Travel Documentary: FINLAND
Capital: Helsinki — Population: 5.5 million — Languages: Finnish, Swedish
Design Category: Painting, Documentary Photography
Date: December 2014 – February 2015
Location: Finland, Europe
I am an Australian born Finn, I travelled to my Arctic motherland on a solo trip in December 2014 and documented the Finnish winter through painting and photography.
The painting below represents Lapland, the northernmost region of Finland located in the arctic circle. It shows the uninhabited, peacefully quiet landscape covered in icy white reflective snow.
The photography below documents the 3 months of Winter; December, January and February, in the capital Helsinki and nearby city Tampere.
December 2014
December is darkest month of the year when the sun rises at 9:30am and sets at 3:30pm and the temperature drops to minus 30 degrees celsius. The weather is usually overcast with barely 6 hours of sunlight and the sun doesn’t rise, it hovers on the horizon. I experienced the anticipation of the first snow fall prior to Christmas.
January 2015
Every day I ventured into pitch black sub zero conditions. I felt every type of cold from sleet to ice to powdery thick snow. To protect myself from the freezing temperatures I wore multiple layers of thermal clothing and reflective armbands and trinkets so I could be seen in the dark. A torch was also handy.
February 2015
As time went by, I witnessed the days lighten approaching Spring time. The snow is fluffy and the sky is the purest blue colour. Winter hibernation has ceased and people come out of their cottages and inner city apartments to enjoy the milder and brighter conditions.
