Finland’s photo contest winners impress with stunning landscape photos

14 July 2021 Forests in photos

PEFC Finland has announced the winners of its 2021 ‘Experience Forests, Experience PEFC’ photo contest, showing the country’s gorgeous forest landscapes throughout the year.

The jury had the challenging task of choosing the winners out of a record number of photos that entered the contest.

“We received a total of 3,000 unique nature photos with the theme ‘Responsibly in the forest,’ said Jenni Piela, Marketing Manager at PEFC Finland.

The winners

First place went to Juha-Pekka Paananen for the photo “Ruskajoki” (River in Autumn Colours), taken in Oulanka National Park in Eastern Finland.

The jury was impressed by the calm atmosphere and the unique landscape in the photo.

“The fog of the frosty morning and the brown trees frame the spirit of the Kitkajoki landscape in a breathtaking way,” the photographer described his winning image.

“Down in the canyon, the Kitkajoki river steams on frosty mornings and creates a fairytale atmosphere. The sun strikes just in the right direction and the misty meandering river creates a stunning, unique landscape,” he continued.

Petteri Karttunen came in second with his photo of a snowy winter landscape, taken in Posio in Central Finland.

“We went to Riisitunturi to photograph the sunset. There was a cold wind and we walked to the cottage to warm up. After a nap we left and it was already dark, so we decided to take a few pictures,” he explained.

Jari Romppainen took third place with the photo ‘Misty Sunrise’ taken in Simojoki in Ranua, Finland. 

“During the calm night, the fog rose to the river, where we paddled in the beautiful summer atmosphere. As the sun rose, the landscape turned a shade of stunning gold,” the photographer described the unique moment on his photo.

The prizes

For first place, Mr Paananen receives a Nikon SLR camera. Mr Karttunen and Mr Romppainen win a gift card from the photography shop Rajala.

To discover more images entered into PEFC Finland’s contest, head to Instagram and look for #luontogram2021.