by René Timmermans | Sep 30, 2013 | Wallpaper
The October 2013 wallpaper shows an empty bucket against the backdrop of a traditional Swedish red summerhouse. The photo was taken in the outskirts of the Stockholm archipelago on the island of Sandö.
Here is some background information (source: wikipedia.org) about the traditional Swedish red colour used on houses:
Falu red or Falun red is the name of a Swedish deep red paint well-known for its use on wooden cottages and barns. The paint originated from the copper mine at Falun in Dalarna, Sweden. The traditional colour remains popular today due to its effectiveness in preserving wood.
The earliest evidence of its use dates from the 16th century. During the 17th century Falu red was commonly used on smaller wooden mansions, where it was intended to imitate buildings with brick facing. Except in bigger cities like Stockholm and Gothenburg, and in the far south of Sweden, wood was the dominating building material. In the Swedish cities and towns, buildings were often painted with Falu red until the early 19th century, when the authorities began to oppose use of the paint. At that point in time more and more wooden buildings in urban areas were either painted in lighter colours (e.g. yellow, white) or sided with stucco. The number of buildings made of bricks (with stucco) also increased. However Falu red saw a surge in popularity in the countryside during the 19th century, when also poorer farmers and crofters began to paint their houses. Falu red is still widely used in the Swedish countryside.
The actual colour may be different depending on how much the oxide is burnt, ranging from almost black to a bright, light red. Different tones of red have been popular at different times. Recently a mix giving a dark green colour, Falu Grön, has also been produced by mixing black and ochre.
The paint consists of water, rye flour, linseed oil and tailings from the copper mines of Falun which contain silicates iron oxides, copper compounds and zinc. The current recipe was finalized in the 1920s. Aging Falu red will flake off, but restoration is easy since only brushing off of the loose flakes is required before repainting.
by René Timmermans | Sep 30, 2012 | Wallpaper
For the October 2012 wallpaper I have chosen an image of Stockholm. The photo is taken from Riddarholmen in central Stockholm overlooking Kungsholmen with a clear view on City Hall or Stadshuset (click the image above to view and download!).
During the photoshoot I also created a panorama view over Kungsholmen.
If you would like the wallpaper in another size just drop me a note.
by René Timmermans | Oct 18, 2011 | Photography
Click the image to enlarge
In a previous blog post I wrote about my participation in the 4th annual Scott Kelby Worldwide Photo Walk.
A few days ago all local winners were announced and it was with great pleasure that I learned that my photo “Sunset at Långholmen” was chosen as best photo from the Scott Kelby Worldwide Photo Walk in Stockholm (evening walk) at Hornstull.
I would like to express my thanks to the local photo walk leader Tommy Lund for organizing a great photo walk at a wonderful location.
by René Timmermans | Oct 4, 2011 | Photography
Last weekend, on October 1st and 2nd, the 4th annual Scott Kelby Worldwide Photo Walk took place around the world. The Worldwide Photo Walk is a social photography event where photographers come together on a set time and place to shoot photos during a two hour walk. A maximum of 50 photographers can participate in each walk.
This year more than 1100 photo walks were organized in cities around the world with almost 30,000 photographers attending. In my city, Stockholm, two photo walks were organized and I attended both of them. There was a morning walk at Skeppsholmen from 10 – 12 am and an evening walk at Reimersholme / Långholmen from 5 – 7 pm. We were lucky with the weather conditions and experienced blue skies in the morning and a beautiful sunset in the evening.
Here are a few of the photos I took during the walk. The first two from the morning walk and the second two from the evening walk. I have framed the photos in the Scott Kelby style.
Click an image to enlarge
After the walk all photographers are able to upload their best photo and enter the competition part of the walk to become the best local- or worldwide photo walk photographer. The announcement of the best photo will be done on October 24th, 2011. There is a Flickr group where you can view the photos uploaded by photographers around the world.
Here are two extra photos of sailing boats I came across during the day, one from each walk.
Click an image to enlarge
It has been great fun attending the photo walks, meeting with fellow photographers and talking all-things-photography. It is also interesting to see what all of us under the exact same conditions are able to accomplish during the two hours of the walk. This year was my first time attending and I am already looking forward to next year’s walk.
by René Timmermans | Oct 3, 2011 | Wallpaper
Finally it is here, the October 2011 wallpaper. Apologies for the delay, but I have been occupied with the Scott Kelby Worldwide Photo Walk during the weekend. More about that later this week on this blog.
It is kind of inevitable that the October wallpaper reflects the autumn colors. Here in Stockholm we already experience a wide variety of colors in the trees. However, the photo of this month’s wallpaper was taken during the autumn of 2010. I have posted a selection of similar images of the autumn leaves on the blog last month.
Click on the image above to get the small version (1280x853px).
Click here if you want to get the large version (1920x1200px).
If you would like the wallpaper in another size just drop me a note.
Recent Comments