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Portraits of nutritionist Annika from Soulfood Nutrition

August 7, 2016

Annika-portrait-photography-Studio-Metsa-Helsinki-Finland

Meet Annika.

She won this photoshoot through a contest I held a while back for all my newsletter subscribers (if you’re not yet a subscriber, subscribe at the bottom of this page).

Annika also happens to be a good friend of mine whom I’ve known for half of my life.

In addition to that she is a nutritionist who is just about to graduate as a nutritional therapist.

Annika’s first degree is in marketing and she was doing marketing for around 8 years until recently when she decided to make the move towards a full-time focus on nutrition.

Some years back Annika discovered how much she had started to care about what exactly went in her mouth and the unavoidable consequences they have not only on our physical, but our mental and emotional health as well. She found herself so immersed in the world of nutrition that she decided to take a step further and began studying it.

Annika the superwoman

I’m telling you, this woman is a real-life superwoman.

Yes, she is.

Not only did she go to school while still working full-time in her marketing position, she also took care of her young son (and gave time to her marriage, friendships and family in addition to her own health).

I’m not entirely sure how she was able to manage it all, but so she did and now she’s nearly done with her school. One more step and she’ll officially be a nutritional therapist.

She’s making a huge change in her life right now, transferring from full-time marketing coordinator to full-time nutritionist.

It’s a scary time but anything worth something will always bring up different levels of fear.

I, for one, am immensely proud of her for taking this step and for believing in herself. She’s going to do so great in her new position and will change so many people’s lives.

If you’re interested in taking care of yourself through nutrition, you should be sure to check out her business Soulfood Nutrition and ‘like’ her page on Facebook.

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Thank you for reading and caring! I would love to hear from you though, what are the things you would like to do if you had no fear? Comment below!

Until next time lovelies,
xoxo Erika

In the spotlight: Enni

July 24, 2016

Potrettikuvaus Studio Metsä Valokuvaus Helsinki

One of the greatest things about being a photographer is meeting new people. It’s a constant reminder of what a fantastic bunch of people this earth truly carries.

The fact that a person can open themselves up and let someone come so close in such a short amount of time is a real gift. That person takes a step into the unknown, challenges themselves and shows themselves, and others, what they’re capable of.

Because photo shoots are really intimate. As I’m fighting with the wind to keep the reflector steady and aiming to photograph at the same time, I often mention how having an extra pair of hands would be really useful right about then. However, the truth is, I don’t want an assistant because I want to be alone with my client to keep that intimacy intact. I want my focus to be 100% on the client.

Spotlight

As we were photographing, Enni and I had a few funny moments in the bird tower in Lauttasaari. At one point the reflector was literally gone with the wind and left on the ground to compete with the sun about which one is brighter. We also got some company when a lady along with her children came up in the tower and ended up staying a while longer to check out the beautiful Enni and our photoshoot. I believe we were even caught in a few cell phone pictures ;)

It was really a pleasure to photograph Enni. We had beautiful sunshine which came pouring in gorgeously through the wood. It inspired me to create a bit more fashion-y portraits of Enni. The strong contrasts between the light and shade complimented Enni’s cool look.

Here are a few frames from our photo shoot!

Happy Sunday to you all and a wonderful start for a new week! Until next time..

With hugs,
Erika

Studio Metsä 6 months!

May 6, 2016

Portrait Series: Tuuli in the center of attention

April 14, 2016

Four portraits of Tuuli by Studio Metsä Photography

It always feels so surreal to me when I meet ladies who tell me they never look good in photographs and therefore hate being in front of a camera.

I always think ‘If only you saw what I see’.

Which is why I do the work I do. I want every woman who gets in front of my camera to feel beautiful, accepted and loved. I want to give them a different perspective on themselves; to show them what I see, to show them their inner and outer beauty.

We were all created different and in those differences is where our beauty lies.

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Today I’m presenting you the beautiful and amazing Tuuli.

She originally contacted me because she has been on a quest to challenge herself, to do things she never thought she would and to build up her self-esteem.

One of the things she dislikes, normally, is being in front of a camera and she, like many women unfortunately, is very critical of photographs of herself. The idea of being photographed in front of people also made her very uncomfortable.

So naturally that’s where I took her – in the middle of people, right in the heart of Helsinki.

Let’s see what happened..

Tuuli in the center of attention

Sanomatalo was our first location. Sitting here something magical started to happen. I had photographed Tuuli for a little while when she said to me: “You know what? I’m no longer nervous! I feel really relaxed.”

