Interview with Juha Mikko Kinnunen <"[link]">
by Joaquim Pinho <"[link]">

1) J.Pinho- Hi Juha,can you please intruduce yourself?
Juha M.K.-Well, my full name is Juha Mikko Kinnunen and I am a photographer from Northern Finland.



2) J.Pinho- How did you start with your photography?
Juha M.K-I started photography when I came back from my exchange studies in France. My foreign
friends enjoyed our stories about the exotic place in the North, that is Finland and finally when our ways
parted they want some proof so I had to go out and start to
photograph. I quickly discovered that I enjoyed it a lot and haven't stopped since.

3) J.Pinho- Which equipment are you currently using? Do you plan to add any new gear in the near future?
Juha M.K-I am currently using a Canon EOS 40D as my main camera. I am really happy with it so far
and I do not plan to get anything better anytime soon. Of course I would like to have a
full frame camera, but it is not financially possible now. I use various lenses for the
many kinds of photography I do, but for landscapes I often use Tokina 12-24mm. Lately I
have been using my Sigma 24-70mm f2.8 for all kind of casual photography. I also have
Sigma 50-150mm f2.8 and Sigma 30mm f1.4 and a box full of filters for all of these. Most
often I use polarizers or (graduated) neutral density filters for landscapes. My
favourite piece of equipment though is my Manfrotto tripod.

4) J.Pinho- What is your biggest inspiration in photography?
Juha M.K-I think that the biggest inspiration for me is the beauty of nature itself. Of course I read
photography magazines, follow other people's work and so on and they are an excellent source for new
approaches that one might have not thought about themselves, but eventually I usually get carried away
by the scene and the moment.



5) J.Pinho- If you look ahead a few years,what would you like to have achieved with your photography?
Juha M.K-I am really bad in making long term plans. I can just say that I wish that in 2 years I will
have taken 24 more beautiful photographs. It would be great if I would have also held an exhibition in
Finland or some other major European country.

6) J.Pinho- Do you have any artistic background?
Juha M.K-I don't really have any artistic background,but my father used to have a photography shop
and photography was always present when I grew up, but after my father sold the store
he has never really gotten back into photography which is a pity because he is an excellent photographer
and have succeeded in many competitions. I have also completed a minor in university in art history. That
has brought me a lot of tools to better understand art and if I don't have any other use for it in the future,
it will be good for crossword puzzles at least.

7) J.Pinho- Your gallery is full of great nature photography work,which one is your favourite shot?
Juha M.K-This is a difficult question. At the moment my photograph 7th of December <"[link]"> is perhaps my favourite. I had the
image of this photograph in my mind for such a long time and finally I was able to realize my vision.
Usually my photographs are more inspired by the moment but on the other hand some of them are a result
of a careful plan and wait.



8) J.Pinho- Any advice for photography newbies?
Juha M.K-I would suggest to keep one's eyes open and look for photographs and interesting compositions
everywhere even though one wouldn't be carrying a camera at that moment. Of course one has to look a
her own work very closely and a good excercise is to try not to be subjective when looking at her own work
and instead thinking honestly what is wrong with the photograph and why one would like some other
photographs better. One can also try to emulate the works she finds intriguing and a bring a little bit of
their own touch to it.

9) J.Pinho- Is it possible to purchase your prints and, if so,where?
Juha M.K-I have prints available on my website <"[link]">

10) J.Pinho- What future plans do you have?
Juha M.K-My plan is to finally get at least one degree completed soon and then I have an intention to
photograph a lot this coming summer. But if someone has a job for an economist with a minor in art
history, I am open for offers.

Thanks