February 2018 brought with it some unexpected travel plans. I think this was the quickest trip by far from thought to planning and actually heading there that I have experienced in a very long time. I have been wanting to do some true white winter photography for a while now and being situated in India and Singapore you can see how that can be a challenge.

But this year all that changed as a chain of events resulted in my ending up in Finnish Lapland near the Arctic Circle. So what follows is a Photo Essay/Travel Tip/Photography Learnings from that trip.

Why Lapland?

Having shot primarily during spring and fall for the past several years I was nagged by a desire capture photographs of a proper white winter.

I had been putting off winter photography for all the usual reasons. Having lived most of my life in the hot tropical conditions of South India and also having experienced the biting cold winters of North Eastern US for a few years I have generally been comfortable planning my Landscape and Travel shoots during the shoulder seasons of Spring and Fall.

And I have hundreds of images from those shoots. But what was starkly missing from my portfolio was winter photos.

Getting There

From Singapore

Finnair has direct connections from Singapore to Helsinki. From Helsinki fly to Rovaniemi which is the main gateway to Finnish Lapland.

From India

Finnair flies from Mumbai and New Delhi to Helsinki from where you can connect to Rovaniemi.

Other Notable Airports in Lapland are Ivalo and Kittila but I strongly suggest heading to Ravaniemi first getting your winter bearings there in the comfort of a relatively larger town with load of facilities and Tour Operators before heading in to the more remote areas.

Watch this Video for more Information on how I planned for my trip.

When to Go to Experience Winter in Lapland

December to March is winter period at Lapland.

Typical Temperatures in winter

December: -20 to -10 degrees Celsius

January: -30 to -15 degrees Celsius

February: -20 to -15 degrees Celsius

March: -15 to -5 degrees Celsius

Clothing

At these low temperatures its very important to stay warm . Wear Layers and Choose good quality lightweight synthetic fibres or wool. Stay away from cotton while choosing clothing for this trip.

During my trip the coldest temperature was -29C and on average it was in the -15C range. I wore 3 layers regularly starting with thermals and then insulated pants and woollen sweaters or fleece and the final layer being a heavy insulated jacket and snow pants.

For footwear I wore sock liners and thick wooden socks and my mid height hiking boots which did a decent job of keeping me warm. And to protect my head and face I had a balaclava over which a I wore thick woolen Beanie and UV goggles to protect my face.

I used photography gloves with openable tips for index finger and thumbs on both hands to keep me warm but also make it easier to operate the camera controls.

My Favourite Outdoor Wear Brands

For Clothing : White Sierra, Patagonia, Arcteryx, Marmot, Mammut

For Shoes : Keen, Merrell,

Winter Gear

1. Winter Photography Gloves

2. Snow Pants

3. Base Layers

4. Insulated Boots

5. Outdoor Winter Goggles

6. Women's Clothing

7. Men's Outdoor

What was in my camera Bags?

As photographers we are ofter conflicted with what to take and what to leave behind just in case and this time was no different. I think I carried a little more than I should have but here is the list of equipment I carried for the trip. I took with me the Canon 5D IV and Canon 5DS-R Camera bodies. These are now available at a discount now and are still very good options. But technology has marched on and there are several great high resolution cameras with better dynamic range available now.

Suggested Cameras Updated for 2021

From Canon

Canon R5

Canon EOS R6 Full-Frame Mirrorless Camera with 4K Video

Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8L is USM Lens

Canon RF 24-105 mm F/4 l is USM Lens

In hindsight I think the 55mm Otus and the 100mm Macro were overkill and weren't used all that much. The Lens that I enjoyed shooting the most with were the Sigma 20mm f1.4 and the Canon 70-200 f2.8 followed by the Canon wide angle zoom.

Accessories

Mindshift Gear- Backlight 26L Backpack , Think Tank Airport Stroller Bag

Gitzo Mountainer Tripod and Arca Swiss Z1 ball head

Rugged Torchlight

San Disk Extreme and Lexar CF Cards and SD cards

Lacie Rugged External Hard Drive and San Disk SSD Drives for backing up images

Macbook Pro and iPad Pro which were a bit redundant next trip I wil carry just one of these.