Magic!!

That made us both shriek in joy and excitement – we had somehow managed to move past her fears in the first location already.

I felt giddy.

“HAPPINESS IS AN INSIDE JOB.” -WILLIAM ARTHUR WARD

“You yourself, as much as anyone in the entire universe deserve your love and affection.” -Buddha

Our second location was the beautiful Musiikkitalo with its gorgeous clean lines. At this point Tuuli was radiating – you could see how she enjoyed being photographed.

Imagine that! The girl who, until now, has very much disliked being photographed.

Our photo session became so natural and such a beautiful moment.

Later on this is what Tuuli said about the experience:

“I tried not to think too much about where we were going to go, but like I said, the first thought was oh I hope we are not going to really public places! On the other hand I thought, I trust you and your vision. Besides you have a nice and calming presence.

So beforehand I was scared and nervous about the whole thing, how could I be in front of a camera when it doesn’t feel like me at all. I was nervous about being the center of attention and the unnatural feel of it. What will other people think of me and of the entire situation? That thought has eaten me for years. I still arrived with a relaxed mind. And the whole thing started off with good vibes and relaxed atmosphere. I wasn’t nervous about the people around me (the biggest surprise) nor did I feel uncomfortable (the second WOW). I didn’t even think of what I looked like.

And I was left with a winner feeling! I felt so good.

This is a long road I am on towards an overall self-respect, courage and stronger self-esteem. I’m also after a more merciful attitude towards myself and my shortcomings and accepting myself for who I am. Our photography session brought me much further in this goal. It might sound shallow and meaningless to someone else, and in some way I find it hard to articulate all of the positive and empowering feelings that came with this experience.

Thank you so much again, it was such a great moment with you!”

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If you would like to be photographed to increase your confidence, to face your fears, to do something you never thought you would, contact me via info@studiometsa.com – I would love to work with you and help you move towards a stronger path.

Thank you so much for reading the story of the beautiful Tuuli and checking out the photographs we created together. If you found this blog post and these photographs touching, please share them with friends and family who might gain something from them as well.

Thank you again – I wish you a wonderful day!

Until next time lovelies,
xoxo Erika

Photo Series: The Beauty and The Mastectomy

March 20, 2016

After mastectomy portrait by Studio Metsä Photography

About a month ago I photographed a woman who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer (read the full post and see the photos here) and was about to go under the knife. The mastectomy was scheduled to take place a week after our first photoshoot.

Once we got together for this post-mastectomy photoshoot, she told me more about the surgery, the experience and all the things that went through her head during. Through it all, she has maintained her sensibility and optimistic outlook on life.

Her humour especially is still very much intact: a few days after the surgery she was already joking about the new breast she has ordered from the surgeon!

This woman is an inspiration.

See for yourselves.

Post-mastectomy

The final photograph perfectly portrays her joie-de-vivre.

Just look at her.

Isn’t she beautiful?

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Thank you, again, for letting me come to your home and to such an intimate situation with you. I feel blessed to have gotten to know you and in some way experience this with you.

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Until next time lovelies,
xoxo Erika

Heart and Soul Present: Meditation and Negative Feelings

February 25, 2016

Painting with light self-portraits by Studio Metsä Photography

Lately I have been semi-absent in the Studio Metsä social media world and I apologize for that.

In addition to photographs, Studio Metsä also makes websites and the final deadlines of a few websites have kept me busy in the last week or two. On top of that I was hit by a massive wave of depression this week and after wallowing in it for a few days, I finally picked myself up today and decided “no more!”. These kinds of things are not often talked of in public, especially as business owners, maybe because we think it will somehow harm our reputation. But if you are a human being (which I assume you are since you are reading this blog post ;)) you are not immune to negative feelings so why shouldn’t we talk about them?

After all:

It is not about the negative feelings, it is all about how you handle them.

A big factor in me slipping down that slippery slope was the fact that I had started to neglect my very sacred morning routine of reading and meditating. Whenever I have started my day by reading something new or inspiring about business and/or self-improvement followed by even just 5-10 minutes of meditation, my day has been laid with a strong foundation to stand on and my mind has been clear and focused to take on the tasks of the day.

These few days have been a great reminder to never neglect it again.

So in honour of meditation, I wanted to talk about another form of meditation I take part in.

Photography.

