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Snapped these shots last week when I was having another SK day. These people work for the Satakunta museum (or something like that). This summer they’ve been doing an inventory of this older wood house part of the city. Or something like that. I’m not good at explaining stuff tonight, my brain is not as it should be. Can’t seem to think at all now. Even at work I was like a zombie, couldn’t remember anything - like what I was doing or where I was taking stuff or what was the name of the customer. Made me feel like a total idiot. It’s just sleep deprivation, but still pretty annoying.

This weekend we’re going to Tallinn. Me, Miikka, my mom, dad, little brother Vesku and her girlfriend Satu. Should be interesting, and fun too. We’re going to celebrate my dad’s 60th birthday. He wanted us all to spent some time together so we figured that we might as well do it there. I’m probably the only finn that hasn’t been to Tallinn yet. So it’s all going to be new to me :) I’m taking my camera with me, let’s hope that the weather is good :)

Or more like life, universe and not much. Or too much! Work at least. Anyway, last weekend was wonderful. Don’t even know how to really describe it. Gave me so much energy and gave me a lot to think about. And I got to know me a little better. That’s good. Scary too, in a way, but still good. After the weekend I’ve worked my ass off. My only free day is today. And there’s still 41 minutes left of it! Or 40 now :|

I know I should go to bed and rest because I’ve been pretty tired these past few days, but there’s so much to do and so little time. The whole week I’ve had the feeling that I want to do everything, be everywhere and try everything.. I want to work on and finish all those projects and little thingies I have buried somewhere to wait for a better timing. Why can’t that time be right now?

Today I spent some of my precious free time to browse through websites and blogs that I used to check more often when I had time and I really got the urge to do stuff. Most of it was photography related, very inspiring!

Sounds silly to say that I want to do everything and be everywhere and just do stuff because when I sort of had the chance - or at least the time - I didn’t do much. I wonder if I’d do any of the things I dream about now if I suddenly didn’t have to go to work every day. I’d like to think that I’d have the energy but I can’t be sure. Still, it’s different to have free time from work and to be unemployed. Being unemployed is stressing and not just because of money issues. Free time (like a day off) on the other hand is time when I usually get a lot done. Go figure.

Umh. It is getting late. I go to SK tomorrow. Nice :) Or at least I hope so! I was there on Tuesday this week too. On Wednesday there was an evening thingie for summer employees, and even though I’m not one they asked me to go too. It was nice, I’m glad I went even though I had to leave early (I had to go to work early in the morning).

Today there were some pics on the Sunday supplement of SK that I shot in June. I thought that they had maybe forgotten the whole story but I was glad to see it out now. They had waited for one more thing to happen to get it in the story I guess. I’ll post those shots some day.. maybe. Can’t make any promises since I still have lots of other pics to publish too :P

Traveling to Kankaanpää every day takes amazingly much time. My eight hour work day takes me (from my door in the morning back to my door in the evening) almost eleven hours. That sucks big time. SK days give me much wanted variety, but those also eat away my free time since I use my weekly free days to go there.. The whole summer I’ve been at Kankaanpää five days a week and SK days have been added to that.

From the beginning of September I start to teach photography and Photoshop at Eurajoki. One day a week. Should be interesting :) That cuts one day off from Kankaanpää. So it’s going to be four days at Kankaanpää and one day at Eurajoki. And a day here and there at SK (Pori).

Sounds like one hell of an autumn to me :D I don’t know how I’m going to make this all work, but I didn’t want to say no to Eurajoki since I liked doing the short course there in the spring. I don’t know why I find teaching so interesting. It just feels like something that I want to try :P Hope it works! I’m a tad stressed about it because I’d really need some time to plan the course and do some materials etc.. but I’m sure it’ll work out somehow. Life has it’s way to make things work. But now I need to go to bed - flash batteries aren’t the only thingies here that need loading right now :P

I shot these for Kuluttaja-lehti at the end of June. The story was/is about moped cars (is that how they’re called in english?), and this girl was interviewed for the story. The weather was crappy and during the shoot I felt like I got nothing decent on the card. After getting home and going through the shots I chose these three. One with the girl, Eveliina, in main role, one of the moped car and her together and one detail shot of the rear of the “car”. I chose this detail shot because that triangle sign has to be there. It’s one of things that makes recognizing them easy.

