nordicnodes-blog

[nordicnodes-blog]

Surf Coast sun therapy

Back here in the oz for couple months now! The first weekend me and Paul (@paulmikkonen on Instagram) headed down to the Victoria’s Surf Coast to enjoy the ocean views, surf and sunshine. The weather looked nice and dry, so we took our camping gear, packed the car and drove down the Great Ocean Road towards Apollo Bay. Can’t wait to explore these coasts both to the west and east of Melbourne, on the upcoming months! Hit me up with some tips on places to visit, surf or just anything that comes to mind :) Here are some pics from the past weekend: 

Wye River sunrise spotting 

Somewhere along the Great Ocean Road 

Sun peaking behind Mornington Peninsula 

Color me red / Torquay Beach 

Torquay Beach morning dip 

Morning mist at Wye River 

[nordicnodes-blog]

Arctic Art Exhibition

I’ve always loved art art going to see different exhibitions. Recently my favorite has been the Arctic Art Exhibition, in Northern Finland. The exhibition opens up usually around November and is open until February March. There is no entrance fee and the pieces can be seen 24 hours a day. Actually some pieces really come to live at night time.   Below I’ve chosen some of my favorite pieces that I’ve seen so far. I’m still looking forward to visiting the gallery at least few times this winter. It’s always exciting to see the newest pieces and what the old ones have transformed into.

In case you want to visit and see the pieces, I’ll be more than happy to share tips about the best places! 

Friends I Juhannuskallio 

Ridge I Kultakero 

Aligned I Pyhä

Sea Floor I Pyhä 

Trail I Pyhä 

Veins I Kultakero 

Rocks I Pyhä 

Fracture I Valtavaara 

Sugar I Juhannuskallio 

Haze I Ruka 

[nordicnodes-blog]

Arctic breeze.

Last thursday the temperatures dropped to -32C at Kiveskoski, Kuusamo and the moon’s reflection sparkled on the open water. When we looked to the other direction, the northern lights had appeared on the sky. We walked to the shore of the lake saw one of the most captivating aurora’s that I’ve ever seen. More of these nights please..

[nordicnodes-blog]

M e l b o u r ne

After two weeks being home in Finland,  I finally had the chance to sit back and reflect on the two month trip to Melbourne, Australia. 

I told people before I headed overseas that ‘I know I’ll be more of a New Zealand type of person’ and ‘I don’t think I’ll like Australia that much’. Well, thanks to Pauliina and all the great people I met on the way, I have to say that I’ve been positively surprised by the place so much that I’ll be back sooner that I thought. 

Below I’ve chosen 12 photos of the things I loved on the trip. See you soon new friends on the other side of the globe and now it’s time to enjoy the white winter here in Kuusamo <3 

Melbourne cityscape 

Beach walks by the bay 

Camping trips with friends (& Manu the spanish quitar) 

Surfing (Hah, not me in the picture though.. the problem of always being on the other side of the lens) 

Ahh the oh so delicious asian flavoured cuisine of the city 

Cute & friendly dogs - rarely on leash like this wild puppy 

New and old good friends - it was a blast! 

Watching those mega waves roll in and crashing to the reef 

Surprise work trip to NewZealand’s North Island  

Warm sunsets & laid back lifestyle 

Being in the water (!no sharks sighted thank god!) 

Exploring the mountains and seeing snow together with eucalyptus trees 

[nordicnodes-blog]

Morning Webs.

Early autumn mornings, spider webs and low light. Thats what brought me and my camera outdoors end of last summer. Here are few of my favorite morning webs captured on camera <3  Btw. greetings from Melbourne! All is well and I’ll be sharing Aussie vibes soon.. stay tuned.  

M I S T 

D O U B L E 

L O S T 

H A Z E 

A R C H I P E L A G O

G E O M E T R Y 

T E N T  

C O L O N Y 

[nordicnodes-blog]

Autumn Auroras

Ahhh finally! I’ve been scouting for a clear night and auroras since I drove back home to Kuusamo two weeks ago. Either the skies have been covered in clouds or the northern lights have decided to stay away from the starry sky. I was just about to go sleep last night around 11 when the colors started to fill the skyline. It was time to go! 

