Throwback Thursday and Lens-Artists Photo Challenge 193: “birthday”

This week, John Steiner is looking forward to celebrating his birthday, so I’m happy to join the LAPC party. In some families and in some cultures, birthdays are a reason for huge celebrations. So, I picked up this post published first back in 2013.

There is a certain habit in Cuba of celebrating a girl’s 15th birthday.

The girl gets special clothing, is dressed up, and gets perfect makeup. Then they go to a photographer to take beautiful photographs.

According to our guide, some girls are dressed like a bride for these sessions, others wear cocktail dresses and I also noticed photographs showing a girl dressed like a female version of an old-fashioned, Spanish caballero. The photographs are usually taken in a park or in the streets and not in a studio.

Two weeks later, the parents and the girl have a party with all of her friends, and an album, containing the photos, which is a real eyecatcher for that party. Also, the parents put framed photos from that session on their walls.

I like that idea. (OK, maybe, because I’m a photographer).

We met this young lady in the old town of Havana. Her mother was with her and took care of her hairstyle and her makeup, while the photographer directed his assistant to adjust the reflector.

So, we can congratulate her on her 15th birthday.

Are there any similar habits, where you live or coming from?

While waiting for my next post you can have a look at the previous posts and maybe drop me a note in the comments section below.

 

In the meantime, the girl is a young woman. As I said, I took these photos back in 2013. So, she’s already 24. How much must have changed for her in her life.

As I’m always interested in getting to know habits from other countries, regions, or cultures, drop me a note in the comments and tell me, how do you celebrate birthdays. I’m interested in your personal celebration as well as in general habits and traditions.

Take care!

Throwback Thursday: a fairy’s dream

 

One of my rare compositions. I hope, you like it. The landscape itself is real.

Take care!

Earth Hour 2018

Switch off unnecessary power consumption. It saves you money, but more important, that amount of power you don’t use, does not have to be produced!

Also, look up the power consumption of your big devices, like fridge, freezer or oven. Often, it’s a good decision, to buy a new device that can do the same as the old one but, with the consumption of less electrical power. Sometimes, the amount of money comes back to you in only a few years of usage because of the saved amount of electrical power. Keep in mind, the price of electrical power increases every year. So, the amount of money also increases every year.

Less consumption of electrical leads to a lower number of needed power plants. Coal plants have an environmental impact by polluting the air. Nuclear power plants are an enormous high risk for the environment and the people. Just in case, an accident takes place, the environment is polluted for decades, if not centuries. I’d like to remind you to the accidents in Fukushima, Japan in 2011 (March, 11th) and Chernobyl, Russia in 1986 (April, 26th).

Take care!

Throwback Thursday: meeting an elf

2014, April 23rd

model: Yuki

Take care!

Wordless Wednesday: Christmas

Take care!

Wordless Wednesday: summer nights

Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday: in the woods

Enjoy!

The daily post – spring

Spring is a wonderful season – especially for a photographer. All the flowers pop out of the ground, trees are blooming, the air is getting warmer, everything is colorful. In my last posts, I already showed many flowers. So I want to show something different today as my contribution to this weeks photo challenge at The Daily Post.

I took these photos about two weeks ago. The ground is green and many small flowers are blooming. The trees already have leaves, but the aren’t too thick to hinder the sunlight to reach the ground. A few week later, the area will look very different.

Take care!

 

Weekly photo competition: Joy

This weeks photo competition at “The daily post” is “joy”!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Let There Be Light!

This weeks assignment for the photo challenge at The daily post is to show the source of light in a photo.

I took this one two or three years ago. The young lady is illuminated by a burning candle. The kind of light, we love especially during the dark months.

In my opinion, it shows, what light can do: enlighten the darkness and warm our lives.

Now, at the end of a year, you can look back and review the enlightening moments of the last year, or your live. These memories keep your heart young. They remain, when you get old.

Take a light with you in your heart.

uhhhhhhh …..

It’s November. Today we have Eternity Sunday here in Germany, I already explained it here in more detail. Although this two things already can make you feel sad, the current (typical) November weather makes you feel blue and depressed, too. Additionally the weather can even decrease your mood.

Because of the grey, dark, wet and cold weather we currently have, I miss the colors. You, too? So, enjoy the colors in the above photo.

A big “thank you” to my wonderful model this summer. I took the photo during our Hippie theme photo shooting and edited it afterwards. At first I converted it to grey tones and at last I changed the colors back to blue and yellow. I hope, you like it.

Two other photos taken during that afternoon can be found here and here.

Take care!

Happy birthday

There is a certain habit in cuba in celebrating a girl’s 15th birthday.

The girl gets special clothing, is dressed up and gets a perfect makeup. Then they go to a photographer to take beautiful photographs.

According to our guide, some girls are dressed like a bride, other wear cocktail dresses and I also noticed photographs showing a girl dressed like a female version of an old-fashioned, spanish caballero. The photographs are usually taken in a park or in the streets and not in a studio.

Two weeks later,