Söderman Jouni Tapani
Born 31.10.1955 in Turku Finland
My way to the nature and art begins late in the sixties when I become inspired to the ornithologye some of my friends influence. They was telling how they can see over 100 differend kind of birds in the year. That number sounds huge for me but when I see over 130 birdsorts in my first year in ornithologye that number dosent sounds so big and when I meet realy diligent ornithologyes some can see over 200 birdsorts in the year things was going to the right dimensions. In those years I spend my summer holidays in Kustavi Kaurissalo in Turku archipelago one of my fathers relation and those years I lost my heart to the Turku archipelago and Finnish nature. Early in the morning to the late night I rowing little boat to fishing and rambling over the forests and meadows making perceptions round of the Kustavi´s magnificent nature. Specific loveliness place was fairly big island called Isoluoto where was in that time only one fishermans farm and the island otherwise in the natural state. There was even no road to the island so it must jumping over the isthmus some of the stones and in the water over the fording place. But the island was realy the paradise. To the summers to summers in the middle of island in swamp nest one cranecouple and innumerables waterfowls are nest in the shores of island and to say nothing to little birds what are in that island realy much. In one walking tour I round to hole island along the shores and it take me over seven hours and in that you can understand the whole of the island. I also rambling very much in the Kaurissalo, Kiparluoto and all over the Kustavi. To young guy it was great occasion when my father come to visit in the farm and bring some money to me. The nearest place where I can buy icecream was the Kustavi´s Seamotel in four kilometres from the farm. And so notting else but put shoes to foots and walking for buying. I dont remember that icecream are tasted so good as those days. If I dont remember wrong, it coast 70 penny´s in that time.
Our relatives farm has some cows, lot of chickens and few sheeps. Many times I also get opportunity to take care of them. Especially be a shepherd and haymaking was pleasant works. Naturally also bring forth young calf and they feeding are memories some you cant forgotted. In those days sheeps was carry open motorboat to little island pasture meadows for free. It was consiredable bleating when over ten sheeps was carry in the boat. Longest I spend over seven weeks in the farm so I be allowed to make many kind of works. There was example sticked of firewoods, rolling separator, churn butter and etc. In the end of summer holiday I tramble bicycle from the Kustavi to Turku 80 kilometres and that take me five hours. Unfortunately my bicycle was broken in that trip and I must tramble 18 kilometres in one pedal.
Our relative was traditional Finnish farmer which influence I learn appreciate simple, clear and modest country peoples life. I hope that those rules of life dosent ever forgotten from me.
Kustavi Isoluoto -73
First camera what I get in my hands was so galled "Coca-cola"-camera. That name be caused to opportunity in the 1960s to get this kind of camera collect stickers inside of bottle tops of Coca-cola, Sprite and Fanta bottles. Was it 50 or even 100 sticker, I dont remimber. In my home was this kind of camera get and in that I take my first photographs sometimes in summer of -67. Camera follows me for several years for many places and some kind of images be made which you have examples in below.
Fringilla coelebs
First birdphoto 9.7.1967
Some "Coca-cola" -camera pictures from 1967-1972
My father who was essentials occupation a sheet-iron worker was in young man a sailor some of merchant ships and acquire coast skippers certificates and was a captain in the summers firm named Matkailu and Kuljetus tourist boats to Turku archipelago and in that way I get many opportunitys to better know archipelago, nature and waterfowls when I was often with him in the voyages. Innumerable times I travel from Turku to Nauvo with captain and cashier. Travel begins in five a clock p.m and in goal in Biskopsö Söderby we was nine a clock in evening. Night we sleep a little house near of the shore and back to Turku we go six a clock in a.m. In the voyage we visit in Nauvo village, Vallmoholm, Käldö, Dellholm, Haverö, Seili, Hanka and vepsä. I was also summer of -71 cashier in those boats and travel to Vepsä, Naantali, Maisaari, Nauvo, Nötö and Uusikaupunki. Belong to "Skippers" was many kind of persons and one of them I travel very often. He trust a young guy so much that he can in the voyage of Maisaari order me to helmsman after a Vepsä and himself start to sleep in the caps long bench. He only order me to wakeup him if in the Maisaari quay same passengers will gome. There was no and hands of shaking I navigate boat back to Vepsä. Sixties and seventies was a golden time of tourist boats from Turku to archipelago and its a pity that it has end almost totality.
My father Erkki Rafael in summer -73
Because of my ornithologye hobby I rambling much of Turku enviroment such as Ruissalo, Katharina valley, Naantali, Rauvola- Friskala- Raisio- Kuusisto and Mietoinen bays and Erikvalla. Especially spring was busy time and it was no wonder that my school success was not particularly good. Some of my friends was wonder my schooldays which was end in beautiful and sunny day before middle of the day and only a moment and I was cycle somewhere to watching birds. Our biology teacher who was himself all competent Turku resident nowing old ornithologye was saying one of our school hour that "Jouni are very often away from school. I think that you earn a whipping but because you go to watching birds I dont give it". Below some of my note-book pages from that time.
Some bird note-book pages year 1971
In the autumn of -71 I start to dating with my girlfriend Kristina and in the spring of -72 we get engaged and in autumn of -75 married. With she I continue bird trips and when I get my first regular workplace in woodwork factory Vilho Laxell it was naturally that when I start to earn some money I buy my first SLR camera Nikkormat FTN and some objectives to photograph nature and particularly birds. Certainly in that I take diligently portraits of girlfriend.
