In winter, the boreal forest of the Finnish Lapland becomes a surrea­listic kingdom of silence, where trees turn into sculptures, the sun skims the horizon and the northern lights paint the skies. Nowhere else is winter as magical as here. 

Our Photo Immersion trip will coincide with the peak of the auroral activity and with the full moon. During a whole week, we will photograph the otherworldly trees of the boreal forest encrusted with ice and snow, rock canyons, frozen lakes and rivers­ and northern lights in two of the most amazing national parks of the Finnish Lapland.

This will be an all Inclusive Photo Immersion trip conducted personally by Rafael Rojas and his partner Anca Minican. During the entire week we will be based at our exclusive and comfortable log house, from where we will be able to easily reach all our chosen photographic areas and adapt ourselves to the different weather and light conditions. 

It will be here too where we will be able to discuss photography in front of a convivial­ log fire in the evenings, and relax in our sauna after a magical day of winter photography.

The philosophy of this Photo Immersion Trip

 Photography is not the goal, but the path. Nowa­days, we all rush through our life. We travel fast and we see the world without experiencing it. We think that in order to see more, we need to move faster.­ But the truth is that travelling in time and light, ­travelling through mood and weather is often more rewarding. Feelings and emotions, experiences and souvenirs, are not measured in quantity, but in qua­lity. Slowing down makes you connect more with a place. When you slow down, your inner landscape tends to blend with the outer one. And then, magic happens. Life is like a good whisky, and should be consumed in small sips. Photography is the best of the glasses for that whisky.

Apart from our Photo Adventures, which are more focused on exploring the world and experiencing the thrill of discovering faraway places with the help of a camera, our Photo Immersion trips offer a slightly different approach: to slow down our pace, to forget about running after photographic trophies and to focus on creating highly personal work about a specific area for a certain number of days.

We minimise the travel in space to focus on travel in the light, travel through the changes in the weather, travel in time. Every day, we photograph a certain ‘playground' where you will notice that conditions are never the same. Every day, we get a little closer to the spirit of the place. Every day, we make a bet­ter friend. In a way, we focus on a type of internal travel, rather than an external one.

After many years conducting photo immersion trips, we have realized the best way is to allow our participants to immerse themselves with plenty of time out in the field on their own, undisturbed unless they need any help. Rafael and Anca are always available for participants, anytime, anywhere, to discuss technical, compositional, artistic, or philosophic aspects while we work in the field. Participants will not only get a lot of hands on tuition from Rafael during the photographic sessions, but they will also have the possibility of seeing how Rafael works, how he visualizes, composes and creates his own photographs in the field. Rafael will use many of his photographs to explain many concepts in the field, and later on during the post-processing and critique sessions which will take place at our hotel base. You will receive a lot of instruction about post-processing, which is an essential part of contemporary landscape photography.

A special workshop session will be held during our Photo Immersion trip to Finland devoted to night photography, which will be very useful for photographing the magical northern lights. 

We want to eliminate all the hassle of travelling so that we can focus on creative photography and maximize our natural immersion in the location. For our entire stay we will be based at our own traditional log house, close to the areas we will photograph and where we will be able to talk about photography in front of our fireplace. This will also allow us to make the most of the conditions, tailoring our programme to the weather and light we will experience during our trip. 

During this photo trip, we will photograph in all kinds of light conditions: sunrise, sunset, dawn, dusk, day and night. Variety is the name!

The place: Finland

 In winter, the boreal forest of the Finnish Lapland becomes truly a kingdom of silence where trees turn into sculptures, the sun skims the horizon and the northern lights paint the skies. Nowhere else is winter as magical as here. 

On the verge of the Arctic Circle, the Taiga turns the landscape into a ruffled sea of snow-laden spruces, pines and birches stretching towards infinity, broken only by frozen lakes scattered across the valleys and isolated hills rising like islands. Atop the hills, the forest thins out and isolated trees remain isolated, covered­ in snow and frost and transformed into su­rrealistic sculptures of sleeping creatures patiently awaiting the arrival of spring. 

