S-Low

This photo is taken from a railway bridge, with its metal mesh railing stretching from the foreground toward the industrial landscape on the other side of the bridge. Winter mist softens the chaotic mix of beams, pillars, and boxy industrial buildings, giving them a sleepy, dreamlike appearance. Traffic lights for water navigation, cameras, and warning horns protrude sharply from various parts of the bridge. The overall mood of the image could be described as early-morning drowsiness. Mondays, am I right? Wait–what?! It’s goddamn mid-day Tuesday already?!!

The railway bridge is definitely one of the top 5... uuh... top 10 bridges in #Joensuu! #Photography #UrbanPhotography #CityscapePhotography #Cityscape #Industrial #Finland

The strongly backlit Pielisjoki Castle is veiled by steam rising from an unfrozen stretch of the frozen river. Falling snow glimmers over the frozen river as sunlight catches it. Generally speaking, Pielisjoki Castle is a small, boxy building with a single flat, square-shaped tower topped with a dome roof. It stands on a small island in the river, surrounded by trees. There is also some sort of boat traffic-directing structure in the foreground of the picture. I have no idea what it’s called or what it’s supposed to do, but it has been on the river my whole life, so I guess it must be important.

It's always worth almost freezing your fingers off to take a picture of Pielisjoki Castle! #Joensuu #Finland #Winter #Photography #BlackAndWhite #BNW #BlackAndWhitePhotography

A vertical, backlit winter scene in Joensuu: a close-up of a bridge pillar above a partially frozen river. Steam rises from the flowing water, creating a fog-like haze that softens the bridge and the buildings behind it. The low winter sun glows orange through the vapor, and a small, dark figure in heavy winter clothing crosses the bridge. Somehow, this picture of something very cold manages to look pretty warm... at least to the person who took it in “full winter survival gear.”

Just one more shot of this… because freezing river vapor is just the best thing ever! #Photography #UrbanPhotography #UrbanGaze #Winter #Joensuu #Finland

A winter scene in Joensuu: a city bus crosses a bridge over a partially freezing river. Steam rises from the icy, flowing water, slightly blurring another bridge and buildings in the background. The image is lit with subtle backlight, emphasizing the contrast between dark and bright surfaces. Speaking of contrasts, these kinds of sunny days that freeze your face off are what real winter is all about. This is where the fun begins!

Vapor rising from a freezing river always looks cool! #Photography #UrbanPhotography #UrbanGaze #Winter #Joensuu #Finland

Smoke rising from a large, backlit industrial chimney appears to blend with clouds in an almost clear sky. From the picture, it is difficult to tell what is smoke from a factory and what are natural clouds. Above them, an airplane crosses the clear blue sky above the low-hanging clouds, leaving a white contrail. The tone of this sunlit picture is anything but sunny... Unless you are Hoggish Greedly from the Captain Planet cartoon, which, to be clear, is not a good thing.

It’s important to take your vitamin D supplements during the dark winter months… otherwise, on a rare sunny day, you might end up taking pictures like this. #Photography #IndustrialPhotography #UrbanGaze #Chimney

A snowy walking path running through a forest dusted with snow. There’s snow on the ground, snow on the trees, and snow pretty much everywhere. The fir trees in the forest look perfectly suited for the season, and their leafless deciduous colleagues, whose branches stretch over the path, have a healthy layer of frost on them. To be fair, this isn’t the best snowy forest picture in the world, but it shows a really nice place to take a casual stroll during the Christmas season while blasting that vault-opening tune from Die Hard.

It was beginning to look a lot like #Christmas (two weeks ago)… #Joensuu #Kuhasalo #Finland #Photography #LandscapePhotography #NaturePhotography #WinterForest #Forest

A photo of a distinctly Finnish S-curve on a small road. Trees and green vegetation line the roadside. In the shade of the trees, a sign marks the end of the town limits, while on the opposite side of the road there’s a 60 km/h speed limit sign. Orange roadside poles have already been set up to guide snowplows in winter. At the tip of the curve, under a cold blue sky, stands a red wooden house with moss growing on its gabled roof. The picture is taken at the end of the fall season, and the vibes in the picture suggest that you really should have your winter tires on.

