Kuvaan niin lapset, isovanhemmat, kihlajaiset, häät, valmistujaiset kuin bänditkin, valinta on sinun!

Tarjoukseen sisältyy 30 minuutin mittainen kuvaus valitsemassanne paikassa sekä yksi korkearesoluutioninen jälkikäsitelty kuva väreissä ja mustavalkoisena. Mukaan saa myös pieniresoluutioisemman version, joka sopii mitä parhaiten käytettäväksi esimerkiksi Facebookissa ja sosiaalisissa medioissa.

Lisäkuvia voi lunastaa itselleen 25 € kappalehintaan, useamman kuvan tilauksista alennusta!

Tarjous koskee pääasiallisesti Pääkaupunkiseutua lähiympäristöineen, mutta matkakustannusten korvaamista vastaan voin matkustaa myös pidemmälle!

Tarjous päättyy syyskuun 30. päivä. Varaa heti, aikoja rajatusti!

[contact-form-7]

This summer I’m offering a smoking hot deal! You can have your portrait taken in a location of your choosing for just 50€!

This could be a photo of your children, your engagement, your wedding, your graduation, your promotion, the choice is yours!

This offer includes a 30 minutes portrait session in a location of your choosing and a fully edited full resolution image in colour plus black and white conversion!
Also included are smaller resolution versions that are perfectly optimised for a Facebook cover/profile picture and any other social media galleries!

You can purchase additional images from the shoot for 25€ per digital image. Discounts are of course available on multiple purchases!

The offer is primarily geared toward the Southern Finland area but I am more than willing to drive out to you if you’re willing to cover the gas.

This offer ends on September 30th. Book now to avoid any disappointment!

The question I am continuously being asked is why have I only just sought out a driving license at 34? Well, I did actually take a test when I was 17 but I failed on a reverse park (parallel park or pocket park for the Finnish folks).

The location for the reverse park, chosen by my monotone and frivolently social driving examiner, was on a elliptical curve in a cul de sac. As perplexed as I was, I attempted it and failed on the account that my front wheel was not as tidy to the curb as the rear one. My Finnish instructor Janne, exploded with belly laughter when I recollected this and agreed that driving tests in many countries are extravagantly anal, not in the attempt to ensure a safe driver only passing the test, but to extort as much cash possible from nervous students.

Finances at the time, circa 1998, would not allow continuation and ultimately another try, so on I made do with the buses. Which in Birmingham, where and still are, more like mobile circuses than a valid method of public transport.
After that I spent most of my life trying to find what I actually wanted to be/do/find in life. I spent just under a decade, a brilliant, exciting, satisfying and thrilling decade playing guitar with a great bunch of chaps in a touring ska band. All my finances, what little of them, were directed solely at that.
Thereafter and during intermittent gaps working in a theatre in Solihull, I began working in Birmingham city centre in musical instrument sales, I spent if not all of my income on instruments, recording equipment and a little toward travel.

Learning to drive was not a priority when living within 25 minutes bus ride away from your job, neither is a driving license a priority when up rooting to another country and creating, developing and maintaining a business in yet another city environment. Especially so when you live right in the thick of it.

Above: Minus the sat nav, I will forever be lost.

However we no longer live downtown Helsinki, we live in an area right out in the sticks. Everyone who asks presumes I pronounce the name of the area wrong but in truth, there aren’t many folk who even know of it’s existence, let alone heard the name.

It takes a good hour to get into the city and although there is a joyful abundance of choices when it comes to conveyance, alas, we don’t have the appropriate place in which to keep and maintain a horse. There is also a bus that arrives on the hour which I still use but for general errands an automobile is a handy gubbin.

I’ve only held my license for a few weeks but have been out and about a fair bit. I was really looking forward to my first drive over to Sulkava, to Tuuli’s grandparents cottage.

Above: The evening view…

Above: Stacks of drying wood

Above: Ready the boat…

Above: Madlin loves to sniff the wildlife…

Above: Onni enjoys a quick portrait…

Above: The mist rolls in…

Above: Just in time for bed…

For Mummi & I.P, without you guys, there would be no driving.

Related Articles:

Full set on Flickr

Flying Bike Horns | A Previous Cottage Trip

See the cottage during Winter

These guys have only recently formed and are currently busy on writing a live set.
Huge thanks to these guys for job. I’ll be adding a link here when these guys launch their website in the not too distant future.