Pictures of my girlfriend "Krisse" in the dating time
Often we also visit together in Kustavi like Easter -73 when we go to Isoluoto to tent trip in 20.4 and leave in 23.4. Trip was immemorial how we running days after a granes with our cameras but to get not good photos and nights we be freezing in tent when temperature lower some degree of frost. In the morning when we open the door of tent front of our eyes opening shining white hoarfrost landscape but fortunately sunny days warming air afternoon over ten degrees. They was beautiful days spring nature waiking up and we go around the island taking photos and try to get some photos of cranes. And again to be cold in tent. In last day when we get ready to leave three cranes was landing in cliff only twenty meters of we. And my camerabag already packed. Was they come to watch with their own eyes that now we get rid of those nuisances and take leave of we? But in the future we meet them many times. In below note-book pages of that trip.
Bird note-book pages year 1973
I think that I dont be succesfull very good of bird photographys because I dont like very much to huddle in hiding-tent and otherwise taking pictures of birds was quite difficult. But when my photograph hobby advance I buy bellows focusing attachment of my camera and that way try to get close-up photos. Photos of butterflyes, dragon-flys, grasshoppers and other insects was be born and my first nature article was publiched in spring -75 in newspaper TS-Extra. From it I be offer my photos and articles to magazines and Turun Sanomat, Luontokuva-lehti and Kameralehti are sometimes be publiched some of those. Also couple of book manuscripts has be born but for those I have not find a publisher so far.
First publiched article in 8.2.-75 TS-Extra
26.4.-75 16.5.-75 2.8.-75
Through by photography my interest of other artforms take fire and diligent library user I find many artbooks in additions of photograph books. The names as Henry Moore, Constantin Brancusi, Alberto Giacometti, Barbara hebworth, Antoni Tápies, Pierre Soulages, Laila Pullinen, Kain Tapper, Reidar Särestöniemi, Nandor Mikola, Sam Vanni and naturally Picasso was beat my mind and when I get opportunity to read of 1950s, the golden time of Finnish design and Tapio Wirkkala, Timo Sarpaneva, Kaj Franck and companions I was sold. From photography I get to now the names like Andreas Feininger, Ansel Adams, Matti Saanio, Matti A. Pitkänen, Pentti Sammallahti and naturally the hard names of Finnish nature photographers Yrjö Kokko, Veikko Korkolainen, Allan Paulin, Hannu Hautala, Jorma Luhta and many others. Whole of seventies I "devour" those names and many others give impulses and make my own experiments. The results was not very good but the eagerness was big. I develop myself the films and images already in that time which you have some examples below.
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Some nature photographs from 1970´s
Already in the seventies I have take lot of black&white photographs but in the beginning of the eighties I was find Andreas Feiningers book Successful Photography and that inspired me to buy used Beautyflex medium format camera and trying to take so called fine art photographs of nature. I think that the medium format was much better than 35mm and when I used the advices of Feininger slow films (ASA 25) and dim so much as possible in a long exposures I get in my own mind fairly good results. I develop films myself which give me chance to influence to negatives contrast and in the final images I try some after exposed and other expedients. Some examples of those you can find in below. For those photos and some others I have also wrote little poets.
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Photographs from 1980´s
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Some photos with poets
In the same time I paint some paintings, draw pictures, try to make wood sculptures and writing causeries. Also the plans of objects start to born and those I offer some factories. However I was in all time my ordinary profession in cabinetmaker and restoring antique furnitures so to the arts there was no much time. It was only a wonderful hobby in the work days evenings and weekends.
Working life...
Woodworkfactory Vilho Laxell 3.1.1972 - 29.9.1975
(making television and radio containers for ASA Radio Oy)
In the lunch break playing "hockey"
Old furniture restoring in Furniturefirm Arvo Eriksson (restoring Turku Old Academyhouse furnitures
where was in that time working Turku Diocese Chapter and Turku Court of Appeal and e.g. Academyhouse ceremoniehall
chairs and Cateder and some furnitures for Turku castle e.g. ceremoniehall´s chairs)
and in the evenings furniture restorations in Antiqueshop Assmuth 16.3.1979 - 7.2.1980
In Finmar and Siltala boatyard´s lacqued finishing 17.4.1980 - 25.11.1983
In the autumn of -83 I had working many woodwork firms like one furniture restoring firm and Finmar and Siltala boatyards and get in my own mind quit good craftsmanship and so I venture together with my wife start my own restoration firm which was my dream before of twenty. So was born firm named Tyylikaluste-entisöinti which was live about ten years and where we do many kind of furniture restorations like wood repairs, lacquers and repaintings, wien twine and upholsters etc. Also we do furniture paintings for furniturefactory P.O.Korhonen and some own product. Many times spoked period of depression in beginning of 1990s influence also our firm and when the works slowly decrease we "strike brush to sand" and finish the firm. Enterpreneurs days was so hurried that time to photograph or art was not in dose years.
Furniture painting for P.O.Korhonen Furniturefactory 1984 - 1992 about 30000 objects
Kari Asikainen´s designed Kari-chairs and tables and the Scheletro-groups
Own firm Tyylikaluste-entisöinti 1983-1993
Then start miscellaneous works and unemployment time what is unfortunately continue further. Last time I work a workleader in one association which is offer works for young, unemployed and others. In earlier I work two and a half year corresponding job in Turku City Young Workcenter and I have experience works quite interesting and challenged.
Turku City Young Workcenter 16.8.1999 - 27.2.2002
workleader in painting workshop
In the last years I have opportunity to return of photograph and arts and some of works have born, quality you be allowed to estimate in these pages.
In -96 I be accept to member of Suomen Luonnonvalokuvaajat ry:n and in summer of -02 I has first photograph exhibition in Ruissalo guidance center. Some articles to papers has also be born and perhaps the first book also be publiched but according to old Finnish expression...
"Ahead to living mind,
dead look to back!"
So I think that I have sit enough front of the computer
recall of memories
so I must go back to works
if something still be born.
Maybe I continue more another time.
Thanks to read.