(Shocked?! ;P)

Never having been much of a self-portrait photographer, I first took upon myself to find myself and my emotions in self-portraiture (this is not to be confused with the ever-growing world of selfies) back in 2011 when I was on exchange in the Netherlands. Self-portraiture is actually harder than it seems as you have to try to imagine what the photograph is going to look like without actually being able to see through the viewfinder (although with the advances of technology, this seems to be lost now too as a friend of mine demonstrated just earlier this week with her new Canon 6D: you can connect it to your phone via WiFi and use your phone as the viewfinder and shutter release). In the old-school world of self-portraiture, it is a string of trial-and-errors and in its repetitive form, extremely meditative.

The following photographs are from the autumn/winter of 2014. They were shot in pitch black darkness with some light from my cell phone. This is how they were in camera, they haven’t been cropped or edited much. The only exception is the very first photo which I used as a trial for a tad darker, colder blue and some sharpening of edges. Other wise the photos are exactly as they were shot.

PHOTOGRAPHIC MEDITATION

Thank you for reading!

I would love to hear about your routines and your own form of meditation! Please connect with me by using the comment section below :)

Until next time lovelies,
xoxo Erika

Cats in search of a life-long home

February 19, 2016

Kissa etsii loppuelämän kotia HESYssä - valokuva Studio Metsä

Cats, cats, cats! I’ve always loved cats.

But growing up I didn’t have a chance to have one. My father has asthma and at the time was reacting terribly to cats. As a result it was always an absolutely-not for any animal but cats were the biggest no-no of all. So, I was left petting all the cats I could get my hands on outside of our house.

I remember a night I spent at my friend’s house who had just gotten a little kitten. My heart went to heaven upon waking up and having the little kittie come up to me purring. I thought, ‘how amazing would it be to wake up like this every day‘!

That’s what I dreamt about.

All animals have always held a very special place in my heart, but cats…there’s something special about them. Perhaps it’s their independence, their absolute resolution to showing how they’re feeling – no sugar-coating, no detours, just honesty (which I guess is also the very thing that some people are put off by). Not to mention their unwavering forgiveness – you accidentally step on their tail, they meow in protest and you kneel down to apologize and there they are, already purring, as if the tail-stepping never happened. Seriously! How amazing is this species.

At the age of 19, I finally got my own cat. Her name is Mimmi, she is now 13 years old (turning 14 this year!) and she is the most amazing cat in the world. Her and I used to take naps together when I was still living at home (that’s right, I got a cat while living at home with my asthmatic father. His reactions are long gone and he hasn’t suffered from any symptoms caused by cats thereafter) – so Mimmi and I would take naps together, I laying on the floor and she would sleep on my chest. When we lived in Helsinki and I would cry, she would come to me and lick the tears away. And every time I came home from work, she was already behind the door meowing and so excited to have me back.

How could you not love these gorgeous, fascinating beings?

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As a result of this life-long love affair with cats, I have taken interest in their welfare and helping out any way I can. I first became more involved with animal shelters when I moved to Canada. I was volunteering at the local SPCA and began photographing the cats as time went on.

Since moving back to Finland, I have been involved with the local HESY organization doing photography for them here and there.

This week I went back to photograph some of the cats currently up for adoption.

MEET THE CATS:

Kissa makoilee HESYn tiloissa Helsingissä - valokuva Studio Metsä / Cats of Hesy

Halla – male – born in 2015

Halla is a chill cat. He is glorious in his size, he is thin but long. He came to HESY with his siblings who are all a bit timid, but friendly. He will be adopted with another one of his siblings or alone to a family that already has a cat.

Mosse – male

As soon as I got there, Mosse caught my attention. He was by far the most affectionate of all the cats there. I immediately fell in love with him. He will need a family who have time to spend with him, petting and socializing.

Viiru – female – about 1 year old

She was an interesting little kittie – she would be very interested in what’s happening around her, but as soon as the door is opened to their little room, she ran away. She is clearly looking for love and affection but is, for one reason or another, a bit timid. I have no doubt that she wouldn’t be the most affectionate cat with the right, patient and loving owner.
Viiru will be adopted along with her friend Pesonen (featured in one of the photos) to a home with previous knowledge about cats and no children.

Kissa etsii loppuelämän kotia HESYssä - valokuva Studio Metsä / Cats of Hesy

Viima – male – born in 2015

Viima is Halla’s brother and has the same timid personality as Halla does. He will also be adopted with another one of his siblings or alone to a family that already has a cat. He needs a family that has experience of cats.

John HESYn tiloissa odottamassa adoptiota - valokuva Studio Metsä // Cats of HESY

John – male

John was a real charmer and has a gorgeous fur coat. He will be adopted along with Smith and they need a home that doesn’t have small children. Both of their fur coats need to be groomed daily.

