From childhood hikes to award-winning shots, Kasper Rajasuo’s journey is one of rapid evolution and deep connection. In this article, Kasper shares the technical secrets behind his “Santa’s Cabin” winning photo, the four lessons that defined his career, and how he uses color theory to transform harsh Finnish winters into dreamy, serene masterpieces.
My passion for the outdoors goes way back to my childhood, as I grew up close to nature and spent much of my time there. For me, nature has always been a place where I can truly just let go of thoughts and be in the moment.
I had actually never been that visual of a person before my cousin introduced me to nature photography in 2018. The passion ignited quite intensively from there very quickly, and a couple of months later, I had already bought my first camera. Everything has just been snowballing from there, and the passion definitely hasn’t gotten weaker over the years.
The most important gig of my career was the first one I ever received. It focused on photographing natural scenery in small towns across a Finnish region. The project kick-started my business and taught me the fundamentals of working professionally. It’s also especially meaningful to me as my mother, who recently passed away, drove me between the locations during the project. It wouldn’t have been possible without her.
Since then, these are the four most valuable lessons I’ve learned:
1) Experiment with new framing styles and shooting techniques. Stepping outside your comfort zone is the most effective way to develop your skills.
2) Light matters more than location. You don’t need to travel far to capture something beautiful if the timing and conditions are right.
3) Don’t get obsessed with gear, thinking it will make you better. What actually matters is learning to fully use what you already have.
4) Develop your own visual language. In the long run, your personal style is what defines your work and ultimately your career.
The winning image was captured on the fells of Levi in Finnish Lapland, where I photographed the iconic ‘Santa’s Cabin’ in harsh, frosty conditions.
The wind was biting cold, and it took a while to get the feeling back in my hands after the shoot. I had dreamed of conditions like this at the exact location, so it felt amazing to capture the photo I really wanted.
This location has been heavily photographed, so I tried going for a composition that’s at least a little different. The frosty branches made for some perfect soft framing, and they completed the image in my opinion.
Then, when editing, I always aim to stick to the natural tone. I emphasized the beautiful pastel colors and intentionally dropped the clarity to soften the photo. The scenery was very dreamy, so I made sure not to create too much contrast. The following were my main editing steps:
1) White balance
Temperature: 6962
Tint: +41
2) Tone
Contrast: +85
Highlights: -89
Shadows: +47
Whites: +16
Blacks: +78
3) Presence
Texture: -20
Clarity: -39
4) Color mixer
Hue
Orange -13
Yellow -40
Aqua +40
Blue -15
Purple -7
Magenta -4
Saturation
Orange -7
Yellow -25
Aqua -94
Blue -48
Purple -5
Luminance
Orange -8
Yellow +27
Aqua -100
Blue -44
5) Color grading
Midtones – Deep ultramarine (051a7f)
Shadows – Teal Patina (247b7e)
Highlights – Burnt sienna red (842312)
6) Lastly, I applied a mask to highlight the cabin.
As a result, I obtained an analogous range of cool blues and violets, moving from steel blue (3e6296) and periwinkle blue (707cb2) through bluebell (9597c7) to dusty lavender (b49fcA) and pale lilac (caa9d4).
According to color theory and research, the palette’s low saturation and narrow hue range create visual harmony, reduce cognitive load, and evoke calm, introspection, and quiet, wintry serenity.
In ten years from now, I’d like to see myself working less on projects that take more than they give. Instead, I want to make my brand stronger, so I’ll get to produce bigger creative projects that actually contribute to my career. To get there, I believe the most important thing is to network with more people sharing the same passion. It’s mandatory to also be persistent and trusting yourself, as well as the process.
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