Ignored Landscapes
How I Turned my eye into little things
(that I usually walk past and ignore)
and discovered a hidden world
The New Year is upon us. Seems like 2015 was all about doom and gloom, at least as far as international news and events went. It didn't have a big impact on me or my family, but somehow the news were still creeping in and influencing my photography, at least in a sense that traveling did not seem as exciting as usual.
HANGING MOSS | Nauvo Archipelago, Finland | January 2016
Instead of travelling into exotic locations, I had an opportunity to turn my camera towards my own city (see gallery here) and during the first days of the new year, into little things in the archipelago. I was photographing plants, rocks and surfaces that I literally walk on the fields and forests. It felt like I was scuba diving and photographing the bottom of the Baltic sea and its hidden treasures. However these photographs were all taken on the island, since the water is mighty cold at this time of the year.
On location - Photographing with a macro lens and fiber optic flash extension | Nauvo Island, Archipelago Sea, Finland | photo: Veera Loikas
What a wonderful this small world is. The nuances in color, texture and patterns are amazing. The organic patterns and designs fascinated me. I was using a macro lens so I was able to focus close. However, things I photographed are visible to the eye, so it was not like looking at a microscope. It was more like looking at the world reduced in size while playing with small toy soldiers in my childhood. Then I would often start imagining myself in the scene. So that is why these photos are landscapes, I felt I was in the scene, just like a person gazing into a typical or grand landscapes.
STRING QUARTET | Nauvo Archipelago, Finland | January 2016
These landscapes are ignored. Maybe it is because they are so small. However, I think they are ignored because people are too busy. But it is important to give value to these small things because then you value the big landscapes and the delicate nature of the archipelago or your own surroundings wherever you live.
Dried Reeds | Nauvo, Finland | January 2016
Artistically it is very challenging, but also important for me to keep photographing the familiar places during different seasons at different stages of my life. The places seem to stay the same, but I just start to see them differently. Yet there are always similar themes in my photographs. In one level that is comforting, somehow I am following my core and trying to interpret my view of the world that has the same basic structure.
Moss Dancers of the Archipelago Sea | Nauvo, Finland | January 2016 www.vesaloikas.com
So what do these images reveal about myself? Maybe that I am a curious person. Well, I am always looking under the rock. That much is true, because who knows what kind of a world is right in our grasp (but just hidden), and it just waits us to be discovered.
HIDDEN CITY | Nauvo Archipelago, Finland | January 2016
In photography gear matters, but it is only a tool. However, macro photography requires some gear that makes it easier. With a specific macro lens you can focus close which is necessary for shots like this. The flash system I was using is not expensive. I found the instructions to build one via Youtube. If you want to learn how to photograph every day objects in a way that transforms them into inner landscapes, contact me for lessons.
First Snow | Nauvo, Finland | January 2016
ICE PICASSO | Nauvo Archipelago, Finland | January 2016
My setup for these photographs
My passion for printing my own photographs started in the 1990s, a pivotal time in the evolution of printmaking, when the first color inkjet printers became available. However, during those early years, there was a significant drawback: the inks didn’t last and faded in just a few years. This all changed dramatically with the introduction of carbon-based pigment inks. These inks offered longevity that was previously unattainable.
Now, the long-lasting prints I produce can endure more than a lifetime, showcasing colors that are not only lifelike but also reflective of my artistic vision. Through my journey in printmaking evolution, I have created numerous fine art prints, each telling its own unique story.