Spare Time – Seppo Saves

It has been half a century since I took my first pictures as a professional photographer – although I was then but an apprentice at Lehtikuva Oy. It is time to celebrate my fifty years as an artist. At my age, one is no longer too keen to party – even one`s physique sets its limits – but I have compiled the SPARE TIME exhibition to commemorate the milestone.

With several of my earlier exhibitions I have noticed afterwards that many of the pictures selected for the shows were taken in my spare time, either on real holidays, or in moments of respite between gigs. On a more general level, throughout my long career I have always been most comfortable – and obviously also the most productive – themes and situations have been the ones where I have been able to enter the scene by myself, taking my time to look around, wandering here and there and pressing the release when it has felt appropriate. It is from such situations and thoughts that I selected the seventy works now hanging on these walls.

Some may consider it strange for a professional photographer to present his holiday snapshots to celebrate his long career. But it is not strange at all or even exceptional. Many classic photojournalists created their timeless works when they were wandering, ruminating, looking around and then – suddenly – random pieces fall into place in an insight.

For many of the classic documentarists, work was also a hobby. And, if photography is not also a dear hobby for the professional, the spark in it cannot glow alone for half a century.

As much I would dare to say – not presuming to be one of the classics, but one that has worked quite long enough and done his best with the limited recources I`ve been given.