goodbye

For those of you who don't know, the great photographer Irving Penn died on October 7, aged 92.

I could say a thousand things about him, all of which have already been said in the numerous obituaries. I won't, because you've either read them, or then you don't care to hear.

But, like British Vogue put it, it's getting lonely out there. Richard Avedon - dead. Ansel Adams - dead. Irving Penn was the last of the great ones, and my personal favourite. And now he's gone, too.

"A good photograph is one that communicates a fact, touches the heart, leaves the viewer a changed person for having seen it."
- Irving Penn

blue

I wouldn't mind it if somebody took me there right now.

I don't know what this is, but I'm definitely longing for the countryside. I've got my head stuck in this image of a cottage among piles of snow and a scattering of trees. Sitting next to a fireplace with some tea. And outside it's dark, so I'll light candles and feel safe.

An incredibly short excerpt from Jonathan Safran Foer's novel Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close:

It's so cold in Yukatia, which is in Siberia, that breath instantly freezes with a crackling noise they call the whispering of the stars. On extremely cold days, the towns are covered in a fog caused by the breath of humans and animals.


Click pictures for links.

singin' in the snow

This picture just about sums up why I love Helsinki. They put lights like this on the trees here too, in winter. It makes the city just a bit more magical.

It's snowing out and I've just started reading Jack Kerouac's novel Wake Up, which I found yesterday at a bookstore after weeks of searching.

And, by the by, if you're looking for some amusement, grab a friend and quiz them with this site.

Click picture for link.

christmas in silver

Some more Ella to make your Christmas even brighter.

Oh, and I got this wonderful photography book by Annie Leibovitz, and really great notebooks to be filled later on, and some lovely jewellery... And finally Jonathan Safran Foer's Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close beautifies my bookshelf! What did you get?


First photo via Audrey Hepburn Complex. Second, click for link. Third unknown.

christmas in gold

Ella Fitzgerald sings it so well.

"Have yourself a merry little Christmas, let your heart be light. Next year all our troubles will be out of sight."

(By the way, this is a scheduled post. Aren't you proud of me? I must be some kind of genius when it comes to technology. Merry Christmas you all!)


First photo, unknown. Second, click for link. Third via Rominatrix.

deer

Just realised I have a few lovely pictures of deer stowed away in my files. And then I realised the pictures even have a bit of a storyline, from loneliness to twoliness... Or maybe I'm just hopeless.

Here's what my Oxford Dictionary of English has to say about deer.

deer: noun (pl. same) a hoofed grazing or browsing animal, with branched bony antlers that are shed annually and typically borne only by the male

(Isn't it just like a poem? With the branched bony antlers?)


Pictures via My Peter Pan Complex.

all i want for christmas...

... is fairy dust. And some good books.

What's your Christmas wish? What do you really long for? How will you celebrate? Go here and tell me.


Picture via Audrey Hepburn Complex.

reasons

(Shh.

Guess what?

We might get a white Christmas in Helsinki after all.)


Picture via Sabino.

strangers

You know those strangers who look at you on the street or on the tram, and the corners of their lips go up just enough to make your heart leap. And you might smile back but anyway you just keep walking like nothing happened. Like you just didn't not leap at a huge possibility that could possibly have changed your future.

And you tell yourself, next time I will be brave. Next time I'll stop and say something, anything, just to give destiny a chance.

But you never do, right?

Picture via King or Lowest.

the girl you want to be

I remember having sworn not to do gushy, fangirly posts back when I started this blog... Well, I never really thought I'd be able to keep that promise.

You know who she is, of course. (If you don't, you should.) Pictures found here.

baby it's cold outside

I'm fascinated by the way snow changes from large wet flakes to swirling little pinpricks in a matter of seconds. My mother and I just visited the attic to fetch the Christmas decorations. And I'm listening to this.

This is why I always manage to fall in love with winter. It drives you to the edge with its miserable darkness and rain, and then it brings forth all this lovely snow and frost. And then you light some candles and make some tea and put on some jazz and crack the spine of a good book, and you can't remember when you've last felt this happy.

You can tell me anything here... Ja sille, joka kirjoitti tuonne pelosta ja ystävyydestä ja hymyilemisestä ja joukkoon katoamisesta, tunnemmeko? Jos tunnemme, kerro kuka olet. Jos emme, meilaa tai jotain. Särjet sydämiä noilla sanoillasi.

Picture from The Thinking Tank.

flannel shirts

Another one of my photos of inanimate objects. I think I should call this series Things or something equally creative. Click picture to view large.

They say we'll have good and proper cold weather in Helsinki next week. I love the preparations, getting out the big and bulky coats and shoes. I love the sharp and silvery tang of frost in the air. The expectation makes me feel better. I feel better, in general.

Tell me things here. Your secrets are safe with me.

all's fair in love & war

I'd love to be there right now. Wherever that is. They've got snow, the lucky ones.

I'm feeling a bit bad for pouring my heart out for all of you to see every day, and never asking you anything.

So go here and tell me. Anything at all.

Tell me about your loves, past and present. Tell me about your hopes and fears. Tell me little things or big things. Tell me about your first kiss. Tell me what makes you smile.

What makes you cry? What do you think about when you lie awake in bed at night, if you do?

Tell me your secrets.

Tell me anything. (Some linguistic restrictions apply, since I only read English and Finnish. French is definitely not my forte. Sorry.)

I honestly want to know, I'm just that curious.

Picture via The Thinking Tank.

fright

Today was bad and I'm so so scared and for once I have a reason. But I won't won't won't write about it here, it won't make anyone feel any better.

Something I wrote a while ago.

one
day
can
make
the
difference
between
you
and
me

Picture via Sabino.

sunday morning

I just found this here, and I'm crying a bit because it's like someone has finally managed to verbalise what I've been trying to say for a long time. I don't know if this is a quote or what, if you know please tell me.

Also, I've been thinking of changing from Blogger to Tumblr. Just because it seems I might be more suited for short picture posts and stuff... I don't know, though. Tell me what you think, please?

faintly french

Today I'm crashing down again as steadily as I've been going up these past few days. I can't understand why I am seemingly unable of being happy for more than three days at a time.

A picture of my friend Jutta. Looks a bit like a still from a French New Wave film, doesn't it?

artsy

This photo I'm actually pretty proud of. I've never danced around the darkroom before as much as I did today. Click to view larger - you know you want to. More of my photos to come.

Today was sharp and wintry, and for once it didn't rain.