Time for another short mountain break. I just can’t give up on those orchids, and now it should be the high season for them. The summer is putting on the heat and the mosquitos, gnats and other flying nuisances are out in their force so you don’t really get a moment’s peace to when you…

So you know how I always go on about the joys of discovering new detail when doing close-up photography? Well, proof is in the pudding. Look at the insert. Doesn’t that look just like some pre-historic fish? I didn’t notice the little ”eye” when I was taking this picture. In fact, I had trouble noticing…

Cypripedium calceolus English: Lady’s slipper Swedish: Guckusko Finnish: Tikankontti I discovered orchids last year. I’ve photographed them before, but never thought they were anything more than any other flowers I shot. But after I discovered the lady’s slipper, I became hooked on orchids – I looked for them all summer last year, and will do…

Convallaria majalis English: Lily of the valley Swedish: Liljekonvalj Finnish: Kielo Lily of the valley is the national flower of Finland. It was voted such back in the 60s and it’s no surprise – it is a truly elegant flower with a scent that is hardly surpassed in the natural world. I don’t know why…

Caltha palustris English: Marsh Marigold Swedish: Kabbleka (kalvleka) Finnish: Rentukka I think marsh marigold belongs to the category of overlooked flowers. It’s so common that people rarely stop to look at them – we just become blasé to the ubiquituos. But, with a camera in hand, the world looks very different and the deeply yellow…

Primula veris English: Cowslip Swedish: Gullviva Finnish: Kevätesikko Cowslip is one flower I’ve been itching to have in my catalogue since last spring, so I’ve been busy searching for them in the past weeks. It’s not that rare, but the problem is that every single one of them seems to grow on the roadside in…

Luzula pilosa English: Hairy Wood-rush Swedish: Vårfryle Finnish: Kevätpiippo The English name sounds like some kind of a disease and the flower looks more like a grass than a ”fleur”, but there is beauty everywhere if you look close enough! That’s one of the things that really appeals to me in close-up photography; the sense…

Daphne mezereum English: Daphne or Mezereon Swedish: Tibast Finnish: Näsiä I think that daphne is a special flower. It grows early in the season, it grows straight from the stem in small trees and the scent is enchanting. I could smell the flowers long before I saw them and although I’m normally not a friend…

It feels like summer already, sunny and warm. I decided to make the most of weather and took a couple of hours off to drive to my old hunting grounds north of Ljusdal. I especially wanted to see Gröntjärn again and I was hoping to get lucky with the pale pasque flowers (Pulsatilla vernalis), normally…