Category: Personal

Posted on

Regarding my post "I Fear the Cold Wind of the Society"

I wrote to JPG Mag self-portrait title “I Fear the Cold Wind of the Society”. For my happy surprise, I received some encouraging words from my fellow photographer Maya:
http://jpgmag.com/photos/3299575

What I meant by that title wasn’t really as melancholic as it turned out to be, and I certainly didn’t mean Japanese society, but all societies in general, regardless of location or country.

I was bullied in school, you know, and compulsory army service wasn’t exactly the nicest experience for me either, and both of them, during the years of my youth, represented a kind of society. And I guess I’ve never really been able to adjust into any kind of society.

And I am easy to get panic attack if I have to operate under pressure in front of many people.

But as Maya wisely wrote:  “Be a tree of wholeness rather than a tree in the forest.”

I feel somehow comforted by this wisdom. We don’t have to belong to the group in order to operate within one. And we can always leave if we feel so.

Posted on

Don't Forget to Be The Artist

Since most of us creators have gadgets and devices that we need to manage, we often forget the most important, to be the artist.

It makes a lot of sense to step back from the glowing screen and go to another room with simple pencil and sketchbook.

There’s something fundamentally wrong with the digital devices. They mess up with our creativity.

Computers are still just what they once were, digital devices capable of managing lots of data, and they have no creativity whatsoever built into them. Computers have limits. You are the creator with no limit.

It’s easy to forget nowadays that we are artists. Although we take advantage of digital tools, we shouldn’t forget who we are; artists with infinite potential.

Posted on

It was snowing this morning

I came to my wife’s hometown Ise couple of days ago. Since this is very local place and foreigners are a rare sight here, I must admit I have been a bit nervous sometimes to take a walk outside with my camera.

In some strange way, I have been worried I get into some trouble, or that people wouldn’t accept my existence. You know how closed agricultural society can be.

But this morning as it was snowing, I was greeted by elderly lady just nearby the house, you know she had warmest, most heartfelt smile, and she just kept talking about the weather, and asked how cold it gets in Finland. She treated me just the same as she would treat any  other resident of the town, and it was so natural. I felt warm by her kind words.

I realize that there’s no slightest reason to be nervous. People are same everywhere. I am always me and you are always you.

So don’t be afraid to go out and take a picture.

Posted on

What's Interesting Photo?

You know photos that attempt to tell a story.. Maybe the photo is just a photo of something ordinary, but it’s taken so that it shows the character of the photographer or the subject. Maybe it’s the situation that reveals something, or maybe photographer’s relationship to the context.

But there’s got to be something.

You know that dull feeling of seeing someone’s travel photos for example. Watching boring travel photos feels like a punishment. Photos that document hotel breakfasts, airplane wings or famous landmarks, for example..

While I suppose it’s possible to photograph airplane wing so that it’s interesting; I wish people were just a bit more creative what comes to selecting their subjects.

Immediately when there’s a person inside the frame, the photo becomes much more interesting. Especially if the person is doing something (except posing).

Eye catching photo is always something a bit different. Maybe it’s the geometry or composition of the photo, or maybe it’s the mere situation itself, or unique light.

Decayed buildings, for example used to be interesting, at least until they became a popular trend.There are tons and tons of photos of rotten and rusty buildings and the photos have nothing particularly interesting about them.

So.. context is not enough. A photo must have a soul. It’s not about mastering the technique of the photo, but getting into the right spirit of capturing the moment.

Henri Cartier-Bresson said that “photography is about placing heart, mind and eye in the same line of sight”. It requires understanding of geometry and framing. To achieve this kind of understanding, one must shoot a lot.

Learn the rules and then learn how to break them.

Posted on

Lunch with Naoto

I had great talk with Naoto today for lunch. We went to Tsubame grill in Shin-Yokohama and we talked (as usual) about cameras and photography.

Naoto is the man behind Zero Stage nickname in Flickr. I saw his previous photos in Eroguranmasse exhibition in Yokohama last summer and I was impressed.

