cords/

I can feel a new obsession starting. Cords. Usually cords are the bane of shooting an interior. They always look like a big mess and it becomes a "hide the cord" exercise throughout the day. But I have noticed that they are so important to composition in these shots. The first image is the telephone in Alvar Aalto's bedroom, and the last two are from Finn Juhl's house. The third shot was my last shot of the day on my iPhone and I am going to go back and perfect it tomorrow.
BTW, check out the little figure in the second image. The art in Finn Juhl's house is amazing. Probably some of my favorites. He had a really wonderful and deliberate eye. And don't get me started on color and Finn Juhl...
Tweeting more tomorrow from his house as I shoot. Come along. @lwillphoto

scandinavian skies/

As many of you know, yesterday was a travel day for me. Not a long journey - I flew from Helsinki to Copenhagen and happily the plane wasn't full and it was easy going. I know it is such a cliche to take pictures out the windows of planes, especially for photographers...you see it all the time. But it is because it is so very pretty! So the first two images today are just before landing. I woke up (I sleep on every flight now. Planes taking off is like a sedative to me.) and saw this out the window. I am a sucker for cloud shadows on earth. The second two are from takeoff in Helsinki. I was having a little dorky fun...no app required!
But now I am happily installed with a lovely host in a Copenhagen suburb about 15 minutes away from Finn Juhl's house. I am finally washing some clothes (hallelujah!) had a home cooked meal and am enjoying the quiet - a still kind of quiet that you only get in houses. There is a whole back story to this particular house that I will share the details of at some point, but this shoot has been in the works since 2007! I'll be tweeting during the shoot day again, internet willing, so find me on twitter @lwillphoto and let me know what you think! I love hearing from you during my day!

alvar aalto studio/helsinki

Two more from Alvar Aalto's studio today. I held them back because I started seeing a theme - ebony and ivory. And yes, I started humming the song Ebony and Ivory too. Ha! ; )
Tomorrow is a travel day. Heading to Copenhagen! Thursday and Friday I will be shooting Finn Juhl's home. I'll be tweeting again as I shoot (internet connection willing). @lwillphoto is my twitter handle. Isn't this fun!?!?!

alvar aalto studio/helsinki

Believe it or not this was my lunch break yesterday. I am in Helsinki shooting the Alvar Aalto house for my book and at lunch I ran over to check out Aalto's studio a couple blocks away. Needless to say an amazing space. The house is equally so. I tweeted as I shot yesterday and plan to do the same today if you want to follow along you can follow me @lwillphoto.

@lwillphoto

Just a quick note to say if you really want to follow my trip in real time you should follow me on Twitter. I have just posted a bunch of pics as I shot Alvar Aalto's house today. I think the twitter posts to my Facebook so if you friend me you can follow me there too...I am trying to post to my blog a more considered, and edited way. But my excitement has me posting from my phone a lot lately! Aalto was so amazing to day! Check out the pics on Twitter...

note from helsinki/one month in...

Just arrived in Helsinki for what will be a whirlwind Alvar Aalto extravaganza.What does that mean? It means I fly in, shoot Aalto's house for two days and immediately fly out. C'est la vie. I get two amazing days that most people don't ever get...the fact that I will have to make a return trip to experience the design history of Finland is OK by me.
But today I realized I have been traveling for a month. I am a little under half way through my trip, but I still feel like I have so much to do! And amazing opportunities just keep coming out of the woodwork. A lead on an interesting house in Sweden, a possibility that Josef Hoffman's house (that he built for himself) in Austria might be available to shoot...with a little persistence. To steal a line from Charlie Brown "Aaaugh!" I want to shoot them all!
It has gotten to a point where I just try and concentrate on the opportunities that move me. Of course, I have also noticed the more tired I am, the less I am moved! : ) I guess that is typical.
Another shot from Skägga today. Perfect, no?

skägga summer house/sauna

If I could transport myself somewhere right this second it would be here. With this weather (rain all day in Vienna makes this stipulation obligatory). And the second image would be my view.
Off to Helsinki tomorrow to shoot Alvar Aalto's House! I am super excited even though it is supposed to rain there too...