My experience is that connections count for a lot, but you still have to make them. When I moved to Berlin from Montreal four years ago I didn’t know anyone, so was starting from zero. But in this case, I signed up a zine making course two years ago at a photo book shop in my neighbourhood, which was run by someone working at the store who also happened to have their own indie publishing company and work part time as the photo editor at the newspaper. She liked my photo project and it will be be published as a book, but I have to come up with the money for that. She spontaneously reached out to be two weeks ago at the minute to ask if I was interested in this assignment. So that’s the long story of how I made that connection.
Wow that’s a very inspiring story, to have come to a city as big as Berlin as a newcomer not knowing anybody and then making that connection. Your more documentary style of photography is what I enjoy most about shooting, but I find myself stuck shooting weddings/portraits etc. I’ve been telling myself that the photojournalism style just isn’t as monetizable, but maybe I’m just getting in my own way.
Sending condolences to you, your family, and all who will dearly miss your sister. Also sending congrats for the more positive happenings you’ve shared.
Dear Ari, I am so sorry to hear of the loss of your sister. My condolences to you and please pass them on to Magnus as well. A beautiful piece of writing to go with your superb images.
I'm so sorry again for your lost. Must have been a hard winter. I'm very happy you had positive experience with the cover album! So cool and with the Berlin journal photos. I hope your summer will be softer .
Thank you Kristina 🫶… wasn’t an easy winter at all. In terms of photography, things have been going pretty well, had a few other assignments on the side too, which is always nice. So happy for you to be featured and showcased by Fotografiska, that’s not small thing!
My condolences again, Ari. Reading what you shared here reminded me of the beautiful book Grief is the thing with Feathers - “grief is a long term project”.
So glad to see you writing again and to see your recent projects, and that you got to visit and shoot in my kiez out here in the “outies”. Your recent purchase and justification is just adding more reasons to my list to finally “invest” in a Leica though…
Thank you Michael 🫶 Thats an entirely accurate quote. Starting to get the itch to write again, but I wasn’t feeling it at all for the past 90 days. Really enjoyed discovering the “outies” and although I’ve been a Köpenick a couple to times already, it really is a lovely kiez. I’m obviously a massively biased Leica fanboy, but I wholeheartedly recommend getting into the system – used prices have fallen from their peak three years ago, (still not cheap) but a Leica M4 can be had for around €1400 and add a used Voigtlander 35mm Color Skopar for €250 and you have a great setup that won’t lose value.
Thank you Susanne, I appreciate that 🫶. I’d say the assignment came at the right time. And I’m rediscover my energy to double down on creative pursuits.
I’m really sorry to hear about your sister, I hope you and your family as doing as well as you can do under such circumstances. It’s nice, though, to read about your successes in photography and how it paid for an MP. I’ve used MPs for years’, they are just fantastic little cameras. The M6 is great, but the MP feels more refined from my massively biased perspective.
Thank you for the condolences. I genuinely appreciate them. The M6 was perfectly fine, in fact, more than that, but I always had the MP in the back of my mind. The black paint brass body is just super nice. And I agree with your thoughts that it's more refined.
I'm so sorry for your loss Ari. It's good that you're taking your time and being gentle with yourself before returning to routines as you process your grief. Part of that sounds like the assignment, which came along just at the right time for you - congratulations on that and the album cover. Take care.
Terrible news about your sister. I don't have siblings, so I can only imagine how difficult dealing with that news must be.
Congratulations on the album cover. It's always a great thing to have one's work recognised to the point where it's featured like that.
Enjoy the MP. I had a mint one form the same era. Probably the best film rangefinder I ever owned. I used it alongside an M240 and M9 Monochrom - and with 28mm Elmarit, 35mm, 50mm and 90mm Summicrons. I got an offer I couldn't refuse and swapped systems but it's one camera I really miss.
Taking film shots on assignment in foreign cities for a newspaper is what dreams are made of… how much of it comes down to connections you have?
My experience is that connections count for a lot, but you still have to make them. When I moved to Berlin from Montreal four years ago I didn’t know anyone, so was starting from zero. But in this case, I signed up a zine making course two years ago at a photo book shop in my neighbourhood, which was run by someone working at the store who also happened to have their own indie publishing company and work part time as the photo editor at the newspaper. She liked my photo project and it will be be published as a book, but I have to come up with the money for that. She spontaneously reached out to be two weeks ago at the minute to ask if I was interested in this assignment. So that’s the long story of how I made that connection.
