Goodbye Finland

This month went by so quickly! I can't believe I already have to say goodbye tomorrow. I'm going to miss all the awesome people I've photographed and all the beautiful landscapes I've trudged through.

Here are some photos from my last photoshoot. I photographed a young lady on a teeny tiny island where her mother had a cabin. We had lots of coffee, tiny apples from her yard, and freshly smoked fish.




I also had an opportunity to visit Jari's own personal darkroom! He just finished setting it up, and together we created the first analog photograph!



A journalist even came to write about it! You can see the blurb here:
https://kp24.fi/uutiset/518243/ekologinen-pimio-valmistui-taidekartanon-ylimpaan-kerrokseen

But a bigger story will be published in Thursdays paper!



And last but not least! I was given a huge spread on another local paper! So exciting!!



Today I'm focused on packing packing and more packing. And buying some gifts to bring home to friends and family. I'm excited to return home to Brooklyn. I'll miss how quiet Kokkola is but I'm ready to jump back into the hectic rush of my city. 

Week two!

My two week class has ended and I now have two weeks left to plan out my project! I can finally get started on my own personal ventures.




This past week we did photo transfers onto found materials and printed on transparency film to create a hand layered photo. On the last day, we had a final critique.
Look at all these mushrooms on display on Saturdays Harvest Festival!!

The second photo shoot adventure!! I even got to pet some cows!

One of my models get electrocuted on an electric fence that we had to sneak through in order to get to these great locations. She's okay though.  

My first week as a resident artist!

Hello everyone!

      I arrived Sunday afternoon, one week ago, and it's already been a whirlwind of adventure. I had to adjust my body clock asap as I was scheduled to start my 7 hour photography class the very next day at the Nordic Art School. It was 2am New York time, but 9am Finland time. I went to bed early, getting 11 hours of sleep, and thankfully powered through it on pure adrenaline.



Our first project was making a pinhole camera, a simple box with a tiny pin sized hole in it. No technology necessary! I hoped this would be a captivating project, as I know many people forget you don't need digital technology to create a photograph. We then spent the rest of the week in a professional darkroom, making negatives and positives from a variety of boxes.



The small wooden house I'm staying in is very charming. It's located in the backyard of a old house museum. It's very quiet and easy to focus on art making. There is a black and white cat that walks around, but I've had no luck in convincing it to be my friend. Sometimes tour groups wander in, and I stare at them. They stare back, a bit alarmed and confused.



I also had some time to briefly meet with some potential models who are willing to pose for my photographs. This is Katja, a complete stranger, who showed me a bit around Kokkola. We went to a skate park opening where I met some of her friends, as well as a tiny dog. Then we went for beers at a nearby cafe: a old house with mis matched furniture and a beautiful view. I hope to come back and become more acquainted with my fellow hipster brethren.



Saturday was my first photoshoot of the residency! Minna wanted to jump right into it, no discussing over coffee necessary! She drove me to a nice park with water, a forrest, and plenty of blueberries to pick. The water was very cold, but when I asked her if she would get in, she responded "Of course! I am from Finland!" Because I shoot in film, I'll have to wait to show everyone the results. Hopefully I can develop soon!