31 December 2015

ends and beginnings.

2015 has been very good to me and I can only hope 2016 will be as kind! I will not share my new year's resolution though I have to make a big announcement: I have switched to digital photography. I already know that many of you will not like this and perhaps will lose interest in this blog but I am happy with my decision and I will try to explain why.

first of all I had become too critical towards my photographs: in a roll of 36 shots I hardly found more than four or five I really liked and that was a waste of money and time. secondly waiting for the lab to develop my rolls had become tedious and the quality of the developing had decreased: is it really worth to pay and wait for a roll with scratches? last but not least Finland and her long winters did it for me: film simply did not deliver on dark days.

at the beginning of December I finally made up my mind: I have chosen a Nikon Df which is not that different from an analogue Nikon and allows me to work with the lenses I already have. I brought my Nikon Df to Italy during the Christmas break and had a wonderful time: I took photographs in the most spontaneous way without feeling guilty about the waste of film. I will share my first digital shots at the beginning of next year and I am looking forward to reading your comments about them and my decision.
Happy new year to you all!

My Nikon Df and I
© Jacopo

09 December 2015

photowalk with anastasia.

last Saturday morning it stopped raining for just a couple of hours and that was when we went on a photowalk with Anastasia. after the storm of the night before the sun was shining and the air was bright: the light was magnificent and it was a real pleasure to be outdoors. most importantly I am very happy with the way my photographs turned out!
Photowalk with Anastasia - Viikki
camera Nikon F5
lens Lomography x Zenit Petzval
film Fuji Pro 400H

04 December 2015

photowalk with suvi.

last weekend we visited Oulu and had the chance to take a photowalk with Suvi whom we got to know via Instagram. Suvi took us to a wonderful place we had never been to before: a swampy forest called Pilpasuo. unfortunately the weather was absolutely dreadful: it rained for the entire time and it was too dark even for a 800 iso film. I am not very happy with these photos though it was lovely to meet Suvi and I hope we will be able to take her on another photowalk on a sunny day next time we pass by Oulu!
Photowalk with Suvi - Pilpasuo

camera Nikon F5
lens Lomography x Zenit Petzval
film Kodak Portra 800

24 November 2015

photowalk with katja.

the more I take photowalks the better I enjoy them! no matter the weather I cherish the time I can finally spend outside in the company of my camera and I get to know someone a little bit more every time. last Saturday we took a photowalk with Katja in Seurasaari and we have a few more planned for the weekends to come: exciting!
Photowalk with Katja - Seurasaari

camera Nikon F5
lens Lomography x Zenit Petzval
film Fuji Pro 400H

16 November 2015

november in porvoo.

last Saturday we took an extempore trip to Porvoo and Jacopo took a few photographs of me with my camera: I would like to share two of my favourites. it was a very quiet morning and we had the streets of the old town all to ourselves: it was magical!
November in Porvoo - Polly by Jacopo
camera Nikon F5
lens Lomography x Zenit Petzval
film Fuji Pro 400H

10 November 2015

photowalk with ella.

last Saturday we took a photowalk with Ella in Nuuksio National Park. I had a wonderful time there despite the gloomy weather and felt very inspired: Ella was not only a pleasant person to walk with but also looked quite at ease in front of my camera. this photowalk gave me hope: it is possible to be inspired even in November!
Photowalk with Ella - Nuuksio

camera Nikon F5
lens Lomography x Zenit Petzval
film Fuji Pro 400H

01 November 2015

illustrated portraits.

November is my least favourite month of the year but I will try to make the most of it! while taking a break from photowalks I have started working on a series of illustrated portraits. I can see this becoming a beloved pass-time for the dark winter days ahead: I have already got some commissions by friends and colleagues. do you like them?
illustrated portraits: a new favourite pass-time
P.S. Fans of photowalks do not worry: they will keep on coming!

27 October 2015

photowalk with ekaterina.