[nordicnodes-blog]

Moon scouting & exploring at the archipelago

16.-18.09.2016 

The point when summer ends and fall starts for me, is marked by the last trip to our island located in the Turku Archipelago. (Near the islands of Iniö and Keistiö, to be exact) Archipelago and spending time at the sea has been part of my summers for my whole life and it is there that I can feel at home. Autumns especially are beautiful with all the warm colors, clear waters and the dark nights.

Our small cabin is simple without the luxuries of running water and electricity. When it gets dark its time to go to sleep and when the first sun rays come over the horizon the day can begin. Days usually consist of reading books, swimming, warming up the sauna, wondering around the island, exploring with a paddle board, taking a boat ride to the island grocery stores or taking a nap in the hammock just to name a few.

This trip I stayed the weekend with my parents. We were suprised by the warm summer-like weather with a twist of an september crispiness, a full moon, an extempore visit to the Åland Harvest Festival and how fast the days passed again. For me this was the last trip of this year there and I was glad this weekend turned out so wonderful. Now the autumn can really start!

Here are some pics from the islands.

Morning light is the always the warmest! 

We took a little paddle nearby to look for the views and pikes with the paddle boards. We saw pretty cloud reflections and about 10 pikes (fish) swimming under the boards.

Usually we stay and relax at our own island surroundings, but as the weather forecast promised light wind we decided to explore the Northern Åland islands of Brändö. We were surprised by the Åland Harvest Festival (Skördefesten) as we hopped on the island of Jurmo, Åland.

Every night the full moon lit up the island views and we went to look for the moonrise from the edge of our island. (The moon rose around 19.45 and from NE). The nights are quite cold already so the warmness and cozy atmosphere of the cabin lured us in to enjoy the candlelight and books. 

Next stop the Northern part of Finland and Kuusamo <3 Enjoy the autumn vibes everyone! /Maria 

[nordicnodes-blog]

Siuntio River & misty autumn vibes .. / 11.09.2016 

[nordicnodes-blog]

Step outside and go scouting for little treasures like these! The forests now in the autumn time are full of goodies :) 

September 4, 2017 

[nordicnodes-blog]

S E N J A / Norway

For the past four summer’s, I’ve had the chance to explore different parts of Norway. Four years ago we drove from Trondheim to Oslo, 2013 it was time for the Varanger Peninsula, last year travelling from Trondheim to Mo i Rana and this summer the Island of Senja. I’m just in love with Norway and the nature is amazingly beautiful. Perhaps one day I’ll stay there for a longer time!

This year I really wanted to explore more the area surrounding Tromso. Scanning the area through google maps, I found Senja. Senja is the second largest island in Norway, just above the Lofoten Islands and below the city of Tromso. It seemed like a good place to combine our favorite summer activities: hiking + fly fishing + paddle boarding + surfing + photographing. So we embarked on this journey mid july and spent 10 days on the trip. All in all we ended up driving about 3000 km (Helsinki - Kuusamo - Rovaniemi - Kilpisjärvi - Tromso - Kvaloya - Senja - and back).

Below I’ve collected neat places from the trip, as well as chosen some favorite shots on the way! I would definitely recommend visiting Senja for the views, activities, and the friendliness of the locals. The place didn’t seem so crowded yet, as I felt a bit with the Lofoten Islands. I hope it stays that way!

‘The Crew’ / Otto & I 

SUP-Surfing in Grotfjord, Kvaloya. Small and fun waves. I’ll be back when the swell picks up! --> Weapon of choice: Fanatic All Wave 9′6″

Our summer trips always include a bit of fly fishing, so we took couple days to fish at Laukhelle Lakselv, Senja. No catch for me, just couple of bites. It was a beautiful salmon river with only few locals fishing with us. (http://laukhelle.no/)

Mountains & fjords of Senja. No wonder the drive took a bit longer than expected with these views..  

