Monday, February 14, 2011

Some Scandinavian Daydreams (…and an awkward aside.)


I went to Norway last week. I got there on a little fishing boat I borrowed from the pier one morning. I sailed up out of our lough, rounded the Scottish isles, and by the evening I was watching the sun set behind me from the edge of a fjord.   
That night I slept with the stars as my blanket and the moon my pillow.
The next day I went into the forest. There I met an elven lady who, with her sweet dog Mira, took me on a tour of its moss and mists. We ate apples and mushrooms and got pine needles stuck in our shoes…

 Ok, so sadly I didn’t really steal a boat and take off to Norway last week and most of the above story isn’t actually true. The part of about the elf and her dog is, though, and I certainly feel like I’ve been off exploring the wild woods of the north. I just didn’t have to leave the house to do it.

Nope, all I did was log into Flickr and happen to stumble upon the most beautiful fairytale of a photostream I’ve yet had the pleasure of viewing. At first I was speechless (which anyone who knows me will tell you is a rare occasion indeed) and I’m still finding it hard to put into words exactly what it is I love so much about these verdant glimpses of Nordic idyll brought to us by a girl named }~T~{. Which may partially explain the silly little whimsy above.

Anyway, here are a few more of her photographs, just a brief selection of the many, many fantastic images she has in her Flickr stream. (Well worth a wander!) The lovely lady also has a great blog if you fancy calling round for some forest tea.


Oh, and one other sort-of-related thing I just want to add (something of a wee mini-rant I’m sneaking in at the bottom here). I mentioned several of posts back that I have one main problem with Tumblr and how some people don’t use it fairly. I’m not prepared to comment on the reasons why I think they do it, but one thing I’ve seen happening a lot is bloggers posting others' photos without any links or acknowledgements. Besides the obvious copyright infringement and what not, it’s really frustrating on a less illegal level.

Take T’s beautiful work, for example. When I did finally discover her stream I realised that I had been a fan of her work for some time and hadn’t even known. You see, when a photo is properly uploaded from it’s source onto Tumblr you should be able to click right through it back to its owner’s page. Unfortunately a lot of the time the only place your click gets you is back to the person’s blog who uploaded it. And that’s what happened here; I remember coming across one of her photos months ago but when I tried to find out more about who it came from I simply couldn’t. Very annoying! 

Anyhow, I don’t know why I moaning to you guys since most of you aren’t on Tumblr. Rest assured I’ve already ranted plenty over there too, it even lost me a few followers. They can be a more fickle bunch at times, them Tumblrs! Though most are very lovely :)

7 comments:

Heathen said...

These photos are absolutely enchanting! I took a peek at her flickr photo stream..gorgeous! Thank you so much for sharing these great finds!

Laura {Gypsea Tree} said...

That first photo made my heart skip a beat. Truly. So so very beautiful. The silence of that place seems to translate through the picture which is amazing.
I'm glad you have spoken up about Tumblr! For a newbie like myself it really makes me think about how I use it. I'm trying to limit myself to things that really make an impact on me and to not collect too much "pretty, but forgettable" stuff. I'm now going to be really picky about where/how it is linked. I know I would want someone to do that for me if they were sharing my work.
Also: I really want to sail to Norway now to. I live right by a marina... Hmmmm. Unfortunately I think it would take me a very very long time to get there...

Della said...

These are really beautiful, Roisin, thanks for sharing them (and your recommendations about Tumblr. I'll get there oneday)!

Sara said...

beautiful photos, I have never heard of Tumblr I will have to check it out. Hugs Sara

Anonymous said...

Thank you so very much for this beautiful post - your words are amazingly kind, and I do so very appreciate them.

Jeanne said...

Truly enchanting photos! Talk about being whisked away into an enchanted dream...
Really enjoyed your post this morning about the Irish Fae. :0)

Such a Wondrous Place this Faery Space said...

I hear this, friend. Blessings and thanks for your visits. Loved this link! Amy

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