I’m happy to announce my second place in the Architectural Photography Awards. The Early Career and Emerging Talent category was the most entered and most competitive, with hundreds of entries from all over the world. I submitted three images that should represent me best as a photographer.
I was already surprised when I saw my name on the 2022 Emerging Talent Editor’s Choices and then on the shortlist of the 10 finalists. Here you can see my post about the Editor’s Choices.
Judge Lucas Blair Simpson, the senior producer and photographer at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), one of the largest architecture firms on the world, says about my pictures: “Very strong POV. I know right away these images are from the same person. Very nice use of composition. The three images are of different subject matter but work together and display strong understanding of composition, light/shadow, and color but each in its distinct way. I want to see more!”
Judge Stewart Hicks, Associate Professor in the School of Architecture at the University of Illinois at Chicago, is stating: “Gorgeous colors and compositions. Flatness and depth combine the nature and architecture into surreal relationships.”
Now I want to share with you the stories behind my award-winning photos!
The Castle of Light
The first image in the series for the Architectural Photography Awards is the main building of the National Library of Latvia, Latvijas Nacionālā bibliotēka. It’s also known as the Castle of Light, or Gaismas pils in Latvian. The building was completed in 2014 and designed by Gunnar Birkerts.
I was on an assignment for my client SBM Fastwood to photograph an office building in Riga, Latvia. I decided to have a couple of days of holiday at the same time.
It was great to eat in nice restaurants and wander around the city for three days. On the second day I headed to the bank of the Daugava River. There I saw the Castle of Light! I was blown away – the building is so modern and different compared to anything else, especially the old buildings! It looks like one could slide the roof with a snowboard, all the way down. I don’t mean that you should do it, of course!
Architectural photography includes a lot of walking. So I kept on walking with my camera and tripod, taking pictures on my way to the library. I used graduated neutral density (GND) filters to balance the exposures. When walking closer to the building something horrible happened! I dropped my 170 € NiSi glass GND filter to the ground and it smashed. Few curse words later I cleaned the place thoroughly. I don’t want any broken glass to the dogs’ paws on the walkway.
After the annoying incident, I grabbed my stuff and headed to the Stone Bridge, Akmens tilts, that leads right next to the library building. I walked around the building, searching for a perfect spot. I explored the forecourt and put the tripod carefully to a place where the trees line up symmetrically to the structures of the building. That’s how I got the shot you see here.
The House of Opportunities
The second image in the series for the Architectural Photography Awards is the House of Opportunities or Mahdollisuuksien talo in Seinäjoki, Finland. The “official” name is M-talo, or M-Building or Building M. The House of Opportunities was completed in 2021 and designed by Raami Architects and Kontukoski Architects. It’s a psychiatric hospital but houses also a public library, café-restaurant and a gym. I think it’s great to combine these in one building, instead of locating mental health facilities behind gates, far from the “normal” people, just like old times.
On a cold winter day I had an opportunity to walk around the House of Opportunities for a while. When I saw the building, still under construction, surrounded by the frosty trees, I knew I had to take some pictures. The setting sun was colouring the sky and created beautiful red glow on the treetops. All the trees and hay were covered in frost.
This building became a staple project for me almost every time I visited Seinäjoki. I have photographed the House of Opportunities many times, inside and outside. Since it is a working hospital, I asked a permission to photograph inside the building. You can find couple of these shots on my Instagram @arcphotopekka.
The Ode
The third image in the series for the Architectural Photography Awards is the Helsinki Central Library Oodi or Helsingin keskustakirjasto Oodi, completed in 2018 and designed by ALA Architects. Oodi means Ode in English.
I have lived on a very short distance from Oodi. I had an opportunity to see the construction site and the building rising up every time I walked past the site. Nowadays I live a few kilometres further away but I still enjoy the library, both as a user and as a photographer.
I visited the library many times. I have taken photographs from almost any angle. It’s sometimes easy but every now and then there are cars, vans and people in the wrong places if one wants to take a good photograph. That’s why I have returned to the site many times. One day I was thinking to get a shot from an angle you see here. There was people walking everywhere. I saw a boy with a yellowish jacket coming from the right hand side. I waited until he was in the perfect spot. When I looked the photo from the camera screen I knew I had the shot.
Onneksi olkoon! Hienoja kuvia 🙂 Miten muuten menee?
Kiitos! Kesä ja syksy on ollut varsin kiireistä aikaa. Täytyykin tulla taas Tampereelle kuvaamaan arkkitehtuuria. 🙂