Smith HESYn tiloissa odottamassa adoptiota - valokuva Studio Metsä // Cats of HESY

Smith – male

If you’re interested in adopting any of these cats, please go to the shelter directly to get to know them! Also, please remember that these cats deserve, and need, a life-long home and should be chosen as a great fit to your family, where everyone takes an active role in taking care of the cat.

HESY ry
Yhdyskunnantie 11
00680 Helsinki

Cats can be visited Wed-Fri between 3-6pm and Sat-Sun 1-5pm

Until next time lovelies,
xoxo Erika

Photo Series: The Beauty and The Breast

February 10, 2016

Portrait of a breast cancer patient by Studio Metsä Photography

Of all the messages I got regarding the “I Challenge“- photo series, the one from this woman was the most impactful.

She had recently been diagnosed with breast cancer and wanted to document her breast before it went under the knife.

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For a moment I didn’t know what to say – all I knew was, I had to and I wanted to do it.

On the day of the photo shoot, I arrived to her house and she opened the door smiling. We had a long conversation over tea before getting to what I actually came there to do. She told me a lot about herself and we shared many experiences, thoughts and emotions with her.

This woman is fantastic. She is so friendly, so open, so strong and she has such a good heart. It was easy being around her and I nearly forgot why I came there in the first place.

Once we started the process of photographing, there was no sadness, there was no awkwardness, it was just her and I conversing, sharing a moment that will forever be marked by the photographs we were producing.

We were creating work that she will carry in her heart forever.

Photo Series: The Beauty and The Breast

She didn’t find a lump in her chest, but instead she was alarmed by the oddity of her breast – it had changed in appearance. The breast felt different, it was resting oddly and she noticed her nipple had turned inward.

She is going under the knife next week.

And she will come out of it without her left breast.

This will, I’m sure, take a lot of time and emotion to really understand and come to terms with. But I have no doubt in my mind that she wouldn’t come out of this stronger.

Through, and with, these photographs I send her my wishes, my prayers and my thoughts. I’m honoured that she trusted me with such a sensitive and fragile subject matter. She opened her heart to me even though up until we saw each other, I was a complete stranger to her. But it is, in fact, in these moments that we experience life at its best – when we jump into the unknown simply following our hearts. And I am so glad she did so with me.

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Until next time lovelies,
xoxo Erika

Blogging Challenge #7:
From the good of the heart

January 31, 2016

Hooray, and holy smokes, this is the last post for the 7-Day Blogging Challenge! Much to my surprise, I actually really enjoyed it. In a way it is like journaling (which is something I have been doing ever since I was a little girl), which at its best can be incredibly therapeutic and meditative.

So, what do you say? Shall we get on with the last Blogging Challenge post?

We shall!

Something else that has carried with me from childhood is my absolute love and adoration for animals. They are creatures that most often far outweigh the human in more capacities than one. They have the ability to make you live in the moment and forget about all of your troubles, not to mention teach you how to love unconditionally. I mean seriously, have you ever had a furry friend hold a grudge? I sure haven’t. They have the amazing ability to forgive and forget, something we could all learn from!

Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.
-Anatole France

The sad part is that, as we have domesticated animals, they sometimes end up in the care of people who are entirely incapable of caring for themselves, not to mention other living beings. This is how animals end up abused, living on the streets and, in some worst case scenarios, dead.

We patronize the animals for their incompleteness, for their tragic fate of having taken form so far below ourselves. And therein we err, and greatly err. For the animal shall not be measured by man. In a world older and more complete than ours, they are more finished and complete, gifted with extensions of the senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear. They are not brethren, they are not underlings; they are other Nations, caught with ourselves in the net of life and time, fellow prisoners of the splendour and travail of the earth.
-Henry Beston

Luckily we have organizations that work to help these animals, care for them and provide them with a chance for a new life. One of those organizations is HESY, The Helsinki Society for Animal Protection. I have been lucky enough to have worked with them and help out in any way I can. They asked me to come in and photograph their vet at work for an article they were publishing in their magazine. These photographs are from that time.

And here are a few of the inhabitants at HESY at the time:

The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.
-Mahatma Gandhi

To give back and help these animals, please follow this link to donate to their important cause (the page is in English and all bank accounts are in the IBAN format so you can make a bank transfer from anywhere in the world).