Full set on flickr

Today’s subject for interview and portraits is Hamed Shafae.

“Currently working as a planning officer for the City of Helsinki’s Human Resources Centre, Immigration Division. Hamed Shafae’s passion for human rights was born while growing up in war-ravaged Kabul. Continuing his involvement for the past two decades while living in Finland, the key ingredient that facilitated a smooth integration for Shafae here was his extensive training in kung fu.”

Sitting down with him on a Wednesday afternoon at Stoa in Helsinki’s Itäkeskus, conversation with the softly spoken Shafae involves many thoughtful pauses. Reflecting on his time in Finland, his passion for martial arts and his perspective on his country of birth, his well-considered answers arrive in due course.

Sometimes I wish I could take much more equipment to these kind of sessions, to have a wider variety of tools would certainly open up the scope for a much more commercial or elaborate look. These kind of shoots though on very much ‘on the fly’ based and the swift and light approach is often are far more beneficial. I guess ‘less is more’ in these circumstances.

In hindisght, this particular shoot didn’t have much of an ‘out of the ordinary’ look on paper or in the email brief. A basic mid close up, head shot and the environmental portrait. But thanks to Mr Shafae’s enthusiastic attitude combined with the wonderful surroundings, we managed to achieve a rather striking set.

I’ve been working for Helsinki Times and Six Degrees for around six years now, and each and every time I do, we always seem to get the most interesting results.

Thanks folks and here’s to many more years to come!

Here’s the full article over at 6D.fi

Some Previous Six Degrees/Helsinki Times Sessions:

Keith Hall

Joe Davidow

Peter Lindholm

RockUrok

Amongst the collection of priority one elements when shooting any portrait, is comfort. No matter the standard of your surroundings, furniture, props or lighting, if your client feels and resultantly looks uncomfortable – disaster ensues.

This is often the case with those of us who are less accustomed or less enthusiastic about being placed in front of a camera. Especially while at work. However, this is my absolute favourite area of portraiture and ultimately being a photographer – working with people, not trained or professional models but everyday folk in all shapes and sizes. While some maybe no stranger to the lens, they may not enjoy it so much. Another challenge I am extremely fond of.

Above: Jutta Urpilainen – Finnish Minister Of Finance

All Images © Copyright Tomas Whitehouse Photography | All rights reserved | Strictly No Unauthorised Use.

I take pride in knowing that not only can I deliver a high standard of image quality to my clients but I am also very skilled in putting my customers at ease and inspiring them to be ‘the best of themselves’ for each and very shot.

I can turn what many consider a daunting and laborious chore into an enjoyable and uplifting experience.

Above: Parliamentary Ombudsman

All Images © Copyright Tomas Whitehouse Photography | All rights reserved | Strictly No Unauthorised Use.

Creative individuality is within us all, but I think we each have a specific talent somewhere. One that shines brighter than the rest. I have worked in many areas of photography, but this is my calling and essentially where I am right at home.

If your looking for quality representation, contact me to discuss your requirements. I’ll look forward to hearing from you.

Above: Parliamentary Ombudsman

All Images © Copyright Tomas Whitehouse Photography | All rights reserved | Strictly No Unauthorised Use.

Above: Human Rights Committee Member

All Images © Copyright Tomas Whitehouse Photography | All rights reserved | Strictly No Unauthorised Use.

Above: Jutta Urpilainen – Finnish Minister Of Finance

All Images © Copyright Tomas Whitehouse Photography | All rights reserved | Strictly No Unauthorised Use.

With most studios of this nature it is not uncommon to have mirrors covering every wall and for a multitude of good reasons, however this does present a huge challenge when shooting some quality promo images, images that could certainly do without the presence of myself or my lights.

Initially I wanted to try something interesting and daring with the mirrors, but unfortunately it wasn’t the right kind of room for that. Thankfully, by adopting a steeper angle and utilising the lovely warm wooden floor as our background, all of our mirrored troubles were taken right out of the equation.

We had a fantastic time with this session, the staff and the models were all super stars and I’m immensly grateful to have such an awesome opportunity.

A huge round of applause goes out to the staff and our lovely models. An extra special thanks goes out to Lilli Helpi and Minna Huovinen. Thanks so much for such a lovely day and I sincerely look forward to the next project.