Not much else to say about these.. The third shot needed some photoshopping because of the bad weather. Though if I had played it better technically I wouldn’t have to blame the weather. Oh well.. can’t win them all! And all is well that ends well, right? The images were liked a lot at the paper. I’m happy about that. And as a whole - all things taken into consideration - I’m pleased with these shots. Not that they couldn’t be better - they definitely could - but making through that day and getting some acceptable images done felt like a victory.

Humhh.. I haven’t updated in a while. So much to do and so little time. This weekend I’m going to a reiki meeting. Interesting stuff to talk about, nice people, good food and sauna on a lake shore. Sounds to me like a great way to spend a weekend after a busy workfull week :) Hope the weather is good!

I shot this nice couple for Satakunnan Kansa some time ago and on Thursday the story got published. These people were really into the music style of the fifties. This was the gig I mentioned earlier - the one where I was running low on ideas because nothing was the way I and the editor thought it would be before going there. I could write longishly about this gig, but I’m too tired now.. Maybe some other day I’ll add to this entry or write a new one.

I’ve had a long long week. And I have to go back to work on Monday! I sure hope I can have a day off next week! Or even  two since I had to work on six days this week. Tomorrow I’m going for a flea market tour with Milla and then maybe some regular shopping and just hanging out. Should be fun. Then we’ll go to movies with Miikka and Samu to watch the new batman thingie. Sounds like a nice day :)

Today after work I’ve been busy at home.. first I went to grocery store and than I cooked and washed a monstrous mountain of dishes. After that I arranged lots of stuff that’s just been laying in the wrong place. There’s still plenty of that to do. And than I worked on a certain birthday gift.. but that’s all I’m saying about that now since it’s a surprise! Though I have to admit that I’ve got the worst memory.. I forgot to buy gift wrapping paper, so I had to wrap the pressie in Christmas paper.. Feels rather silly to give someone something wrapped in merry snowmen in the middle of the summer :D

What a beautiful evening! It looked so nice that I had to take my roller skates out. It was the second time I did that this summer. Sunday was the first time. I don’t know why it took me so long this year. Better later than never, right?

Must have been great flying up there in the balloon on an evening like this. I have to try that someday! It’s a shame I noticed it flying there too late for it to be in a good spot for my balcony series. Can’t win them all I guess. Hummm… what else? Not much happening here, just work work work. I miss doing photo gigs. It’s been over a week since the last one. I hope they haven’t forgotten me at SK totally. That would make me very very sad.

This, however, makes me smile! Another doggie pic! Don’t know how I forgot to put it up with the other ones yesterday, but here it is now :)

Good night, I’m off to bed now. This has felt like a long week already - even though I haven’t had time to really do anything. Except work. Three days done, three more to go. Than I can sleeeeeeeeeep as long as I want to. At least for one day :D

More pics of little Nala. And big old Allu! Ok, they’re both small, but Nala is the baby. It sure was fun to watch them play together. Even though at first Allu didn’t seem to be sure what the little creature actually was. I remember how Allu was when he first came home.. so very shy and afraid of almost everything. Nala is so different. She’s not afraid of anything! I’ve got a picture of Allu from his first night in this post. He was sooo tiny!

We were at Karmarock on Saturday. Miikka and Samu went there early, but I had to go to work first so I missed the first two bands (both of which I would have liked to see!). I drove like a maniac from Kankaanpää to Harjavalta so wouldn’t miss any more. I didn’t take my camera bag and didn’t really feel like shooting but luckily Miikka took care of that side for us :) Here’s a link to his karma pics.

It was a really really nice little festival. Cozy. The overall mood of the whole happening was great. Sun was shining and the bands were really good. Even the ones whose music I don’t listen much (or at all) were enjoyable. I definitely wish to go again next year :)

Aww… isn’t she cute? She’s Nala, Milla’s new chihuahua baby. She got her yesterday and of course I went to see the newcomer too. I have lots of shots that I didn’t have time to process yet, but I’m sure I’ll do and post em later!

