I have been testing and using new camera for couple of months now. I decided to get Sony A7S after seeing so much hype about its video capabilities. For video it looks amazing, quality is incredible and it is a joy to use with zebras, peaking and excellent manual focus aids. It seems to be pretty nice for photos also!
Here are some shots from various occasions since november. All photos taken with Zeiss 35mm FE 2,8 lens. Zeiss is packed with wonderful optics, quick AF and it teams up nicely with A7S. Lens hood is all plastic and not that durable, I managed to break mine after one month. I have been happy without it ever since.
All photos quickly edited with Aperture 3/DXO Filmpack 3
Moonscape, Rovaniemi.
Trees in Vennivaara, Rovaniemi.
I am half Labrador and half Rottweiler and I like the snow. Shot @ ISO 25600
Car troubles and flare testing.
Reindeer round up in Savukoski. I wish you could see the details.
Kalle Ohlson dropping for seriously steep roof slide.
Ohlsson, Nosepress, Rovaniemi Shot @ ISO 10000 no flashes.
Our two year project Approach&Attack finally got online on november 11th.
We ended up shooting two years in various locations around the world for this movie. Two years because we wanted to have a chance to go back to some of the locations like Minamiuonuma in Japan and Wanaka in New Zealand. Antti´s idea for the movie was to have local knowledge and help as we were searching terrain and snow. We managed to find awesome people to help us on our way and in the end we made good friends with the guys you see in the final edit.
Name itself came along the way, we were figuring out different scenarios of what we are doing and how we do it. Someone, I think it was Antti came up with an idea that there must be an Approach to a problem, country, terrain, snow or whatever it is you are doing. While making this movie we approached with hiking, snowshoes, splitboards or in some cases helicopter or snowcat. After the approach you see the terrain and snow, you imagine what can be done with it, how can you utilize it to make the best out of it. And then you Attack it, I remember it was Takumi Nagai or Yuta Kiyohara in previous year we were in Japan who said “attack the jump” and that was the perfect way to describe how we were doing things in the backcountry. And if you did not already see or realize it there is A&A in the name of the movie and that comes from Antti Autti!
Antti getting ready for some serious Approach; next part of the 4 hour hike to Postdalsfjell in Tamok.
Unknown Attackers in Sjufjellet, Tamok. Can you spot them, they look like ants!
More sophisticated (and pricey) way to Approach is with helicopter. In New Zealand this is a necessity. We did not want to overdo it but sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and enjoy the ride!
Our guide, friend and moviestar Takumi Nagai Attacking the deep snow of Hakkaisan!
Miikka Hast stalefishing this gap in the middle of foggy Whitewater. While we were shooting some random guy came from the misty woods and in his own words he was; “searching for that cold pocket”! Actually it was raining and foggy and we were at the top of treeline.
Antti Attacking jump with a classic method in Whitewater, Canada.
One more Approach from Whitewater, this time with good snow!
Alvaro Vogel somewhere in the Hokkaido roadside steeps.
Last february we went to British Columbia to shoot Approach&Attack project. These photos are snapshots I took with my pocket camera, LOMO LC-A. Excellent little camera that does its own magic with the available light. There is something going on in the exposure meter of this little thing, most of the times it just works in a way that never stops amaze me. Super easy to shoot and I really enjoy it with black&white film, this time it was Fomapan 400asa. British Columbia itself was awesome, despite we had some bad luck with the weather and warm fronts coming in couple of times during the trip. We visited resorts around Nelson, did some hiking and splitboarding in mountain passes and had few days of awesome powder in Valhalla Powdercats. From there we had the opportunity to visit Monashee Powder Snowcats.
Nelson has excellent location and a lot of options to do and you can find much cheaper accommodation than from the resorts or lodges. Highly recommended!
Kootenay Pass view
Miikka Hast slashing some pow in Kootenay Pass
Miikka and classic moustache
At times it was snowing constantly
Fellow photographer Kärppä hiking in Whitewater
Some random drive-by guitar player
I have been privileged to come to New Zealand for three years in a row now and this country never stops amazing me! Sceneries are jaw-dropping, people are friendly and there is always things to do even when the weather is not on your side. Wanaka, Queenstown and Arrowtown are fun to chill out on a day off the slopes or when backcountry is inaccessible. There is always an option to go cruising quality park and pipes shaped to perfection in Cardrona or longer runs in Treblecone. And yes, there is sweet mini-pipe or more like an old school pipe in Cardies!
Filming in NZ requires good planning and good group to work with. Big thanks to Southern Lakes Heliski, Alpine Helicopters and Triple Point Expeditions! Everything has to work when you try to get things done in the right way. Scouting for locations is expensive if you have to go out finding spots with a helicopter. Guides make our life a lot easier with their knowledge about terrain and the conditions. Being here for third time also helps out since we have some knowledge of what is out there. Having a map or two will not hurt either.
Dealing with the weather takes a lot of patience and willpower to get you through those grey days. And not only grey days, day after snowstorm in the mountains usually means dealing with high risk of avalanches. It is not just glory and endless powder, mostly time goes by just wishing it was, but then comes those days that just makes it all worth to come filming in NZ. It would be such a bummer to leave without the shots that you came here for, so playing the waiting game is essential. We have had five days of heli in three weeks now and we consider ourselves lucky!
Antti slashing through small avalanches
We have still one more week to make this trip even better, if the weather allows we might be flying but after two full days its time to relax and recharge batteries. Take a beer or two, chill out in the city and then what? Shotover jet on the river? Bungee or cliffjump? Skating the pools or Dream ramp? Frisbee golf in superb sceneries? Kayaking again? As one snowboarder once said there is infinite potential and that is so true in New Zealand. If we have time we go for everything!
Down days with Rami Hanafi on a kayak.
Tailsliding the Dream ramp. Antti behind the lens this time!
Kiwi Style is common phrase down here but last year fellow snowboarder, the Frenchie Sylvain Bourbousson gave it a new meaning; People are driving their cars like crazy in here. If you are pedestrian on crosswalk they will not stop to wait for you, they try to run over, it´s crazy and Kiwi style!
Summer is finally here. After busy winter and busy start of the summer its time to relax. Next week Northlight Pictures is on holidays, enjoying midnight sun and other oddities of the north. Hopefully I have some time to do more posts after holidays and before next winter season. Still got some scanning, editing and possibly filming to do. In the meantime, enjoy summer while it lasts!
Midnight sun in Rovaniemi, Finland
Having used FLM LB-60 leveling base for couple of years now it got broken during our move to a new house. I sent it back after official warranty period in hope that they could fix it.
Yesterday I got home from last filming trip to Canada and there it was, package from FLM waiting for me. I opened it knowing that there would be my leveling base, hopefully fixed, but instead there was two. Old broken one and brand new one including letter “With regards back”.
In my email correspondence I offered to pay for repair costs, shipping and whatever inconvenience this might cause to them but there was no mention about anything like that in package I received. This is what I call excellent customer service! Thank you FLM