Above: Helsingin Taitoluisteluklubi Promo

There was yet again another recession in Finland, the previous ones I didn’t particularly notice too much in all honesty as they may not have been so relevant when it comes to this industry, but I sure as fudge noticed this one.

I also noticed that when the going gets tough, there are those that without a second thought, will shed every last shred of moral fibre to look after number one.

I will always sleep well knowing that I am not one of these types and neither will I ever be.

Above: Joe Davidow

When one begins the adventure of becoming a freelance photographer for a living, there are many intimidating and frankly harrowing hurdles to acknowledge, pre-empt and essentially avoid altogether. The list of dont’s and do’s is infinite and successfully checking them all is like trying to juggle foam balls in a gale force wind or… eat a donut without licking your lips.

Above: True Love. Anne & Jarno

I have found that honesty has been the most successful and universally rewarding tactic to employ with my business. I am honest to those who invest in me and I am ruthlessly honest with myself. I never take on an assignment which is outside of my realistic scope, I do not make promises that I cannot keep and I do not pretend to be anything that I most certainly am not.

I do however have confidence in my ability, I believe in my skill set and I have the courage to defend myself should I really need to. This has unfortunately been perceived by some as arrogance or having a gigantic ego. (Some folk, really don’t like being rumbled when they are caught out on their exploits, and they will pretty much stoop to whatever lower level to avoid accepting responsibility.)

Until last year, these oddities have never really had an effect on my work flow but during 2012 these folk increased the amplitude by calling some of my most cherished clients, beshitting my name before offering a promise of the same or better quality (yeah, right…) and at a lower price in an attempt to gain their custom.

Above: Keith Hall

Most cases they were unsuccessful but in some cases they have totally succeeded. Although it’s a little upsetting to find that a customer you have been with for a decent length of time has, without a second thought, taken the bait hook, line and sinker, it also has the potential to be beneficial to find out sooner rather than later – who your buddies are.

Some will argue that this is merely a tactic of survival when the going gets rough, bills need to be paid, mouths need to be fed and whatnot but I simply cannot arrive at the same conclusion without feeling like a soulless wanker. Personally, I feel it’s derived from the same fibres that attempt to justify cold calls, tele-sales and spam marketing as viable business tactics. It’s disgusting and no matter the rut to which I was stuck, I will not roll like that.

Above: Tiina & Jonathan

“Maybe your work is crap though and these guys are better”.

To be objective, I will not rule that out, so in this post there are some examples of my output from 2012 and you can be the judge for quality. Riddle me this though, if these folk were indeed better, why do they need to compose fictional tales to support their claims? Surely the work they do would be evidently ‘better’, y’know the ‘proof of the pudding’ should win their custom as opposed to the yarns they can spin? Or maybe I’m just a dick for preferring the “May the best woman/man win” philosophy.

Cheaper does tend to win hands down in any area of trade where quantity or mediocrity are sufficient. It’s far more beneficial for you to accept, that if the pay decreases significantly each year, then you are better off disassociating yourself with that area altogether. If your broke – raise your profile with more appealing content – if your desperate then find some unrelated work to supplement your income in the meantime.

Above: Tiina & Jonathan

Another harsh truth I have had to face is that in some areas of this industry, (for some institutes at least anyway), the absolute cheapest price possible is the penultimate priority. This is a fair issue, but it never stops them complaining about poor quality. The paying of peanuts resulting in monkeys for employees somehow gets lost somewhere.

Above: Anne & Jarno

I cannot even begin to calculate the amount of email enquiries I have had over the last year that involve a heart breaking disappointment with piss poor wedding photo quality and please can I work any magic in photoshop to save them.

I’ll be blunt, the kind of mistakes that I have been asked to fix should not be evident in someone who has labelled themselves a photographer let alone an actual business that provides a service. A service of what exactly? guaranteed misery?

Above: Anne & Jarno

The ultimate advice I can offer to anyone who finds themselves in an area of employment where the cheapest prices for photography always wins: Get the hell out – Immediately. No matter how much they pretend to be friendly, offer support or make promises. It’s very surprising how warmest of ‘friends’ can and will stick a knife in your back the moment they need to cover their own.

Be clever, go find yourself a life vest and leave them to rearrange those deck chairs aboard the Titanic.

Above: Childhood Revisited

“Yeah but I got my name mentioned, that will increase the chances of getting higher profile employment!”

