FALLING IN LOVE WITH LAPLAND

Engagement photoshoot in Saariselkä

I met the most sweetest couple from London in Saariselkä last March. It all started when they wrote to me that they had gotten engaged over New Years Eve in Saariselkä. They loved the place so much that they decided to come back in March and at the same time have their engagement photos taken.

It was a cloudy and windy day, quite cold, but Chloe and Harry were such troopers and didn’t complain! We started the photoshoot at Northern Lights Village, where the couple actually got engaged at New Year. Funny fact, they had actually seen the most amazing northern lights there the night before there!

Love makes the world a little smaller. These two met in Canada, while one is from England and the other from Australia. How amazing is that. I love to hear all about how my clients have met and about their stories. I have the best job, meeting amazing people from all over the world.

We drove around Saariselkä to take photos at different places, one of them being the top of Kaunispää. It was really windy and cold. Luckily there is a café on top of this skiing hill, where we could stop for a hot chocolate. March is quite the end of the holiday season in Lapland, so there were not too many people around.

Chloe and Harry was just as excited about the photoshoot as I was from the beggining to the end, I love that! It’s also great to see how excited people are about the views and surroundings in Lapland, that sometimes feels ordinary to me. After the photoshoot it started to snow a LOT, which meant I had to drive home to Rovaniemi in a snow storm and in the dark. It took me over four hours, compared to the normal three hours drive, but it was totally worth it. Had the best time and I think we got some awesome pictures to remember the day by. What do you think?

PRE-WEDDING PHOTOSHOOT IN LAPLAND

Romantic photosession at Vaattunkiköngäs and Ounasvaara

Jori and Bora wrote me in February about their wishes to have their pre-wedding photos taken in Lapland, while here on vacation. They live in southern Finland, but often visit Lapland, Bora is from Korea and Jori has also lived there. The theme of their pre-wedding photos was winter and snow and they wanted nature to be a big part of the pictures. They are going to have their wedding in Korea this spring.

Pre-wedding pictures are not always taken in Finland but in Korea it’s a big thing. The couple uses the pictures in their wedding invitations and the pictures are also displayed on a big screen at the wedding. We planned the photoshoot ahead, I sent some pictures of different locations and we finally decided to take them at Vaattunkiköngäs and Ounasvaara and chose the afternoon time beacuse of the possibility for sunset pictures. The photoshoot took place at the end of February and at that time the sun sets at about 5 pm.

We started at Vaattunkiköngäs, where there is a nature trail and a rapid stream. The sun was shining beautifully and perfectly low in the sky. Jori and Bora had sent me some ideas of different poses they wanted to do and we did a lot of different variations. Bora started with one outfit and changed dress in the middle of the photoshoot.

When driving from Vaattunkiköngäs, we stopped at a small place, where I knew there were some nice small wooden “laavus”, as we call them in Finnish. Now Bora had changed her outfit and the sun was perfectly shining low in the background.

When we got to Ounasvaara, it had gotten a little cloudy, but the light was still nice. It was a little windy up on the hill, Bora and Jori was such troops baring the cold and walking through the snow! I always recommend my clients to wear really good shoes, a warm coat and gloves, to put on in between shooting. We always have to walk a bit to get to the prefect locations.

It was really interesting to hear about the different wedding and photography culture in Korea, for example in Korea they photoshop the photos a lot more than we do here in Finland. I’m so glad Bora and Jori still liked my natural style and they wanted the photos to be relaxed and romantic. Bora actually has her own Youtube channel, FinBora, where she talks about what it’s like to live as a Korean in Finland. She did a post about our photoshoot as well, go and check it out at : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCh1nisGTHo.

SUNNY WINTER PHOTOSHOOT IN ROVANIEMI

Arctic Tree House in Syväsenvaara, Rovaniemi

In the beginning of January 2019 I had a lovely photoshoot with Dewi, who lives in Australia but is originally from Indonesia. She was staying at the lovely Arctic Tree House in Rovaniemi. This hotel is in Syväsenvaara, very close to where I live. It is next to a small hill and forest, where I often walk in my freetime, so I know a lot of nice places around here.

If you ask me when is the best time to visit Rovaniemi, I would say January or February, when the sun is shining more than in for example December. The light is at many times quite magical, changing from the colours blue to pink and orange. It’s usually quite cold though, between -10 to even -30 celcius degrees. Dewi was such a great model, saying she absolutely loves the cold! First we took some photos inside the hotel room and after that we walked up to the small hill of Syväsenvaara. To find the best spots and best light, you usually have to walk a bit, so I always recommend wearing warm clothes and good shoes.

It was a windy day, which is quite rare in Rovaniemi, but just look at this view and the sunlight! It was worth the walk. I love this light, shining quite low all day. And look how it even turns snow to gold!

I have heard a lot of good things about Arctic Tree House from my clients, who highly recommend the hotel for their great customer service, modern rooms and beautiful surroundings. This is not a sponsored post. The surroundings of this hotel are just special to me as I live close by and I have also been impressed of the hotel itself. I did some photoshoots for the Arctic Tree House last year, pictures of the rooms and their delicious sunday brunch below.