Jonna (pronounced Yonna, or Eeonna) Jinton is the kind of photographer and artist who knows how to capture magic. The way I see it, she is also a Faerie of the Swedish Forests, with the kind of inborn connection to the natural world that is not easy to find. You can see and feel that magic and that connection just by looking at her images. Which is why I had to share about her and her work with you.
On Instagram, Jonna’s is one of the few streams I have on notification, as I do not want to miss one single post. I found her thanks to a friend who shared a short video of Jonna on Facebook (thank you Nicole). In the video, Jonna was practicing a voice technique called kulning, an ancient song form traditionally used by women in Scandinavia to call animals when herding. Whatever it was/is: it sounds wonderful. The sound resonated deeply within me, reminding me of toning and overtone singing, which I practice from time to time.
Jonna is originally from Gothenburg, but five years ago she chose to completely change her life. She was miserable. Life in the city was choking her, and she realized that she was studying and living that life because she thought she should. She felt a powerful an inexplicable longing for a completely different life, and took the leap of faith. Jonna moved from a secure apartment and a structured life in the city to a cabin by the forest near a tiny village (only 10 inhabitants) in the middle of Sweden, without knowing how it was going to work out. She lives there with three cats, a dog, and now her boyfriend, who also has a dog.
.
“I have lived here for five years and I have never regretted it for a second. I feel free here. I have nature on my doorstep, northern lights and stars on winter nights, flowers in the meadows. I have quality of life. Today I live everything I love to do.”
I don’t know about you, but she makes me want to go to Sweden in the middle of winter. I may talk to my pups about wearing snow bootsies. Red ones, I think.
You can enjoy more of Jonna’s exquisite work on her blog, as well as on Instagram. She also has a YouTube channel where she regularly posts video of her life in the Scandinavian forest. The blog is written in Swedish, but there is a google translate widget on the left-hand side that you can use to translate it into any language you choose. The translation into English was quite good.
If you are interested, prints of both her photography and artwork are available for sale through her website.
More awesome Instagramers you will enjoy:
