Place you live: Rovaniemi, Lapland, Finland

Occupation: Safari Guide during the winter season

Preoccupation: Photography, hiking, soccer

Place your Instagrams were taken: Rovaniemi

Can you sum up Rovaniemi? Rovaniemi is actually the largest city in Europe by surface area. It is the home city of the Santa Claus, situated just below the Arctic Circle and people all over the world come to see him and the elves at the Santa Claus Village. Winters are dark and snowy, summers bright with the midnight sun. It’s the gateway to Lapland, and although being a rather big city in Finnish perspective – the nature is only a short walk away.

What is a perfect day in Rovaniemi?: In winter, a full day of snowmobiling. Go out early when it’s still dark, see the day lighten up for few hours and then back into the darkness – and with some luck, see the northern lights blazing in the sky at night.

If Rovaniemi was a person who would it be? It would either be a reindeer because the cities layout is in the shape of a reindeer’s head including the antlers. Or it would be Santa Claus because this is where his home is.
How long have you been using Instagram? Roughly three years.

Do you shoot with your phone or other cameras or both? I shoot 95% of the time with my camera. Rarely do I shoot with my phone.

What is your editing process? I start with Lightroom then add final touches in Photoshop. I try to keep the colors not too saturated, and sometimes drop a filter in.

Can you give a couple of tips to aspiring Instagram photographers? Think what you shoot and what you post, and how many photos you post.

Who are your three favorite Instagrammers? Oh well, I try to keep my feed simple so I don’t follow too many people I don’t know in ”real life”. But of those I follow, these are my favorites @essiksi, @ourfinland and @northernnorway