http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c4/Helsinki.vaakuna.svg/500px-Helsinki.vaakuna.svg.png

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki1.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki2.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki3.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki4.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki5.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki6.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki7.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki8.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki9.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki10.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki11.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki12.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki13.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki14.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki15.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki16.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki17.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki18.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki19.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki20.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki21.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki22.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki23.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki24.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki25.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki26.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki27.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki28.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki29.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki30.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki31.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki32.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki33.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki34.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki35.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki36.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki37.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki38.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki39.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki40.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki41.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki42.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki43.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki44.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki45.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki46.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki47.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki48.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki49.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki50.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki51.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki52.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki53.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki54.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinkinight1.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinkinight2.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinkinight3.jpg

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http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinkinight5.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinkinight6.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinkinight7.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinkinight8b.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinkinight9.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinkinight10.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinkinight11.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinkinight12.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinkinight13.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinkinight14b.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/panofinished1.jpg

Excellent pics as usual!
But when will the Kampfs cross the Alpes and eventually sack Rome?

You are good at photoshoping.

You are good at photoshoping.

What do you mean by that?

But when will the Kampfs cross the Alpes and eventually sack Rome?

I must first gather my legions. Perhaps next year.

http://i12.tinypic.com/344pd6w.jpg

Any comments?

In Helsinki, Turkey's already part of the EU. :dunno:

You%u00B4re a great photographer but the pics make Helsinki look cold and boring which it isn%u00B4t. I guess it%u00B4s just the weather.

You´re a great photographer but the pics make Helsinki look cold and boring which it isn´t. I guess it´s just the weather.

It's cold during the winter time. But indeed, the weather sucked for a couple of days. I'd say the city looks pretty good in the sunny pics.

What do you mean by that?

No photoshop ?

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki17.jpg

Oh ok...yeah, that's a photoshop. :D Actually took me ages to figure out how to keep part of a picture in a certain color.

Very nice pics Kampflamm!

Again greats pics. :okay:

What`s next?

Oh ok...yeah, that's a photoshop. :D Actually took me ages to figure out how to keep part of a picture in a certain color.

It´s a very cool pic, how do you keep part of a picture in a certain colour if i may ask?

There's something called a "lasso tool" (I use Ulead Photo Impact, I'm sure every other program has the same thing) which allows you to "catch" a certain part of the picture. You can then exclude it from other post processing work (like turning the pic b & w).

Wow, Kampfi - you are an artist! These are absolutely great Helsinki pics and I know what I am talking about for I made photo documentry about that city together with a friend 10 years ago. It's by far my most beloved northern city (second comes Hamburg, then Oslo, Tampere, Stockholm, Copenhagen and Turku ;))
I only say: :applause: :applause: :applause: :master:

Thanks. To be honest, I would have liked to have stayed there. Maybe I'll emigrate at some point in the future. :D The city's really nice. A bit rough around the edges and not too pretty like Paris or maybe even Stockholm. It really has a sleek look to itself. You Helsinkians (Helsinkers?) are lucky to be living in such a great city.

Very nice pics :okay:
I especially like the b/w ones.

Wow, what a beautiful city. Nice heritage buildings, And the photographs are very professional.

^Ich wusste gar nicht ,dass sie da auch doener haben.

Indeed, you should be posting at some professional photography websites.

I expect the next visit to be to Moldova.

Very nice photos! I like them a lot!

i just love the way you presented the city. very interesting shots and angles. i really want to visit the city after this little show.
kind regards from the other side of the world (Chile:D)

A couple of additional shots:

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki55.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki56.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki57.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki58.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki59.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki60.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki61.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki62.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki63.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki64.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki65.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki66.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki67.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki68.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki69.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki70.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki71.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki72.jpg

Some information on the sites in Helsinki:

Uspenski Cathedral (big brick church)

The Uspenski Cathedral (Finnish Uspenskin katedraali) is an Eastern Orthodox cathedral in Helsinki, Finland, dedicated to the Dormition. Built from 1862-1868 by the Russian architect Aleksei Gornostayev, the cathedral is set upon a hillside on the Katajanokka peninsula overlooking the city. On the back of the cathedral is a plaque commemorating Tsar Alexander II of Russia, ruler of Finland during its construction. The main cathedral of the Finnish Orthodox Church Diocese of Helsinki.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uspenski_Cathedral


Eduskuntalo (parliament building...can be seen in a couple of pics, it's the large building with the massive columns)

The architectural competition which was held in 1924 was won by the firm of Borg–Sirén–Åberg with a proposal called Oratoribus (Latin for "for the speakers"). Johan Sigfrid Sirén (1889–1961), who was mainly responsible for preparing the proposal, was given the task of designing Parliament House. The building was constructed 1926–1931 and was officially inaugurated on March 7, 1931. Ever since then, and especially during the Winter War and Continuation War, it has been the scene of many key moments in the nation's political life.