He says he can’t draw and has no artistic drive. His photos, however, tell a different story. He frames his nudes strongly but exquisitely, his camera painting beautiful images that do excellent justice for the organic curves of female body.

Obviously his deep understanding of monochrome and film photography in general must have something to do with the excellent result. But I would say that it’s his artistic talent which drives him to capture female beauty in such passionate and beautiful way.

My personal favorite of his work would be the nude woman in empty bath tub. The light is soft like afternoon light, and the model has relaxed but expecting look. She is both proud and fragile. This is just one of his works that have this sensitive erotic appeal to them.

Naoto’s eyes shines when he talks about film. He said that he wasn’t so interested about photography when he used digital camera. He said only after he started using film, he got really interested in photos.

I am really looking forward to see his incoming exhibition later this month. In the meanwhile, thank you Naoto-san for borrowing me your Leica M6.

(We both ended up in cover of March edition of Yokohama Seasider. Oh, we lucky handsome gentlemen!)

Posted on

Most of Us Stand Alone

The well dressed man stands alone, without a family or beautiful sweetheart by his side. Tears no longer come to his eyes when he listens to his favorite music, and his classic record collection is now decaying in his shelf.

He comes to Yokohama because for some reason he wants to look into the sea, and this is his favorite spot. He finds the scenery of the sea calming somehow but knows no reason for it.

Before he returns to Tokyo he goes to Akarenga to check what’s going on in Motion Blue and drinks three whiskeys straight in the bar nearby. Neither his wife or girlfriend no longer gives him a call.

At 3PM, he looks at his watch. Since he’s got time, he decides to return to the office to continue his work.

Posted on

Dawn of New Age

I saw dream of my unborn son. In the dream he said: “There is no time, there is no universe, there’s no country. There’s nothing but you.”

He haven’t experienced the cold breeze or hardness of the world. He doesn’t know how sunshine feels on his skin. But he already knows what’s important.

Coming this far, my conclusion is that life has no meaning. This lifetime is one time experience. Like ice hockey. Game with absolutely no meaning whatsoever.

Maybe even the gods have already left our universe, and there’s nothing but us. There’s no reason why we live or die, so we should really take care of ourselves and the others.

We are the people with the artist’s brush. Whether we try or not, we are creating a new world, painting it with our colors, all the time, every time, everywhere.

Since this life happens only once, why not make it something beautiful?

Posted on

Sorrow

If there is one thing with ultimate importance, one thing that defines us and one thing which makes us human, it would be the sorrow we feel.

Sorrow is what links us to the fellow animals on this planet and sorrow is what makes life possible. When we meet someone we love, the connection is often made possible by sharing the same pain.

The pain really hurts, goes into the bone and is ever so difficult to bear. Yet, it’s necessary to understand and see it fully. Anything else would be cheating. The counterweight is that much necessary.

By feeding happiness, we feed sorrow. By living, we feed death. Life is like a thin piece of silk, which is ever so easily flipped by a faint breeze.

Art helps me to feel my sorrow and to understand myself.

Posted on

Anteeksi

Anteeksi is a finnish word which means “Sorry.”

I’ve always liked the sound of it. It’s apologetic but also beautiful and elegant, the word just flows naturally.  I used to know a design studio in Helsinki by Japanese designer which used that name, which I thought was interesting.

I’ve always thought that just before I die, I would like to say this word.

It’s not sentimental, but functional word. I want to say sorry for the world for taking my weight.

Posted on

Photography is stuff of men? Says Sonny

I think Sony’s remark in their Chinese website “girls couldn’t shoot” is perfect symbolism for the company’s values.  It’s probably good that they are going to focus on software since industrial design surely wasn’t one of their strongest areas since maybe, Walkman.

I can’t say I like any of the company’s present line of cameras and I think that their comment is right in line just how serious they are about photography.

DigitalREV translated the remark in the website: “from now on, shooting is no longer stuff of men”. The guys made hilarious video about the topic that is spot on: http://youtu.be/IDFCMHLtNl8

Hey Sonny, have you ever heard of Anna Atkins or , ehm. Annie Leibowitz? Women were shooting photos long time ago there even was Sony.