Nikon School Adventures : Winter Wonderland - Finland

Course Contents

This workshop offers small-group tuition with a maximum of just six participants. You’ll receive personal guidance throughout, with expert advice on fieldcraft, camera settings, composition, and techniques to achieve pin-sharp images.

Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced enthusiast, we’ll cover all the essential camera settings and techniques needed to capture extraordinary landscapes and wildlife. A basic understanding of shutter speed, aperture, ISO, and your camera’s focusing system will help you get the most out of the experience. Each day will be spent “following the light” at locations chosen specifically for their photographic potential.

If the weather keeps us indoors, we’ll continue the learning with image editing tutorials, camera Q&A sessions, and image reviews, ensuring your skills grow regardless of conditions.

Workshop Highlights:

• Riisitunturi: Explore the breathtaking frozen forest, where towering trees are sculpted by heavy snow into surreal forms unlike anywhere else on Earth.
• Kuntivaara: Snowmobile through birch forests and snowshoe into one of Finland’s most untouched and surreal landscapes, right on the Russian border.
• Oulanka: At dawn, settle into a heated hide to photograph golden eagles, Siberian jays, and woodpeckers in their natural habitat as the forest awakens.
• Kuusamo: Optional early morning drives and hikes exploring the woodlands for Capercaillie's and Great Grey Owls.

This workshop is your chance to refine your skills, develop fieldcraft, and build a portfolio filled with dramatic, unforgettable images. With exclusive access to photographic hides, rarely visited locations, and the guidance of experts, you’ll return home with memories—and photographs—that last a lifetime.

Throughout your time in the field, we’ll guide you through camera settings and techniques to make the most of every moment. You’ll learn how to expose and compose for backlit animals, freeze fast action, master focusing for birds in flight, and achieve sharp, detailed images with long lenses. Beyond technical instruction, we’ll explore creative approaches to storytelling and composition — understanding when to shoot, how to anticipate movement, and how to use light to bring emotion to your photographs.

This workshop also offers plenty of time to ask questions about composition, camera settings, and lens choices. Each day brings fresh challenges and new learning opportunities, whether you’re refining your autofocus technique or experimenting with artistic framing. In the evenings, if no photography sessions are planned, we’ll gather at the accommodation for relaxed image review and photo editing sessions. These sessions are an excellent chance to refine your work, share feedback, and learn professional editing techniques that will help you elevate your images to the highest standard.

During the day, we’ll make sure to take breaks to recharge and refuel. Depending on our location and schedule, we’ll either stop at a local café or restaurant for lunch or visit a nearby supermarket in the morning so you can pick up lunch, snacks, and drinks for the day ahead. Finnish hospitality and local flavors are part of the experience, providing a warm contrast to the frozen landscapes outside.

This is more than a photography trip — it’s a week of learning, creativity, and connection with nature. Whether you’re aiming to capture the perfect shot of a golden eagle, the elegance of Arctic wildlife, or simply the soft glow of northern light, this workshop offers the perfect balance of guidance, inspiration, and adventure.

The workshop takes place in Northern Finland, close to the Russian border. Phone and Internet signals are intermittent at best, effectively think of yourself as 'off grid' for the workshop which will help you take in the beautiful surroundings

From the moment you arrive, you’ll be surrounded by the peace, beauty, and photographic potential of the northern wilderness.

Participants are responsible for arranging their own flights to and from Finland.

Provisional Itinerary (note this is subject to weather and may change)

19th February - Arrival Day 

We look forward to meeting you at Kuusamo Airport at 8:45 p.m. After introductions, we’ll pick up our 4x4 vehicles, pack our luggage, and take the scenic half-hour drive to Ruka Peak—our base for the week and the starting point for our adventures in this snow-covered landscape.

Once we’ve settled into our rooms, we’ll reconvene in the hotel lounge for a briefing and Q&A session about the workshop, including suggested camera settings. Eeva will share her local knowledge and insights about the area and what to expect while exploring the nearby national parks.

