Last Updated on 11/28/2017 by Chris Gampat
All images by Antti Pietikäinen. Used with Creative Commons permission.
The Finnish Lapland takes pride in being a winter wonderland for travelers who dream of breath-taking landscapes, blanketed in snow. However, there’s more to see in Finland’s northernmost region, as Antti Pietikäinen shows us in his drone photos of summer in Lapland’s foggy wilderness. In his aptly named Misty Forests of Lapland set, Antti, who is based in the municipality of Muonio, takes us around the old fjells, lakes, swamps, and rivers that come to life during the summer in Lapland. During this time, the dark winter days give way to 24-hour sunlight: a stark contrast that is part of the allure of the region.
This natural phenomenon, called Midnight Sun, illuminates Lapland (and the rest of the area north of the the Arctic Circle) with a beautiful ambient light. Antti found this a perfect opportunity to do aerial photography to capture the charming landscapes during the summer months. His gear of choice was the Dji Mavic Pro, which he thought wasn’t the optimal tool for photography but still did the trick.
Antti’s aerial snaps reveal misty mornings, foggy forests, and calm waters – indeed a striking difference from Lapland’s more popular image of predominantly snowy landscapes. For anyone who has never seen the midnight sun, the image of its magical light piercing through the mist is definitely worthy of including in the travel bucket list. The stillness in the rivers and lakes create serene mirror images of the dreamy skies above and the trees lining their banks.
Lapland in wintertime may be a dream for most, but Antti’s aerial photography also makes a strong case for visiting the region during the summer months.
To see more of his impressive photography of northern Finland, follow Antti Pietikäinen on Behance and Instagram.