Sandsvika. I spotted a beautiful isolated beach just on the outer edges of Senja from the map and decided that we should get there somehow. Advised by the locals, we got a boat (BÅT2) ride from Gryllefjord to the opposite side of the fjord, where we took about a 4km hike to the beach of Sandsvika. We followed a small path leading to the beach with a tent, sleeping gear and two fly rods. 

The place was beautiful and the waves rolling in glassy and clean. Wish I’d had my surf board with me, but thats something for the next trip. We set up our tent by the beach and set out exploring the place. 

Stranded by a beach far away from everything, with no one around and without any kind of contact to the outside world feels a bit scary and exciting at the same time. We caught some Sei, actually otto caught about 100 Sei with the fly rod, got followed by a curious seal, found a dead orca and were spoiled by the warm sunset. 

This trip I also had the chance to participate in the new ‘Halti RoadTrip’ -project, where Halti lends outdoor equipment and supports interesting ‘road trips’ and adventures. I don’t have my own tent at the moment so I was happy to lend the Koli 3 tent, as well as new Halti Outdoor gear. (You can also apply and follow the news about this project from www.halti.fi) #HaltiRoadTrip

Art i Juli, in Kråkeslottet,Skaland. (http://www.artijuli.no/) Photographs, art, music, films and a cute cafe at Skaland. 

Paddle boarding in Hamn i Senja. (http://www.hamnisenja.no/) The last days of the trip it got quite warm and the wind calmed down. We took our Fanatic SUPs to the crystal clear waters and explored the Bergsøyan Islands for an afternoon. The water was so clear that at times we would get a bit anxious. The same way as if you were standing on top of the mountain! --> More about this paddle trip and specs here on the TwentyKnots blog (BERGSØYAN ISLANDS - A SUP PARADISE IN NORWAY) 

Until the next trip! <3 For more vibes @mikkonenmaria IG 

[nordicnodes-blog]

The Mayday mayhem has started in Ruka and we had a good time shooting few clips from the mini park! Have a great weekend everyone. xxx 

[nordicnodes-blog]

Northern Norway and a bit of Sweden

The past week we travelled to Norway with my family and friends. The route took us through the Finnish Lapland and Kilpisjärvi, to the Lyngen Alps and back through Abisko Sweden. Once again, Norway and the North this time of the year just blew my mind away with its beauty! I collected here some of my favorite shots from this trip. Let them tell the story! /Maria 

Kilpisjärvi ahead! 

Storhaugen views & Paul / Kåfjord 

Had a great fun with these guys! Where to next? /Storhaugen 

Reflections / Lyngsediet 

The skies lit up as soon as the sun went down / Svensby 

City walk with Paul / Tromso 

Beach life & waves / Lenangen 

Final stop and mountain hikes at Abisko, Sweden 

Vuorivardu / Abisko 

Tranquility / Abisko 

[nordicnodes-blog]

Myllykoski & the Auroras

Last night we took a little nightly adventure to the heart of Oulanka National Park. This beautiful and unusually warm night (+5C) turned out quite magical when the Northern Lights lit up. Myllykoski is situated along Pieni Karhunkierros (The Little Bear’s track) and it’s a great place to enjoy the rapids of the amazing Kitka River. Apparently its a great place to watch the Northern Lights as well :)

[nordicnodes-blog]

Yesterday I went to an art exhibition. With my skis I passed works surreal and beautiful. #nature 

[nordicnodes-blog]

Aurora Hunting

Exactly a year ago I tried capturing northern lights on my camera here in Ruka. In most of the pictures you could recognize some kind of ‘aurora action’ going on, but they were quite unfocused, a bit shaken and dark. That night was terribly cold and I came home after an hour completely frozen. However, it was exciting and challenging trying to get the dancing lights on the camera! 