Architecture and features

Eduskuntatalo was designed in the classic style of the 1920s. The exterior is reddish Kalvola granite. The façade is lined by fourteen columns with Corinthian capitals.

The building has five floors, each of which is unique. The floors are connected by a white marble staircase and famous paternoster lifts. Most important for visitors are the beautiful main lobby, the stately Session Hall and the awe-inspiring Hall of State.

Notable later additions to the building are the library annex completed in 1978 and a separate office block, the needfulness of which was an object of some controversy, completed in 2004.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eduskuntatalo


And of course...Senate Square

The Senate Square (in Finnish Senaatintori, in Swedish Senatstorget) presents Carl Ludvig Engel's architecture as a unique allegory of political, religious, scientific and commercial powers in the centre of Helsinki.

The Palace of the Council of State was completed on the eastern side of the Senate Square in 1822. It served as the senate of Finland until 1907 when the Eduskunta building was completed. The main University building, on the opposite side of the Senate Square, was constructed in 1832.

The Helsinki Cathedral on the northern edge of the Senate Square, was Engel's lengthiest architectural project. He was working on it from 1818 until his death in 1840. The Helsinki Cathedral - then called the Church of Nicholas - dominates the Senate Square, and was finalized twelve years afters Engel's death, in 1852.

Today, the Senate Square is one of the main tourist attractions of Helsinki. Various art happenings, ranging from concerts to snow buildings to controversial snow board happenings, have been set up on the Senate Square.

Digital carillion music (in Finnish Senaatintorin ääni) is played daily at 17:49 (5:49 PM) at the Senate Square. The optimal listening position is at the proximity of the Square's central monument, the bronze statue of Czar Alexander II.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helsinki_Senate_Square

Excellent, very interesting shots! :) Thanks for the tour :okay:

Great job! You make the city look much more interesting, than it is in reality. In fact I don't think it looks worse, than what it would have looked like, if it was sunny. Menancholic looks are the ones that suit Helsinki best IMO.
Was Finland and Finns in general what you expected it to be?

You are right... except: Helsinki IS an interesting city that can rival without any problems Stockholm or even it's "mother city" St.Petersburg. It has great architecture throughout the 20th century (except the only not-that-great building by Alvar Aalto on the harbour...), a vivid bar and club scene, and a lot of sightseeings. The only thing is the sometimes a bit rough and seedy nightlife because of all those drunkards. But it's a cultural thing and something you can get used to... or not ;)

And it has THEM...
http://www.kukuk.at/po2004/bands/leningrad.jpg

...and had :( HIM (not the band - one of the greatest european actors)
http://www.hachimaki.info/hakkaku/pics/mattia.jpg

It is clear that you have an expensive camera, nice quality but poor photography.

Serves you right to be banned. :D

...and had :( HIM (not the band - one of the greatest european actors)
http://www.hachimaki.info/hakkaku/pics/mattia.jpg

If I'm not mistaken, it's Matti Pelonpaa, indeed a great.

Finland, with more than 100 active theater companies and a hugely active cinema scene, takes care of its actors and it's got some massive talents.

It also feeds the lenses of talented foreign photographers, way to go.

.

Thanks. To be honest, I would have liked to have stayed there. Maybe I'll emigrate at some point in the future. :D The city's really nice. A bit rough around the edges and not too pretty like Paris or maybe even Stockholm. It really has a sleek look to itself. You Helsinkians (Helsinkers?) are lucky to be living in such a great city.

Thank you. I've lived in Helsinki all my life. Of course it doesn't feel special anymore to me. It's really nice to see, that people like this city. I'm not sure what it is that people like in here. Very small downtown area, not much to see I think. Yes, there are some nice places but there are very few of them. At winter it can be very cold in here too (now it isn't tho).

Helsinki is one of my fave places in the world, amazing in summer when you can wake up at 2am, sit by the sea and watch the sunset/sunrise with the clubbers thats been going on for hours.

Its justifiably famous (not enough tho'!) as an architects dream- so many styles in one place, streets and streets of ornate 18th, 19th and 20th century facades.