Turns out this was a pretty photogenic spot to stop and fiddle with Google Maps on a road trip... #Photography #LandscapePhotography #Kerimäki #Finland #RoadTrip

A typical cold, dim stone hallway inside a medieval castle, lit only by pale light seeping through windowless openings. In winter, it’s unreasonably cold; in summer, hot as hell. People in the old days really had it rough.

A view through one of the rocky, moss-covered openings in the hallway. The inner courtyard and the castle wall are visible. Several oddly sized doors line a stairway leading up to the wall’s middle walking part… which, according to Google, is called an “allure.”

A photo of the stairway leading up to the wall with its strange five doors. The gray-green brick wall has patches of moss to give it “character.” The differently sized doorways (some of which might technically be called something else) are framed with arches of orange brick that have more or less held their color. Each doorway has a dark brown wooden door, and the stairway’s railing matches in a similar shade. As pictures go, some might find this one boring, but I find these weird doors absolutely fascinating. I really should look into what their purpose was – especially the big one that doesn’t really connect with the stairs. I mean… you could launch something out of it. Like a cow with a catapult?

Stairs, railings, and walls of the castle. The photo shows stairways leading to different levels along the castle wall. It’s a very brown and gray scene, with patches of green moss adding a bit of life. Only a small modern “WC” sign at the bottom of the wall breaks the otherwise Dark Souls–like vibe of the picture.

Some shots from inside Olavinlinna. #Olavinlinna #Savonlinna #Finland #Photography #Castles #Medieval

A small, barely lit alcove inside a medieval castle that serves as an indoor bathroom. Each moss-covered stone wall has a tiny open window. In the alcove, there’s a raised wooden seat with a bum-sized hole and a matching wooden lid – possibly used to partially drown out the protestations of the peasants below.

Medieval accommodations in Olavinlinna. Naturally, the hole leads into the castle’s inner courtyard... #Olavinlinna #Savonlinna #Finland #Photography #Castles #Medieval

A medieval stone castle with three round towers stands on a rocky island close to the shore. The fortress has long reddish-grey walls with a few small windows and patches of vivid orange brick near the tops of the towers. Moss grows on the rocks at the base of the castle. A modern gated walkway crosses the water toward the entrance, contrasting with the castle’s sturdy, siege-ready appearance. During summer, this castle hosts the Savonlinna Opera Festival, which is fine, I guess. Sadly, only a few heavy metal music videos have been filmed at this location.

Like in all good castles, Olavinlinna has a tall tree growing in its courtyard. In the photo, the dark, leafless tree stretches upward and is framed near the corner of the castle’s imposing walls, where defensive archways join the main structure. From this angle, one of the towers appears to be dwarfed by the grim-looking tree. Naturally, this is just a low-angle photography trick – an attempt by the photographer to do “some Tim Burton shit” (and failing).

Now this is a castle! #Olavinlinna #Savonlinna #Finland #Photography #Castles #Medieval

Railway tracks lead toward a sawmill factory in Joensuu, flanked by trees in autumn colours. Smoke from the factory drifts into white clouds under a bright blue sky. The cityscape behind blurs into the horizon, while sharp shadows from the trees stretch across the tracks — cue ominous Philip Glass.

I couldn’t help humming Koyaanisqatsi while taking this... #Photography #UrbanPhotography #City #Autum #RailroadTracks #Joensuu #Finland

A vertical photo of an old wooden breakwater taken from the lakeside on a bleak autumn day. The breakwater is built on a rocky strip leading toward the narrow channel that connects the lake to a river. Weathered gray and black timbers form a fence-like structure along the strip. Behind it, a few deciduous and coniferous trees show autumn colors — some still hold reddish or yellow leaves, while one larger tree is already bare. The sky is overcast and cold, covered by thick gray-blue clouds. A darker blue-gray cloud bank is rolling in from behind the breakwater. This old thing has taken a beating or two, but it’s still ready to throw hands if the lake gets rowdy!

