The murals were victorious in the Naapurin puolella photo contest

Murals and the railway inspired photographers in the Naapurin puolella photo competition, in which 36 photographers from Hyvinkää and Riihimäki participated with a total of 90 photos.

Well-known landmarks of the cities were selected for many pictures, and quite predictably the railway connecting the cities was often the subject of the picture or the shooting environment. As such, the subject of the photos could be anything, as long as the photo was taken in the area of ​​a neighboring town. The results of the competition were announced at Hyvinkää City Hall on Thursday evening, October 24, 2024.

The Naapurin puolella photo contest challenged Hyvinkää and Riihimäki residents to take photos in each other's towns - that is, their neighboring town's area. The two series of the competition, H and R, were practically independent competitions, which also had different juries. In this way, the neighbors did not compete against each other, but they were encouraged to visit and photograph the filming locations they saw on the neighbor's side.

What did the Hyvinkää people see in Riihimäki?

In the series R, where the people of Hyvinkää took pictures on Riihimäki, Anssi Soikkeli won with his photo Perintö. The jury praised the shot's inventive angle, which juxtaposes a warm sculpture with a fine mural. This creates a telling impression of the child and mother, as if looking at their grandmother. Reducing the image partially to black and white was also considered a successful effect.

Timo Saarinen's strong moody and obviously thought-out greyscale shot Merkkimies monument took second place in the R series. The picture taken from the sculpture dedicated to HG Paloheimo clearly shows the year of Paloheimo's death, 1919, in the building in the background.

For the third place, the jury then chose an even more colorful picture, Johanna Luukkonen's shot Värillä on väliä. In it, the arrangement of glass bottles glows with the power of its harmonious spectrum of memories of the glass industry. The jury didn't know when making the selection that the photographer had been the mayor herself!

What did the people of Riihimäki see in Hyvinkää?

In series H, where people from Riihimäki took pictures in Hyvinkää, Anne Hämäläinen was the winner with her photo Helene. The special merit of the picture was considered to be the insightful, even surprising framing and composition, where juju – a mural painting of Helene Schjerfbeck – can be found in the lower corner of the picture, and the strong maple leaves in the foreground form her like hair. There is also storytelling in the picture: Helene peeks shyly from the past to the present of Hyvinkää. The picture combines Hyvinkää's culture, nature and living.

Second place in the H series went to Juha Mälkönen with his peaceful landscape picture Harmonia, where the moderate use of a wide angle makes the horses in the foreground the main subjects of the picture. The light tones of the picture exude calmness and greenery, although there is a touch of gloom in the clouds of the sky.

The jury chose Katariina Pohjola's picture Auringonlaskun yhdistäjä as third in the H series. The beautiful picture combines the light of the sunset, the open sky and the architecture of the Old Church Bridge in a balanced and nuanced way. In this picture, the empty sky is also an important element.

The competition was organized by the Hyvinkää Kameraseura in cooperation with both cities, Aamuposti and Kamerakerho 50 ry. These organizations were also represented in the competition management team and juries.

All prize-winning photos of the competition can be seen On the Hyvinkää Camera Society's website and that In the folder placed in the Photos section.

Additional information

Olli Nykänen
Hyvinkää Kameraseura ry
tel. 040 676 5051
on.postia@gmail.com