

19th November 2025
PhotographyQuotes
0 Comment
Shadows of a lace curtain on a wall

What I like about photographs is that they capture a moment that’s gone forever, impossible to reproduce.

Karl Lagerfeld (1933 – 2019) was a German fashion designer, photographer, and creative director, best known as the creative power behind the modern revival of Chanel.

To read more quotes, click here.

Love my work? Support my journey by buying me a coffee or sharing it on your preferred social network. And don’t forget to swing by my online shop to check out my latest prints and gifts. Thank you 🙏 !

Follow me on Instagram | Facebook | Threads | LinkedIn | Tumblr | X | Buy Me A Coffee 

Freedom and Truth

11th November 2025
Poetry
0 Comment
  1. Things to Do in the Belly of the Whale
  2. From Blossoms
  3. Wild Geese
  4. The Peace of Wild Things
  5. My Gift to You
  6. Departing Spring
  7. The Skylark
  8. What a Strange Thing!
  9. Although The Wind …
  10. The Old Pond
  11. Spring Is Like A Perhaps Hand
  12. Hast thou 2 loaves of bread …
  13. Youth and Age
  14. A Postcard From the Volcano
  15. The Kraken
  16. He wishes for the Cloths of Heaven
  17. There Is a Solitude of Space
  18. Because I Could Not Stop for Death
  19. Mad Song
  20. Answer July
  21. Success Is Counted Sweetest
  22. Hope Is the Thing with Feathers
  23. The Bluebird
  24. A Vision of the End
  25. The Crying of Water
  26. A Rose Has Thorns As Well As Honey
  27. Winter
  28. The Dark Cavalier
  29. There is no Life or Death
  30. Sheep in Winter
  31. To a Snowflake
  32. Sextain
  33. A Crocodile
  34. Sea Fever
  35. The Giant Cactus of Arizona
  36. The Coming of Night
  37. Going to the Picnic
  38. Moon Tonight
  39. A Southern Night
  40. Greenness
  41. Twilight
  42. On the Wing
  43. In Summer
  44. Before Parting
  45. Sonnet
  46. The Red Wheelbarrow
  47. Acceptance
  48. At The Pool
  49. Incurable
  50. Bluebird and Cardinal
  51. [Say What You Will, And Scratch My Heart To Find]
  52. The River
  53. Vas Doloris
  54. Squirrel
  55. Ghosts
  56. The Spirit of Poetry
  57. Nightfall in the Tropics
  58. Journey of the Magi
  59. The City Lights
  60. January
  61. Winter Night
  62. My Heart Has Known Its Winter
  63. Things Said When He Was Gone
  64. Jabberwocky
  65. Expectancy
  66. Surrender
  67. At the Mid Hour of Night
  68. Fog
  69. The Things I Love
  70. Spring
  71. The Earth-Child in the Grass
  72. The Rivals
  73. A Line-storm Song
  74. To the Daisy
  75. It sifts from Leaden Sieves
  76. The Unquiet Grave
  77. In Summer Time
  78. Wine of Summer
  79. The Alchemist
  80. A Serenade
  81. Meeting Ourselves
  82. Early Waking
  83. Sir Walter Raleigh to His Son
  84. Art
  85. Freedom and Truth
  86. Sonnet LIX: Love’s Last Gift
  87. Fate
Black and white photo of a group of people standing in front of the clock window at the Orsay Museum in Paris, France

The shrine is vowed to freedom, but, my friend, 
Freedom is but a means to gain an end. 
Freedom should build the temple, but the shrine 
Be consecrate to thought still more divine. 
The human bliss which angel hopes foresaw 
Is liberty to comprehend the law. 
Give, then, thy book a larger scope and frame, 
Comprising means and end in Truth’s great name.

Margaret Fuller (1810 – 1850), sometimes referred to as Margaret Fuller Ossoli, was an American journalist, editor, critic, translator, and women’s rights advocate associated with the American transcendentalism movement. She was the first American female war correspondent and full-time book reviewer in journalism. Her book Woman in the Nineteenth Century is considered the first major feminist work in the United States.

To read more poems, click here.

Love my work? Support my journey by buying me a coffee or sharing it on your preferred social network. And don’t forget to swing by my online shop to check out my latest prints and gifts. Thank you 🙏 !