This old breakwater is still ready to break water! #Joensuu #Kuhasalo #Finland #Photography #LandscapePhotography #Fall #Autum #Breakwater

Pielisjoki Castle reflected on the calm, greenish surface of the riverbank on sunny day. Built in 1852, this small stone building bears the rather ambitious title of “castle.” Its design is basically a box with another box placed on top to form a tower. This simple yet elegant form is dressed up with a steep sloping roof at the base of the tower. The tower itself has a dome-shaped roof and windows facing all four directions. At the point where the roof begins, there’s a small arched landing with a round window and a tall brick chimney rising up. The building is light-colored with a black roof. There’s a hint of goth potential here, but in daylight it looks anything but gothic. The castle sits on a tiny islet in the middle of the Pielisjoki River, with green trees growing in front of it. On the opposite shore—very close to the castle and where this photo was taken—the riverbank is also lush with greenery. Grasses rise up from the water’s edge, while leafy trees frame both sides of the picture. Through this natural frame, the photo captures the castle’s reflection in the river. From this rather lengthy description you may gather that the photographer has, at long last, discovered a fresh angle from which to photograph this much-photographed landmark. Good for them!

The Pielisjoki Castle in #Joensuu this summer. While I think it is very ambitious to call this a castle, it’s still one of my favourite buildings in the city. #Photography #OldBuildings #Reflections #Finland

A small stream winds through a swamp thick with lush green vegetation. A hollow tree has fallen across the water, its reflection mirrored among lily pads. To the right, a coniferous forest rises along a ridge, while to the left a few green deciduous trees stand. The sun shines from a clear, cloudless sky, lulling the photographer into thinking this hike might be easy.

A steep climb up a rocky hillside leads to the top of the ridge. Conifers, berry bushes, moss, and other plants push up between massive flat rocks, while tree roots snake across the ground, ready to trip the unwary. Sunlight filters through the trees, casting a dramatic lens flare across the picture. This is the moment when things on this trail start to escalate!

Descending from the ridge into the ravine, the opposite slope is so steep that you’d need real climbing gear (and the physique of Sylvester Stallone from the movie Cliffhanger) to make it up. The slope is covered in all kinds of green vegetation, with trees growing from its gentler spots. Sunlight illuminates the rocky landscape, while the trees below in the ravine remain shrouded in deep shadows in the foreground.

At the bottom of the ravine, a trail strewn with rocks of all shapes and sizes leads forward along the nature path. It’s lined with trees, ferns, bushes, and all kinds of other vegetation. This slippery, rocky trail is the final boss of the hike, putting even the strongest ankles to the ultimate test. After this, the following climbs and descents feel like small potatoes compared to this slippery ravine-floor extravaganza!

Hiking the #Kolvananuuro trail in #Eno – a short but challenging adventure through a rocky ravine. Steep ups, downs and a ravine that’ll wreck your ankles, but it is 100% worth it! #Hiking #Finland #Photography #NaturePhotography

A fuzzy little blue butterfly has landed right in the golden center of a daisy that’s starting to lose its petals. The butterfly and flower are crisp and clear, while the background melts away into a soft blur of green and white. The picture captures a tiny moment of joy for the little pollinator.

The common blue butterfly from the previous picture is taking a little break from its pollinating duties to rest on a rocky path near the daisy-filled meadow. Sometimes it’s just nice to sit on the warm ground and do nothing... Despite what our capitalistic pig overlords want you to think!

A common blue butterfly, busy with very important butterfly business! #Photography #Nature #NaturePhotography #Butterfly #CommonBlueButterfly #Insects

Trippy photo of a watery mass floating toward a distant sun in star-filled space. In reality, this is just the sun reflected on a lake surface, disrupted by a boat engine—taken by someone who’s done enough drugs to see the entertainment value in these sorts of things.

Intergalactic vibes with this one! #Photography #BlackAndWhitePhotography #BWPhotography #Abstract #Art

An abstract black-and-white photo that appears to show dark, wavy water, shot from a skewed Dutch angle. A blurry ball of fire emits god rays across the frame from a dark sky speckled with white dots, resembling out-of-focus stars... But in reality, it is just the reflection of the sun on a still lake surface, with its serenity disrupted by the powerful wake of a boat engine.

