Month: June, 2010
Having visitors living in our home for a week was stimulating nad intellectually refreshing. We discussed other topics than the same ol’ “kids, photography, medicine, weather”. We spent hours discovering each others’ opinions about healthy choices in live, alternative ways of raising children, alternative ways of living and many more … and it all reminded me of my dear friend Gunta. (Darling, if you are reading this, you must know again that all the good decisions about these topics in my life I did because of you. Thank you for being so persistent!) Our friends also believe in angels.
This post is dedicated to all people who don’t cease to learn and explore new ways in and of life. I firmly believe that changes are for the better. So if you are not satisfied with some aspect of your life, go change it. It will get better. And if not, at least you gave it a try. Being passive doesn’t get you anywhere. I am still amazed by how simply and most happily people can live if they only start listening to their hearts. If you don’t listen to your heart yet, start today. Don’t do things that make you feel bad – guilt, sadness, negative gut feeling are all signs that what you are doing or about to do is not a good idea. Find other solutions, be creative!
Oh and don’t forget to make others happy along the way. Especially the old and lonely people, you will be old and lonely yourselves one day, no matter how much you push this idea away. Small things are sometimes the big things… Good karma to you all. I am off to bed now.
Angels do walk amongst us. You can be one of them. 
This can be your story.
My angel in civil life … Malena of Malenami.com. Probably the most beautiful and positive person I met in Finland. Thank you for being such an awesome model!
Last Wednesday I was sitting on a pier of our lake, playing happily with kids and chatting away with our visitors from Slovakia, who to our great sadness flew back today in the morning. My phone rang and only happy star constellation helped me overhear it in all the noise (kids, dogs and wind – a killer combination). There was a lovely female voice asking to photograph their newborn son, who was already 16 days old. Hurry, I answered, we must hurry! Newborn babies loose that newborn characteristics look all too quickly. So we hurried and set up the shoot for the very next day. This was the fastest inquiry -> session time ever. I drove to Hyvinkää and met the happy couple and their tiny gentleman on a sunny Thursday morning in the appartment that one can only describe as “photogenic”.
The little baby boy slept throughout the entire time and he had a super clean and smooth skin, even for a newborn baby. The sun shone and I really, really, really very much enjoyed this session.
I am so late with posting all the images I have been taking lately, so brace yourselves, the blog shall be flooded in the next few days with a lot of new cool stuff. Come back daily
About two weeks ago my friend photographer Derek Latham asked me if I would like to take portraits of him and his colleague, Anna Jarske. Sure, any time, I answered. As it turned out, any time was not good enough, it had to be soon and on a specific day as well. 
But I love demanding people and was happy to sail my whole family over to the island of Suomenlinna to take portraits of Anna and Derek, two great wedding photograhers. I left my hubby bewildered since I was selling it to him as a “family trip and quality time together” and suddenly I was leaving him with our two angels to do daddy magic and hopped and skipped away with a camera around my neck. Not a good sign for the family trip, as he knows all too well. 
After we finished shooting, Derek and Anna were kind enough to return the favore and took awesome photos of me and my family. I have NO photos of me and my kids. So it made me all teary and sentimental. But of course, them shooting us went well, because kids and hubby were all thrilled to have me back so we looked like a fairly happy family. But as it is with photographers, neither Derek nor Anna felt really home in front of a camera and I didn’t feel myself either, because I think they are really good photographers. I have to admit, I was quite nervous. Judge the results yourselves…
Derek is supposed to have a mild arachnophobia… too bad I made him lay in the grass. For a long time too… I am a bad bad girl…
My friends, photographers Whitley (of Whitley Pollet Photography) and Kate (of Kate Craft Photography) came up with a healthy excersise. Any photographer who is interested in honing own skills will agree that shooting on a given subject is one of the best ways to improve. So Whit and Kate came up with 52 different themes, one for each week of the year. And though I missed the first three (I will do them at the end), I finally managed to jump in and here I am with week 5 topic “chair”.
This is Julietta and her two kids. Julieta is without a doubt the most beautiful woman I know in real life (and actually she is more beautiful than any of the virtual creatures magazines and movie industry daily serves us). Yet she hates being photographed. The nerves some people have! My heart aches and bleeds and my camera twists and turns in the bag whenever I see Julieta … I met her about 3 years ago when she had few weeks to the due date with her son. She and her husband were strolling through a mall where I was searching models for one project I then photographed. Unfortunately, solely to my own mistakes and wrecked nerves, the photos turned out to be a disaster. I didn’t keep them. But I kept Julieta, we became friends and I love having her in my life. Not only is she absolutely stunning, but she also makes the best hot chocolate in the world. Who would not want to be friends with her?
Julieta, darling, I love you. Don’t move anywhere abroad, my life would become really boring! And please, please, PLEASE, let me photograph you more!
