The journey begins in Kuusamo, in the heart of Finnish Lapland. The dry, icy air is the first welcome, while the snow-laden conifer forests announce what will be a magical week ahead. We settle into Ruka Village, a place that combines the atmosphere of a ski resort with the coziness of a mountain village. The welcome dinner gives us the chance to meet each other and prepare our gear.

In January, the sun barely rises a few degrees above the horizon, gifting us six straight hours of soft light — as if the entire day were sunrise or sunset. That very night, if the clouds allow, we’ll head outdoors to see if the auroras decide to dance across the Arctic sky.

Our first dawn finds us in Riisitunturi National Park, home of the famous “tykky trees”: spruces that, under the weight of snow and ice, transform into natural sculptures, ghostly figures that look as if they belong to another world. Each tree can carry more than two tons of snow, explaining their twisted and unique shapes.

We walk among them with snowshoes, seeking the best perspectives while the low winter sun paints everything in golden and pink tones. The silence is almost absolute, broken only by the crunch of snow underfoot. At night, weather permitting, we’ll return to the park to try and capture an aurora over this surreal setting.

Leaving the ghostly forests behind, we head to Oulanka National Park. Here, the protagonist is not the trees, but the water. The Kitka River winds through snow and ice, forming rapids like those at Myllykoski, where an old wooden mill withstands the winters. Suspension bridges offer privileged views to photograph the contrast between the pure white snow and the dark moving water.

Oulanka is famous in summer for the Karhunkierros trail of more than 80 kilometers, but in winter it becomes a fairytale scene — perfect for practicing minimalist compositions.

Today we experience one of the trip’s highlights. We ascend by snowmobile sled to the top of Mount Kuntivaara, near the Russian border. From the summit unfolds a 360-degree panoramic view, where the tykky stand like true guardians watching the horizon.

The wind blows stronger here, shaping the snowy figures even more. At the top we take refuge in a wooden cabin, warming up between photo sessions. On clear days, it’s even possible to glimpse Russian territory, adding to the sense of remoteness and standing at the edge of the world.

We move on to Iso-Syöte, considered the snowiest place in all of Finland. The hills here are covered in such a thick white mantle that it feels like stepping into Narnia. The local hotel and cabins are photographic subjects themselves: wooden structures half-buried under snow, radiating calm and isolation.

In 2019, Iso-Syöte was officially named the snowiest spot in Finland — and it’s easy to see why. If fortune favors us, by nightfall we might capture the northern lights dancing above the ice-covered cabins.

In the morning, we visit a traditional reindeer farm near Kuusamo. The animals live in semi-freedom and are used to human presence, which allows us to photograph them in authentic settings: antlers frosted with snow, their breath hanging in the frozen air, scenes that feel straight out of a Sámi tale.

We also learn about their cultural importance in Finnish Lapland and, with luck, feed them or capture images of them running across the snow.

After midday, we explore the typical wooden cabins of the area, known as lomamajat, which under the snow exude the full warmth of the Arctic winter.

In the afternoon, we ascend Konttainen Hill, with panoramic views of Riisitunturi and the frozen lakes. Sunset here is spectacular: the sky turning pink and violet while the horizon stretches to infinity.

This day is kept open for repetition. Perhaps we return to Riisitunturi if the weather was unkind, or back to Oulanka to capture that misty water shot we missed, or once again to Kuntivaara in search of auroras.

Weather in Lapland changes quickly — within hours you can move from a snowstorm to clear skies. This flexibility ensures we don’t leave without making the most of the most photogenic places.

The final day dawns quietly. We say goodbye to Ruka and Kuusamo, perhaps with one last short walk through nearby forests, to engrave in memory the crunch of snow and the icy air filling our lungs. After breakfast, we head back to Kuusamo airport for our flights home — memory cards full and hearts carrying the magic of a week immersed in Lapland’s white winter.