Photos colorized by Mikko Kolkkanen
Mikko Kolkkanen, Finland
For 58 years people are drawn to the mystery. Some are inspired not to try to solve the mystery, but to know more about the events and with that not allow the lives cut so early and with such a ferocity be wasted and forgotten. My chat with Mikko Kolkkanen uncensored:
You told me that it takes ages to do them. Your are studying biology/sustainable living. Colorizing black and white photos can hardly be part of your curriculum. So why are you doing it?
It's just a hobby of mine besides my studies, it takes some time. Hell, even without my studies it takes time quite a bit, since you gotta go trough tons of info considering what the actual colors of their clothes were, and such.
Tell me about the process and software you are using.
I left them a bit "grainy" on purpose, because it looked more realistic when I colored them. I did, at first, color them so that it hid every grainy part. But it made them look quite plastic like. And all of them have about 12-30 layers of color in them.
I was wondering how do you choose which ones to do next. Anything else to add to your response:
The ones that look good.
I am mostly intrigued by how do you choose the colors.
There were some weird restrictions back then, on what colors you could wear in your clothes, and such. And the wall color was as authentic as it could get. Most likely the same color. Got some pictures from old Russian hospitals from a friend of mine in Russia.
I went trough my notes on those pictures.
I think you need to kinda interview me on them, since they are a bunch of scribbles spread among tons of pages.
If i try and make some sense about them, I'd write my piece until kingdom gone
Just got back from the woods...
Will do the interview thing as soon as i get back from the store.
Only eaten meat for the past few days, since i've been in the wild.
Will let you know once i've answered to all the questions.
I need the green stuff.... Tomatoes and shit....
What do you do in the woods? When I go in the mountains I cover distance, climb a peak, find a refugee or carry a tent. But always try to find a trail. Do you follow a trail?
we don't have any mountains in Finland. And no, i do not follow any trails. I just go with my gut instinct.
Last summer i spent 4 weeks in the woods by myself. Never met a soul.
It felt weird as shit when i got back to town. Seeing so many people.
I dunno. I might actually take a few months next summer, and head out to the wild all by my self.
I don't hate people. But i feel more at home when i'm all by myself in the woods<
Where do you sleep? tent?
That kinda depends...
I do have a tent. But sometimes i just sleep in the open.
I do use a sleeping back when i need to.
But... well... It all depends on the weather and how i feel.
Sometimes i just throw my stuff on the ground, and use it as a pillow.
Again... Depending on the weather.
Last night i was in a laavu.... But it got really fucking cold. Like -24 celsius. so i had to get up every 30 minutes or so, and throw some more wood in to the fire.
Do you filter the water?
Depends on where you build your camp.
There are quite a few places up here, where you can just drink straight up from the stream.
Or some points, where the water is so polluted, that it doesn't matter what you do to it, yo'll get the "shits".
When you know he places.... well.... Either you carry your own water. Or you just drink straight out of the stream.
It could be worse than the shits. But you have survived so far, so you know your stuff.
Personally i like to think, that i live and breathe the nature. And i now how to live from the nature.
If i go to my friends place, and he/she ask's if i wanna use a real bed.... Not gonna happen.
I hate soft mattresses. Ijust usually curl up in the floor like a dog. Because i do not know how to sleep in an actual bed.
A soft bed will fuck up my back so bad....
Gimme a goddamn woodland ground. I'll take it over a "soft bed" anytime.....