Water, sun and some cosmic fun! #Photography #BlackAndWhitePhotography #BWPhotography #Abstract #Art

An old gray concrete water tower in Joensuu, bathed in the warm light of the evening sun. Temporary fencing surrounds the tower in preparation for its demolition. In the background, a newer, dull-looking cylindrical water tower has already been erected. The old structure stands elevated on multiple rectangular legs, supporting a squarish main structure high above the ground. A boxy vertical shaft rises along one side, leading to a small landing with tiny windows at the very top. There are several antennas and other doohickeys on top of the building. The tower looks simultaneously outdated and strangely futuristic – like something out of the original Star Wars films, hastily designed by a hungover model maker under brutal deadlines, a glass of red wine in hand and brutalist architecture photo books spread across the table.

Soon-to-be-decommissioned water tower in my hometown, #Joensuu. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve wanted to fly around this thing in a T-47 airspeeder for some strange reason... #Photography #UrbanPhotography #Finland #WaterTower #Buildings #StarWars

A close-up of a fuzzy honeybee collecting nectar from the bright purple flower head of a milk thistle (Silybum marianum). The bee is nestled among the flower’s long, slender filaments, with its back leg coated in golden pollen – forming noticeable “pollen pants.” Below the open bloom, several unopened milk thistle buds are visible, covered in sharp bracts that give them a prickly appearance. And yes, if the genus name “Silybum marianum” made you chuckle, you’re definitely not alone.

Busy little fellow #Bee #Bees #Pollinators #MilkThistle #SilybumMarianum #Flowers #BloomScrolling #Photography #NaturePhotography

A bleak black-and-white photo of a small wooden shed at the edge of a dense forest, behind an overgrown field in Finland. The tall grass has grown so high that it partially obscures the shed’s open doorway, reaching nearly up to the roof. The shed looks old and more than a little worn down – but not abandoned. There are thinggies inside this shed!

“I wonder what’s inside” is one of my least favourite intrusive thoughts. #Photography #BlackAndWhitePhotography #LandscapePhotography #Joensuu #Finland

Four ducks sit in a neat row on a green grassy field dotted with blooming dandelions. The ducks on each end are calm and still. The second duck from the left stares boldly into the camera with a defiant look, while the second duck from the right lets out a goofy, endearing "Bwak!" sound.

I think this picture quacks... #Birds #Mallards #Ducks #MallardMonday #Photography #NaturePhotography

Picture of a bronze-toned statue representing a short human figure mostly covered by some kind of cloth. The figure looks a bit like a child pretending to be a ghost, though it is considerably taller. One hand reaches out from under the covering, as if grasping something, but the hand is empty. The statue stands on sandy ground near a green lawn. In the background, tall trees are partially obscured by fog. There’s a real sense of dread in this picture. If this little freak comes at you… your day is going to suck.

"Finland’s Most Unknown Poet” statue on a foggy morning looks like it wandered in from the Lands Between to #Joensuu ! #Fog #Photography #Statues #UrbanPhotography #EldenRing #Finland

A small Eurasian Wigeon with bold white, rust-brown, and black markings stands in lush green grass, with its adorable, small rounded bill adding to its charm. In the background, a few yellow flowers are growing among the grass. In Dungeons & Dragons terms, this bird is rocking a high-Charisma build.

Spotted: an effortlessly elegant Eurasian Wigeon just doing its thing! #Birds #EurasianWigeon #Wigeons #Photography #NaturePhotography #Finland #FinnishBirds

A black and white photo of a marina framed by a blurry birch tree and a rocky shore in the foreground. In the foreground, a wooden, tilted floating guest dock extends from the rocky shore into the marina's lagoon. Further into the marina, a larger boat dock, which already has several motorboats moored, leads to the shore on the other side of the small lagoon. On the opposite shore, there are parked cars. The opposite shore is blurred by dust hovering over the water. The overall mood of the image is ominous and somewhat oppressive. Somewhere, beneath the surface, blood-hungry malevolent dentures are waiting to strike viciously into soft human flesh!