I’m excitedly waiting to have a chance to work more with HESY and other organisations alike. If you have a desire to make the stories in your company or organisation visual, get in touch with me through info (at) studiometsa (dot) com – I can’t wait to hear from you!

And now, folks, this is it. I have completed my Blogging Challenge! Thanks to all of you for supporting me and commenting on my posts. It means the world to me! So even though the official challenge is over, I will still keep blogging since I am having so much fun! :)

Happy new week to all of you lovelies!

Until next time,
xoxo Erika

Blogging Challenge #6: What Lies Beneath

January 30, 2016

It was the beginning of elementary school and I was in the line up for lunch when I felt a pinch in my butt. I turned around to see a grinning girl few people behind me. I wish I could say it was a friendly grin but it was, in fact, much more malignant than friendly.

That was the start of my 6 year turmoil with said girl.

During the six years of elementary school, she was in control over how I felt, what I did, who I spent time with and where I went. The nightmare got so bad that at times I was afraid of going to school, not knowing what kind of a day she was having today – good or bad – so I would take out a thermometer, hold it up against a hot lightbulb and tell my mom I have fever and therefore cannot go to school.

As children we are, unfortunately, not able to understand and process things the same way we are as adults.

And I have since come to understand that (with the words of the wise Eleanor Roosevelt)

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.

The experience of being bullied has been one of the most influential events of my life. It began as a dark cloud hanging over my head but the more I processed it, the more I came to see the gifts it presented for me.

It has made me a very sensitive and observant person
It has taught me how to recognise true friendship and care in people
It has given me strength to push through boundaries of my own and of those around me
It has allowed me to connect to something deep within me and feel feelings strongly and deeply
It has taught me that nothing is set in stone and I, myself, am a work-in-progress, always able to evolve and grow
And more than anything, it has taught me that I can push through and survive anything. Because we are precisely as capable as we think we are.

Whether you think you can or you think you can’t; you are right. -Henry Ford

And that concludes today’s Feel Good Blogging Challenge. I sincerely hope you are all having a wonderful weekend with your loved ones, feeling the laughter in your stomach and the love in your heart.

Until next time lovelies,
Thank you for being so amazing.

xoxo Erika

My self portrait in Vancouver, BC - Studio Metsä Photography

Blogging Challenge #5: THIS ONE’S FOR YOU.

January 29, 2016

Reading Start With Why by Simon Sinek - Studio Metsä Photography

In honour of it being Friday, I will keep this short and sweet!

(You’re welcome! ;))

If there’s one thing I know all of us entrepreneurs have in common is the endless, near obsessive, fascination with self-improvement because we understand that in order for our business to grow, we need to grow.

So today I bring you a book recommendation to aid you in your growing.

START WITH WHY (How great leaders inspire everyone to take action) by Simon Sinek.

It’s hard to make a case to someone that your products or services are important in their lives based on external rational factors that you have defined as valuable. However, if your WHYs and their WHY correspond, then they will see your products and services as tangible ways to prove what they believe.

This book will make you rethink your business and its values as well as understand more about your own behavior.

To illustrate the concepts in the book, check out this great animation I just found from FightMediocrity:

I hope this post has inspired you to help you and your business grow and find the right audience for your message. We all have a why, but some of us just have never stopped to think about it. How about this weekend you take some time for yourself and really think about why you are doing what you’re doing?

Until next time lovelies – enjoy your weekend!
xoxo Erika

Here are a few direct links to the book (just click on the name of the store) so you can BUY IT:
-Finland -> Adlibris
-Europe -> Amazon (UK)
-North America -> Amazon (USA) or Amazon (Canada)

Blogging Challenge #4: By the way,
I also photograph

January 28, 2016

Erika from Studio Metsä is also a photographer

What is Studio Metsä all about? What exactly does Studio Metsä do?

If you’ve read the previous Blogging Challenge posts, you will have gotten a pretty good idea of the values and ideas behind Studio Metsä. And now that you are aware of the why, let’s get more clear on the what.

To put it simply: I photograph.

That’s what I do.

And I love it!