Follow me on Instagram | Facebook | Threads | LinkedIn | Tumblr | X | Buy Me A Coffee 

Favorite Photos: October 2025

6th November 2025
PhotographyWildlife
0 Comment
  1. Favorite Photos: January 2023
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  3. Favorite Photos: March 2023
  4. Favorite Photos: April 2023
  5. Favorite Photos: May 2023
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  8. Favorite Photos: August 2023
  9. Paris Is Always A Good Idea
  10. Favorite Photos: October 2023
  11. Favorite Photos: November 2023
  12. Favorite Photos: December 2023
  13. Favorite Photos: January 2024
  14. Favorite Photos: February 2024
  15. Favorite Photos: March 2024
  16. Favorite Photos: April 2024
  17. Favorite Photos: May 2024
  18. Favorite Photos: June 2024
  19. Favorite Photos: July 2024
  20. Favorite Photos: August 2024
  21. Favorite Photos: September 2024
  22. Favorite Photos: October 2024
  23. Favorite Photos: November 2024
  24. Favorite Photos: December 2024
  25. Favorite Photos: January 2025
  26. Favorite Photos: February 2025
  27. Favorite Photos: March 2025
  28. Favorite Photos: April 2025
  29. Favorite Photos: May 2025
  30. Favorite Photos: June 2025
  31. Favorite Photos: July 2025
  32. Favorite Photos: August 2025
  33. Favorite Photos: September 2025
  34. Favorite Photos: October 2025
  35. Favorite Photos: November 2025 Scheduled for 2nd December 2025
  36. Favorite Photos: December 2025 Scheduled for 7th January 2026
This macro photo showcases a close-up of grass blades adorned with glistening water drops in the morning sun. The delicate green blades, tipped with tiny, crystal-clear droplets, sparkle with a rainbow-like sheen as the early light refracts through them, highlighting their fine texture and subtle veins. Each drop magnifies the grass beneath, creating miniature worlds of refracted color, while the sunlight casts soft shadows that add depth. The background is a creamy blur of out-of-focus greenery, the gentle mist enhancing the ethereal glow and drawing attention to the intricate beauty of this dewy, sun-kissed scene.

I took this macro photo of grass blades covered in sparkling water drops in the morning sun at the small lake near our house. This is the same place where I had photographed the four-spotted chaser and the ruddy darters before.

In fact, I was waiting for the dragonflies to start flying since they weren’t out yet when I arrived at the lake, and amused myself by taking a few macro shots (always optimizing my time, he, he!).

This photo features a red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) standing proudly on a tree stump in a forest clearing. The squirrel’s rich reddish-brown fur glows under the midday sunlight filtering through the pine canopy, its bushy tail held high as it balances on the yree stump. Its bright black eyes sparkle with curiosity, and its whiskers catch the light, adding a delicate detail to its poised stance. The background is a soft blur of green ferns and shadowy tree trunks, with a hint of mist lending a serene, magical ambiance to this charming woodland scene.

The little acrobat 😍 a red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) balancing elegantely on a tree stump. As colder weather sets in and days grow shorter, squirrels are returning to our garden to seek nuts and seeds from the bird feeders.

The image captures an autumnal scene featuring a red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) perched among several pumpkins. One of the pumpkins has been carved into a traditional jack-o'-lantern with a triangular-eyed, smiling face. The ground and surrounding area are covered in fallen autumn leaves in various shades of yellow and orange. There are also leaves in the background that appear to be falling or floating, which contributes to the overall autumn atmosphere. The lighting gives the scene a warm, golden glow, enhancing the seasonal feel of the image.
This photo features a red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) curiously interacting with a striped orange pumpkin in a grassy clearing. The squirrel, with its vibrant reddish-brown fur and bushy tail held high, stands on its hind legs, extending a tiny paw toward the pumpkin as if inspecting or claiming it, its bright black eyes wide with intrigue. The pumpkin's textured, tiger-striped skin contrasts with the squirrel's fluffy coat, and the soft morning light casts a gentle glow, highlighting the dew on the grass. The background is a dreamy blur of green and orange foliage, adding a whimsical, autumnal charm to this enchanting woodland encounter.

Even the squirrels were preparing for Halloween 😉!

The image captures a red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) clinging to the side of a tree. The squirrel, with its reddish-brown fur and bushy tail, is positioned on the right side of the tree trunk, climbing the tree with a mushroom in its mouth. The tree trunk is rugged and covered in lichen, adding texture to the composition. The background is a soft, blurred green, hinting at foliage and a forest setting. The lighting is soft and diffused, highlighting the squirrel's fur and the details of the tree bark.