No. All you did was prove to the world that your an insufferable schmuck who has been forever dubbed ‘a low hanging fruit’. No one will employ you on any kind of fair basis when you’ve willingly given your work away for free. In Finland, word of mouth is either immensely rewarding or excruciatingly devastating. Washing off years of being a pushover or selling at discounted rates is near impossible.

“Well, I don’t care I’m still at uni/have a day job/stay at home parent, I don’t really need a good price, just a little will do, plus, I just want to ‘do something!’”.

Well, Not only did you give that shot away for pennies (or for free), you just contributed to polluting the stream for many of us who actually swim for a living. Thanks.

“But I have only just started out, I want to be a photographer, I naturally need to charge less than those better than I”.

So how about getting better first? Ever heard that saying “Learn to walk before you can run”? Quit your day job when your confident that your quality is either just as good or better. Think of long term benefits and strengths as opposed to the short.

Above: Teerenpeli 8 yr Single Malt

There are industries I have experienced here in Finland that perceive and thus manifest themselves as some form of charity when in truth, they are nothing of the sort. It really shouldn’t take the brain of a particle physicists to arrive at these conclusions but over the last few years I am stunned at just how many seem to have trouble with the following basic notions:

A charity aims to provide amenity to those who do not have it. Charities feed the hungry, heal the injured, cure the sick and shelter the homeless. A charity does not hold maximising profit for personal gain at the apex of their priority nor do they produce articles on the latest Formula One/Football/Figure Skating events.

Above: Julia Lipnistkaia – Finlandia Trophy 2012

If you want to volunteer your time for the benefit of human kind, go volunteer yourself in one of the thousands of genuinely charitable institutions such as a soup kitchen, or become a Samaritan or join the Salvation Army.

Giving away your work to newspapers, magazines, sports organizations or any media or any companies that are not registered or legitimate charities needs massive consideration and there are very few instances where this would be of any benefit to you, short or long term. The same applies for accepting or selling at ruthlessly discounted rates.

Believe me, there are staff in these institutions whose role is based on obtaining/providing content for very little and in many cases without paying for it all. Never underestimate the depths in which they will sink to achieve these goals.

Above: Mannerheimintie, Helsinki

Exploitation is rife and thanks to new and ingenious bills being passed with regard to intellectual property rights, it’s getting much, much worse. Times are becoming much more challenging for all, clients as well as those who provide the services but if you can afford your mortgage, afford your transport, afford to have children then you won’t be getting any sympathy from me. You may have my respect and admiration if you got there without ruining someone else however.

Above: Myrtel Saldeen Olofsson SWE. Nordic Figure Skating Championships 2012

One thing remains very clear to me and this is that no matter how hard my spirit is tested and no matter how hard or poor my income gets from trucking onwards with honour, I will not let these disgusting excuses of human beings cripple or destroy me.

I must sincerely thank those who have stood by me throughout the year, the endless support from the near and dear ones is everything that gets me through this crazy train. I am eternally grateful to those who have offered me advice, inspired me to remain vigilant and keep my strength in defending myself and my work.

For those who have chosen the opposite path here, well know this; I sleep well each night knowing that I have never thought of, let alone attempted, to destroy someone or their career because I myself am having difficulties.

The next time you’re about to hang another one of your buddies out to dry, remember that there is no place you can hide from your own doings. Karma will find you, she always does in the end…

Above: Ariana

The primary reason behind going for a different kind of body is that the majority of my income is generated from portrait based business, so for the small amount of action based photography that I do each year, it simply isn’t enough to necessitate spending around 5k for a sports based camera body replacement like a D3s or D4.
(Above: “There Is Nothing Here” A Polite warning from the KGB)

All of the images in the post are from a trip to Estonia, most are based around the Hotel Viru – KGB Tour that Tuuli and I took and heartily recommend.

Above: KGB View Of Tallinn

I had gotten my hands on both 800 and the 800E versions during a seminar hosted by Nikon Finland with Joe McNally and Bill Frakes earlier this year. I was suitably impressed on a variety of levels but more on that later. My main concern, should I order one, was having the muscle in the computer department to effectively handle 36 megapixel NEF files and in batches by the hundreds, sometimes thousands.

I’ve been exclusively using Apple computers for just under ten years and after the amount I have spent on Apple systems and the amount that was calculated for a new computer to handle D800 files, I simply could not entertain the idea of buying another Apple system.

Above: Cab Driver. Handheld at dusk.