Wow that’s a very inspiring story, to have come to a city as big as Berlin as a newcomer not knowing anybody and then making that connection. Your more documentary style of photography is what I enjoy most about shooting, but I find myself stuck shooting weddings/portraits etc. I’ve been telling myself that the photojournalism style just isn’t as monetizable, but maybe I’m just getting in my own way.
I am so sorry for your loss. But also happy at getting a sale for album art and got a new camera!
Thank you Alex, I appreciate it 🙏🙏
Sending condolences to you, your family, and all who will dearly miss your sister. Also sending congrats for the more positive happenings you’ve shared.
Thank you, I appreciate that 🫶
Dear Ari, I am so sorry to hear of the loss of your sister. My condolences to you and please pass them on to Magnus as well. A beautiful piece of writing to go with your superb images.
Thank you Lesley 🫶 It’s been a rough few months… Thanks for reading and I’ll be back writing on here more regularly now 🙂
Sorry to hear of your loss Ari. Its good to see you back here.
Thanks Tom, I appreciate that 🫶
I'm so sorry again for your lost. Must have been a hard winter. I'm very happy you had positive experience with the cover album! So cool and with the Berlin journal photos. I hope your summer will be softer .
Thank you Kristina 🫶… wasn’t an easy winter at all. In terms of photography, things have been going pretty well, had a few other assignments on the side too, which is always nice. So happy for you to be featured and showcased by Fotografiska, that’s not small thing!
My condolences again, Ari. Reading what you shared here reminded me of the beautiful book Grief is the thing with Feathers - “grief is a long term project”.
So glad to see you writing again and to see your recent projects, and that you got to visit and shoot in my kiez out here in the “outies”. Your recent purchase and justification is just adding more reasons to my list to finally “invest” in a Leica though…
Thank you Michael 🫶 Thats an entirely accurate quote. Starting to get the itch to write again, but I wasn’t feeling it at all for the past 90 days. Really enjoyed discovering the “outies” and although I’ve been a Köpenick a couple to times already, it really is a lovely kiez. I’m obviously a massively biased Leica fanboy, but I wholeheartedly recommend getting into the system – used prices have fallen from their peak three years ago, (still not cheap) but a Leica M4 can be had for around €1400 and add a used Voigtlander 35mm Color Skopar for €250 and you have a great setup that won’t lose value.
Ari, I am so very sorry for your loss.
Not sure what to say here, but it seems like the assignment came at the right time.
Thank you Susanne, I appreciate that 🫶. I’d say the assignment came at the right time. And I’m rediscover my energy to double down on creative pursuits.
That is good to hear! I know grief is a tough thing. It takes time. So take good care of yourself!
Condolences, again.
Love that you’re continuing your creative pursuits and the Berliner Zeitung assignment is great.
Hope things are less heavy for you soon!
I appreciate your thoughts. Creative pursuits definitely help.
I’m really sorry to hear about your sister, I hope you and your family as doing as well as you can do under such circumstances. It’s nice, though, to read about your successes in photography and how it paid for an MP. I’ve used MPs for years’, they are just fantastic little cameras. The M6 is great, but the MP feels more refined from my massively biased perspective.
Thank you for the condolences. I genuinely appreciate them. The M6 was perfectly fine, in fact, more than that, but I always had the MP in the back of my mind. The black paint brass body is just super nice. And I agree with your thoughts that it's more refined.
condolences!
what are your plans with the m6 now?
Thank you. I actually just sold the M6 today. It’s going to a new home in Montreal.
Very sorry for your loss, the community is still here even if you dip in and out of it
I'm so sorry for your loss Ari. It's good that you're taking your time and being gentle with yourself before returning to routines as you process your grief. Part of that sounds like the assignment, which came along just at the right time for you - congratulations on that and the album cover. Take care.
Terrible news about your sister. I don't have siblings, so I can only imagine how difficult dealing with that news must be.
Congratulations on the album cover. It's always a great thing to have one's work recognised to the point where it's featured like that.
Enjoy the MP. I had a mint one form the same era. Probably the best film rangefinder I ever owned. I used it alongside an M240 and M9 Monochrom - and with 28mm Elmarit, 35mm, 50mm and 90mm Summicrons. I got an offer I couldn't refuse and swapped systems but it's one camera I really miss.