Another squirrel, photographed during our trip in Northern Sweden, on the same day I photographed the lynx. It had found a mushroom and was running up the tree with its prize.

📸 All photos were taken with Canon R5 Mark II & Canon RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM.

Related Posts

Love my work? Support my journey by buying me a coffee or sharing it on your preferred social network. And don’t forget to swing by my online shop to check out my latest prints and gifts. Thank you 🙏 !

Follow me on Instagram | Facebook | Threads | LinkedIn | Tumblr | X | Buy Me A Coffee 

Art

21st October 2025
Poetry
0 Comment
  1. Things to Do in the Belly of the Whale
  2. From Blossoms
  3. Wild Geese
  4. The Peace of Wild Things
  5. My Gift to You
  6. Departing Spring
  7. The Skylark
  8. What a Strange Thing!
  9. Although The Wind …
  10. The Old Pond
  11. Spring Is Like A Perhaps Hand
  12. Hast thou 2 loaves of bread …
  13. Youth and Age
  14. A Postcard From the Volcano
  15. The Kraken
  16. He wishes for the Cloths of Heaven
  17. There Is a Solitude of Space
  18. Because I Could Not Stop for Death
  19. Mad Song
  20. Answer July
  21. Success Is Counted Sweetest
  22. Hope Is the Thing with Feathers
  23. The Bluebird
  24. A Vision of the End
  25. The Crying of Water
  26. A Rose Has Thorns As Well As Honey
  27. Winter
  28. The Dark Cavalier
  29. There is no Life or Death
  30. Sheep in Winter
  31. To a Snowflake
  32. Sextain
  33. A Crocodile
  34. Sea Fever
  35. The Giant Cactus of Arizona
  36. The Coming of Night
  37. Going to the Picnic
  38. Moon Tonight
  39. A Southern Night
  40. Greenness
  41. Twilight
  42. On the Wing
  43. In Summer
  44. Before Parting
  45. Sonnet
  46. The Red Wheelbarrow
  47. Acceptance
  48. At The Pool
  49. Incurable
  50. Bluebird and Cardinal
  51. [Say What You Will, And Scratch My Heart To Find]
  52. The River
  53. Vas Doloris
  54. Squirrel
  55. Ghosts
  56. The Spirit of Poetry
  57. Nightfall in the Tropics
  58. Journey of the Magi
  59. The City Lights
  60. January
  61. Winter Night
  62. My Heart Has Known Its Winter
  63. Things Said When He Was Gone
  64. Jabberwocky
  65. Expectancy
  66. Surrender
  67. At the Mid Hour of Night
  68. Fog
  69. The Things I Love
  70. Spring
  71. The Earth-Child in the Grass
  72. The Rivals
  73. A Line-storm Song
  74. To the Daisy
  75. It sifts from Leaden Sieves
  76. The Unquiet Grave
  77. In Summer Time
  78. Wine of Summer
  79. The Alchemist
  80. A Serenade
  81. Meeting Ourselves
  82. Early Waking
  83. Sir Walter Raleigh to His Son
  84. Art
  85. Freedom and Truth
  86. Sonnet LIX: Love’s Last Gift
  87. Fate
Pine tree reflections in the sea

In placid hours well-pleased we dream
Of many a brave unbodied scheme.
But form to lend, pulsed life create,
What unlike things must meet and mate:
A flame to melt—a wind to freeze;
Sad patience—joyous energies;
Humility—yet pride and scorn;
Instinct and study; love and hate;
Audacity—reverence. These must mate,
And fuse with Jacob’s mystic heart,
To wrestle with the angel—Art.

Herman Melville ( 1819 – 1891) was an American novelist, short story writer, and poet of the American Renaissance period.

To read more poems, click here.

Love my work? Support my journey by buying me a coffee or sharing it on your preferred social network. And don’t forget to swing by my online shop to check out my latest prints and gifts. Thank you 🙏 !