At the end of the evening, a low winter sun skims the horizon, casting a golden light over the summits, painting the snow with tones of yellow, orange and red. As the sun disappears, the sky fills with a profusion of pink and violet pastel colours over a landscape which seems to have been taken from a Dali painting. Minutes later, still under the eerie glow of dusk, a full yellow moon rises in the background, above the woods of nearby Russia. The silence is intense, only broken by the wind and the sound of our heartbeats.

An hour later, we move into a tiny hut surrounded by the snow-laden trees in the depths of this pristine wilderness. Inside, we make a fire, sit down and prepare a hot tea to warm up. Then, through the window, a green light starts to dance above the tree tops. We go outside and our hearts beat faster: It is the aurora borealis. What started as a faint light becomes a power­ful display of green light, swirling and dancing over the snowy landscape. Minutes later, the aurora disappears, but the show is far from being over. Under the blue light of the moon, the ­forest and the frozen trees seem to come alive. Around us, dwellers of a world of ice and cold wait in silence. Nothing moves, nothing seems to be alive, and nothing is felt besides the crisp freezing air. Across the glinting snow, elongated shadows creep without unveiling their provenance. Maybe we are not alone, after all ?

Under a starry sky, we go down the hill, feeling the snow crumble under our snowshoes.  We head home along icy roads. The forest never abandons us. In a few minutes, we reach our place, a traditional and cosy big log house, just for us. We sit down around the fireplace and wonder whether the whole day was real, or just a dream. Our incredible photographs tell us the answer...

Along the border between Finland and Russia, another surprise awaits us. There, the Oulanka River runs through one of the most interesting national parks of Finland. This is a pristine landscape of untouched and unlogged boreal forest, in which a unique river ecosystem flourishes along a valley flanked by steep canyons of rock and filled with rapids and waterfalls. In winter, the place becomes particularly amazing when ice clings from the rocky cliffs, waterfalls freeze and pieces of ice are carried by the black waters through the forest. Here and there, tiny wooden cabins invite us to rest and swinging bridges allow us to photograph over the raging waters. 

But the mystery of the north is all around us. Here and there, large frozen lakes become blank canvases where only the animal tracks in the snow and the tree line in the distance break the emptiness of the white expanse. We experience the pleasure of photogra­phing the void and the minimal lands­cape which co­vers it all.

For the full detailed information, please donwload our detailed PDF brochure at the bottom of the right column of this page.

The Itinerary

Day 1 - 27th January 2018 - Arrival in Kuusamo

We will pick you up at the Kuusamo airport on the first day and transfer you to our cosy log house which will serve as our base. We will have dinner together, get acquainted and possibly photograph the northern lights if the sky is clear.

Days 2 to 7

During 6 full days we will explore and photograph the most interesting and photogenic areas of the whole Finnish Lapland, conveniently loca­ted close to our home base. During this period, the sun rises at 8:15 am and sets at around 4:15 pm, gi­ving us 8 hours of warm light due to a sun which stays low above the horizon for the whole day. It will also provide decent waking hours for sunrise photography and also the possibility of photo­­­gra­phing night scenes of auroras without having to stay up too long. Our daily schedule will vary depen­ding on the locations we will visit and the nocturnal activity the auroras may have provided, but a typical day will probably be similar to the following:

- 06:00                   Breakfast served at our house

- 07:30 - 10:00       Photographic session at dawn and sunrise

- 11:00 - 12:00       Photo Review session and/or Relaxation time

- 12:00                    Packed lunch or lunch at the hut

- 14:00 - 17:00       Afternoon, sunset and dusk photographic session

- 18:00                    Dinner

- 19:00                    Northern Lights photography if the sky is clear 

Day 8 - 3rd February 2018 - End of Photo-Immersion trip

We will have breakfast together and officially end the photographic trip. We will arrange the transfers to Kuusamo airport for the early morning, so that participants can easily catch their connecting flights back home.

Included and excluded

Included:

- Tour led by Rafael Rojas and Anca Minican

- "In the field’ photography advice, daily briefings, commentary sessions & image reviews

- Special workshop session on night photography

- Accommodation in traditional log house

- Single occupancy for all participants

- All meals and all non alcoholic drinks

- Transport during the whole stay

- Transfers from and to the airport of Kuusamo

- Unforgettable experiences and a lot of fun!

