Ihanne on Flickr, by Ilkka Rinne

I managed to capture this rather idyllic winter scene as one of the last shots during an evening photo walk around my home neighbourhood at Torkkelinmäki, Helsinki two years ago, on 10th January 2010. Light frost crystals formed on tree twigs, as well as just about every other surface, combined with city background lighting made it look almost magical and very cosy.

Camera: Nikon D200
Aperture: f/3.5
Shutter speed: 1/3s
Lens: Tamron SP AF28-75mm F/2.8 XR Di LD Aspherical (IF)
Focal length: 28mm

Sykyn paletti on Flickr, by Ilkka Rinne

These frosty blades of lake grass were captured in morning almost exactly a year ago, on 24th November in Urjala, Finland. Grass and the lake were covered by a thin layer of ice after a cold night, and the sun was still struggling to shine through the mist over the lake. I love this time of the year when the non-permanent snow and sleet haven’t yet taken over the streets.

Today the temperature was already below zero all day here in Helsinki, tomorrow morning might see the first snow of this year.

Camera: Nikon D300s
Aperture: f/4.5
Shutter speed: 1/60s
Lens: Tamron SP AF28-75mm F/2.8 XR Di LD Aspherical (IF)
Focal length: 38mm

Saaren syys on Flickr, by Ilkka Rinne

I took this photo today while visiting Suomenlinna. The sun was partly obscured by the high clouds and it was starting to get darker even though it was only a quarter past three in the afternoon. I decided to take my fisheye lens for the spin and simulate some “low-fi” feeling with strong vignette, intentional out-of-focus and high granularity (ISO 1600). I think I managed to capture the slightly gloomy feeling of the autumn-verging-on-winter on the windy island.

Camera: Nikon D300s
Aperture: f/10
Shutter speed: 1/320s
Lens: Nikon AF DX Fisheye-NIKKOR 10.5mm f/2.8G ED
Focal length: 10.5mm

Terassi on Flickr, by Ilkka Rinne

This photo of foggy autumn scene was taken today on 23rd October 2011 in Taivallahti, Helsinki. The blue structure disappearing to the low cloud is supporting a power transmission line and platform in the front is a summer terrace of the restaurant Meritalli.

Camera: Nikon D300s
Aperture: f/3.5
Shutter speed: 1/320s
Lens: Nikon AF 50mm f/1.8 D
Focal length: 50mm

Mostly asleep on Flickr, by Ilkka Rinne

This misty night scene of Siltasaari seen from Kaisaniemi was captured on 27th September 2006 just before half past 2 in the morning (or at night). The thick nightly mist encouraged me to grab my camera, stand and the backpack of lenses on a quiet, unhurried walk around the Töölönlahti in central Helsinki. I ended up returning over two hours later, and this shot was the last one during that trip.

Camera: Nikon D200
Aperture: f/5.6
Shutter speed: 0.4s
Lens: Nikkor AF-S 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5 G IF ED
Focal length: 38mm

Kaarin on Flickr, by Ilkka Rinne

The Pitkäsilta (Long bridge) in Helsinki reflected from the water was captured in the early evening of 21st March 2008. The neighbourhood of this bridge is one of my favourite places in my home city, especially when coloured by the setting sun or later by artificial lighting.

Pitkäsilta has long been considered both a geographic and cultural divider of different parts of urban Helsinki: the smoother, more expensive Downtown and other South Helsinki areas on the other side, and rougher “worker” parts of the city like starting with Kallio and Sörnäinen on the other. Today the distinction between people living on different sides of the bridge is obviously not as strong as it used to be one or two generations ago, “the side” is still part of the identity of many, certainly to me.

Camera: Nikon D200
Aperture: f/4.5
Shutter speed: 1/320s
Lens: Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8 AF-D NIKKOR ED
Focal length: 80mm

In bloom on Flickr, by Ilkka Rinne

Regent’s Park, London on 8th April 2008. Two days before it was snowing there.

Camera: Nikon D200
Aperture: f/2.8
Shutter speed: 1/6000s
Lens: Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8 AF-D NIKKOR ED
Focal length: 200mm