Now I will introduce you to a few “categories” of photography that are near and dear to my heart:

SPACES – both interior and exterior I love the idea of a home – creating a space that caters specifically to your personal lifestyle. I love walking into people’s homes and getting a glimpse into the person, their lifestyle and values. Because that’s what I feel homes are at their best – a reflection and an extension of the person living there. This is why it is so intimate to have someone allow me into their space to photograph it – something I don’t take lightly. After all, this is the space where we let our guard down, where we come to unwind, where we run to if we’ve had a bad day.
In the more surface level of things, I’ve always been fascinated by architecture and interior design. When I was a little girl, one of my favorite hobbies was drawing floor plans for houses. I had a huge A2 (around 16.5″ x 23″) sketchbook which I would lay out on the floor, take my pencil and my ruler, and off I went into my own little world. In this world I would always have a room for cats and a room for dogs because obviously they deserved a sacred space of their own! ;)
My father has played a big part in all of this as he has always been the one fixing, building and renovating everything in my childhood home. He nearly single-handedly renovated the entire house my family moved into when I was 13 and built a lot of the furniture we used growing up. He is an inspiration!
PEOPLE – oh, people. I love people.And I love portraits. For me, there are photographs of people and then there are portraits. Portraits take in everything; the location, the light, the shadows, the angle, the expression, the colors, the clothes, the environment – everything. All of those things come together to tell a story. Most of the time, the most unexpected, unplanned, unposed photographs are the ones that go the deepest. They are the ones that express something real, something raw, something worth telling. Those moments can’t be fabricated, they come from time spent with the person. They come as trust is built between the subject and the photographer.
THE WORLD – as I found it.Traveling is another life-long passion of mine. There is no better way to get a well-rounded education than traveling. Not only do you get a glimpse into the world other people live in but you also find connection points to your own existence and every time, in every country, with all cultures, you realize that when all of these external factors are stripped, we are all exactly the same. We fundamentally operate from the same needs and wants and desires. We all want to be loved and accepted, to have freedom, safety, food and a roof over our heads.
STILL LIFE – hello control!As you spend more time with me, you will come to notice that I am a woman of contrasts. As much as I love nature and all things natural, both in general and in photography, I also love the absolute and pure control I have over everything when working in a studio. The above studio photographs were for an auction house where I got to spend time with objects from the past. These objects have been touched by and traveled with many people throughout the years. I imagine all the things they have seen and heard, all the stories they would tell if they could speak. It’s precisely those stories that blow life into these still objects and precisely why I love photographing them.

So there we go! Four of my main photographic interests and a few reasons why.

What about you? What type of photography is your favorite? And why? Leave a comment, I would love to know :)

Until next time lovelies,
xoxo Erika

Blogging Challenge #3: Inside out

January 27, 2016

Whytecliff Park Vancouver BC by Studio Metsä Photography

DAY THREE of the seven day Blogging Challenge – Something fascinating and relevant

Today I wanted to talk about relationships.

Why are you friends with the people you are friends with? Why do you love the people you love?

Is it because they have a lot of money? Or because they have a lot of influence? Or maybe it’s because they just bought that freaking awesome penthouse suite? Or because they are really hot? Or no, I know, it’s their designer wardrobe, isn’t it? Or no, wait, now I really know why, it’s the colour of their hair! …right?

Umm, NO.

We all know that’s not why we love someone.

It’s because they’re amazing people. It’s because they have a good heart, they’re there for you, they support you, they are great listeners, they make you laugh, they give great advice, they share your values, you have common interests – whatever it is, it is not on the surface, it is within. It’s who they are and how they make you feel.

(But if on top of that they were also really attractive and owned a penthouse suite, that wouldn’t exactly be a turn-off now would it? ;))

So let’s relate this to the business side of things. Companies and organizations are struggling to stay ahead of the competition or even simply to get recognized in the midst of the information overload each of us experiences on a daily basis.

What makes us stop? What makes us pay attention?

Something flashy might grab our attention for a moment, but then comes the next flashy thing and we have already forgotten about the one previous to that. And the cycle goes on.

Our world is saturated with images, each prettier or more shocking than before. But quantity does not override quality, it never has and it never will. And today quality comes from the heart.

What if you and your company started operating from the inside out? What if you brought out the personality, the values, the vision and mission of your brand? What if you turned your brand into the most amazing, heart-warming person anyone’s ever met? And then added the hotness and penthouse suite to complete the package?

Because this is the thing : we can appreciate the superficial qualities of products or services, but we don’t marry them or become loyal to them based purely on those factors. Our loyalty and commitment lies with those that connect to something deeper within us.

We all want connection – genuine, honest-to-god, raw connection.

I remember a time in art school when I was showing my photographs during a critique and a lot of my fellow students brought up an emotion they felt when they looked at them. The photographs weren’t literally depicting this emotion, but it was an emotion I had felt at the time I made those photographs and they were able to connect to that.

That’s the true beauty of photography – when you work from that passion within you, you work from something stronger than anything tangible, and it comes across in the work. Your heart comes across in the photographs.