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Favorite Photos: September 2025

9th October 2025
PhotographyWildlife
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  1. Favorite Photos: January 2023
  2. Favorite Photos: February 2023
  3. Favorite Photos: March 2023
  4. Favorite Photos: April 2023
  5. Favorite Photos: May 2023
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  9. Paris Is Always A Good Idea
  10. Favorite Photos: October 2023
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  27. Favorite Photos: March 2025
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  29. Favorite Photos: May 2025
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  31. Favorite Photos: July 2025
  32. Favorite Photos: August 2025
  33. Favorite Photos: September 2025
  34. Favorite Photos: October 2025
  35. Favorite Photos: November 2025 Scheduled for 2nd December 2025
  36. Favorite Photos: December 2025 Scheduled for 7th January 2026
The photo features a mating pair of Ruddy darters (Sympetrum sanguineum) in a serene, symmetrical composition above calm water. The male, with its vibrant red abdomen and translucent wings, clasps the female in the characteristic "wheel" position, their bodies aligned vertically against a soft blue sky. The reflection below mirrors them perfectly, creating an illusion of infinite extension and adding a poetic balance to the scene. Tiny dew-like sparkles glisten on their wings, caught by the gentle morning light, while the minimalistic background emphasizes their delicate forms and the intimate beauty of this natural moment.

A pair of mating ruddy darters (Sympetrum sanguineum) that I photographed at the small lake near our house, the same spot where I had photographed the four-spotted chaser last month.

These darters are small dragonflies native to Europe and parts of Asia, renowned for the males’ striking red abdomen that intensifies with age, making them a vivid sight in late summer. This dragonfly is a common species in Sweden, especially in the southern part of the country.

Trying to photograph dragonflies in flight for the first time was challenging but rewarding. The thrill came from capturing those few “perfect” moments, making the effort worthwhile. 

Dragonflies in flight are difficult to capture due to their speed and unpredictable movement. I discovered that holding down the shutter once in focus increases your chances of sharp, well-composed shots, even if it means taking hundreds of photos to get a few great ones.

Use the same settings as for small birds: animal tracking with a high shutter speed (at least 1/2.500 or 1/4.000 in good light). Animal tracking works incredibly well, especially on a clean background such as the sky or the water.

My gear and settings for this photo:

  • Canon R5 Mark II & Canon RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM @500mm
  • Aperture = f8 Shutter Speed = 1/4.000 ISO = Auto ISO (3.200 for this photo)
  • Drive = High Speed Continous

Steward Wood has a very good video about photographing flying dragonflies, I watched it just before I went out to the lake and it was very helpful, I recommend it if you want to try your hand at flying bugs.

This photo shows a common blue butterfly male (Polyommatus icarus) perched delicately on an Echinacea purpurea var. Magnus flower in a garden. The butterfly, with its vibrant orange and black wings spread slightly, contrasts beautifully against the flower’s large, daisy-like pink-purple petals and prominent coppery-orange center. The morning light filters through the mist, casting a soft glow on the butterfly’s intricate wing patterns and the flower’s velvety texture. The background is a gentle blur of green foliage and other blooms, enhancing the serene and delicate beauty of this early autumn garden moment.

A male common blue butterfly (Polyommatus icarus) perched on an Echinacea purpurea ‘Magnus’ flower in our garden. This is what I love about our house: a wildlife garden filled with insects, butterflies, small and not-so-small animals (deer love my flowers, too!), and numerous birds! I need only to step out to find something to photograph!

Common blue males typically have wings that are blue above, with a black-brown border and a white fringe, similar to the one in my photo. The females are usually brown above with a blue dusting and orange spots.

These butterflies drink nectar from plants like clovers and bird’s-foot trefoil. Their caterpillars eat leguminous plants and even team up with ants for protection. The adults only live about three weeks, and the males often chase each other around to defend their territory.

This photo features a ladybug perched delicately on an Echinacea purpurea var. Magnus flower. The ladybug’s vibrant red wings, dotted with black spots, stand out against the flower’s large, pink-purple petals and coppery-orange center, which are kissed by the afternoon light filtering through a gentle mist. The insect’s tiny legs grip the velvety petal, and its glossy shell reflects the soft glow, adding a touch of brilliance. The background is a soft blur of green foliage and other blooms, enhancing the serene and detailed beauty of this charming garden scene.

A ladybug perched delicately on an Echinacea purpurea var. Magnus flower – another photo from my garden.

Am I done with the safari photos? Not at all! But there’s too much of a good thing, you know. I needed a break from the hundreds of safari photos, to be honest. And the garden is so beautiful, I was aching to be out and look for butterflies, bumblebees, and ladybugs!

