Vesterålen archipelago - a sculpture of nature

My Photo scholarship 2011 entry

Worldwide | Wednesday, November 2, 2011 | flickr photos

My name is Julius Koskela, I am a university student from Finland, living near the arctic circle. My major is audiovisual media and I also study photography as a minor. My photos for this contest are from the northern parts of Norway, a place I feel deep connection to. During my many visits there, I feel I have started to see the place with my heart instead of just my eyes, enabling me to capture the essence rather than just the surface as in my photography I try to convey feeling in addition to just pure information. When asked what is most important in photography I always hold one thing above all else and that is curiosity. It is the driving force behind my passion for photography and nature, to experience it to capture it and to spread the inspiration to others through my pictures. I have travelled the wilderness ever since I was a toddler, mostly in the northern parts of Finland, Norway and Sweden, developing a healthy connection to and appreciation for nature from an early age. When someone asks me what would be my dream assignment I’ve quite consistently answered it would be to travel around the world photographing and writing for a publication such as National Geographic. I grew up with NG in my hand, and the stories set my imagination and curiosity soaring. If I could ever conjure a similar sensation in someone it would be my greatest achievement. The opportunity to raise awareness about environmental issues and the preservation of our habitat through my work would complete its meaningfulness.