So next time you need a photographer for a project, remember who your company is, the values and the reasons why you are in business and select a photographer who is in business for the same reasons. This creates a force to be reckoned with and, I swear, together you are going to make magic.

I will leave you with this little nugget of wisdom from Maya Angelou:

I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this blog post and that it has given you something to chew.

Tomorrow is a new day and we get another chance at designing our businesses, our lives and ourselves.

May the force be with you.

Until next time lovelies,
xoxo Erika

Blogging Challenge #2: Was I teleported or how did I get here?

January 27, 2016

Gorgeous Vancouver at sunset by Studio Metsä Photography

Day Two of the Blogging Challenge! Woop woop!

Today’s theme is how did I become an entrepreneur!

I bet everyone dreams of being their own boss, right, I mean it is an appealing thought to be in complete control over your time, tasks and appointments. I’m sure the thought has crossed many people’s minds. And it sure did mine, over and over again, for years and years. But it always seemed nothing more than an elusive dream.

With that dreamer mindset I moved to Helsinki, the capital city of my homeland of Finland, soon after finishing high school. I had no freaking clue about what I wanted to do with my life, I mean I wanted to be a photographer but come on now, how realistic is it that I would get to do what I like?? So I postponed school and got myself a job instead. Funny thing is, I had dreamt about working for my at-the-time-favorite clothing store and ended up getting employed by them. So dreams do come true but I guess it wasn’t strong enough to make me realize that dudette-woman, I could totally be a photographer if I so wanted. Oh well, we all have our paths we need to take, right?

Well. Turns out not all dreams are dreamy in reality and it really is true when people say “be careful what you wish for”! I quit the job after two years and went on to look for something with more responsibility – I was really craving more opportunities and challenges, so I ended up in a mobile operator company. I started as a receptionist but due to the company’s rearranging and reassigning of tasks, I was being trained for more.

Whoopiedoo, I was getting more responsibility! But what the heck, I was still “just” the receptionist! I marched into my boss’ office and made a strong case as to why I should be promoted. She agreed and voilá, suddenly I had my own office and was in charge of bad debt and collection.

But.

As I was clocking in and clocking out day after day, month after month, I began to crawl out of my skin. It was not my cup of tea, at all!

And then it happened.

The turning point.

I was studying for an entrance exam test (because I thought if I just went to study anything, I was bound to find something I liked). But as I was (trying) to read the book, I told a friend of mine how I wasn’t at all inspired and all I wanted to do was photograph, why couldn’t I just do that? He was silent for a moment and then he said to me “Erika, if that’s how you feel, why on earth are you studying for this exam? Why don’t you just apply to go study photography?”

And that was it.

I applied to a photography school in Finland and spent an amazing year studying and devouring anything and everything related to photography. But it only made me crave for more and I decided it was time to apply abroad (something that had also been a dream of mine for a long, long time!). After a chain of events, I ended up finding and applying to a school in Vancouver, Canada.

I still remember the moment I got a package in the mail from ECUAD.

It was thick.

!!!

And I thought “nooooo, could this be…? Could this really be an acceptance package??”

I opened it.

The letter read “Congratulations!..”

EEKK!!

I WAS MOVING TO CANADA!!!

My life was about to change. Entirely. Completely.

And it did. My life got turned on its head.

The absolute best decision I ever made.

Ever.

I cannot emphasize it enough!

On August 14th, 2008 I embarked on a journey from Finland and after freaking crazy 33hrs of traveling, I was in Vancouver, BC. (And FYI, it does not normally take that long to travel from Finland to Canada but I was flying through two different cities and got stuck in the last one due to some seriously delayed flights!)

But boy, oh boy, was it ever worth it.

I was in freaking VANCOUVER! I still remember waking up in my hotel in the morning, looking out at sunny Vancouver all the while the widest smile EVER was spreading across my face. There are not enough words to describe how happy I felt. I stepped outside my hotel and the hot, humid air hit me and I just stood there, on the street, (Beatty Street), and smiled. I must have looked like a complete fool, haha! The following two weeks I spent getting my shizzles organized: finding an apartment, getting a phone and a laptop, learning how to navigate the city, and I swear the entire time I had this goofy grin on my face. Come to think of it, people probably just thought I was high! Haha (For those of you that don’t know, Vancouver is also known as Vansterdam…)

Anyway.

It was heaven. Pure heaven.