This time around it had to be a Windows rig and to be brutally honest, it has been the best business based equipment decision I have made this year.

Becoming familiar with Windows again after a near decade of Apples was quite a transition and is still ongoing. However my frictions with a different OS shadow in comparison to the benefits I am finding on the dark side of the moon. More on that later too.

As soon as I had the power to handle large batches of enormous raw files, I signed the lease for the D800.

Initially, I had heard, read and discussed most of the concerns that surfaced upon the release of the D800 but I only realised them for myself during the first week of it being in my inventory.

Some of my shots were not as sharp as usual…

I had previously read horror stories that the D800 is clearly a tripod only camera and this would have been a deal breaker for me as I detest having to use tripods unless I am compositing or using a Ring Flash.
There were Flickr discussions and all kinds of forum posts dedicated to the larger resolution sensor badly needing a tripod to take a sharp shot and frankly it sent my heart sinking.

Thankfully, a lot of this was the knee jerk stuff that fresh owners had concluded after not much use of the new system at all.
The turning point for inquisitive folk begins after unboxing the D800 and finding not the usual two but three manuals:
The dumbed down quick start guide, the novel-esque operating manual and then (snare roll please..), The Technical Guide.

What’s this then? Maybe something that Nikon felt necessary after the initial volley of complaints perhaps? After reading this guide though, everything was crystal clear.


“At the high resolutions offered by the D800/D800E, even the
slightest camera motion can result in blur. The techniques revealed in this guide minimizes blur through a combination
of live view photography and a tripod.”


Interestingly the tech guide points to using both live view, mirror lock up mode and if necessary, a tripod to avoid motion blur in the images you take and I can confirm 100% that this is the best approach to getting the sharpest shots handheld.

After just ten minutes of playing around with the mirror lock up and utilizing that same stance a point and shooter would with live view, I had the sharpest possible results with zero hassles and no tripod.

This also applies to using faster shutter speeds, even at 1/250th and above.

Most of the time I am using some kind of lighting and I was quite surprised that if you attempt a shot at 1/250th without using live view or the mirror lock up, you can also acheive a little motion blur.

Mirror lock up is pretty much engaged all the time I use my camera now. It’s taken some getting used to as one must press the shutter once to lock the mirror up and then another press to open the shutter to take your shot. So essentially it’s like a double tap.

I will switch to live view in very difficult conditions but it can be kinda tricky handheld at times. The beauty of using live view is that you can actually zoom into the preview to achieve pin point focus accuracy. There are several modes that make the job of finding clear focus very simple, there is even focus tracking, face recognition and focus point placement outside of the usual centre perimeters, even right the the very edge of the frame. I find this particularly useful as I am a habitual focus point shifter, I always move the focus point to where I want the point of focus to be. Sounds simple but I am often surprised by just how many photographers I meet that default to the less successful focus recompose method.


So how do these new/different approaches fair out in the field?

Well, aside from becoming familiar with leaving your eye out of the view finder should you choose live view, the mirror lock up/double tap is already second nature to me now.

Most portraiture I find that the new methods slot right into place. It’s difficult environments that I am interested in at this point, like night shots and walk by snaps.

During our trip in Estonia I put these focus methods into practice and even in the more challenging conditions I had very sharp images.

Above: Hotel Viru, once a KGB bed for Soviet Propaghanda.

Above: 100% Crop

Above: Restaurant Peppersack. Handheld at night.

Above: 100% Crop

Above: Sõprus Cinema. Handheld at night

Above: 100% Crop

I didn’t feel that need for a tripod during any of the night time shots. Had I wanted a longer exposure or more movement in the shot then of course I would have, but for handheld walk by snapping – no worries at all.

It’s an interesting shift without any issue so far.


More to come…


Related Articles:

Estonia Trip 2012 – Full Set On Flickr

Above: Rockettes

It was a truly thrilling and action packed day. Some 100 portraits including all the teams, coaches, administrators and skaters. 850+ images of all the teams and skaters performing the seasons new programs on the ice and of course the set and strike down of a complete studio.

Above: Rockettes

Above: Finettes

Above: Coach Portraits

Above: Skater Portrait

Huge thanks goes to Jouni Ranta for being the best colleague in the known universe. Kirsi Nurmi-Haikonen & Kaisa Nieminen for relentless help and sharing the same desire to make the best photos possible. Mia Manninen for excellent choreography and artistic direction for the team shots. Of course, huge thanks to all the teams, skaters, coaches, staff and parents who made this fantastic day possible.