The next time I saw proper Auroras was last September in the Lofoten Islands, Norway. For a week we were lucky enough to see them every night with clear skies. During that trip I had the time to try different settings and learn to capture them with my camera (Olympus OM-D ME5). This time I was a bit more prepared with a wider lens and a proper stand! The first shots weren’t special and still a bit blurry, but with practice the pictures started working out. 

It was great to see the reflections of the Northern Lights on the lakes in the Lofoten Islands, Norway! 

This winter here in Ruka, Kuusamo its been nice see the northern lights during the winter especially combined with snow. Last week we took an evening hike to Valtavaara, where we were lucky to see some good ones! The bright moon gave a neat effect on the pictures, and as the lights were strong they weren’t affected too much by the moonshine. Looking at the pictures afterwards, it almost looks like they were taken during the day time! Here are some vibes from our nightly hike + at the end couple of tips learned on the way! 

Hiking up to Valtavaara with head lamps - Ruka in the background 

There wasn't much use for the lamps as the moon shine brightly 

First Aurora of the night! 

Jani and the camera

Under the crown of the Northern Lights - pretty surreal feeling! 

We enjoyed watching the Northern Lights and cooking food over the fire

Few tips for taking photos of Northern Lights learned on the way: 

Take enough warm clothes and gloves, it takes a while to get a proper shot! 

Check the forecast for Northern Lights, for example http://aurora.fmi.fi/public_service/ is a good starting point! 

Invest in a good stand! A bag filled with dry peas works quite well too 

Get a wide lens or a fisheye for the camera 

For hikes get a stand that is light enough to carry with you 

Focus on the stars, when they get sharp you’re on the right track. Some lenses focus stops at the infinity, my lenses just keep rolling  

Other sources of lights also give nice little twists to the pictures! 

Let the camera get warm inside your backpack before taking it out indoors. Otherwise moisture might get inside! 

[nordicnodes-blog]

January.

For me, it always seems as if time slows down or even stops in January. The festivities of the Christmas / New Years season are over, everyone has returned back to their work and everyday routines. All the christmas treats and presents have been packed away. The twilight season has ended but spring hasn’t quite started, so we’re right smack in the middle of the winter. I think this is the time to take a step back and reflect on how the past year went and what one wants to get out of the next. 

Two weeks ago I went to Pyhätunturi with few of my friends to an event called Pyhä Kaamosfestarit. The weekend was filled with friends, relaxing, yoga and wellbeing workshops, as well as healthy food and good music. For myself, I took this weekend to participate in a three day photography workshop organised by Harri Tarvainen Photo / Creative. During the first two days we discussed the philosophy behind photography, composition and technique. The third day we took our cameras out and went to shoot “action” photos in the Pyhäskiresort’s slopes and forests. 

The weekend was awesome and it was just a nice inspiration to get over the January fever of wondering what to do next. I learned a lot about taking photos, but more so enjoyed the great conversations within our small photo crew. Thanks Ella & Harri! 

Here are few shots that I took.  

Portrait of Ella in the forests of Pyhä 

Task was to create a photo pair 

Texture  

B&W side profile of Ella 

Lost in the woods

[nordicnodes-blog]

15 Shades of the Polar Night

December 22 2015 / Kuusamo, Finland 

How many different shades of light can one find in three weeks? During the the polar night, the sun barely rises above the horizon and thus creates beautiful light effects. This December around Kuusamo and in Riisitunturi, Posio has been quite interesting weather and light wise. Here are few snapshots from my photo adventures this December. I tried to collect different colors and atmospheres in the following photos: 

Riisitunturi, Posio 

Konttainen, Ruka

Riisitunturi, Posio

Myllykoski / Pieni Karhunkierros, Kuusamo 

Konttainen, Ruka 

Juhannuskallio, Ruka 

Konttainen, Ruka 

Juhannuskallio, Ruka

Riisitunturi, Posio

Masto, Ruka 

Riisitunturi, Posio

Rukan huippu

Juhannuskallio, Ruka 

Ruka

Kiveskoski, Kuusamo