“I couldn’t trust my own eyes. I saw something I had never seen before: unbelievably shaped clouds, like huge drops of water, being held up by the sky, threatening to fall down but magically being held. It honestly felt like being in a twilight zone. Instantly I grabbed my camera, shouted at the boys, and pointed wildly to the sky. All were stunned.”
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“In the Azores, the green and rugged landscapes are present in our daily lives, just like the dark blue colors from the ocean or the bright yellows from the best light of the day. These elements are a reflection of my work. I have spent countless hours scouting and photographing all the locations intensively, using the best time of the day for each spot and flying from island to island.”
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“My winning picture was captured in this area, in Oulanka National Park to be precise. This is prettiest of all 41 national parks in Finland if you ask me. On that day we went for a little hike with my colleagues and friends from work on our day off. The name of the place is Myllykoski and it is incredible to see it on any day of the year. The nostalgic old mill standing over the Myllykoski rapids, with the water flowing down…you can feel and hear the power of nature around you.”
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“With my photographs, I try to emphasize the real and dreamy side of the earth. Its power, as well as its vulnerability. It is so gratifying that by expressing my experiences and emotions through photography, I can hopefully move other people, make them feel, educate them, inspire them – do something good for the planet.”
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“I remember we had a large closet in my parents’ house filled with photos from birthday parties, trips, or activities alike, and as a child, I liked to stare at them a lot, bringing those photos alive in my mind. Having access to so many memories is a gift. Maybe, it is a little bit just like looking at the Milky Way – when we gaze up into the night sky, we are looking into the past because of the finite speed of light.”
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“My love of photography has also evolved from my love of painting. I have found that editing photos can feel akin to painting, shaping the image to my liking, sculpting with light and shadow, adding an artistic touch to reality. The technique of chiaroscuro in painting – to use strong contrasts between light and dark – inspires me a lot.”
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“Having the van has brought me new perspectives, jobs, and feelings. However, my very first trip with the van will always be the one that taught me the simplicity of life, or better said, how simple life can be.”
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“With the winning picture I wanted to create a classic composition. To do so, I captured the hilly landscape as the foreground, the small huts as the middle distance, and the mountain range with the Orion as the background.”
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“When taking photos that morning, I wanted to capture the peaceful ambiance of the lakeside, the moody atmosphere, and try to convey how surreal it felt to be standing there, like something out of a dream.”
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“I had been waiting a long time to get such weather conditions to come together in favor of the shot I had in mind. So, although I was hesitant to fly the drone in the given circumstances, I decided to bring the drone up in the air and kept flying until I got the shot I wanted. When I pressed the shutter and knew I got it, I felt intensely happy – getting up early in the cold winter pays off!”
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