I really want to visit again, tho just for this, Helsinki's own little Harajuku freekscene ,tho' a bit tamer than Tokyo's: (don't worry this is just a minority 'scene' the Finns dont really all dress like that, tho' theyre very fashion savvy):


http://www.hel-looks.com/photos/20060810_02.jpg http://www.hel-looks.com/photos/20061111_06.jpg

http://www.hel-looks.com/photos/20061111_04.jpg http://www.hel-looks.com/photos/20061005_01.jpg

http://www.hel-looks.com/photos/20060819_07.jpg http://www.hel-looks.com/photos/20060818_01.jpg

http://www.hel-looks.com/photos/20060810_05.jpg http://www.hel-looks.com/photos/20060422_01.jpg

http://www.hel-looks.com/photos/20060224_02.jpg http://www.hel-looks.com/photos/20050918_02.jpg

fan-fuckintastic

Freakin awesome!

http://www.hel-looks.com/photos/20060818_01.jpg

^ it's the woodfeller-look, isn't it? :banana2:

Looks, as they would come from the forest from collecting mushrooms.

I'm considering to style me also in such a way... Ladys, I'm coming :tyty:

Not Mushrooms - Lakka and Mustikko (Cloudberry and Blueberries) - it's cool!

You'd likely get a stain on that awesome shirt though if you were collecting berries.

what building is this
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki57.jpg ?

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki8.jpg

did you lose weight? good for you ..

what building is this
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki57.jpg ?

From Wikipedia: "Säätytalo is a historical building in Helsinki, Finland. It housed the three commoner ones of the four estates of the realm of Finland since it was built 1891. The estates were rendered meaningless at the 1906 parliamentary reform after which the newly found Eduskunta, the parliament of Finland, also settled elsewhere, leaving Säätytalo for secondary usage.

Today Säätytalo houses sporadic governmental meetings. It is also the established location for official coalition talks after general elections."

Here´s a pic I took this autumn where you can see the whole building. It´s pretty cool imo.

http://img511.imageshack.us/img511/7744/dscn3800te6.jpg (http://img511.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dscn3800te6.jpg)

Another pic:
http://www.korttelit.fi/rakennus.php/id/328

Didn't the EU hold a press conference with Putin in that building last december?

Really good shots! :applause:

Didn't the EU hold a press conference with Putin in that building last december?
yup, the same place. IMO one of the prettiest buildings in the whole of Finland.

A bit rough around the edges and not too pretty like Paris or maybe even Stockholm.

It´s nice to hear other people´s opinions :) I´ve always seen Helsinki as a typical European "beaiful" city.

Fantastic city :applause: nice pics.. ;)

From Wikipedia: "Säätytalo is a historical building in Helsinki, Finland. It housed the three commoner ones of the four estates of the realm of Finland since it was built 1891. The estates were rendered meaningless at the 1906 parliamentary reform after which the newly found Eduskunta, the parliament of Finland, also settled elsewhere, leaving Säätytalo for secondary usage.

Today Säätytalo houses sporadic governmental meetings. It is also the established location for official coalition talks after general elections."

Here´s a pic I took this autumn where you can see the whole building. It´s pretty cool imo.

http://img511.imageshack.us/img511/7744/dscn3800te6.jpg (http://img511.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dscn3800te6.jpg)

Thank you :yes: it looks very beautiful!

To me, Helsinki looks very much like Saint Petersburg. Sure, Helsinki is a fine city, but it doesn't have a lot of interesting places worth siteseeing. Speaking from my personal experience, I find these photos quite realistic. I think that Helsinki lacks what I call "European spirit"—something that is hard to explain, but something that is definitely present in Copenhagen and Stockholm.

To me, Helsinki looks very much like Saint Petersburg. Sure, Helsinki is a fine city, but it doesn't have a lot of interesting places worth siteseeing. Speaking from my personal experience, I find these photos quite realistic. I think that Helsinki lacks what I call "European spirit"—something that is hard to explain, but something that is definitely present in Copenhagen and Stockholm.
have you been in helsinki? if not, you shouldn't categorize the city like that.

nice photos Kampflamm

I think that this guy and atmosphere looks typically Finnish (for me stereotypes -looks very cold weather and depresive)


http://www.hel-looks.com/photos/20060819_07.jpg

How can you be depressive with those pants?

That guy does NOT look typically Finnish :lol:

And Helsinki is far from depressive (in the summer anyway).

I know it's annoying to dig age-old threads up, but I just have to comment on this:

To me, Helsinki looks very much like Saint Petersburg. Sure, Helsinki is a fine city, but it doesn't have a lot of interesting places worth siteseeing. Speaking from my personal experience, I find these photos quite realistic. I think that Helsinki lacks what I call "European spirit"—something that is hard to explain, but something that is definitely present in Copenhagen and Stockholm.

