Chasing Winter

Winter, at least, in southern Finland is a very emotional thing. We think that we should have a real winter which means that temperatures drop below freezing point and ground gets covered with snow, most likely at least half a meter or more than one foot. This is the situation in southern Finland because we used to have real winters but nowadays thanks to the global warming the normal winter weather is rainy and windy. The most eastern and northeastern parts of Finland have the continental climate which means warm summers and freezing winters. Even though the climate has changed, luckily winters still are nice and beautiful at that part of Finland. 

In southern Finland we have had this season a terrible winter with lots of rain and low clouds constantly hanging above. Days have been more or less grey, just grey in different tones. Thats why I took my photo gears,  jumped in my car and took heading up north. I knew that I would find real winter in Kuhmo and Kuusamo area. I checked that there was almost one meter or three feet of snow. Weather forecast said that high pressure was going to park over that area so it was going to be sunny and cold. I arrived at 9 am to Kuhmo and temperature was -28°C or -20°F. I have always said that its not bad weather its only wrong kind of clothing. And so it was again, wooly beanie with balaclava under it and warm boots and mittens, it was just a pleasure to ski with my two and a half meter or eight feet long trekking skis trough the wilderness. I was looking for a real winter and I definitely found it. I spent two days skiing and photo shooting in beautiful weathers. The night I slept very well in my down sleeping bag in a tiny hide where the temperature was -18°C or 0°F.

Next day was a driving day. From Kuhmo to Kuusamo is about 250 kilometers or 150 miles. I chose the most eastern road which roams trough remote forests in the middle of wilderness. I drove 150 kilometers or 80 miles which took two hours and I only saw packed snow covered trees and empty roads. Sceneries were really beautiful and somehow very relaxing and calming. I really enjoyed the drive even the last two hours I had to drive in the dark. That night I spent in Oulanka Research Station in the edge of the Oulanka National Park. Upcoming two days I was skiing and  traveling in breathtaking winter wonderland. Weather was beautiful during those two days with rising temperatures. Higher temperatures were a sign of worsening weather and the third day was windy and cloudy so I decided to drive to Kiveskoski, which is a rapid with only some white waters, many Dippers are spending winter there. Below you can see a photo stream of my tour.

  

Ravens in early morning dim

 

 

Winter art in Kuhmo

 

 Frostface

Rime on branches

 

 

Female Blackgrouse

 

 

 

 

and the male

 

                                                       Capercaillie male warming up

Sunset of a beautiful winterday

 Dippers at Kiveskoski

Olli

Day #3

I spent the last day in another hide some hundred kilometers north from the first one. I had more than one hour drive from Lämsänkylä to Oulanka National Park, where the other hide is situated. It was snowing the whole night so there was one foot or a 30 centimeter new blanket of snow on the ground. I left the cottage at about 6am to be sure that I would be In Oulanka early enough. Roads were in a very bad condition and only one car had driven in the snow before me. It was snowing all the time during my trip so instead of bright lights I had to use the headlights. In such a severe snowfall the lights reflected back from the snowflakes and the visibility was close to zero so I had to drive really slowly. When I reached the main road it was already ploughed clean but it was still snowing and blowing so the snow whirled wildly and I still had to keep the speed down. The last ten kilometers were on a remote back road, where I was the first one driving. The road got more narrow all the time and towards the end it was as narrow as my car. I ended up driving very carefully in snow so deep that it flew over the bumper and engine hood to even worsen the visibility. In the uphill sharp turns  it was most difficult to keep the car on the road, because I had to keep up some good speed, but with my four wheel drive suv I made it all the way up to the hill.  I had only a few hundred meters to wade in the deep snow to the hide with my equipments. As so many times earlier the job was sweaty but worth it. Once again the day was dark and cloudy and I shot with long shutter speeds to get movement unsharp pictures. I adjusted the pictures in Lightroom in a different way in order to reach a graphical appearance. Here below you can see traditional as well as little bit different kind of photographs.

The hide is on the edge of the Oulanka canyon in the middle of the Taiga forrest.

Lots of movement and blurriness in graphical way.

 

 

To the end a more traditional view.

Happy New Year!!

Olli

Day #2

After a very good sleep I woke up again early, when it was still pitch-dark. I did my morning procedures with a peaceful mind and lazier than normally, because I had plenty of time before sun would rise. First I checked the weather forecast which was just like it had already been a few days, cloudy and light snowfall. In spite of the weather the previous day was fine and birds were so active that I excitedly waited the my upcoming photographing session. At these Finlands north eastern backwoods it is also always possible to see a fox or even a wolverine. In a good mood I packed my gears and took heading to the hide hoping that the protection of the darkness would encourage animals to come to the carcass. I wasn´t lucky with the wolverine this time although I recognised some paw prints only a hundred meters away from the hide. But after I had waited a couple of hours and listened to the nature I saw the Golden Eagle gliding behind the trees over the meadow and then it went around behind the hide. What an impressive vision to see this king of the wilderness so close! And that was only the beginning. What a great day again with a lot of action with Eagles and other birds too. I drived back to the cottage with a smile on my face, although the weather again was dark and cloudy, it had been a memorable day!

Magpies were annoying the eagles!

And so were the ravens!

But they also had their own activities.

Olli

In the hide, day #1

The depth of the snow, that had fallen and remained on the ground this autumn was more than ten centimeters. The winter had already tried to start five times in Kuusamo but every time a warm period of weather had melted the snow. When the first snow fell all the leafy trees were still holding their autumn coloured leaves and the scenery was incredible with yellow and orange colours surrounded with white snow. Now when I arrived to Kuusamo area the trees were already without leaves. I came to my friends cottage late in the evening and they hadn´t been there for a while so I had to shovel the snow before I drived to the courtyard. Quite a sweaty job but I loved it after ten hours of driving. I had lot of gears with me because I planned to photoshoot at least few days, both landscape and eagles from the hides. I unloaded my car and settled down,  set fire to the stove and enjoyed a nice and quiet evening in Lämsänkylä,  only five kilometers from  the Russian border. In the evening I had plenty of time to check batteries, memory cards and other equipments, also checked the weather forecast for the next day. It wasn´t too encouraging with cloudy skies and light snowfalls. The reason why I was in northern Finland at this time of the year, was that I had this certain picture in my mind that I have already been chasing for a couple of years. In this picture a Golden Eagle is landing on a pine tree top with its wings wide open in backlight of the midwinter sun which lightens the wing feathers. Chances for this kind of picture are only slight because the weather is mostly cloudy and daylight is so short in December. Sun rises at 10am and sets at 2pm, so the operation time is only four hours. 

As usual I woke up early in the morning and spent hours reading and writing and listening the sound of the fire in the stove. The cracking of the fire is so relaxing and pacifying and I really enjoyed it much. I wasn´t in a hurry to go to the hide but after my slow morning I was still there well before sunrise at eight o´clock. Slowly and peacefully I adjusted my camera gears and set my lunch box at hand and then just started to wait. First in the dark came ravens with swooshing wings, I didn´t see them  but I heard them well in this otherwise still sleepy and silent morning. 

The day was really active but dark, thick cloud cover and some light snow falling, but at its best there were tens of ravens, two Golden Eagles and two White-tailed Eagles. Lots of photographing, on the edge of my cameras performance, in these dark conditions. I can´t complain, a few nice pictures and lots of watching, considering this was just day number one. More to come, I could hardly wait.

At the day dawn the ravens were already there.

Golden Eagles came and went during the day.

So did the White-tailed Eagles.

Gorgeous creature.

Kind of a rush hour.

Olli