Outi Pihlajoki: In a shelter of a National Park

In a national park, the artist’s pace slows down and her thoughts rest. The photographs are created naturally, using the method of contemplative photography. Contemplative photography is a relaxed way of observing and receiving images, at peace with time and present in the moment at hand. Contemplatio is Latin for patient, concentrated deliberation and watching. The word templum, which is at the root of the term, means a place of observation.

There is a lot of accomplishment and competition involved in photography, much like in life in general. Contemplative photography represents a completely different method of photographing. It is a way of observing the reality around us with a calm compassion, without an attitude of accomplishment or taking something over. Through slow methods of photography, the relationship with oneself and the external environment becomes more relaxed, more patient, more reciprocal. Presence becomes a multi-sensory pleasure, a reconstruction of mind and body, coexistence and balance with all that is. The process leaves room for fine-tuning the final form of the works and their connections to each other. It reinforces the sense of place-based perceptions and experiences associated with the images and the transmission of the experience as visual traces to the exhibition visitor.

The exhibition “In a shelter of a National park” is at The Finnish Nature Centre Haltia, Boassu restaurant cabinet 2.6.-28.9.2025. Observe! The exhibition space is closed during private bookings.