PICTURES FROM ONE OF PETRI’S CHILDHOOD SUMMERS

Petri’s father Martti left him a trove of photographs, including a large number of photographs from Petri’s childhood. They were mainly taken by Martti, using his Yashica-C 6×6 twin-lens reflex camera, and are almost all black and white. Petri first considered colouring them using AI and other modern tools. However, when he saw the results, he first thought the colours were far too sweet, almost sugary. Then he realised that this is just what his childhood memories are like: the sun always shines and all the colours are very bright. Here are some of those photos:

A young woman wearing a wide-brimmed hat and a patterned dress is sitting in the grass with a young child. The child is wearing a light-colored cap and a simple tank top. They are both looking down at something in the grass, possibly playing together.

Riitta Paavola and Petri. If Petri remembers right, Riitta’s father was a distant cousin of Petri’s mother. Photo: Martti Kutvonen

A house covered in green ivy with a red tiled roof. A figure is walking in front of the house amidst lush greenery.

The main building of the farm. Here it is almost entirely covered with Parthenocissus inserta, colloquially called false Virginia creeper. Photo: Martti Kutvonen

Two children are playing in the dirt with yellow flowers behind them. A girl is reaching out to touch a plant while a boy points at something in the dirt.

Petri with a girl whose name he can’t remember. There seems to be some digging planned. Photo: Martti Kutvonen

Two children are playing near a body of water in a sunny outdoor setting. The boy is standing and looking to the side, while the girl is sitting and smiling.

This is the result — a very small pool. But there is plenty of fun to be had. Photo: Martti Kutvonen

A young girl with a bow in her hair sits on the grass holding a croquet mallet and a ball. A boy stands next to her, looking at her. They are in a backyard with a red house in the background.

“How do you actually play this game?” Photo: Martti Kutvonen

Three children, two girls and a boy, are looking at blue flowers in a garden. A wooden bench is visible in the background.

Petri does remember the names of these twin girls who admire flowers. They are Outi and Päivi. Photo: Martti Kutvonen

Two young boys are sitting in a rock, with trees in the background. One boy is in the foreground, looking at the camera and smiling. The other boy is behind him, also in the rock.

Petri and his best summer friend Jarkko on a large rock which is actually a glacial erratic. In their imagination it was a boat or a ship. Jarkko had a younger sister Inka-Tiina who often joined in their games in the later years. Photo: Martti Kutvonen

A young boy smiles while sitting on a tree branch amidst lush green foliage. He is wearing a striped shirt and overalls.

Petri in a tree. Here he ia not very high because even the photographer had to climb up there. And yes, Petri did fall out of a tree, but he never told his parents about it. It only came to light during Petri’s military service when traces of an old fracture in his pelvis were found. Photo: Lyyli Kutvonen

A portrait shows a man in a suit, a teenage girl in a white dress, and a young boy in a striped shirt. They are standing in front of a dark, foliage-filled background.

Petri’s father Martti, Petri’s cousin Riitta, and Petri. Riitta has been to confirmation classes. Today she will be confirmed and will have her first communion. Photo: Lyyli Kutvonen

A young boy in a striped shirt and blue pants is feeding a group of chickens in a yard. He holds a plate and appears to be dropping food for them.

Petri feeding the chickens. Photo: Lyyli Kutvonen

A young woman and a boy in the foreground are standing on a dock, looking out at the water. There is a boy in the distance, standing in the water.

Riitta Paavola and Petri on the shore of Lake Nihua. The pier seems to be sinking. Riitta and the boy at the end of the pier are fishing with worms. The boy could be Riitta’s brother, whose name Petri cannot remember. Photo: Martti Kutvonen

A young boy sits in the foreground of the image, turned away from the camera and looking over his shoulder. Behind him, a young woman with blonde hair is seated and appears to be reaching for something. The scene is outdoors with a blurred background of green foliage and a bright sky.

Also on lake Nihua. Petri and Petri’s cousin Riitta in the background. Photo: Martti Kutvonen

Lake Life, Unfiltered: Where swimsuits are optional and joy is mandatory.

Petri has been swimming in the lake. The swimwear of that time was such that you didn’t really want to keep it on after it got wet. Note: The oversaturation of colors makes bouth Riittas look like redheads. Photo: Martti Kutvonen

A young woman with red hair is submerged in blue water, with her feet in the air. A wooden post stands to their right, reflecting in the water

Petri’s cousin Riitta on the sinking pier. Photo: Martti Kutvonen

A young child, a woman and a teenager are sitting outdoors near a dark wooden building. The teenager is eating a sandwich.

Having a lakeside snack. Petri, Petri’s mother Lyyli, and Riitta Paavola. Photo: Martti Kutvonen

A man wearing glasses smiles while sitting on the water with a blurred background. The water is blue and the background has yellow and green hues.

The photographer himself, Petris’s father Martti. Photo: Lyyli Kutvonen

A young boy sits in a wooden sauna holding a bundle of leafy branches. He is partially submerged in a wooden tub, and the sauna walls are made of horizontal wooden planks.

In the sauna, probably 70°C. Photo: Martti Kutvonen