Kiitoksia paljon kaikille!

The shop galleries are now online!

If you are a parent or club member wishing to buy prints or digital versions of the promo day images, please collect the username and password from HTK.

Cheers!

Above: Julia Lipnistkaia

Above: Beatta Papp

It’s wonderful to get back into the swing of the Figure skating and kick off the new season with these great changes. I enjoy the summer holidays very much but do miss these crazy cats from the media family.

A huge thanks goes to the event organizers and the lovely staff at Suomen Taitoluisteluliitto. This was definitely the most enjoyable Finlandia Trophy yet! We had such a good area to shoot from, massive kiitos all round!

Above: Kiira Korpi

Above: Olesia Karmi & Max Lindholm

Huge thanks to Tommi Hannula as Helsingin Sanomat (Major Finnish Paper) for thinking of me when they needed a shot. Cheers buddy!

Above: Natalia Popova

Above: Team Unique

Another shout out goes to Antti Aimo-Koivisto for allowing me to showcase this image of Kento Nakamura and his Rod Stewart pants. I don’t usually post funny figure skating related images but this was too golden an opportunity to miss. It’s worth noting that his bum does not normally look big in this. (My Dad is really going to appreciate this shot).

Above: Kento Nakamura by Antti Aimo-Koivisto

Another monumental thanks goes to my lovely lady, Tuuli, for making the best million course dinner during the competition that consisted of a dish from the home country of each competitor!
How special is that!

Great to see Elu and Kari again. Nice one ya bunch of champions you!

Thanks a bazillion folks!

Related Articles:

Full Set On Flickr

Finlandia Trophy 2011

Finlandia Trophy 2010

Acquiring and earning new clients, working together, solving problems and emerging victoriously is all part and parcel of business language and collaboration. Our job is to ascertain the clients requirements and fulfil them, right? I perch firmly on the ‘give it 110%’ side of the fence but over the years I have encountered instances where there is a definite want for 110%, but an absence of consideration for the effort, time and resources to successfully achieve it.
I follow a few blogs from my photographical heroes and influences and although they don’t seem to be heavily denied the resources they need to orchestrate their process and manifest their style in good, solid, inspirational formats, I’d hazard a guess that they encounter it at some stage.

’The Moon On A Stick’ syndrome – Where the output is unrealistic in respect to the input. How do we deal with it?

I’m not talking about over complicating a simple job or trying to create ‘fine art’ when the client clearly doesn’t want it. To clarify, here’s an extreme example:

The client requires a full scale studio installation on a remote rocky mountain, complete with MUA, stylist and full wardrobe which must be fully operational, from load in to performance ready all within 5 minutes.
“That’s not impossible with the right amount of assistance” some may say and maybe they’d be right but let’s put the budget at 500€ to illustrate even further, the issue I am drawing attention to.
The transport costs alone are going to exceed the budget before we have even begun with crew and resource costs so, as in most circumstances, I would advise that the requirements are scrutinised with much more realism and thus renegotiated logistically.

Sometimes though, there is trouble in comprehending that arriving onto the scene with an expensive camera, simply pointing and shooting a single frame will not get the required result. Now, I have lots of amazing and fantastic clients, I refer not to those I have worked with but more to the enquiries that I either negotiated or had to turn down.
After receiving any kind of enquiry there is a vast pool of questions I will always relevantly dip into to help paint a picture of what exactly is required, how much work is involved, the tools/crew to choose and ultimately, to calculate an idea of costs.

Ultimately, I want to do my absolute best, be as creative as I can, as resourceful as I can and then as efficiently as I can = Blow some socks off.

A full scale assault with several flash heads, 200cm diffusers and a platoon of assistants is not the kind of approach for formal corporate head shots destined for ID cards for example. I consider myself a fast worker and have always offered a healthy level of flexibility. I guess these are commonly earned skills when your busy starting out, getting your foot in the door to develop business relations and earn new clients. I rarely turn down any assignments but there have been a handful of times where the proposal is so unrealistic and no matter how much logic or rationality is gingerly injected, the understanding of the base ingredients are totally ignored.