These photos represent the small historical area that is more popular among tourists than real Helsinkians. In some other section I already said to Kampflamm that these photos are excellent, but they don't convey the "spirit" of the real city.

This map shows the size of "quartal city" of Helsinki (suburban areas sprawl about 15km to every direction). All pics above are taken from the areas that are covered with white spots:
http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/8885/sdfsdfdfxr4.jpg

To get some taste about other areas in Helsinki, click: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=407695

i think I also took a couple of shots from that marina (at the tip of which is that small island). :D

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki76.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki75.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/Aviller71/helsinki74.jpg

This map shows the size of "quartal city" of Helsinki (suburban areas sprawl about 15km to every direction). All pics above are taken from the areas that are covered with white spots:

Those are the most beautiful spots though. And after all I'm just a poor tourist. :cry:

:applause: Magnificent shots!

LOL!

Lordi sucks!Gwar copycat. But Helsinki is awesome!

I actually now remember why I dug up this thread. There's a black building opposite the train station. If I remember correctly someone said it was gonna be renovated. Are they done? Or were they done when I visited the city (oct 06)...it already looked alright back then. Really a testament to how good even avg buildings look in Helsinki.

You probably mean this:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b8/Makkaratalo_Helsinki2.jpg

That's rather hated building in Helsinki. It isn't the most ugly one in the city, but because of its massive size (in original plans it was even bigger) and the fact that it replaced quite a nice old quarter it always pops up when talking about Helsinki's ugliest buildings.

And it really is being renovated, I visited the city last week and the works are still going on. If my memory serves me right, the works will be completed in late 2008. The car ramps will be removed, but the "sausage" around the building will stay.

http://www.city-center.fi/havainnekuvat/en_GB/rautatientori/_files/11307504740000498/default/rautatientori.jpg

^^
http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/2681/cc20lasikatto20600x800nt0.jpg

http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/1770/cc20valopiha20600x800am5.jpg

http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/7987/cc20keskuskatu20600x800mw0.jpg

The renovation (http://www.city-center.fi/havainnekuvat/en_GB/future_images1/) (which should be done in April 2008 according to Sponda) isn't really that remarkable on it's own but the fact that the ramps are being removed and the street next to is is being turned in to a pedestrian street (the pedestrian street should be done in fall 2009) is a reason to rejoice. It will still be butt ugly for it's location though.

Yeh... Ateneum next to it couldn't look more lonely.

I love the pictures! thank u for sharing
I really want to go there someday!

Classy city. Looks wonderful and I'm real picky.

Freakin awesome!

http://www.hel-looks.com/photos/20060818_01.jpg

just look at those filthy capitalists.. can their eyes be any greedier?

Unique looking city!

I must get to this city this year!

I think you have some great pics there. Great job!

This thread acted as a nice reminder to book that trip to Helsinki

and SOON!!!

Great set!

A lot of the architecture looks like that of St Petersburg, just an observation.

Thanks. To be honest, I would have liked to have stayed there. Maybe I'll emigrate at some point in the future. :D The city's really nice. A bit rough around the edges and not too pretty like Paris or maybe even Stockholm. It really has a sleek look to itself. You Helsinkians (Helsinkers?) are lucky to be living in such a great city.

Just curious: What is it that you liked so much to even want to move there?

Really great, very nice photos from Helsinki :)

Just curious: What is it that you liked so much to even want to move there?

Hmm...I just liked the overall feel of the city. Modern and classic architecture side by side, the cool northern atmosphere. Everything was so neat and tidy as well, much better than Germany. :D

Tidier than Germany? Wow, I had no idea that was possible, haha!

Well, the cities in my region aren't really renowned for their tidiness. NL is much cleaner than Northrhine-Westfalia.

The only German city I know is Munich, I guess it's not terribly smart to generalise like that.

It looks like quite an interesting place, may be a bit too cold (don't mean the weather) and calm though. Anyway pics are great , port cities got that special atmosphere especially on the north.

It looks like quite an interesting place, may be a bit too cold (don't mean the weather) and calm though. Anyway pics are great , port cities got that special atmosphere especially on the north.

Not at all. Helsinki is known for its nightlife, and in summer the streets are colourful and busy. Winter can be a bit gloomy though.

The only German city I know is Munich, I guess it's not terribly smart to generalise like that.

I think German cities are probably by and large still pretty clean, although it has gotten worse in recent years.

very nice pics :applause: