Photoshoot with Paavo Lötjönen (Apocalyptica)

     You might already know Paavo Lötjönen as one of the talented rock-metal-cellists of Apocalyptica. Well, now you should also know that Paavo is a talented photographer and one great man.

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2d man from the left – with Apocalyptica

I don’t remember exactly how the idea of having a photoshoot together came up.
What I remember is that it happened on a cold winter day. The wind was blowing hard and the sky was of a pessimistic grey, the kind that, if you are not careful, will suck up  all energy from you.

We met inside Kaapelitehdas, at the coffee place. We had no other choice than to shoot inside with such a weather. We would have to compose with the lack of light.

Coffee filled my veins and the chemistry of friendship did the rest. We were ready to work and it was time.

I felt my hands were a bit shaky, from tiredness and from the caffeine. I was a bit nervous too to work with Paavo for the first time I guess. A funny feeling for me, who was not a photoshoot virgin.

Relaxing took me a little time. I was out of my comfort zone: I have always been more comfortable shooting outside and using beauty of the environment I’m in.
Yet there I was, sitting on cold concrete stairs, with no strong light to uplift me, with a black wall on my left and a lift shaft on my right. There was nothing for me to rely on.
All I had was myself and my exchange of energy with the photographer.

“Now, be angry!”

.. “I don’t do that.”

“Come on, be angry! Show it to me with your eyes!”

Damn.
As Eilera, I had explored anger with music, but never in my photographs. At least not voluntarily. 🙂

I had two choices then: blow this opportunity of breaking through my comfort zone, together with someone who masters the codes of rock-metal music, or to embrace it.

So I played along.

I dug deep into places in myself that I do not usually set free. And what surprisingly enough came out in the photos, rather than anger, was intensity.

Excitement.

Freedom.

Sex?

Life.

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By Paavo Lötjönen – 2014

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