And that’s really where it all started. From stumbling on a few different possible “career paths”, I arrived at a conclusion that I was not going to be happy unless I followed my heart. It was that simple realization and faith that got me through all the challenges and obstacles.

I dared to follow a life-long dream of living abroad and it showed me that everything is possible. When you get into that mindset that everything is possible, everything really becomes possible.

During my time in Vancouver, I met some truly amazing and inspiring people, all of whom I will forever carry in my heart. (And this makes me think of a beautiful poem by my favorite poet ee cummings called “i carry your heart with me (i carry it in“) All of these people played a part in forming and shaping my mind, attitudes and outlooks, and indirectly preparing me for entrepreneurship.

It has been a long journey of learning and unlearning and I have become eternally hungry for more. And now that I finally made the plunge to be an official, legally owned company and not a freelancer, everything seems to hold more value. Now everything I do, everything I read, everything I talk about or listen to, everything holds direct meaning for the business. When I am self-employed, it all comes down to the self (this is something that was pointed to me a while back by one of my personal heroes, someone who, in more ways than one, changed my life).

Being an entrepreneur is so much more than the work itself, marketing, branding or accounting – it is a trip into you. You are constantly at the edge of your seat, outside of your comfort zone, learning and growing, finding new ways when the old ones no longer work. It’s a constant trial-and-error, discovery and re-discovery.

It’s not just a job, it’s a way of being.

One of my professional heroes, Jim Rohn, put it so well when he said:

“If you want to have more, you have to become more.
For things to change, you have to change.
For things to get better, you have to get better.
For things to improve, you have to improve.
If you grow, everything grows for you.”

This is what I have written on the wall of my home office and this is what I keep as my mantra. Life is what you make of it and when we are lucky enough to be born under circumstances where we can have this much control over our lives, we have to make the most of it.

And that, in a nut shell, is how I arrived to where I am today.

My gratitude goes to everyone I have met along the way, in my entire life, because those are the people I have to thank for shaping me into who I am today. Thank you.

Blogging challenge #1:
Who I work for and why I am not a princess

January 25, 2016

Erika Lind from Studio Metsä photographing in California, USA

Finally today, quite belatedly, I am taking part in a feel good blogging challenge created by the wonderful and inspiring Alex Beadon. I have wanted to commit myself to more (consistent!) blogging for my business and I am hoping this 7-day challenge will help me get on the road.

So. Here we go, let’s get the wheels turnin’!

Describe my tribe – who am I trying to connect with
The people I want to reach through my business and blog are the people who work to make the world a little bit (or a lot!) better. The people that are driven by a deep reason to wake up every day excited and ready to go to work because they know in their hearts how important it is what they do, not just for themselves but specifically to those they serve.
The work these people do can vary from non-profit organisations to small businesses to print publications to solo entrepreneurs – the type of company doesn’t matter, it is the cause and the why of the company that does.

Why am I focusing on serving them?
Because I am one of them.
And because I believe we are here to serve and help others.

To illustrate this belief, let me tell you a little story from a long time ago:
When I was around six or seven years old, I was at my cousins’ house on a play date. My cousins decided that we should play the princess game. Our first task was to appoint the princess and her maids. For me this was a no-brainer: I wanted to be the maid.

I have always sincerely felt that serving is so much more gratifying than being served.
(That said, I am not one to deny others of the same gratification should they in some way want to serve me ;))

Why Me?
When we are involved in work that primarily exists because of strong core values, it is crucial for the success and well-being of the work to have everyone involved believe in it too. So if we have found that our core values match, I think we’re meant to be! (To read more about Studio Metsä’s core values, stay tuned!)

The One and Only
The one message I hope people will take with them when they leave my virtual home is that of peace and certainty that together we can achieve and accomplish anything we set our minds to.

—

There we go. The wheels are turnin’ and I can feel the wind in my hair! I’ve always loved road trips and I have a feeling this is going to be one heck of a journey!

Until next time lovelies,
xoxo Erika

Let’s get to know each other!

November 8, 2015

The time has finally come for Studio Metsä to launch its photography portfolio website. This is, obviously, also followed by a new blog, a new Facebook and Instagram account – a lot to handle all at once! But here it all is, I hope you will enjoy this ride as much as I am expecting to ;) To know more about Studio Metsä, and the lady behind it (me, Erika Lind), please click here. And for some visuals which we all love so much, click here for my portfolio!

Can’t wait to share this journey and connect with all of you fine folks. To contact me, please send me an email at info@studiometsa.com or by using the contact form here.

Thanks for stopping by! I look forward to hosting you again :)