Ever since I was about 15 years old, I’ve been carrying a camera around wherever I go. Sometimes it’s an old middle format film camera, sometimes my small mirrorless DSLR, often the trusty (dare I say old) D810 with one or two lenses in the bag. Because you never know when you come across that urban fox or bald eagle that shouldn’t even live anywhere near the city.
Who says old dogs can’t learn new tricks? I’ve always sworn by ambient light. Partly because I love natural light, but also because I simply haven’t had proper flash gear, let alone the skills to use it.
When I first picked up my parents’ old SLR camera in the mid-90s, I visualised myself taking awesome black and white portraits of people. I’d develop and print them myself in my darkroom, and I’d exhibit them in galleries around Finland, and then abroad. Maybe I’d specialise in taking high-contrast, low-key portraits of musicians and bands for different magazines.