In most cases I will investigate the locations before a shoot so I not only know where to load in and begin installation of the equipment but also to grant me perspective and creative influence. Having as much of an idea possible of the dimensions, textures and existing lighting, arms you with vital potential and especially if there is any extra time for adlibs or the manifestation of spontaneous and creative brain waves.
After all the ‘must have’ frames are wrapped, I encourage the clients and crew to fire out any ideas that they may have, this can be very fulfilling and a lot of fun.

Pre-planning and pre-preparation are key but we’ve all experienced a few circumstances where none of these considerations have been possible. For example, access to the location or adequate time for load in may not be possible for a variety of reasons. Even with a compliment of assistants it’s safe to say that a few minutes is unrealistic to unload from vehicles, transfer, set up a large scale studio environment and be ready to shoot. Some seem to find it difficult to comprehend that make up actually requires time to apply and if you want it done well you won’t be breathing down the back of your MUA’s neck constantly yelling at them to hurry the hell up. If your a wanker, you might do that but for the rest of us human beings, we realise that it’s a little counter productive to yell and scream at our colleagues.

Part of being a professional is both knowing the time scale and supporting it.

Another related variation of this instance that I have come into contact with is the polar opposite – the satisfaction with mediocrity. I’ll loosely define mediocre as work that has no visible skill or harmony, has very poor composition and highly notable/abundant technical flaws.
Bottom line here, I loathe feeling like I have produced mediocre work and I have had a few experiences where there has been so many restrictions and obstacles through preference that mediocrity is unavoidable.

Yes, the job is done but I don’t take any pleasure nonchalantly squelching out that phrase that is often used as a shield - “The Clients Happy = I’m Happy”.

From observations, adopting this attitude and practising it, is also to light the fuse to your own demise.

A few fellow photographers who work in the mainstream Finnish media industry share exactly the same observations. I shan’t name any names here but one in particular mentioned that after a visit to the USA shooting high profile sports and after witnessing how the pros work, the level of effort they put into their craft, how the clients not only expect this level from them but encourage it, and consequently how the pro is rewarded, all are way above the current levels here in Finland.

Now it must be pointed out that the industry here in Finland is wildly different to the USA and UK for example as it is extremely small. To be honest though, those US shooters can have a huge edge over us in Finland and on a certain level – I’m inclined to agree, not because there is an absence of desire, skill or talent to produce high quality work here, on the contrary we have an abundance of influential and talented shooters it’s more the issue of the bigger clients being unwilling to allow the effort/resources needed to produce a similar result.

“A whiskey sour without the whiskey is just a sour.”

My good friend and colleague, Kari Kuukka wrote some about an instance pertinent to this point we’re illustrating here.

The satisfaction with mediocrity. No matter how much I want to ignore it, is there: To prioritise convenience or a minimum of effort over output quality.

It’s a persistence to remain antiquated, a reluctance to adapt, to modernise and from what I have experienced in the last 7 years of being here, this goes precisely against the grain of Finnish mechanics, culture and spirit.

It’s pure madness but it undoubtedly crops up often – “I can’t be arsed with all the fuss, just gimme something shit for free or as cheap as possible”.

The most recent example I can think of was being approached by a promoter, they needed a weekends worth of event coverage (16 hours total), 120 portraits of high commercial standard (studio installation required), all editing/file conversions/online storage and the exclusive copyright ownership to all images.

The budget was 300€ inc tax.

I made a more realistic output/volume offer within regards to the budget and that was politely declined. A younger photographer was hired whom met all the above requirements and has their horridly rushed and poorly constructed images pasted all over European websites and media with their name right alongside every single one.

“Out, damn’d spot! out, I say!”

These situations do not require a photographer who has earned their stripes, made their investments and developed a unique style, they need a tripod with a point and shoot on a timer.

“Hey, just take the money and hush your noise!” say the neysayers.

Personally, I take pride in earning an honest living but more importantly I’ll share with you a little something that is worth memorising:

“Short term gain and a long term loss“.

In our tiny industry producing mediocre output with huge holes and visible mistakes, whether regular or occasional, is eventually going to suffocate or destroy your chances of survival within the industry (not to mention your well being and piece of mind).

Even if it’s what the client requires or enforces, it won’t matter – you have a portfolio containing only middle of the road, sub standard work.

Your an easy target to knock of the wall and all that ‘The client was happy’ stuff is not getting you out of the hole you’ve willingly dug for yourself.

Be careful out there, be confident, be genuine and remember that the cost of money is sometimes too high.

…. (Muzak fades out)

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