If you had to describe your overall photographic vision in 25 words or less, what words would you choose?
Atmospheric fine art photography from Finland
Who are three of your favorite photographers, and, more importantly, how has your appreciation of their work affected how you approach your own photography?
Joel Tjintjelaar: His photographs are so well done. While looking at his work I want to make original and polished fine art pictures.
Brooke Shaden: She has such a great imagination that I feel inspired when looking at her work and I definitely want to create mystery in photos.
Sarolta Bán: Such an amazing artist with beautiful conceptual photo manipulations. After viewing her work, I feel inspired and interested in the techniques and mystique of her work.
What artistic influences, outside of photography, have had a significant influence on how you approach your photography (for example, painters, filmmakers, musicians, poets, etc.)?
At the moment I’m influenced by the series The Killing, written by Veena Sud’s (and many more), which is one of my all time favorite series. The dark ambiance and mood is something I feel inspired from. I do like dark and moody pictures so it’s something I really enjoy watching. Sometimes I pause while watching it to find out what makes the scene so atmospheric.
What are your thoughts about trying to find the best gear possible versus working on making the best possible image with the gear you already have?
Gear does not make your pictures, however it does help your work, but it’s not the essential thing. For example I used a Nikon D90 in the early stages of my photography and I still think I produced equal or even better photos with it than the gear (D800) I have now. Content equals good pictures.
How would you define fine art? Is it just a label?
This is a tough one. I feel that fine art is something visual and created with certain aesthetics in mind.
If you had to come up with one very important lesson that you think every photographer needs to learn, what would it be?
Find your vision. Something you might be interested in, there are so many different photography forms, that you will have to experiment what you enjoy in photography.
What are your thoughts about the benefits of online sharing? Are there any particular social media or image sharing sites you prefer or do not prefer?
Its a great way to share your work and gain audience. I personally love to get feedback on my pictures, it’s something I look forward to every time I post image to any social media sites. Facebook is one of the best social media sites for me because I get much more engaged viewers there than from some other social media sites.
What photographic cliché or common photography question, if any, irritates you the most?
I saw this comment on some page about my work: this is 90% Photoshop, no vision. I just have to disagree, I think the vision comes out in the post production also.
If you were stranded on an island, and you could have one camera, one lens, one filter, one tripod, two books, and ten CDs, what would they be and why?
I would take Nikon D800, Nikon 16-35 mm f/4.0, B&W 10 stop -filter, for a tripod for example some steady Really Right Stuff.
I don’t read that much so I really don’t know what would I bring.. Something inspiring!
CD’s:
1. Wu-Tang Clan – 36 Chambers
2. The Roots – Undun
3. The Roots – Things Fall Apart
4. The Black Keys – Brothers
5. Moby – Play
6. The Budos Band – The Budos Band
7. Talib Kweli – Reflection Eternal
8. Jamiroquai – High Times: Singles 1992-2006
9. Outkast – ATLiens
10. Cunninlynguists – A Piece Of Strange
Are there any specific directions that you would like to take your photography in the future or any specific goals that you wish to achieve?
I’m currently applying to galleries in Helsinki and working on projects for exhibitions. I would like to see my work exhibited in Helsinki and maybe other cities in Europe in 2014. I’m going to start working on a book also to be released in 2014-15.
Is there any specific place that you would like to visit to take photos? I am, once again, most interested in the why.
I would love to visit Canada and the US, for many reasons. I would love to drive around these countries and visit all the national parks. Canada, specifically, because of the series The Killing.
Is there anything else you wish to add?
Thanks for the opportunity, Nathan, most appreciated!
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Explore more of Mikko’s photography: Website | Facebook
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Spotlight on Three Images
The photograph represents my vision of simplicity as well as the mood and time of day I usually go out to take photographs. I love winter evenings when the sun has just set and the fog starts to rise from the snow. Process: I got the idea because there was no subject in the scenery, I used a remote controller to trigger the camera. In post production I added a slight contrast and adjusted the exposure.
Night photography is my passion, I enjoy the quiet places with no light pollution and no hurry. It’s relaxing and interesting – this photograph represents the vision I have for night photography. Process: Here I stacked multiple exposures to get as much detail in the foreground and then used another exposure to capture the sky with high ISO. I had to edit the colors quite a bit to match all the different exposures together.
One of the first moments I discovered what kind of situations and sceneries I enjoy to capture the most. Process: The processing was quite simple; I added contrast and adjusted the hue & saturation.