The photo features a lynx standing alert in a misty forest clearing. The lynx’s thick, tawny fur, speckled with dark spots, glows softly under the overcast morning light, its tufted ears perked. Its piercing amber eyes gaze intently ahead, framed by a subtle facial ruff, while its powerful legs are poised on the damp mossy ground. The background is a gentle blur of pine trees and green foliage, the mist lending an ethereal quality that enhances the wild, majestic presence of this elusive feline in its natural habitat.
A close-up photo of a lynx standing alert in a misty forest clearing. The lynx’s thick, tawny fur, speckled with dark spots, glows softly under the overcast morning light, its tufted ears perked. Its piercing amber eyes gaze intently ahead, framed by a subtle facial ruff.

A young European Lynx (Lynx lynx) male from our recent trip to Northern Sweden. I just finished culling those photos, so I haven’t processed many of them yet. However, I started working on this handsome fellow right away. I loved those eyes gazing right at you and wanted to begin working on the photo immediately.

Can you believe I shot this at ISO 10,000? It was late afternoon in the forest. The light was fading, and he was in the shade. The widest aperture on my Canon RF100-500mm lens is f/7.1, so to capture more light, I often have to use high ISOs. If the animal is not moving much, I’d lower the shutter speed a lot (think 1/100 or 1/200). However, this guy was moving too much, so my shutter speed was 1/640s. A noisy photo (grainy due to high ISO) is always preferable to a blurry one.

He stood like this for only a few seconds while I took my safety shots, then vanished before I could lower the shutter speed much more. In these cases, exposing to the right (ETTR) is key. ETTR refers to intentionally making an image brighter by adjusting exposure so that the histogram leans more toward the right side (the highlights), which helps retain more image data. Noise, or visual grain from high ISO, tends to be more visible in the darker areas of a photo, and it’s much easier to remove grain from a bright image than a dark one.

I used Lightroom Classic to reduce the noise in the image, and I think it looks pretty good. For the worst cases of noise, I usually use Topaz.

This photo features a cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) poised gracefully on a sunlit savanna. The cheetah’s sleek, tawny coat, adorned with its signature black tear marks and spots, shimmers under the morning light, highlighting the powerful muscles beneath its lithe frame. Its amber eyes are focused intently ahead, ears perked. The background is a warm blur of acacia trees and distant plains.

A male cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) patrolling its territory in the soft morning light, together with its two brothers (not in this photo). I was lucky enough to follow the three cheetah brothers on foot for over an hour in the Lapalala Wilderness Reserve. That was no mean feat as it did require some cardio; cheetahs move fast, even when “only” walking.

Cheetah males form coalitions (usually of 2-3 littermate brothers) to establish and defend small territories (15-50 square miles/39-130 km²) within prey-rich areas. Living in coalitions rather than solitude enhances survival and mating success. In contrast, females range over much larger, nomadic territories, spanning up to 300 square miles (800 km²). Patrols by males involve daily circuits (6-11 km at 2.5-3.8 km/h) to monitor territory for intruders, prey, and potential mates.

During patrols, males mark boundaries at least once per hour using urine sprays, defecation, or cheek/chin rubbing, which conveys chemical signals about their identity and status; they revisit these sites frequently to reinforce claims. Vocalizations, such as high-pitched chirps, purrs, or growls, along with visual displays, help communicate and deter rivals. However, conflicts can escalate into fights over access to females or resources, sometimes resulting in injury or death. Coalitions rarely venture far from their core area except briefly to seek estrus females, prioritizing defense over expansion.

Young males leave their mother at 15-24 months and spend years as ‘floaters’ (roaming vast areas up to 1,600 km²) before gaining a territory, often as adults. This queuing strategy, combined with eventual coalition patrols, improves their chances against established groups. Patrols secure breeding rights and facilitate cooperative hunting, highlighting the cheetah’s distinctive, coalition-based social structure amid their decreasing wild population (~7,100).

📸 All photos were taken with Canon R5 Mark II & Canon RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM.