This is the place where my dad dropped his dentures in the water while hitching our boat. I would very much like to make a horror film inspired by this incident, called "Subsurface Chompers II: The Return"... #Photography #BWPhotography #BlackAndWhitePhotography #LandscapePhotography

Black and white photo of a Neo-Gothic church (with some Jugendstil influences), a few trees, and a relatively quiet street across the river, seen reflected on a window with sharp vertical white bar decals. It gives off strong middle-aged emo vibes.

The kind of "artsy" shot one might take on a sunny spring evening while listening to Depeche Mode #Photography #StreetPhotography #UrbanPhotography #BlackAndWhitePhotography #BWPhotography #BNW #Reflexions #Joensuu #Finland

A sunlit winter scene featuring the ruins of the old Penttilä sawmill, which burned down in the 80s. Rusty steel structures rise from the concrete remains of the former sawmill. In the background, a red-brick church with a tall spire is visible through the ruins, its architecture reflecting Jugendstil and Neo-Gothic influences. The framing in the picture is a bit artsy – if it were in black and white, it might have some gothic vibes, but in bright sunlight and rusty-red tones, it feels oddly cheerful.

The ruins of an old sawmill that was once a fun local landmark in #Joensuu #Finland. It is now being turned into an art piece, although much of it was destroyed during disassembly. #ThrowbackTuesday #Photography #LandscapePhotography #Ruins

A springtime landscape showing a meandering stream flowing into a lake. On both sides of the stream are yellowish grasses and reeds, with small leafless trees on the right and some bushes on the left. The lake in the distance is partially covered with ice near the shore of a conifer-covered island. The scene is lit by warm spring sunlight, under a pale blue, nearly cloudless sky.

Spring (and pollen) is in the air! #Photography #LandscapePhotography #Nature #Spring #Joensuu #Linnunlahti #Finland

There are a few young birch trees and small conifers in the foreground of the picture. Behind them, the Orivesi Lake is beginning to melt, with only the shoreline ice-free. Across the lake, a dense conifer forest is visible in a soft blur. The scene captures the atmosphere of early spring, when there's a chill in the air that still calls for mittens on a hike.

Wooden planks stretch across yellowed spring grass, leading toward a lush green conifer forest. They cross a wetland near the shoreline, where the tall grass likely hides soft, muddy ground. No wellies needed on this trail!

A rocky little stream flows toward a partially frozen lake through tree-covered slopes, where a few fallen trunks lie across its path. At the water’s edge, a small wooden red building waits quietly.

The edge of melting ice cuts across the lake along a rocky shoreline, where a strip of open water meets the frozen surface. A few yellow reeds poke through the stones. On the horizon, the opposite shore is lined with forest. It’s the kind of scene that might cue Vivaldi’s "Spring" — though in Kitee, a Nightwish track would probably be the more fitting soundtrack.

Spring vibes from the Kitee Wilderness Trail #Photography #LandscapePhotography #NaturePhotography #Nature #Spring #Kitee #Finland

A close-up of a tree trunk with pale greenish strands of lichen known as "naava" hanging from the bark. The background is softly blurred in shades of green. BTW, "naava" is a type of lichen that thrives only in clean air, making it a natural indicator of a well-balanced ecosystem.

Naava – Because all trees deserve a glow-up! #Photography #NaturePhotography #Trees #Naava #Lichen #Finland #Kitee

A common goldeneye duck swims through a gently rippling river. On the left side of the image, the water reflects a yellow brick school building with a red roof, but the duck's movement distorts the reflection, breaking it into shimmering fragments that resemble an oil painting. On the right side, the water is pale blue and more open, creating a contrast between the textured reflection and the calmer surface. The photo leans into the "artsy" side – though it might lean harder if the person posting it had slightly better Photoshop and Lightroom skills.

What a cool bird. The common goldeneye can’t even go for a casual swim without accidentally making art! #Photography #Birds #Goldeneye #Ducks #AccidentalArt #Art #ArtVibes #Impressionistic