Decided to say hi to you all :)

[ValoPeikko]

Hi all now that's it, right?

I'm a Finnish photographer, alternative printer and I consider my self as a visual poet. My pictures are more self portraits then anything else, even when they are pictures of nature or other people. I tend to seek the silence, quietness, which is all around us but still hidden under the stressful world we all live in. Currently slowing down, takin my time and working towards coherent body of work is my main goals. It's a zen like goal though, never to be reached and more actively I try to hunt it, more it evades me. But when the time is right, exposure happens and magic can be seen on paper.

Here's a piece of my current series "Troubled and Tranquil Lands". It's a series of pictures captured in Iceland and Norway (perhaps some will be made in Finland as well, time will tell). And printed as gum prints. Gum printing has taken my heart and soul, due to it's finicky nature. It represents the sides of me which I my self respect.

 

[benjiboy]

A hearty welcome Valo from England, Gum Bichromate printing is becoming almost a lost art but can produce the beautiful results that can't be seen in your picture that can't be done on an i phone or digital camera.

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

Welcome from Washington, DC! Congrats on having the bravery and fortitude to pursue gum printing. It's a real challenge, but when it works, it really works!

 

[Sirius Glass]

Welcome to APUG

 

[LAG]

Welcome to APUG!

 

[ced]

Yes indeed welcome! Finland fits into the "Tranquil" category. Good print making Valo.

 

[eggen]

Welcome to Apug from TAMPERE!

 

[Valerie]

Welcome from Texas. Lovely image!

 

[cowanw]

Bob Carnie (here) works in Tricolour gum.
Welcome.

 

[ValoPeikko]

Bob Carnie (here) works in Tricolour gum.
Welcome.

I mainly work in black and white only but doing it in colour (sort of faux colour). I've done CMYK gum prints in the past, but most of the time, it's simply not "me". I respect everyone who does that though, insane amount of work per print.

For me it's not about accurate representation, photography never has been that for me. It's about printing out your own vision, experience and mood. Gum is perfect for that.

I also work with salt printing, ziatype, pt/pd, cyanotype and bromoil. At times I do straight up black and white prints on silver gelatin. But that's mainly for other purposes (like getting fast results from a negative).

 

[Halford]

Welcome - I love your images; they really inspire me to press ahead with image-making experimentation.

 

[ValoPeikko]

Welcome - I love your images; they really inspire me to press ahead with image-making experimentation.

Thank you for your kind words If you want to stay tuned on what I do and think my website updates slowly (it does) there's always instagram which I try to update every now and then ( instagram.com/valopeikko )

 

[flavio81]

Hello from Lima, Peru and welcome to the wonderful world of APUG