Excluded

- Photographic and clothing equipment

- International and domestic flights

- Any meals other than those stated in the detailed itinerary

- Personal expenses: telephone, gifts,...

- Alcoholic beverages

- Medical and Accident Insurance (compul­sory for all participants)

- Cancellation insurance (strongly recommended)

- Snowshoes (possibility of renting them - better to bring yours)

Other details

Photography Level

All photographic levels, from beginners to advanced photographers are welcome. A certain familiarity with your camera will be very beneficial in order to get the most from this photographic trip.

Exertion Level

You should be fairly used to working in cold conditions with lengthy periods spent in exposed locations. You should also be reasonably fit as, although most walks are fairly short, the snow can be deep and a walk of around 1.5km is necessary to access some hills where we will photograph. Some paths are cleared and in any case we will use snowshoes, but you should nevertheless be of good basic fitness.

Price

3'750 CHF (Swiss Francs) VAT incl.

Single Occupancy Supplement

Single Occupancy accommodation is included on this photo trip for all participants. Couples will be able to share the same room (twin beds, which may be put together).

Payment details

Deposit of 1,500 CHF to secure your place atthe time of booking.

Full payment of the photo-trip due 120 days (4 months) prior to the departure date.

Cancellation Fees

Should you need to cancel this Photo Trip, the following fees apply:

- 90 days or more before the departure date: Your deposit fee

- 89 to 61 days before the departure date: 50% cancellation fee

- 60 days or less before the departure date: 100% cancellation fee

It is strongly recommended to acquire travel cancellation insurance. If you need any help, please contact us and we will be very glad to assist you.

Number of People

Very small group limited from 4 (minimum) to 6 (maximum). This number includes photographers and non-photographing partners / spouses.

Logistics and Transportation

Transportation will be in a van seating 9 people. Accommodation is in our own cosy log house that offers a large living room with fire place, 7 bedrooms, a sauna and 3 bathrooms. Breakfasts will be served at the house, we will take packed lunches with us for greater flexibility and we will enjoy dinner at the restaurant every evening.

Non photographing spouses / partners

Non-photographing spouses and partners are ­welcome on this trip. Even though the dinner ­conversations will certainly revolve around photo­graphy, all locations visited will allow non-photographing partners and spouses to discover and fully enjoy the beauty of the Finnish Lapland. They can also stay at our lovely log house during our early morning­ or ­evening photographic forays. Same rates apply.

Languages

The official language for this photographic trip will be ­English. However, bear in mind that personal explanations to each participant can be done also in French or Spanish, as we are bilingual in these other languages. 

A certain international composition of the group should be expected, with all the fun and wonderful implications that brings! 

Special Conditions

Visas/Passports

Please ensure:
1) That you have pre-arranged your entry visa if required
2) That your passport is valid to visit Finland and does not expire in a critical date

Health

No vaccinations are mandatory. 
It is a condition of booking that you disclose any medical conditions you might have including allergies or special nutritional requirements. This is essential as it may affect both your own and other people's enjoyment of the trip and will allow us to understand the implications in relation to the particular trip. 

Luggage

Please bear in mind the volume limitation for your photo-bag! We will be travelling in a van of 9 seats, which should be able to accommodate all our bags we normally take for our photographic sessions. Therefore, we will hike up the hill in the snow and you do not want to carry unnecessary weight with you.

Insurances

All participants must be in possession of Health and Accident Insurance (with repatriation cover). 
Additionally, we strongly advise you to conclude a Cancellation Insurance. If you need any help with this, let us know and we will suggest some leading companies with which we normally work. 

Informations about the Weather:

The weather in Finnish Lapland is decidedly continental, with long cold winters and relatively warm summers. Well inland and far away from the influence of the Atlantic, the weather tends to be quite dry, and in fact this is one of the areas in Scandinavia where the sun shines the most on average throughout the year.

We will visit the area in the middle of February, when the whole landscape becomes a true winter wonderland. All lakes are frozen and snow covers the landscape and clings to the trees, redu­cing the clutter to a minimum. This makes the northern winter the perfect occasion for the photographer who wants to create greatly simplified images­ full of emotional content, with a strongly marked Zen and minimalist aspect. Another of the gifts of winter here for the photographer is the freezing fog which rises from the lower valleys, and the wind which blows on the hill summits, encrusting spruce trees with ice and snow (Tykky, as Finnish people call it) and turning them into surrealistic white sculptures begging to be photographed.

