Finnish photographer Julia Kivelä takes us to dreamlike but oh-so-real natural landscapes, from Kilpisjärvi, Finland, to Lofoten, Norway, through the lens of her camera. We reached out to Julia to ask her to present some of her Instagram-famous photos and share with us some wildlife photography stories.
Words: Meri Frig
Image Credit: Julia Kivelä
Which of your pictures are some of your own favourites?
I think my favourite picture is the one with two reindeers on the fell – it is one of the new ones.
Image Credit: Julia Kivelä
Your pictures are dreamlike. What kind of feelings and moods would you like to convey to the viewers?
I would like people to feel inspired, when they look at my photos: inspired to travel, photograph - or just inspired to do something else, out of the ordinary.
Image Credit: Julia Kivelä
Your pictures present ethereal landscapes. What are some of the most beautiful places you have photographed?
The most beautiful places I have photographed are Oulanka National Park (Finland), Pallas-Yllästunturi National park (Finland), Kilpisjärvi (Finland), Lofoten (Norway) and Geirangerfjord (Norway).
How are those days like when you try to capture the perfect picture in nature?
I usually try to shoot in the morning time. Before I go, I check the weather conditions: humidity for fog, what time is the sunrise, from where the sun will rise, is it cloudy or not, and so on. If it's raining I usually don't go to shoot.
"My heart starts beating a lot faster than usual. I am full of happiness, but I cannot show it to anyone, cannot move suddenly or jump, because it can scare the animal."
Image Credit: Julia Kivelä
How is it like to connect with the wildlife when taking a picture?
The moment when you connect with an animal is truly breathtaking. Seriously, I cannot breathe much, or loud. My heart starts beating a lot faster than usual. I am full of happiness, but I cannot show it to anyone, cannot move suddenly or jump, because it can scare the animal.
I like to photograph foxes the most. If they start to trust you, they can show you their incredible moments of life: how they play, how they eat, how they clean each other with so much love, and so on... Once I was photographing the moment when a mother fox brought a rabbit for her six little cubs. It was amazing to watch them fight for the prey, for who gets the best piece. Once I saw a fox burying food in the ground to keep it cold - they do that to store food. Unfortunately, I haven't posted those interesting moments on my Instagram profile, because maybe they are too brutal for my followers. I have to always think what can be published, and what perhaps not.