New season and new project on the way. Last season was all about Antiout the movie. This season I am working with Antti Autti on Relate To It webisodes that will be broadcasted online at Transworld Snowboarding and Onboard magazines and anttisworld.com website.
We started the project from Revelstoke, Canada late last year and currently we are filming in Hokkaido, Japan. With record-breaking snowfalls Japan is the place to be at the moment!
Antti and Miikka Hast at Revelstoke, BC Canada.
Photographer Jani Kärppä from Lappikuva and Antti just before the last run of the day. Me and Jani decided to take a run just for fun after hard day of hiking and filming and Antti had enough energy to tag along. According to Antti the backcountry code goes like: “Never leave your buddies” and thats the way it should be at all times when you are out there with your friends!
New tools for the trade. I wanted to take it easier this year and decided to get a split-board. It saves energy and hikes are way more easier when you don´t have to carry your board and struggle through the deep snow. For steeper and shorter runs I still prefer my regular (goofy) board!
Japan randomness clockwise from top left: #1 Check out this gallon of whisky, Jani is having a laugh and wondering should we take some quality time off from the slopes? #2 Some Japanese guy recognized Antti at local grocery store and wanted to have a photo with him. #3 Our car just before arriving at Niseko, check out that huge pile of snow at the roof! #4 You can get everything from the vending machines, this one had toys, toys, toys and seeds to grow your own radish!
Traveling with photography- and video gear is pain in the ass most of the times. Not only its heavy but it can get broken, maybe not by you but by someone else. You have to be prepared for everything and that is why there is usually too much stuff to carry around. Everything that you can fit goes in your backbag and inside the cabin if you are traveling by air, and don´t mind the weight limits, the size matters more! When you show your baggage contents to airport officials they usually let you take it with you even if it is too heavy. It gets too risky and pricey for them to get your expensive gear down at baggage compartment. Everything else must go down, and that is something you can´t control yourself. Better to get some Pelican-case or similar if you´re really worried, but I think it gets too heavy and complicated to lug around multiple cases and snowboard bags. You think you packed everything safe and sound but still your gear gets smashed. Lets face it, those airline workers won´t handle your luggage the way you do it yourself.
This was the result after flights from Helsinki via Copenhagen to Bergen in Norway. Thank you SAS! With this protector filter they smashed my 1TB external hard-drive. Both items packed inside tough Dakine bag, wrapped around with couple of shirts, fleeces and beanies. I made the complaint of damaged gear during flight but never got response. After couple of months I called back and the process was started but it has been six months and nothing, not even excuses.
Here is another pic of my trusty old 80-200 Nikkor which was fine after I changed the smashed filter. Another good reason for wearing one at all times!
This photo was part of exhibition called Harhalaukaus. It was on display at Bar Kuka in Turku last year and at bar Cafe&Pint also in Turku this year. It contained photos from seven different photographers. Photos were eventually sold in auction for charity.
Harhalaukaus, “misfire” or actually “missed shot” in english was about accidentally taken or somehow ruined photographs that otherwise would have been considered useless.
My photo was taken at Scrapbook sessions 2008 in Rovaniemi. Shot was meant to be a backlit photo of snowboarder Miikka Hast. I snapped a photo with my old Yashica D, on the background I saw Teo Konttinen spitting water on the kicker and thought that I needed another, this time clean shot of Miikka. I forgot to advance film and took another photo double exposing them by accident. Result you can see above. I think it is much more interesting this way though.
Photo of the exhibition at Bar Kuka by Niko Vähäsarja, thank you very much Niko for making the exhibition happen!
Last year I was out filming and photographing most of my time. During the process a lot of gear breaks up, gets battered during transport or just has poor design. It happens so often that there has to be more to it than just bad luck.
Equipment that I use are supposed to be made for frequent use and they should last the normal wear and tear, without me looking after them with excess care. I admit that I am not the most caring people when it comes to my equipment, but still it happens so often that I can do nothing but wonder the quality of products nowadays.
I wanted to start a new category to my blog because of this and here is the first entry:
It is a flash shoe adapter. Cheap stuff but still designed poorly. Manfrotto should be selling these in 6 packs or something because they are just not made to last, crappiest stuff I have to carry in my bag. Shown in the photo broken in two different ways, one on the left is still holding flash but it is spinning freely and can be pulled out from its socket with your hand. One on the right will not hold a flash in it, you can see the cracks on the top.
Title of this post is stolen from an album of 90`s pop punk band, guess what!
Miikka Hast BS1 at Revelstoke on World Snowboard Day 2011
New season had great start from Revelstoke, BC, Canada. I arrived in Canada a week ago to film with Antti Autti. Antti joined Protest team riders Miikka Hast and Jonas Hagström who also decided to start their new Snowtour from here due to good early season conditions BC has to offer.
Check out more from:
anttisworld
Protest Snowtour
World Snowboard Day