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Sir Walter Raleigh to His Son

7th October 2025
Poetry
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  1. Things to Do in the Belly of the Whale
  2. From Blossoms
  3. Wild Geese
  4. The Peace of Wild Things
  5. My Gift to You
  6. Departing Spring
  7. The Skylark
  8. What a Strange Thing!
  9. Although The Wind …
  10. The Old Pond
  11. Spring Is Like A Perhaps Hand
  12. Hast thou 2 loaves of bread …
  13. Youth and Age
  14. A Postcard From the Volcano
  15. The Kraken
  16. He wishes for the Cloths of Heaven
  17. There Is a Solitude of Space
  18. Because I Could Not Stop for Death
  19. Mad Song
  20. Answer July
  21. Success Is Counted Sweetest
  22. Hope Is the Thing with Feathers
  23. The Bluebird
  24. A Vision of the End
  25. The Crying of Water
  26. A Rose Has Thorns As Well As Honey
  27. Winter
  28. The Dark Cavalier
  29. There is no Life or Death
  30. Sheep in Winter
  31. To a Snowflake
  32. Sextain
  33. A Crocodile
  34. Sea Fever
  35. The Giant Cactus of Arizona
  36. The Coming of Night
  37. Going to the Picnic
  38. Moon Tonight
  39. A Southern Night
  40. Greenness
  41. Twilight
  42. On the Wing
  43. In Summer
  44. Before Parting
  45. Sonnet
  46. The Red Wheelbarrow
  47. Acceptance
  48. At The Pool
  49. Incurable
  50. Bluebird and Cardinal
  51. [Say What You Will, And Scratch My Heart To Find]
  52. The River
  53. Vas Doloris
  54. Squirrel
  55. Ghosts
  56. The Spirit of Poetry
  57. Nightfall in the Tropics
  58. Journey of the Magi
  59. The City Lights
  60. January
  61. Winter Night
  62. My Heart Has Known Its Winter
  63. Things Said When He Was Gone
  64. Jabberwocky
  65. Expectancy
  66. Surrender
  67. At the Mid Hour of Night
  68. Fog
  69. The Things I Love
  70. Spring
  71. The Earth-Child in the Grass
  72. The Rivals
  73. A Line-storm Song
  74. To the Daisy
  75. It sifts from Leaden Sieves
  76. The Unquiet Grave
  77. In Summer Time
  78. Wine of Summer
  79. The Alchemist
  80. A Serenade
  81. Meeting Ourselves
  82. Early Waking
  83. Sir Walter Raleigh to His Son
  84. Art
  85. Freedom and Truth
  86. Sonnet LIX: Love’s Last Gift
  87. Fate

Three things there be that prosper up apace
And flourish, whilst they grow asunder far,
But on a day, they meet all in one place,
And when they meet, they one another mar;
And they be these: the wood, the weed, the wag.
The wood is that which makes the gallow tree;
The weed is that which strings the hangman’s bag;
The wag, my pretty knave, betokeneth thee.
Mark well, dear boy, whilst these assemble not,
Green springs the tree, hemp grows, the wag is wild,
But when they meet, it makes the timber rot,
It frets the halter, and it chokes the child.
Then bless thee, and beware, and let us pray
We part not with thee at this meeting day.

Sir Walter Raleigh (1553 – 1618) was an English statesman, soldier, writer, and explorer. One of the most notable figures of the Elizabethan era, he played a leading part in English colonisation of North America, suppressed rebellion in Ireland, helped defend England against the Spanish Armada, and held political positions under Elizabeth I. Accused of treason by Elizabeth’s successor, James I, he was imprisoned in the Tower of London and eventually put to death.

Mark McGuinness reads and discusses the poem in his podcast, A Mouthful of Air, which features classic and contemporary poetry. Podcast transcription is available.

To read more poems, click here.

Another Cover!

4th October 2025
PhotographyWildlife
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Red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) perched on the stem of a large orange pumpkin. The squirrel, with its bushy tail and alert expression, is surrounded by more pumpkins and scattered autumn leaves in shades of orange and brown. The background is a warm, blurred mix of fall colors, evoking a cozy autumn scene.

I’m honored that Canon Sweden chose my squirrel photo as their Facebook cover for October. Seeing my work featured on such a respected platform makes me incredibly proud and happy. This recognition reflects the passion I put into capturing nature’s special moments, and it truly means a lot to have it celebrated by a brand I admire.

Fun fact: Canon Romania also chose this photo as their Facebook cover in October 2024. 

Thank you, Canon, for this amazing chance to share my vision with a global audience!

Canon Sweden Facebook Cover, a red squirrel standing on a pumpkin

This is what the Canon Sweden Facebook page looks like now; I’m so proud!

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