With painted wooden sticks

Arktikum 1

Arktikum 2

Arktikum 3

Here are three photographs hastily taken in Arktikum museum at Rovaniemi. I didn't correct the flaws in these photographs in post-processing, let them be as they were. But I recommend highly the exhibitions as Arktikum, they were of top quality and well presented.

One of the attractions was a photography exhibition by Pekka Sammallahti, titled Arctic Mindscapes, which was there until 3rd of August. Somehow I managed to confuse Pekka Sammallahti with Pentti Sammallahti, who is my all-time favorite photographer, and at first I was a bit disappointed not to see the kind of photographs I was expecting.

But when I had looked at the photographs for a while (none of them is shown here), I realized the quiet strength of them, for example a photograph which was mostly black-and-white, except for an iceberg floating on the sea, showing blue color.

Pekka and Pentti Sammallahti are brothers. Pekka Sammallahti is a professor at Oulu university, specializing in Saami language and culture. Pentti Sammallahti is a world-famous photographer.

(Posting title is from the poem Culture and the Universe by Simon J. Ortiz.)

Of eyes and smiles, of eyes and affection

Autumn 1

Autumn 2

Autumn 3

Here are three photographs taken on September 19th. Not much difference between them, but still, somehow each has a different feeling in it.

I browsed the book Here far away - photographs from the years 1964-2011 by Pentti Sammallahti, once again catching a glimpse of something wordless, timeless, uniquely human. Earlier I borrowed the book from the local library, but now that I own it I look forward to returning to this book again and again. For me there is only one another photographer that means so much: Sam Abell.

Also, I got today a book of photographs by Antero Takala, depicting scenes taken during the polar night when sun is below horizon all day: Kaamos - Hämärän maisemat - Landscapes of Darkness. I was impressed. But this is a book which needs time to digest, not an easy one.

(Posting title is from the poem Vincent, Homesick for the Land of Pictures by Peter Gizzi.)

And he knows his skin is glass

Checkpoint 1

Checkpoint 2

Here are two photographs taken on September 8th at Velskola in Nuuksio, east of lake Vääräjärvi. I visited Velskola also a week later, on two days. This is a place with seriously beautiful forests, but one needs some care (and map-reading skills) as there are few marked paths.

I received Pentti Sammallahti's book Here far away - photographs from the years 1964-2011. It is still in the original wrapping, as I have been too busy to start looking at it.

Also, I got the package with was delivered to a wrong post office last week, a map of the Halti-Kilpisjärvi area, 1:50 000. I already looked at the map, and I have a serious urge to travel some day to Kilpisjärvi and walk on the fells. But it may be that doesn't happen any time soon. Just thinking about the logistics of going there with the children, that wouldn't be an easy trip to make.

(Posting title is from the poem Border Crossings by David Wojahn.)

Demands that things be seen differently

Valkialampi 1

Valkialampi 2

Valkialampi 3

Valkialampi 3

Here are photographs taken in Nuuksio on August 25th. I went for a walk with my daughter, visiting four lakes on the way. This is the third one, lake Valkialampi.

By the way, the book Here Far Away by Pentti Sammallahti is now shipping. I ordered the book on January 12th. The shipping confirmation said: "Your order is on the way, and can no longer be changed." Do they think I would have second thoughts now?

(Posting title is from the poem The Subculture of the Wrongfully Accused by Thylias Moss.)

Thaw us a warm seat to our rest

Colors

Houses

Harbor

Snow

Transport

Car

Here are photographs from earlier this week, but I'm slowly catching up. Today I commuted by bus, reading the first part of the autobiographical books My Struggle (Min kamp) by Karl Ove Knausgård, which I mentioned on Monday. I'm even more impressed as I continue reading.

Today I borrowed two books from the library with the name Ansel Adams in the title: Digital landscape photography - in the footsteps of Ansel Adams and the great masters by Michael Frye, and Ansel Adams - the spirit of wild places by Eric Peter Nash. I'm not yet sure whether they are any good.

A week ago I bought two Ansel Adams books through Amazon, second-hand books and thus very cheap: Ansel Adams' Letters and Images , 1916-1984, and Ansel Adams: A Biography. Both have been shipped and I'm eagerly waiting. However, Pentti Sammallahti's book Here, Far Away which I ordered on January 12th is still waiting for shipping confirmation at Amazon.co.uk, and it may be that it will never become available. A pity.

The latter book is written by Mary Street Alinder, and it is said that this book is really good, showing the complex character that Adams was, "an intimate and provocative portrait of the world's most famous photographer". Of Adams autobiography from 1985 it has been said that it "presented a life almost as neatly cropped and printed as his magnificent pictures". Hmmm...

(Posting title is from the poem The Grasshopper by Richard Lovelace.)

Singing all the voices of every opera

Fast

Blue

Lights

Car

Lines

Here are some photographs taken yesterday while commuting to work. As the length of day is increasing, the blue moment after sunset is now conveniently at the time when returning home from work.

Today I got from library two books of photographs by Pentti Sammallahti. The other is titled Pentti Sammallahti (Musta taide, Finnfoto, 1996), and the other Here far away - photographs from the years 1964-2011 (Devi Lewis, 2012). Both books are rather impressive, but the newer book has perhaps slightly better reproduction of the photographs, although the old one is really good also. A lot to explore during the weekend...

Update: After looking at the two books for a while, I must agree that TOP is right, and the book Here far away - photographs from the years 1964-2011 for sure must be the Book of the Year for 2012. This is b&w poetry at the highest level. Really, really stunning.

Update 2: And it seems that Here far away - photographs from the years 1964-2011 is sold out everywhere, prices (with no guarantee of availability) going up to several hundred euros/dollars.

(Posting title is from the poem The Truth About Love by Howard Moss.)

The meaning of a photograph

Branches, originally uploaded by jiihaa.

Park, originally uploaded by jiihaa.

I have been looking at the small and beautiful book Staden / Kaupunki / La Ville / The City, which consists of photographs and poems by Pentti Sammallahti and Bo Carpelan. This book was nominated as the most beautiful book of the year 2006 in Finland.

Carpelan's poems are in Finnish, Swedish, English and French; Sammallahti's photographs are - well - Finnish, of the Helsinki city. Sammallahti is a master of the black and white landscape photography, with a unique style. He manages to find something extraordinary in his photographs, making them funny, sad, memorable.

I have occasionally tried my hand in b&w, for example in the book Summer in black and white squared, which has given me a feeling how hard it is to do it right. But Sammallahti makes it seem so effortless. Dogs, cats, people, trees, cars, buildings, all tell their story. And Carpelan's poems add another layer on top of the masterful photographs.

If you can find the book, have a look. Quite a story to be found there.