ANEMONE CORONARIA

here's to Sunday afternoons,

cups of coffee, music

& an escape into one's

digital darkroom.

x

LINDBERGH LESSONS

"The photographer,

even in fashion & portraiture,

has to have a standpoint.

It's important to know 

what you stand for, no?

Most people just take pictures

but they stand for nothing.

They follow trends

& don't know why."

"If photographers are responsible for creating or reflecting 

an image of women in society,

then I must say,

there is only one way for the future,

& this is to define women

as strong & independent.

This should be the responsibility of photographers today:

to free women,

and finally everyone,

from the terror of youth & perfection."

"Your inspiration is better

if it comes from many different sources

& your sensibilities will transform

all those influences & inspiration

into your own visual world.

It's like reading the book

instead of watching the movie."

"Photography gives you the opportunity

to use your sensibility

& everything you are

to say something about 

& be part of the world around you.

In this way,

you might discover who you are,

& with a little luck,

you might discover something much larger

than yourself."

Quotes: Peter Lindbergh

Snapshots from Peter Lindbergh's exhibition

at Kunstahalle München 

last summer,

& exhibition mementos in the last one. 

LOST IN WONDER

a lovely weekend to you!

'lost in wonder'

portrait of Ani Pinchuk

muah Stephanie Korhonen

© Rebecca Watson Photography

THREE ♡s

This holiday home

This editorial 

This Parisian abode

(click on text under each pic
to take you there...)





x

SKY CIRCLES

Spring burst through the door

& painted everything blush, cotton and neon.

The warmer breeze

has released an air of ease.

The mind drifts to summer holidays

in a heat that soars to 

near-African temperatures.

I'm ready for the adventure. 

Until then,

the days continue to be filled

with words & photography & editing for others.

And then I reward myself

by rummaging through the  hard drive

for one or two just for me,

for you,

like these ones.

I add my thing to them slowly,

smiling,

feeling the love,

wanting nothing but tenderness

& dreaminess,

as music fills the room.
There's freedom right there,
in that small moment.

It's freedom that always beckons,
and makes the thought of a total break
shine like a beacon.

To feel it rushing through the body,

leading by the hand to play (= to create), 

while I leave all expectations behind
(mine & others')
in a heap in the hallway.

And then,

at summer's end,

begin again,

with a clearer mind,

and a heart that's aligned.

(And I sit here writing this, thinking,

"but you've mulled on these same things before". 

 I look calmly in the eye and say,

"but darling, even if it's two steps back sometimes,

that, too, constitutes a journey.")

Let's make some sweeping sky circles this summer,
shall we?




x

THE JOURNEY

"One day you finally knew

what you had to do, 

& began,

though the voices around you 

kept shouting their bad advice ~"

"though the whole house

began to tremble

& you felt the old tug

at your ankles."

"Mend my life"

each voice cried.

But you didn't stop.

"You knew what you had to do,

though the wind pried

with its stiff fingers

at the very foundations,

though their melancholy was terrible." 

"It was already late enough,

& a wild night,

& the road full of fallen branches and stones."

"But little by little,

as you left their voices behind,

the stars began to burn

through the sheets of clouds,

& there was a new voice 

which you slowly recognized as your own,"

"that kept you company

as you strode deeper & deeper

into the world,

determined to do

the only thing you could do ~"

"determined to save 

the only life you could save."

Words: Mary Oliver

Model: Ani Pinchuk

Muah: Stephanie Korhonen

© Rebecca Watson Photography

WHAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF

... well, take an entire Sunday

and a light-filled space,

... a husband,

who's willing to help clear up

said space,

and take charge of the home while it all happens,

yet again,

... two photographers with a shared secret pinterest board

filled with powder-hued eye candy 

to set the backdrop

for each of us doing our own thing,

and props, 

some handmade at the last minute,

... one lovely, patient model,

the epitome of elegance 

on the inside and out,

fed with strawberries and bubbly

(well, lunch, too :)),

willing to take part in the dream,

... a makeup artist

who immediately got the gist 

of what we were after,

creating her magic 

that remained flawless

all through the day.

(and yes, 

there's a Facebook group for that!

we were strangers,

but no longer.

there's more magic in store together, i'm sure...)

... music,

love & excitement

that bubble over. 

afterwards,

a feeling that you've given your all,

run a marathon.

achy neck, dizzy head,

feeling totally disoriented.

i have a thing for seeing glimpses

of what has gone into a final image,

and wanted to share some here, too.

& something of the joy

of getting one's act together

to pull this off.

gathering forces

and finally getting on with it.

i find that photography for me

is a constant battle 

between feeling satisfied 

and hungry,

never ever one without the other.

right now i feel like i've been fed

at least for a little while.
that, my friends,
is an unfamiliar sensation for me :) 

x

model: Ani Pinchuk
muah: Stephanie Korhonen

LATELY...

plans for a shoot

involving plenty of tulle, top hats 

& powdered cheeks

still feeling the rhythm,

dance, soul, joy, warmth & beauty

from last night's concert in my hood

with Nouvelle Vague 

and opening Liset Alea,

who was so incredible, too.

A Parisian glow landed in Helsinki for the night

and I'm not gonna let it go...




I've also been feasting my eyes
on this apartment,
and these boho spaces.



And I thank you for your Monday moment
here with me
~  wishing you plenty of light & love
for the week ahead.


x

WEEK 2: SOOC

This week's challenge was to take an image 

without any post-processing whatsoever

(although setting the camera

to also include a jpeg version

as was the idea here

does mean the camera's made certain adjustments for you...) 

In any case,

in this world of filters & what nots

I think this is a great exercise 

– both forcing you to try & get the image you envisage

already in camera,

and teaching a little about

learning to live with 

& having the guts 

to put out there 

an image that includes

certain things you'd like to tweak a bit,

even if just minor adjustments

like white balance or cropping... 

The idea is to come back to this photo

in week 50 and edit it

– let's see where the mood takes then. 

x

WEEK 1

There's something in the soul 

that craves something fresh & new at the start of the year.

No huge changes in my life in store this year

(that I know of yet anyway),

so was eager to jump aboard

 a 52 week photography challenge.

A good opportunity to think out of the box a bit

and stretch one's personal limits & comfort zone. 

Thought I'd share snippets of these weekly tasks

over here as well. 

The first week's task was to 

tell a story using the rule of thirds 

– and my mind instantly jumped to the thought

of a blank sheet of paper at the start of the year

 to slowly begin to jot down a brand new story. 

A soft landing, a quiet start.

x

SILENTLY DRAWN

“Let yourself be silently drawn 

by the strange pull of what you really love. 

It will not lead you astray.” 

- Rumi

model: Ani Pinchuk

muah: Meghna Mukherjee  

taken at a workshop by Dasha Pears