And dear readers, if you like the photos, please leave a comment to tell this stubborn lady that she has to let me photograph her. Ok?
Julieta and her charming kids.
Just in case the 52 weeks challenge intrigues you, here the first 10 topics:
- Time
- Trees
- Books
- Candy/treats
- Chair
- Water
- Money
- Shoes
- Hats
- Tools
While the previous blog post has been sitting in my computer for a while, because the family needed to keep the photos as a secret until the birthday celbration of their grandmother, this one is a fresh one. This is how Finland looks these days. This is how Auroranpuisto looks on a sunny morning. This is how two little sisters that you have already met look like when it is not windy. Aren’t they absolutely adorable? Yes, they are. We had much fun and despite mosquitoes attacks we kept good spirit and blew bubbles and laughed and generally enjoyed ourselves. The big sister bravely walked with me hand in hand and loved the bridge most of all the places. And the little one kept up her good nature and flashed her smile many many times, filling our hearts with joy. I hope you enjoy your sneak peek and sorry for the delay. A nasty virus has knocked me down…
I love my job!
Where should I start? Oh, by mentioning that I love my job because it allows me to make people happy. Different people. First time mums. Parents. Small kids. Teenagers. Brothers and sisters. (getting all emotional now) People of all kinds let me in their homes and close to their hearts, if just for a moment. It’s precious. It’s priceless. I value it above all. And this time powers of universe brought me the most exceptional family. A sister and two brothers, grown-ups, who share their lives, sorrow and happiness alike, so tightly that they made me feel like I want to be part of it for longer than just a moment or two. And what more – they were absolutely cool in front of the camera as well. We had so much fun, I hope the pictures show it! (besides the lovely photos we took at the beginning, there was a surprise theme … heavy metal!) You guys are not getting rid of me now …. because this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
First few for their mom and grandmother (happy birthday, by the way )…
Then we started unleashing the devils…
And finally, the Theme! There are two heavy-metal drummers in this photo, do you care to venture a guess which ones they are?
The little ones are SO lucky to have such fun family…
Yep, I am old! It’s official now
33.
Not afraid to say it. I don’t feel age matters anyways. I have all I need. My husband and my kids (I LOVE YOU). My great family who always supports me – my sister and my parents who believe in every step I take. And if they don’t agree, they will tell me! A mother-in-law that is an angel (which never happens I heard…). My soulmates Irene and Raduska. My friends, Svend, Juhana and all the Czechoslovakians here in Finland. My photographers. Super cool chics who call Wende “mum”. I love you all and I owe so much of my energy to all of you. I cannot walk through life without my loved ones.
This is me and my family on Suomenlinna yesterday – fooling around and playing hide and seek. It’s hard to say with the big party still coming on Sunday, but this might be just the best gift I have gotten and not only this year. I am eternally in debt with my two awesome colleagues, wedding photographers Anna Jarske and Derek Latham. Thank you guys, you just made my day. (I am in tears really.)
(do put the speakers on…)
13 Comments
love the first one and the “halo” she is gorgeous..stunning!!
I love these!!! Colors are absolutelly great. And the idea
wow
K(K)H
These are absolutely amazing!!! I will never ever touch my camera again after seeing these images. You rock Girl!!!
Johanna, you must not stop touching your camera. especially please take me with you next time you go to the stables…. Loved those images!
I love, love, love this session! Fantastic images and very creative. Beautifully done!
Niki – I can’t tell you enough how much I LOOOVE those. Each and every single one. Gorgeous work and stunning model.
Gosh, these blow me away, they are seriously gorgeous shots!!
I love these pictures! And your text as well!
What if we would think of ourselves as angels everyday. Like “what would an angel do in this situation?” What a wonderful world it would be!!!!!
Keep up your good work. You are truly an inspiration.
Love, Zun
Beautiful photographs of Malena as always and you’re a girl after my own heart!
I believe in Angels (cue for an Abba song?!) but I believe that they live amongst us and I also know that I have a Guardian Angel watching over me, and this gives me comfort every day of my life!
And one of my favourite songs of all time is ‘Angel In The Snow’ by a-ha! Morten’s voice is very soothing on it, and whenever I’m stressed or feeling low, listening to this song calms me down and put’s me back on track!
I love your blog, you are one of those lovely inspirational people and everyone should have somebody like you in their life!
Keep up the beautiful work – wishing you a lovely day!
Mxx
thanx everyone for the sweet love.
Marie, thank you, I love hearing from people who like my work, obivously! It always makes my day. So there you go, you just made my day!
Shoot me an email asking the photo advice, I might just have something for you, nay?
She is a stunner! It is absolutely impossible to pick a fave, but I have to say I am in love with the concept of her walking amidst the “humans” in the street!
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