Temperatures in winter can vary greatly. Although the average temperature in February is around -15°C, temperatures can range between -2°C and -38°C during the coldest periods. Very often, thermal inversion situations occur, leading to lower temperatures in the lower parts of the valley, while on the summits of the hills the temperatures show higher values. It is important to mention that humidity is low, and the feeling is that of a dry cold. This makes it possible to support the climate fairly easily provided one is suitably dressed. There is an old adage which says "There is no such thing as cold weather, only inappropriate clothing!", and this could not be truer for the Finnish winter. Absolutely everybody can comfortably hike, photograph and enjoy the Finnish winter wonderland, provided he/she is well prepared in terms of clothing.  Normal tourists visit the Finnish Lapland every year without any experience or special skills, and can fully enjoy the wonderful experience. However, it is essential to bring the right clothing and equipment. As part of the learning experience of this trip, we will assist you and explain how to dress and react in the cold so that you can fully enjoy the magical environment and photograph the winter wonderland. It is very important that you bring a layered system of clothing. Please consult our FAQ to see the details of the recommended clothing you need to bring with you for this trip. Bear also in mind that we will assist registered participants to gear up during this trip. In fact, knowing how to prepare and photograph in the cold is part of the learning experience of this photo-immersion trip!

In terms of light, the Finnish Lapland is truly a gift for the landscape photographer as the area lies on the verge of the Arctic Circle and natural light becomes really special and different to what we are used to in other latitudes. In the month of February, the sun rises at 8:15 am and sets at around 4:15 pm, giving us 8 hours of warm light due to a sun which remains low above the horizon for the whole day. It will also provide decent waking hours for dawn and also the possibility of photographing night scenes with auroras without having to stay up for too long.

Rafael Rojas

His fine art prints, which form part of numerous private collections belonging to individuals and corporations, are often exhibited at international level, in private galleries and museums such as the Smithsonian in Washington and the Burke Museum in Seattle, USA. His photographs are also frequently used by various companies and institutions and are often published for editorial use in magazines including National Geographic Travel, Terre Sauvage, etc.

One of the activities of Rafael Rojas is teaching and lecturing about Nature Photography, which he carries out during his photographic workshops and Photo Trips. This allows him to share and pass on to others his passion and knowledge about nature and photography by means of photographic tuition in locations where natural inspiration is at hand. Rafael uses his former experience in teaching at the university, his contagious passion and a deep experience and knowledge of the natural environment to assure optimal learning and unforgettable memories for all his clients. He has collaborated in the creation of several photography books, including “Visions of Earth” and “Natura” - both from Editions Altus - and is the author of his own line of photography books “A photographer’s vision” which he publishes and distributes from his website in different languages as eBooks.

He was one of the founders and directors of the company WHYTAKE.NET - The Global Community of Nature Photographers^TM. He is also a member of the select nature photography groups “Bouts de Planète” (France) and “Portfolio Natural” (Spain). He works with a panoramic 617 medium format film camera, a Hasselblad 6x6 and a whole Nikon digital system, always set on the sturdiest tripod available. He speaks Spanish, English, French and Romanian...

 

Anca Minican

Anca Minican, the partner of Rafael Rojas, provides a very special touch to all our photographic workshops and trips. Trained as an architect and interior designer, she is a true lover of nature and the wilderness and always accompanies Rafael on his photographic expeditions all over the planet.

Her broad experience in the corporate world, her professionalism and her methodical and serious approach make her a valuable asset for the organization, on-site logistics and the support to customers during our workshops and photographic trips. She also plays a key role in the team building and knows how to create an amicable environment with a personal touch as all our clients can testify!

Anca was one of the founders and directors of the company WHYTAKE.NET - The Global Community of Nature Photographers^TM. She is also co-editor of the whole range of Rafael Rojas Photography books, ensures the representation of our Limited Edition Fine Art prints and manages the photographic library of Rafael Rojas Photography. To summarize, nothing would work without her! She speaks English, French, Spanish, Romanian and quite some Italian...