(I Lost my B1 Ball head while using the ski lift to to the top of kaunispa and now need to replace that. Hazards of travel photography !)

My Itinerary

My Journey started in Singapore from where I flew on British Airways to Helsinki Via Heathrow . From Helsinki I took a connecting flight to Rovaniemi the gateway town to Finnish Lapland . Rovaniemi has two unique qualities. 1 the Arctic Circle actually runs through it. 2 It is home to Santa’s Village and Santa’s post office.

After landing at Rovaniemi Airport and collecting my baggage I quickly donned enough protective clothing to withstand the short walk from the terminal door to the free bus into the city. I was dropped off at the entrance to my hotel the Cumulus Hotel Pohjanhovi which I had booked through Booking.com and was soon checked in and up in my room with was spacious and warm.

Rovaniemi the gateway to Lapland

Rovaniemi is a nice town for starting your journey into Lapland. If you have never experienced a Nordic winter before its good to get acclimatised here and get your winter bearings. Rovaniemi has a number of good tour and safari operators who can help you with a number of Lapland activities such as trips to Reindeer Sleigh rides and farm visits, husky tours, snowmobiling, snowshoeing and even night safaris to watch the northern lights.

If you are traveling with family and young children a trip to the Santa Claus Village and and Santas post office would be a good place to start.

I was looking forward to spend time photographing the nature winter walks in and around the city.

Having slept well during my long haul flight after a brief rest at the hotel I was into my winter clothing and out with my camera doing a recon of the area around the hotel which was located on the banks of the Kemijoki River. The River was mostly frozen over and a blanket of snow had covered the frozen river. I could spot people river fishing through holes in the ice and I also watched a group of snow mobiles returning from a safari which was quite fascinating to watch as they drove across the frozen river led by an expert .

It was golden hour as I was exploring the river bank and was able to capture a couple of nice images.

I started to feel cold as the sun dipped below the horizon and decided to head back to the hotel and get myself a warm drink and some dinner before retiring for the night. I ensure I had all my batteries charges and memory cards loaded and gear ready for my first full day of shooting at the Arctic Circle.

Day 1-Day 4 Rovaniemi

Where to Stay at Rovaniemi

Rovaniemi Offers a number of hotels and Apartments to stay at but winter is a very busy time specially during Christmas and accommodations can get fully booked a month or more in advance so book early.

I stayed at the Cumulus Hotel Pohjanhovi due to its location close to the river and also the rating and reviews from users. it turned out to be a good choice. The rooms were of a reasonable size and nice and warm which was a welcome relief after walking around in the cold for 5-6 hours a day.

But there area number of cottages and bed and breakfasts also available but can have little or no services and located remotely which will then require your to rent a car.

I managed without renting a car the entire trip as I was hesitant to drive in the icy winter conditions there. But I must mention the roads were all well maintained and clear and traffic was moving along well on the highways.

A few hotels which I found interesting during my search

Hotels at Rovaniemi with good reviews

Mid Range

Scandic Rovaniemi City

Scandic Pohjanhovi

Luxury

Arctic City Hotel

Santa’s Igloos Arctic Circle

Video about my experiences exploring the Banks for the River Kemijoki

Exploring the Bridges Walk

The 2 Bridges Walk is a picturesque walk along the banks of the Kemijoki River with crossings over the two bridges namely the Jätkänkynttilä, or Lumberjack Candle Bridge and the Old Railway Bridge.

You can also do the 4 Bridges walk is a longer loop covering all 4 bridges which totally about 8 km long. But I decided to just stick to the shorter walk as it was just oo cold to stay out for so long.

The walk offers great views of the Lumberjack candle bridge and frozen kemijoki and ounasjoki rivers.

You can spot people walking across the frozen river and also there area few outdoor saunas along the banks where you can take a dip in the icy waters and then get into a hot water tub.

The light keeps changing continually from sunrise to sunset and you are presented with so many different options of photos.

