Web page launched

Great news! I launched my Web site.

You can find me here :
http://maijabphotography.wix.com/welcome

Who inspire me?

In current moment I feel very impressed by Brooke Shaden works. 

I spend some weeks on sickness leave in February and I spent my time by watching CreativeLive. It was Brooke Shaden bookcamp in the air those days. I got so inspired by her works so much, that as soon as they had break I was getting my camera and move around searching for subject.

I like very much her style. I like that each work is conceptual. Going throw her works I felt like I am drugged by Alice deeper and deeper into rabbit hole. Some people wouldn't agree with me, that it is photography art, as it is highly photoshop, but for me it is really inspiring. And it is what I think is not just photography, but is art.  

My favorite  work of her is “the storm above the clouds”

I also tried to create my wonderland following her footprints.

(See at Flickr account)

Original photo

Taken by Canon 60D, EF-S18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS, Hama Grau-Filter Vario ND2-400, 67mm

f/32.0/ 44mm; 3,3s; ISO100. 

This one of the artists for me who worth to mentioned.

Why Canon 60D?

Sometimes people ask, why Canon? Why 60D?

To be honest I never did very deep investigation on which camera to buy. Shortly before I bought mine I visited my friend in Geneva and he gave me his Canon 550D to play a bit. And I like it. I liked how it is in the hands, I liked menu and navigation. Sure, this time I either was not checking or consider how camera support colors, which range of lenses and quality of lenses. On the market those days canon 60D had very good reviews and at the shop I bought it, was good discount. I went there and grab my new camera. Just simple like this.

Why Canon and not Nikon? 

I guess people are divided on Canon and Nikon users just by how comfortable they are with one or another camera. Might be it is something in blood. My sister is Nikon person. Each time I tried her camera I was feeling very lost. I actually can say same about latest model of Canon, which I tried in different fairs. I’m taking camera in my hands, turn it around and asking question: “How the hell to switch it on?” or “Where the hell is this button to look on pictures I did?”. It might be just matter of getting use, but I’m happy with my camera.

What I like in Canon 60D?

For me it very easy to use. I easy can access all buttons I need. Most of them are located on right side of the camera and it is my most developed hand. Basically I keep camera and easy jump with my fingers around. Buttons on left side of camera is a bit less comfortable for me. 
I like screen and how I can adapt it. Either in most cases I'm using viewfinder. 
It is intermediate heavy. Body itself is not very heavy. Might be, if I would already face need of external accumulator, then I would speak differently. 

I definitively like, that it has build-in flash compare to some later models. I’m not fun of using build-in flash, but there are is situations, then it is very handy. As example, if you set it on manual output and drop intensity to minimum, then it can be used as trigger for slave flash. As I didn't have for a while wireless trigger, it was only way I was able to use slave flash and use it out of camera. Another example very sunny day and taking photo against sun. It happens, when you need just a bit fill in shadows. In this case build-in flash can be handy as well.

What I miss in Canon 60D?

I would love to have in-camera double or multiple exposure options. Just to get a bit more creative. But might be it is as well it is only feels cool now, because it is not so accessible. Do you remember those photos with selective colors? I remember when it start to produce cameras with this option, it was considered very cool. Right now most of professionals will says, that it is not creative at all. 

Might be in the future I will missing something in Canon 60D, but for now it full fill my need and I'm happy.  For all my unsuccessful photos I would rather blame someone having hands growing in wrong place, rather then camera. 

Dear reader welcome to my blog

Today my Flickr account photostream reached number of Beast – 666 photos. I guess it good time to start my blogging. :)

My name is Maija, I’m expat living in Switzerland and I’m photographer. I’m one of those photographers who know how to use their camera, but not yet can make correct decision on settings, lights or composition. So I’m amateur photographer. I’m not doing it yet for commercial purposes, but only for own pleasure. I still have long list of equipment, which I would like to get, but all is under conditions “you can get it, when you will start to gain money on photography”. I still try to free some space in my flat, there I can start to practice and call it “my studio”.  Right now I try to get as much as possible from shooting outside or with photo club on specially arranged studio sessions.

I never study photography. I didn’t go to any art school and right now I struggle to find my way to discover meaning of Fine Art Photography. I don’t like some wedding photographers using it for promote their sites. Wedding photography is something different for me.  I either didn’t go to photography classes for beginners. Source for my knowledge is internet (youtube, creative live, various photo blogs and journals), photo walks organized by several meetup groups, since last year photo club, inspiration from other people works and practice, practice, practice.

Since my childhood, there were always camera in our house, but I never have special interest to it. We were always kicked out, then my dad was closing all windows and made some magic to get photos from films on paper. I remember smell of chemicals, then films are developed. However it somehow never deeply touched me. I had various pocket cameras on my own, then I get older. And I was proud of my macro shots (honestly right now I wish get camera from people making shots like this). And it probably would be like that, if I wouldn't moved to live in Switzerland. Nature of Switzerland is so amazing, that it is just not possible to enjoy it. That was moment, when I thought, that I want to share this beauty with others and I need a proper camera. I went to shop and bought Canon 60D with kit lens 18-135 mm. And it was this life changing moment, then I got finally interest for photography.

I remember first day I grab my camera and went to mountains. I went to Rigi. It is very nice mountain, not far from Lucern. You have nice view down to Zug, Lucerne with all lakes and Alps. This is very popular destination for tourist. A specially Lucerne visitors. As well it is easy access it from Zurich. So I went up to the mountains, it was beautiful day with blue sky, sun and green grass. And I start to shoot. I tried to look professional and I said to myself, that I will shoot only on manual. Except I left automatic focus. I shoot hundred photos till I stop for rest and roll back shoots I did. I here came disaster – all my photos were extremely overexposed. That time I either didn't new this term, but it teach me time to time check after shoot on screen, if exposure is ok.

Unfortunately my external disk with my first adventure crashed and I only couple shots left.

Before to start blogging I start thinking, which language I want to communicate to the world. Grammar never was my strongest point in any language. But as most of my day I spend spoken English it became my blog language. English is not my mother tongue, it is why I would like to ask you reader forgiveness   for errors and wrong wording. While I’m amateur I still can allow to have on my blog grammatical errors, but I guess, if one day I will became “Wow!” photographer and get it as business I will meet my new challenge. 


Seems like technology plays eval jokes on me. Still have some photos to go in public profile :) :