Year that was 2023 – what was it like?
Look ahead they say, and don’t look back (in anger ;-)…
But maybe every now and then one can see what has been going on, and what better time than an end of year. So – what has 2023 had in store for me and what memories do I have from it?
JANUARY : Always tends to be a quiet month, Korisliiga doesn’t need much at this time of the year, there are usually no international games to attend. So it is a month where I can do ‘my own stuff’. In 2023 January had few Korisliiga and Naisten Korisliiga games, and then in mid-month the Finnish Cup Final 4 event in Helsinki. Fans, so far, haven’t gotten too much on the side of this.. but as a photographer, nothing better than eight teams in one place in one weekend!
After the Cup event, Susipaparazzi jumped on a mad 11 day rush around the continent and did about 10 games in 7 different countries. Fun – but might not be something I will repeat in January 2024. It is always fun to meet Finnish players during their domestic season – and meeting Edon Maxhuni, Elias Valtonen, Aatu Kivimäki, Elina Koskimies, Venla Varis, Anissa Pounds, KarhuBasket, Ponttis, Shawn Hopkins, Topias Palmi .. super fun!
FEBRUARY : The European Tour (should I sell Tour t-shirts??) continues to February, which otherwise saw the last FIBA World Cup qualifying window for Susijengi -back with the Wolf Family for the first time in 2023. These weeks just fly by – with great players, staff and fans. Just all together great events!
MARCH-MAY : My little time away from basketball being the ‘main event’ – in spring 2023 I traveled from the south coast to Lapland and everywhere (LITERALLY!!) in between to take promo images of ALL Superpesis and Ykköspesis teams.. this all together there were about 60 teams that I photographed in this time… as well as the Korisliiga and Naisten Korisliiga Finals at the end. Probably the craziest two days were around the 12th-13th of May. On the 12th I had a photoshoot in Lapua around 3pm, then on 13th I had a photoshoot at 8am in Helsinki, about 400km or so to the south and after finishing the photoshoot in Helsinki around 1pm/2pm … it was up the road to Kauhajoki, around 400km from Helsinki (and 50km from Lapua!!) for a 5pm Korisliiga Final. Let’s just say I was quite spent after the Final. Oh – and also, from 16th of April to 24th of April I enjoyed my first COVID. Could have come home to ‘be sick’ – but packed the camper with food and drinks and drove to the forest to sleep and rest, probably best place to have COVID as you are all alone and just sleep and don’t bother anyone. Last Superpesis, well it was Ykköspesis, photoshoot was on the 28th of May in Kajaani .. I can tell you that I felt like I accomplished something when the car was packed after that photoshoot.
JUNE-AUGUST : Wolf time!! And what a summer, youth events, 3×3, World Cup, training camps, photoshoots, marketing events, … just everything. One place where I wished I could have gone, but didn’t, was the Universiad Games in China where Finnish Women did GREAT!! And another was WU16 EuroBasket where Finland finished 4th (and qualified for World Cup 2024 in Mexico.. where I WILL GO!!! Whether the Federation need it or not.. for history’s sake I want to cover this event!). World Cup in Japan was an experience, couple of weeks in tropical Okinawa, walking up the same hill two/three times a day from the team hotel to the Arena, eating too many FamiChicken pieces, being introduced to Taco Rice, eating beef and rice most days at the mall .. games at the event, well – I am not playing 😉 so… But we knew the games were gonna be tough and so it proved. But in the end we qualified for the Olympic Qualification Tournament in 2024, so nice end to the tournament. Of course due to the games, etc – wasn’t the greatest event to get any outside content, but super stoked to have been there.
SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER : Few days after landing from Okinawa to Helsinki – off to the basketball photoshoot tour, starting from Jyväskylä and the JBA Academy and then straight to the men’s and women’s league teams and game images. A solid and packed month of so, all teams covered for promos and action photos. Nice to keep the streak going, which started in 2009 when I did first basketball promos, which NO ONE!! need to see. Hopefully the images have gotten at least slightly better in the years since then.
NOVEMBER : Women’s EuroBasket Qualifying – and a WIN!!!! OK – when looking at our roster, NOT surprising at all to get the W, but since I started to shoot these games in 2010 or so.. I think this was the FIRST official game in qualification that we have won! Made the over night bus journey from Samokov to Sofia that little bit easier, but with the three hour sleep.. the next two days were pretty much wasted. But I mean – what a month and great things are coming from the Women’s team in years to come!
DECEMBER : For the first time in years, I really decided to take PROPER time off – I was NOT going to look for any games or gigs to shoot. Naturally took the already traditional week/two in Lapland in the usual cabin, this time with the normal car, so took trips to Norway and stayed at cabins along the way. Just REALLY REALLY good to have taken this time off – and to continue it a little into the new year as well. Just has given some of the ‘mojo’ (yes, Austin Powers reference) back into the photo and video stuff, which is great as I HOPE 2024 has some cracking events for me to shoot!
Was 2023 perfect?? No. Am I happy with how it went work wise? Sure, kinda – one can always do a little better, but it was a decent year with some solid content created to clients. Can I improve this for 2024?? Guess I kinda answered that already, and if things are agreed and so forth… there are some cool plans for 2024!!
More about 2024 in the next post!
