I am sitting at my computer with a hat on my head. Not the fancy one, the warm hat that I wear when skiing. We went swimming with the ducklings today and somehow I have felt really cold afterwards. Despite sauna, despite hot tea … I must look ridiculous, but I feel comfortable.

Not as ridiculous as a porcupine, though. This is a porcupine, the animal on the picture to the left, and I am Niki, the person who thinks porcupines look funny. In Czech language it’s a DIKOBRAZ. Dikobraz used to be a magazine during the times of communistic Czechoslovakia. It had a column called: Your questions on our quills. (Yep, it does sound a lot better in Czech. ) Basically, answers to any kind of serious or ridiculous questions. Nothing revolutionary.

Are you sensing the direction of this post yet?

Couple of days ago, I asked on Facebook from my wonderful fans (785 and growing, thank you …) what would be their one and only one question about photography. I got some interesting Qs and because I am so busy swimming with the kids, my friend DIKOBRAZ sneaked in to answer …

Nea B: What setting u use the most often at ur camera?

Dikobraz: Right now indoors probably ISO 1600-3200, f 1.8-2.2 and shutter speed 1/125-1/160. Have you noticed how dark it is inside? Getting slowly better, I know!

Mishka K: What is your best tip for shooting in low-light conditions when you only want to use natural light?

Dikobraz: Either of or a combination of the following – steady hands, good tripod, good camera and fast lens. (Unless you are out to shoot a black cashmere sweater in a black tunnel at night. Then it doesn’t matter.)

Kate C: What do I need to improve on to take it to the next level?

Dikobraz: Shoot every day. Practice, practice, practice. Never give up. Get inspiration from art and music. Go shooting with other photographers. Second shoot a hero photog. And the most important of all – ENJOY IT.

Now, don’t you agree, curiosity is such a wonderful quality. If you have anything more to ask, about photography, the best recipe for tiramisu or anything else, ask away, either here in the comment section or via my Facebook fan page. ♥♥♥

PS: And now it’s my turn. Which of the children book’s heroines is the most curious? Hint hint…

My father said about this image: “I think you didn’t do a very good job with the freckles, honey. They seem so fake.”

Ehm …

The day when we learn to read, we lose a huge part of fantasy. Because what used to be Prince’s Palace is now Obst & Gemuese… plain plain plain. Enjoy reading to your kids, at least while your ability to read makes you a half-deity in their eyes.

Today’s story is a tribute to all parents, who will stop in a bookstore before buying a new Barbie/Lego/insert the last must-have on your kids’ list. With books, there is fantasy. Do you notice the moment when this little lady falls through the pages of her fairy tale book and to the rabbit hole? And with another book opened, there is the what-will-I-become-when-I-grow-up world. Reading, my friends, is ALWAYS going to be awesome. ♥♥♥

This is the new part of the Life Stories serie (if you missed it, check out part 1 – The Flu and part 2 – The Monster Class). You see, me and some amazing friends photographers from around the globe have taken the vows to photograph more often normal daily situations. And we shall post these life stories on our blogs – last Friday of each month. I am adding a link to another photographer who participated and she’ll be linking to someone else. It’s a whole big circle of stories in pictures.

Life Stories January 2012 – next in the chain is the much talented Amy Siggelkow Duffing of 3 Peas Photography. Click through and enjoy! Let’s see if you can make it through the entire circle.

PS: What is your favorite childhood memory related to books? Mine is my Dad reading us Moomin stories. Yes. I have always loved the books more so that my Dad had introduced them to us. Recently we spoke about it and my Dad told me that he actually never really liked the stories, that he finds them too depressing and somehow dark. And I always thought he loves them too. Go figure!

A few from the very lovely summer 2011 in Finland. ♥♥♥ (Don’t miss the Pin to Win contest, get addicted, start pinning!)

PS: I am planning to exhibit in Lapsimessut 2012. Anyone has been or knows anything about it? Is it a fabulous experience?

A month went by so quickly … too quickly … once again. The last Friday of November just sneaked up on me, it crept into my life like a cold mist through a half-open front door. You see, me and some amazing friends photographers from around the globe have taken the vows to photograph our own off-springs more often … and in normal daily situations. And we shall post these life stories on our blogs – last Friday of each month. (At the end of this post is a link to another photographer who participated and she’ll be linking to someone else. It’s a whole big circle of stories in pictures. Click through and enjoy!)

But as you know – suutarin lapset etc. (the shoemakers children always go without shoes) – and photographers’ children not only usually have no photos taken of but on those rare occasions when the photographer parent does take out a camera, his/her kids usually run hiding or start making the silliest faces of all.

What a hard life.

But yes, today is the last Friday of November and I succeeded in capturing a moment from a perfectly normal Saturday morning in our home. My son reading to his dino-friends. ♥♥♥

Click through our entire circle – and enjoy the stories of November. Next in chain is Amber Anderson – a talented photographer, a beautiful person and a wonderful friend.

The phone started ringing in the middle of all the turmoil going on in our house. Food being prepared, weekly cleaning and washing ongoing, kids wanting to read, kids wanting to play, kids who need to study and practice their flute and violin, shopping to be done … Does it sound like a familiar Saturday morning? Nope? Well, all I can say is lucky you! This is easily a Saturday morning in our home and amidst all that my cell started ringing.

So I picked up and tried to concentrate, which often doesn’t work. Then I am calling my friends and relatives back a week later asking what it was that they discussed with me.

I tried to hear my mum’s voice properly. “Happy name day,” she said. This time my brain took a quick shift and refocused from home-running routin to the phone call instantly.That is correct, it is my name day, I completely forgot. No wonder, in Finland my name is not in the calendar and even my dear hubby’s calendar shows it on a different date than the Czech one. “Check your email,” mum continued. And so I did and I found this.

And a card saying: “Ahoj Niki, all the best to your today’s name day. Today is the day of of highly intelligent, very good-looking, amazing, beautiful and attractive people. If you know someone as perfect as you, forward him this message. Don’t send it back to us, we already know we are incredible. Have an awesome day and regards to all.  Love, Mum“

Every time I capture a connection between a mum and a kid, I remember my mama. Yes, my mum is ALL that: she is highly intelligent, very good-looking, amazing, beautiful, funny, loving, just a fabulous person in and out. And I am lucky I was born to her! (And I hope my kids will feel the same about me one day…

Below I am sharing the last of autumn minisessions I held this year. The day was as beautiful as it can get and this family was radiating positive energy and love from every cell of their bodies. I bet the little ones (both born and in belly) will one day blog about their mum – how sweet and caring person she is and what a beautiful smile she has. And about their dad too, who in the cold and biting wind and under a viral attack expressed nothing but love for all of them.

Happy Monday to you all! ♥♥♥

PS: What does your dream cake look like?

I went to pick up my lil one from the daycare and there he came rushing with tears in his eyes that he has not yet had his turn. His turn in what, I try to understand. Sobbing he explains: “That thing where the little birds are killing the piglets, because the piglets carried away the birdies’ eggs.” Now it’s me who is ready to kill. They are letting kids play Angry Birds in the daycare? What the hell is that?

I discussed it with a friend, a father of a kid in the same daycare. (And believe me that I had a not-so-kind word with both the teacher and the director too!) He mentioned that he understands the addiction. He hasn’t played any computer games for perhaps 20 years and yet got completely hooked on AB after a 5 min encounter. And admittedly, I myself had a 2-week date with the birdies too (in my free time! ) We sorted it out with my lil one, but it took me a week to explain that we are not gonna have those angry birdies on mommy’s phone.

But that is not the point. The point is that I want my kids to learn other things in the state educational system than to play computer games at a preschool age. And most of all, I want them to keep the thirst for learning that every child is born with. Just try to remember the feeling of your last aha-moment! The light bulb goes on and voila endorfines come rushing through your body and you see the world through a pair of optimistic glasses.

Don’t you?

I do. Every single time I learn something new, the life seems to be better. And I want to keep climbing up. Hence the online photography class that I signed up for this autumn. I thought, it’s time I improve my lifestyle photography skills (= capturing the situations as they happen, without posing the subjects). I thought, it’s time I improve my storytelling photography skills (= where the images actually express something happening).

I thought, it’s time to sign up for Lifestyle: Telling the story class taught by the talented and sunny Brooke Snow.

Six weeks of learning and regular assignments is just the thing for a dark preXmas time. Plus a cup of hot chocolate and a candle burning right next to my computer. Today you can see the efforts of my first assignment. Have I succeeded? Does it tell a story?

I hope you will enjoy it! ♥♥♥

I have been in love with autumn this year. A white thick blanket of snow has not robbed us of all autumn joys too early (like last year and some before), there has been reasonable amount of sunshine (for Finland) and the colors … yellow and red and all shades in between – just what my heart longs for. I hope you have enjoyed yourself too.
All above said, we have alredy started getting ready for the magical season – if only by thinking of what our annual gingerhouse masterpiece should look like and by listening to

Happy Monday to you all! ♥♥♥

Ever see a photographer who starts out with a 365 day project, or even a 52 week project and never finishes? Yeah, me too. Well, I recently joined a group of a few other busy photographers who decided to commit to a 12 month project! If we fail this, we’ll be taking donations for a time management seminar. The best part is that it will be totally candid, lifestyle shots of each of our own families/lives. We don’t even have to dredge up random people or make our kids pose for us. We’re calling the series “The Story of ________” and we’ll each be filling in our own blanks. At the end of this post is a link to another photographer who participated and she’ll be linking to someone else. It’s a whole big circle of stories in pictures. Click through and enjoy! ♥♥♥

Go check out the next blog post in our circle Danielle Frank: The Story of Miniature Mommies.

Now I can tell you that after 5 days at home with two sick kids, I was ready to sell those kiddos to Gypsies. ♥♥♥ What do you do to fight boredom when the lil ones are sick enough to not be accepted to daycare, but healthy enough to wreck your mental health?

Newborn photography – or vauvakuvaus – is one of the sweetest things on Earth – I feel so blessed! ♥♥♥