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I am wearing a skirt my wife borrowed me. I am loving this feeling of smooth light fabric on my skin. (I’m not wearing underwear). Women are way luckier than men I think, since they can wear so comfortable clothes. I am enjoying this refreshing feeling while I’m writing this, listening Bjork’s “Big Time Sensuality”.

You know I have had so many blogs. And I always gave up writing them sooner or later. Most often the reason was that the design didn’t please me. Either the colours were wrong, too dark or the site felt like a corporate blog. Most often the environment just didn’t feel like me, and as result I couldn’t write as honestly as I’d like to, after all.

I wish this is more like my own journal or notepad for myself rather than serious blog written for some audience. Facebook has been kind of like my public notebook, but it seems everything disappears after a while and it’s hard to go back in time to really see what was going on some time ago. This, however is a permanent record.

Photographers are a quiet bunch. If they talk they talk anything else except photos. I also feel like I should save all my energy for the moment of taking photo. So rather than talk about photo, I wish to talk about my life.

However, let me write this;  selecting the images for the front page gallery was interesting chance to look at the photos I’ve taken during last three years. Then it really helped me to understand what I am doing with my camera, in a bigger scale. Even if this turns out to be only fruit of the effort of entire redesign I am quite happy about it. This is what I do.

Anyway, I will be updating this as my main series of images to reflect my best works frequently, so please do return to check every now and then.

Meeting Oota-san in Sokyusha book shop in Tokyo really helped me to curate my own images into more simple and pure form. I feel I’m privileged to know such a great person and get his advice. Then, seeing my ex girlfriend’s photo book “Looking for Forest” (森をさがす) was another inspiration for me to change my website’s layout into somehow more simple form.

Then, I realise also that I have just recently started photographing really seriously. I still have a lot of mileage to cover. As I left Sokyusha last time, Oota-san  threw me casually;  “Hey, Jaakko, Don’t give up taking photos..”. I can still hear his voice, and remember how he said it.

I can’t say that I don’t understand why so many do, especially those with families. Perseverance is a required feat in this thing. We just simply have to love what we do. If the love dies, it’s game over.

However, when I get depressed I feel like I want to throw my camera into a dark well in my parent’s backyard. It’s so difficult to explain this  to someone who is not into photography. How could she possibly understand?

My family friend said to me yesterday, “If your wife would really become to understand your photography, then it would mean she became a photographer. Think how hard it would be then?” Bravo!

The Heaven, Mine

「天国,わたしの」は完売しました。
The Heaven, Mine photo book was sold out.

Thank you for all who bought it.

Why Photo

There is an article over in my Things blog about the reasons why I shoot.

“It’s like digging up these huge stones from the soil. You know, my father is a farmer, and he taught me how to clean up entire field from stones. Much like him, I am preparing my grave. He brought a shovel. I brought a camera.”
http://things.hiyayaakko.com/why-photo/

Going to Space

Going to space for me would be a milestone in my own journey, and in my spiritual growth. To see the beauty of this planet from outside it would be a breathtaking experience; not only in overcoming the physical and personal challenge, but also spiritually. Life is a huge cosmic journey itself and going to space would be a perfect visualisation of it.

I was separated from my mother when I was two years old. I want to experience that separation again, this time from mother earth; going to space would be like amazing personal movie for me.

I would refuse to ride a Nasa shuttle or rocket, but I wouldn’t mind riding Sir Richard’s vessel. Things must be done in right spirit ecologically, and Richard surely does just that. In any way, I strongly support Virgin Galactic, what they are doing is remarkable and extremely responsible. They might be a company but what they do is so much more.

What next?

(note for myself)

One of the common questions I’m asked during my exhibition is “what are you going to do next?”. I have given it a thought.

I’m going to clean up my work room. It’s a total chaos. I don’t mean like creative Einstein-like-chaos. I mean total-unfathomable-godcrazy-abyss-like-chaos. It’s going to take at least a week to restore the room into some kind of working order.

After that, I’ll sit a moment and have a cup of coffee.

Debriefing

You know sometimes things just fall in place naturally, you feel like you are auto-completing a puzzle; pieces just fit automatically and it’s a smooth ride from the start.

Well, making Maria was not one of those times. I had to cancel my exhibition once actually since my boy got a virus from his kindergarden. I had to give up months of work, just bite the bullet, and let it all vanish. I had just rented the frames, packed my works and shipped them to the gallery, then I got a call from my wife; “it’s a virus”. I knew it; to give up is the only way, abort mission, call the birds back, you know.

To my surprise, the gallery actually offered me four days from the following week, very kind of them. So I took the chance, although quite frankly, I was not in excellent mood.

The difficulties did not stop here however. In the following week while I was taking care of my feverish son, I caught a fever. 40C. I could barely get up on my feet. I knew if I let this chance pass, rest of the year for Maria is out of the question.

But I managed to make it on Sunday and with help of two important friends I could start the exhibition. Maria became a reality.

I learned something very important. It’s good to give up if you do it for the right reasons.

You have to be able to do it, because it’s never that serious or important. Sometimes it’s not just the right time; but then you also find out that the opportunity will come again. Like, when you receive gift from someone, it’s actually kind of really humbling, because all you can say is thanks. Thank you. What big and numerous gifts I received this time, not only beautiful flowers and cookies, but spiritually as well! Indeed, I want to say most humbly, “thank you”.

It’s always hard to do something like this but it really is worth of it, because of all the wonderful people who come to see my photos. It seems like Saint Maria was calling for them.. and then they wrote me these beautiful letters that made me cry.

It’s all big fun to start something and then finish it, plus, it’s great excuse to hang out with some really cool folks!

Exhibition schedule

I am sorry for the mistaken schedule in the flyer of my exhibition Maria.

The correct opening hours of my exhibition are following:

SUN (７日) 12:00 ~ 17:00
MON (8日) 9:30 ~ 17:00
TUE (9日) 9:30 ~ 17:00
WED (10日) 9:30 ~ 17:00
THU (11日) 9:30 ~ 15:00

 

Exhibition Schedule Changed

My exhibition schedule has been changed. I’m sorry for the inconvenience. My son caught a cold and he needs my care.

I want to say big thanks for Ehrismann staff for their kindness and understanding.

The exhibition starts this Sunday (７日) and lasts until Thursday (１１日).

I am really excited!