I specially liked exploring various compositions of the line of frost covered trees along the banks. I also enjoyed capturing small details and contrasts of plants and objects sticking out from the otherwise pure white snow.

Video of my experiences Photographing at Ounasvaara Winter Trail and Ranua Wildlife Park

Image Gallery from Ounasvaara Winter Trail and Ranua Wildlife Park, Lapland, Finland.

Day 5 - Day 9 Saariselka

Where to Stay at Saariselka

I stayed at the Lapland Hotels Reikonlinna in Saariselka Village. Centrally located short walk to ski slopes and winter walking trails and has a bus stop just in front of the property.

Other hotels in Saariselka that looked interesting are

Holiday Club Saariselka

Aparthotel Kuukkeli Aurora

Kakslauttenen Igloo Village deserves special mention.its a popular and expensive resort but is unique.

Day 3 - Ranua Wildlife Park

This is a great way to view Arctic Animals up close.Its a nice day trip from Rovaniemei and sure to be a hit with the kids while you practice your long lens shooting technique here. Birds of Prey, Polar Bears, Wolves, Wolverines, Red Fox, Reindeer and Musk Ox can all be seen here.

Day 4(Travel Day) Ravaniemi to Saariselka by Bus

Day 5 Exploring Saariselka Village and Kaunispaa

One can easily spend a day walking around Saariselka Village enjoying the crisp winter air and stop for a quick lunch and to warm up at the Cafe at the Supermarket. I recommend the PizzaS there. Visit Kaunispaa in the afternoon via the ski lift and take in the play of colours during golden hour all the way up to blue hour. The Ski lift only takes you up so you will have to find your own way down and back to the village either via the ski bus or call for a taxi from the cafe.

Day 6 Kiilopaa Fell Winter Walking Trail

This is a lovely winter activity destination which also offer some rustic accommodations for trekkers.This is also one of the starting points for the larger Urho Kekkonen Nature Park which offers multi day hikes.

The extensive wilderness areas of Urho Kekkonen National Park can be explored on skis in winter and on foot in other times. Hiking outside marked trails requires wilderness and orienteering skills, and in winter the thick snow adds an additional layer of difficulty. A map and compass are necessary, since GPS devices are not always reliable in the remote wilderness. Nights can be spent at any of the many wilderness and reservation huts in the park, which are stocked with firewood. The huts are located about a day's journey apart from each other.

Day 7 Aurorapolku Winter Walking Trail

The Aurorapolku trail is a short 2.1 km trail ideal that ls also the one of the starting points for the Urho Kekkonen Nature park mentioned above.

This takes us you to the Aurora Viewing Platform and Day Hut with a nice warm fire and restroom facilities.

Day 8 Exploring Saariselka

On the last full day at Saariselka I decided to just enjoy walking around the village again with camera in hand. Walked a different route into snow covered cabins and houses but kept to the main road so as not to trespass on the locals residences.

Day 9 Travel Day

Having had my fill of sub zero temperatures and with memory cards full of images it was time to head back to warmer climates.

My journey from -15C to +30 C started with a bus ride from Saariselka to Ivalo airport.

After a short flight to Helsinki I boarded my Finnair flight from Helsinki to New Delhi where the temperature was a moderate 18C.

Next I boarded a flight on good old Air India to Chennai which gave me a warm welcome at 30C.

Home Sweet Home?

And here I am writing this blog as I edit my images from my trip to winter wonderland.

working on my exhibit images now. Please sign up for my newsletter or watch my Facebook page to keep updated about the dates for the Exhibit . If you like this travel adventure please do share it with your friends.Hope it was useful and helps you plan your next winter adventure. Cheers!

Here area few useful links for planning your trip to Lapland

http://www.nationalparks.fi/en/urhokekkonennp/activities

http://www.visitrovaniemi.fi

http://www.visitfinland.com

Here are quick links to Amazon.in for gear that I either used for this trip or are on my own Wishlist based on my experience in the cold. Use this to browse and pick gear for your trip.

My Exploratory trip to Finnish Lapland- Winter Wonderland !