Ossi Saarinen - My Photos Have Been Published In Several Newspapers, Online Articles, Books, & Other Products, I Published My Own Book In 2019 (Wildlife Photographer, Finland)

 In 2017 I was wandering around in the countryside near my family’s home and I ran up to some adorable and tiny fox cubs. I got my first fox photos and after taking those photos I finally realized that wildlife photography is something I really want to focus on in my life and decided to aim for a career in it.

1. Tell us about your background and journey.

I’ve been very interested in nature and especially wild animals since I was a kid. Already before I knew how to read, I was carrying a bird guidebook and binoculars everywhere with me. I spent a lot of time outside observing nature with my bare eyes and binoculars. 

At the age of 18 I took my first photos with a proper camera. My very first photo was of a small bird in my family’s backyard. I fell in love with photography immediately and ever since I started to take a camera with me whenever I went out to nature. I took more and more photos everyday and eventually got better and better. 

2. How did you decide to make your passion for wildlife photography your career? Was your family supportive? 

In 2017 I was wandering around in the countryside near my family’s home and I ran up to some adorable and tiny fox cubs. I got my first fox photos and after taking those photos I finally realized that wildlife photography is something I really want to focus on in my life and decided to aim for a career in it. My family has always supported me, and I’ve got my interest towards nature from them.  

 

3. What does your work aim to say?  

With my work I want to show to people all those beautiful things that happen in nature that most people don’t have a chance to see. With photos I want to get people more interested in nature and by that way hopefully to make them appreciate and value it more. Nature conservation is close to my heart and I hope that with my photos and the info I share along with them can make this world a better place to live for all of us. 

4.What inspires you about wildlife photography?

In wildlife photography I most enjoy being in nature. Even if I don’t get any photos, I still enjoy every moment. And when I get to see some interesting animals the feeling gets a hundred times better. 

Another thing I really like in wildlife photography is how challenging it is. Getting a good photo can require days or weeks of work and you never know if you’re going to succeed or not. 

5.What is the level of commitment and time required in wildlife photography?

Some animals are easy to find and with a bit of luck you can get amazing photos with very little effort. However, most of the time it’s much more difficult than that. I think over 90% of my time goes to searching and waiting for the animals and less than 10% to the actual photography part. 

I always try to find new species to photograph or come up with new ways to capture the same species. Sometimes I spend weeks without getting any good photos. It’s possible to get some wildlife photos with very little time spent but the more and the better photos you want, the more time and patience it requires. 

To find some specific animals it’s also good to have some background information about the species. You shouldn’t just randomly go wandering in the woods and hope to find something. The more you know about nature the better chances you have. 

6. What has been your biggest challenge that you faced while taking wildlife photos and how did you overcome that? 

When I started my biggest challenge was probably to get close enough to the animals without scaring them away. I was used to observing them from a further distance with binoculars but with a camera I had to get a bit closer.

It took some time and practice but eventually I learned (and am still learning) to approach the animals in a way that doesn’t disturb them. Sometimes I fail and the animal gets scared, but I always try to learn from those mistakes and try to do better next time. 

Besides approaching, I also often hide somewhere and wait for the animals to come closer to me. For this I use different kinds of photo hides, camo nets and suits. 

7. How important is social media validation in your profession?

I couldn’t do wildlife photography as my full-time job without social media. In today’s world where almost everyone has a camera, you really need to stand out from the others and get your work out and seen by a lot of people. For me social media is not only about sharing my photos but also a way for my customers to find and reach out to me.  

8. What is the common misconception people have about wildlife photography?  

There must be many misconceptions but one that I often hear is that you need to go far away from the city and people to find wildlife. I used to live in the countryside, and I thought there were a lot of animals there. 

I was scared of moving to Helsinki and thought it would be difficult to find any animals there. But things turned out quite the opposite. I’ve seen many more different species here in urban areas than I ever thought I would see in the countryside. 

Even though the presence of humans brings some limitations, there’s still many species that have adapted well to live with humans. You just need to look from the right places and the right times. Big cities are full of people during the day but during the night the animals wake up and it’s a whole different world there. 

9. What are some tips you would like to share with amateur photographers?

The best tip I can give to a beginner photographer is to go out and take as many different kinds of photos as possible. Taking photos is the best way to learn how to take photos. Learn from your mistakes and try to get a better photo every day. In wildlife photography you should also study about the animal you wish to photograph. Learn from books, the internet or other photographers and then try it yourself and you have a much better chance than without the background knowledge. 

10. What is your long term plan/ future plans?

My long-term plan is to keep doing what I’m doing right now: taking photos of animals. There’s still lots of things I want to see and photograph near my home, but I also plan to travel to other countries to photograph the local nature there. I also try to find new ways to make money with my photos, without turning it too commercial and still enjoy the journey.

11.Which is your favorite book and why?

I haven’t read many books recently, even though I know I should. One that I read last year and I really liked was “Secret Network of Nature” by Peter Wohlleben. The book tells in a very interesting way how everything in nature is somehow connected to each other and how removing one small part could lead to the whole network collapsing. I don’t think I’ve ever learned so many new things (that I actually remember after finishing) from one book.

- Ossi Saarinen

My name is Ossi Saarinen. I’m a 24-year-old professional nature- and wildlife photographer from Espoo, Finland. Nature and especially wild animals have been my biggest passion since I was a kid. I started studying geography in Helsinki University but currently I’m having a break from my studies to fully focus on my photography career.

I spend most of my time observing and photographing nature near my home but also like to travel to explore new places. I try to find, record and share things that most people are too busy to see in their everyday life. With my photos I want to make people more interested in nature and learn to value and respect it more.

Besides my own photography I also teach others to become better photographers in my workshops.

My photos have been published in several newspapers, online articles, books, postcards, textiles and other products. I published my own book in 2019.

- Instagram: Ossi Saarinen

- Interviewed By Pearlina Marie Rein