Tomorrow I have to go to work. I don’t like that at all.. Miikka and Samu are going to Harjavalta for Karmarock when it starts and because of work I’m going to be there about three hours later. That sucks!! I’m going to miss the first three or four bands - all of which I would have liked to see. And the day at work is going to be really nasty one because I’m stuck there alone for hours. Usually there’s at least two (or three) people present at all times. And I don’t even know anything about the things in the store - I’m just the photoshop geek. So it’s going to be a pain - both for me and the customers.

Or more like oh crawfish! Or something like that :D I shot these on Monday when crawfish season officially started here in Finland. Nasty looking creatures! But still I feel sorry for them because they’re going to be cooked alive. The thought makes me shiver. Still I’m sure all the things that are done in regular butcheries everyday would make me lose my appetite too.. Shooting these shots were nice though. I wasn’t stressed or anything :)

The hardest part was to find someone who catches those thingies and is willing to be shot. No one closer to Pori agreed so I drove to Säkylä were some pro or semi pro fishermen weren’t so secretive about their doings. Not that I found about the spots they put those catching thingies, but I figured it’s not as important to be secretive about your crawfishing around a big lake full of crawfish than in small creeks that are known to only few people. But what do I know! Might be some other reasons too :D

The first shot got into the paper. I like it too :) Even my boss at Kankaanpää liked it :O Anyway, it’s late - again. I should go to bed, it’s another Kankaanpää day tomorrow. I wonder when I’ll have my next SK day. I hope it’s soon :)

I shot these for Iltalehti on 25th of June. The building-a-house extra came out on Saturday. Part of the extra were five (or something like that) short stories of different well known people who are building a house right now. I shot Toni Vilander (drives a car fast enough) with his girlfriend Erja Jynkkäri at their construction site after my regular job. They were both nice and and it went rather smoothly and quickly. The second pic got chosen for publication (with the blueprints of their house). I kind of like the first one too, and not just because of the dog. Or maybe just because of the dog. It brings life to the situation and the image is more dynamic me thinks.

I know all these images are a little stiff.. I’m still learning how to make people really relaxed while shooting when they aren’t actually doing anything. I’m not sure if it’s something that can be learned, but I’m keeping my thumbs up :) It’s so much easier to shoot a happening, or just something were people are doing something. But there’s lots and lots of situations in regular newspaper work where there’s just that person you shoot and nothing really happens. You just need to make a picture (and be fast about it!). If you get a good idea it may work but if not than it’s going to be one of those stiffies. Don’t get me wrong, stiffies can be good too, if done right. But as I said I’m still learning here! If I’ve got time anytime soon I’m going to post a collection of stiffies I’ve taken so far for SK :D

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Today I was going to go downtown but when the time came to go I didn’t feel like it. So here I am.. It’s been a long week I guess. After work today I finally went to grocery store. We were out of almost everything! After hauling everything I bought inside I cooked some good food for Miikka (and myself too, of course). We had something nice for desert too. Miikka is at work now, but I tried to make the hour we had before he had to leave a nice one because it’s his birthday today! So once more: Happy Birthday Baby! (he’s gonna love me for that! LOL!)

I bought the cutest little cat bag on Wednesday. Straight from the person who makes them. It’s handprinted and all. There were lots of cute stuff on her stand. I would have loved to have some of her t-shirts too. The belts are from the market at Kankaanpää. Thursdays are market days there and I was there little early yesterday so I bought them before going to work :)

I bought a new calendar on Wednesday. I’m still in the student calendar buying rhythm.. that means getting a new calendar in July or August. I’ve had the same kind of calendar for two years now. Very good layout for me. This year my fav calendar had really ugly covers and I just didn’t feel like bying it. I’m giving a chance to a different design. Let’s hope it works as well as the old one.

There’s something fascinating about new calendars. How clean they are.. no markings, no have-to-dos.. just empty pages with lots of possibilities. Of course that changes when it’s put to use and all the pre-arrenged stuff gets written to it. But for a while it looks like total freedom :D Still I sometimes do like to flip through old calendars too. It brings back stuff I have already forgotten. Nice mundane things. I guess this blog does that too.. but with a calendar it’s a little different :)