Helsinki got another sunny Saturday and I was able to take yet another photowalk: this time I went to Annala with my friend Ekaterina and we enjoyed the colourful leaves and the pleasant heat of the autumn sun together. A perfect day!
Photowalk with Ekaterina - Annala

camera Nikon F5
lens Lomography x Zenit Petzval
film Kodak Ektar 100

21 October 2015

photowalk with yeseong shin.

there is nothing better than a sunny Saturday afternoon with golden leaves to go on a photowalk! this time on the other side of my lens was lovely Yeseong Shin from South Korea who in Finland goes by the name of Ainoa. I am trying to encourage more people to come on photowalks with me: this year I will not let the winter stop me!
Photowalk with Yeseong Shin - Töölönlahti
camera Nikon F5
lens Lomography x Zenit Petzval
film Kodak Ektar 100

10 October 2015

welcome back october.

October has started quite well with cold but sunny days and the leaves have begun to turn yellow in Helsinki. I regret I missed ruska in Northern Finland this year and I wish I had more free time to enjoy it here. I also regret not being able to dedicate more time to this blog though I hope you are still coming back here occasionally even if I seldom post. last Sunday we took a short walk around Niskala Arboretum and Jacopo took this photo of me among the colourful leaves: I hope you like it!
Polly taken by Jacopo - Niskala Arboretum

camera Nikon F5
lens Lomography x Zenit Petzval
film Fuji Pro 400H

22 September 2015

photowalk with miia.

it is almost the end of September and since my last post I have started a new job and we have moved into our own apartment. even though life has been very busy I hope I will have time to take some photographs of early autumn: Finland can be beautiful this time of the year! I took these on a photowalk with Miia over a week ago: the forest was still green but I could already sense the atmosphere of autumn.
Photowalk with Miia - Viikki

camera Nikon F5
lens Lomography x Zenit Petzval
film Kodak Ektar 100

30 August 2015

iceland - southern peninsula.

our last day in Iceland it rained for the entire time and the miserable weather seemed to mirror our mood: it was hard to accept that such an intense journey was over. with heavy hearts we drove back to where we started: the Southern Peninsula. after encountering the solitary lighthouse of Selvogur we reached the lake Kleifarvatn covered by fog. I am not good with words when it comes to conclusions though I must say I loved our second journey around Iceland even more than the first: I am very thankful for such an unforgettable experience and I hope you have enjoyed my posts and photographs!
Southern Peninsula - Kleifarvatn and surroundings

camera Nikon F5
lens Tokina 16-28mm f/2.8
film Kodak Ektar 100
song of the journey Crystals - Of Monsters and Men

27 August 2015

iceland - highlands.

one of the highlights of our journey was definitely the hike in Landmannalaugar. I am not very happy with the photographs I took there but how could I fully capture the essence of such an incredible place? the hiking path we chose was not long though it will forever remain among the most fascinating hikes I have ever done!
Highlands of Iceland - Landmannalaugar

camera Nikon F5
lens Tokina 16-28mm f/2.8
film Kodak Ektar 100

24 August 2015

iceland - southern region.

we spent two days in Höfn to visit the glacier lagoons but I did not completely warm up to the place: I found South Iceland to be overwhelmingly packed with tourists and the weather had turned for the worst which did not help either. I ended up being fascinated mostly by the artificial leftovers: not far from Vík we spotted an abandoned farm that served as a car graveyard and we visited the site of the famous crashed DC-3 plane.
South Iceland - Vík and surroundings

camera Nikon F5
lens Tokina 16-28mm f/2.8
film Kodak Ektar 100

20 August 2015

iceland - eastern region.

I regret having spent so little time in East Iceland: I think the East Fjords have a lot to offer and we will make sure to dedicate more time to them during our next trip. I have selected a few photographs to describe our journey from Djúpivogur to Höfn: we especially loved the lighthouses and we remembered seeing that abandoned house in 2013.
East Iceland - Djúpivogur and surroundings

camera Nikon F5
lens Tokina 16-28mm f/2.8
film Kodak Ektar 100

17 August 2015

iceland - from northeastern region to eastern region.

the day we left Northeast Iceland we drove for several hours from Laugar to Egilsstaðir. I do not normally like long drives but that was certainly an exciting one: because of the fog we took a wrong turn and found an old barn that functioned as a cafe. despite the miserable weather we also got to enjoy an incredible variety of landscapes.
Northeast Iceland and East Iceland
camera Nikon F5
lens Tokina 16-28mm f/2.8
film Kodak Ektar 100