Photography | Aino Ruoho

• PHOTOGRAPHY •

I was 6 years old when my grandmother asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. My first choice was a stewardess, but my granny discouraged me by saying I would just have to clean passengers' vomit. So, my next choice was a photographer. Don't ask me why.

I was 16 when I got my first camera, and my father taught me how to take black-and-white photos and develop negatives. I loved working in the darkroom. Looking back, I now understand that maybe capturing people through a camera and doing solitary work in a darkroom felt so natural because of my autism. I could speak through the camera

My history in punk culture and singing in a punk band also reflects a lot in my style of photography. You can always see a lot of contrast and dark colors in my pictures.

But times change, and we get older, so I'm not staying in squats and going to punk gigs anymore. My way of photographing has changed a lot over the years, but you can still see the same contrast and style, even though the subjects are not the same.

I used to travel around Europe with my dogs or hitchhiking. I stayed in squats or in my tent wherever I found a spot. During these travels, I met a lot of interesting people, also during my time in a punk band. I could easily capture people; I think I have a special skill for getting people to relax in front of the camera and bring out their true selves. But I really love how people look and try to find something special in everyone.

P ast years I thought I had lost my passion for photography. I think I got lost myself. I thought that I should still photograph people or punks like I used to do before. But we people grow and our skills should grow with us. Now this new me photographs mainly stillness, quietness of nature, and colors of what my soul sees. I feel that my photography is like a love letter to the world and to being human on earth.