Year of the Rat

Contribution for The Sunday Challenge #440: Torch

Contribution for The Sunday Challenge #442: Complementary colors

Contribution for The Sunday Challenge #443: Black & White Photographs Second attempt

Contribution for The Sunday Challenge #444: Pile of... something, in negative space.

Contribution for The Sunday Challenge #445: Clear Glass with a minimalist touch of something

Contribution for The Sunday Challenge #441: Vintage Photography I used an yellow umbrella as a light reflector, and then Snapseed's "Retro Light" filter to get the vintage look. Original on the PiP note or here .

Beans Went back to office at Tampere University, and emptied old coffee beans from the Oasis space coffee machine since the premises got closed in March.

Contribution for The Sunday Challenge #446: A new experience First time for me to taste apricot flavor ice-cream =)

After getting home, I decided to update this a little. Giuseppe Minetti was a musician who immigrated to Finland in the beginning of 20th century. He was born in Bard, Province of Parma, North Italy. His instrument was kantele (Finnish zither). But the story I found did not tell how he ended to play such an instrument. Nor it tell if he played it before he immigrated, or if he started to play it after coming to Finland (part of Russia at that time). Anyway, he married a Finn, Tilda, in 1909. Then around 1919 he got an idea to start making and selling ice-cream around Tampere region (Finland became independent in 1918). The ice-cream business by Minetti started in 1925, and ended in 1940 because getting ingredients became somewhat impossible at war time. Giuseppe Minetti died in 1957. Later on, in 2013, a local ice-cream company decided to bring back the old Minetti brand name. And within a year they got into troubles because of tax avoidance. Surprisingly the brand name was still allowed to continue, and according to the latest news, they have manage to avoid bankruptcy and pay the fines. Minetti ice-cream today is probably Italian only by it's name, but they indeed sell some really tasty flavors. I now tasted their novelty, apricot flavor, and it is definitely for my taste. And maybe the current owners thought some mafia goes well with the brand... Sources (mostly in Finnish): visittampere.fi/en/venues/minetti-jaatelo minetti.fi/historia yle.fi/uutiset/3-9570128

Contribution for The Sunday Challenge #447: Take a photograph of something you've never taken before For me this was probably the most difficult TSC challenge ever! I first just thought to go a location where I have not been before, but then my perfectionism stepped in. I also had an idea to shoot a bowling ball. I even found one in the same second hand shop where I found these items in the picture. But I really could not be a 100% sure I have not already photographed a bowling ball(s) back in 1980s. Another idea was to take a macro shot of a black pepper corn, but I have probably photographed that as well. Besides, I had the following personal restrictions: I was not happy with taking a shot of some general category like flowers, domestic animal, sports equipment, household tools, books, etc. By picking just some sports equipment like a bowling ball, it still would not have been unique enough for me. I have photographed a great deal of sports equipment already. In the similar way a new place like a street where I had not been before would still be just a street. Or black pepper is just a spice, which category I have also covered pretty well. What comes to what I have been photographed, the list would be endless. I have photographed trash, trash cans inside out, cars, traffic signs, lamp posts, poo, insects, bones and skulls, money, office supplies, all sorts of kitchenware, electronics inside out, sticks and stones, various kind of flora and fauna, prints, vehicles of all sort, various buildings etc. Since mobile phone photography became possible, I also have started to take shots of things to remember. Something like pictures of items I consider or need to buy: hygiene products for me or to my wife, food products, cleaning products, tape rolls, makeup, clothes and so on. One possibility would have been to go inside some building or machine which I do not have or had access ever, like inside a locomotive or hydroelectric power plant. Then pick a part of a machine, which I very likely had never been able to see with my eyes. But then there was the problem of not being able to gain access into such place within a week. Well, napkin rings are also just rings or cutlery, but in my mind they are so specific and unusual items made for one purpose only, that I could be at least 99% sure I have had never photographed any such things before. They are not used in any weddings and parties where I recall attending to, nor being used in any restaurants for decades. Besides it even took a moment for me to figure out what these rings are for. And yes, also rings for different uses than in the picture has been covered: curtain rings, jewelry, toys, hula-hoop, bicycle tires etc.

Celebrating the August 19th World Photography Day here at ipernity with a photo that I took day before. I was happy to see this self made large format camera. The photographer was having a break, planning what to shoot next. And I asked if I can take a picture of his camera.

I have had no need to travel on a public transportation much during Covid-19. Now I had to. For a myopic it is a rather amusing experience. Spectacles get steamy because of the mask. So, it is rather blurry and dreamy, with or without spectacles.

Contribution for The Sunday Challenge #448: Something related to a moment of laughter in our past. Especially during lockdown, we use messenger between family members. Part of so called phatic communication is to send selfies tweaked with funny filters. Then others express their amusement with LOL emojies.

any allusion to politics is purely coincidental

Contribution for The Sunday Challenge #449: Mask(s) Idea in seconds, few minutes of planning, but naturally a lot of shadow and other images "stacked" in my sub consciousness for years. All I had to do is wait for a sunny day. Execution took no more than two shots taken in 15 minutes (including walk to the park nearby). Few minutes editing on Snapseed for Android. Familiar background: www.ipernity.com/doc/serola/42864202 Familiar perspective: www.ipernity.com/doc/serola/34165595 Familiar prop: www.ipernity.com/doc/serola/47801668

♫ You taught me to like it by Spunkshine This brought up so much attention that I decided to edit it a little further and share the original . I used Mirrorlab, Snapseed and Instagram for Android. As you can see, one may not need to obtain a glass sphere and fancy lenses to get such outcome. But yes, there is of course "the old school" way to do things. And good software is not free either. But sometimes it is worth it.