We’ll then enjoy dinner together, followed by an early night—unless, of course, the Aurora forecast looks promising!

20th February Day 1 – Oulanka National Park

Our adventure starts deep in the quiet wilderness of Oulanka National Park. As dawn breaks over the snow-covered forest, we’ll settle into a cozy heated photography hide — a front-row seat to the drama of the northern wild. Here, golden eagles rule the sky. With patience and a long lens, we’ll capture their powerful landings, fierce expressions, and subtle interactions with siberian jays and other woodland birds. The entire time is spent immersed in nature’s rhythm, listening to the silence broken only by wingbeats.

Warm drinks, packed lunch, and the thrill of Arctic wildlife photography — this is Finland at its wildest.

21st February Day 2 – The Winter Wonderland of Kuntivaara

After breakfast, we head east toward Kuntivaara, an untouched fell on the Russian border. Our journey begins with a snowmobile sleigh ride through birch forests, followed by a snowshoe walk into one of the most surreal landscapes in Finland.

Everywhere you look, ancient spruces stand transformed — bent and sculpted by ice into ghostly white figures glowing in the low Arctic sun. We’ll photograph shifting light and soft pastels from morning to dusk, with breaks in a small summit hut warmed by a wood stove.

This is the ultimate frozen fairytale — quiet, otherworldly, and incredibly photogenic.

22nd February - Day 3 – Eagles and Winter Light, Oulanka

Back to the eagle hide for another full day — and new stories. The light, weather, and bird activity never repeat. Snowflakes, mist, or golden evening light all offer different moods to capture.

With the knowledge gained on Day 1, we can refine our settings and compositions to make the most of fleeting moments — wings spread wide against a pale sky, or the perfect stare from a golden eagle framed by snow.

23rd February Day 4 – Frozen Forests of Riisitunturi National Park

We venture south to Riisitunturi National Park, famous for its breathtaking “frozen forest.” A 4.5 km snowshoe loop brings us among towering trees covered in heavy snow, forming sculptures unlike anywhere else on Earth.

Throughout the day, we’ll photograph these surreal shapes under changing light — from crisp morning blues to soft afternoon gold. On clear evenings, we can stay after sunset for an unforgettable bonus: the northern lights dancing above the snow-laden fells.

Hot drinks, headlamps, and patience rewarded with magic — this is a photographer’s dream.

24th February Day 5 – Rivers, Rapids & Dippers of Oulanka

Our final full day brings us to the Myllykoski rapids in Oulanka National Park, where rushing water winds between snow-covered banks and the historic wooden mill.

Here, we’ll slow down the pace — experimenting with long exposures, frozen textures, and wildlife close-ups. The star of the day is the white-throated dipper, a small bird that thrives even in icy waters. With luck, we’ll capture it mid-dive or perched on the river’s edge, a symbol of resilience in winter.

We’ll end the day with a warm meal together, celebrating our week of Arctic adventure — memory cards full, hearts fuller.

25th February - Departure Day 

A relaxed morning. Enjoy a final stroll through the snowy silence before we transfer back to Kuusamo Airport. It’s a small, friendly airport just a short drive away — no rush, no stress, just time to reflect on everything we’ve experienced and say our farewells before our jourmeys home.

To book:

Please contact us at Nikon School to book your space on this amazing photography adventure. To secure your place on the workshop a non refundable deposit of £1000 is payable with balance due around 3 months prior to the workshop starting. Further joining instructions will be sent out closer to the workshop as well as an invite to an online Zoom briefing prior to the workshop starting.

Notes:

This is a Photographic workshop and will we prioritise the opportunity for you to shoot great images above
everything else. We will plan each day around the weather and light, which means that meals may be at non standard times and we may start the day very early and be out until late in the evening. Depending on the weather and light we aim to visit several locations that have been specifically chosen for spectacular photography. Please note that in the event of severe weather the locations may have to be altered at last minute.

Food:

Dinners, snacks and refreshments / alcoholic drinks are not included in the workshop price. Spending money of about £500 is usual for your food and day to day expenses in Finland. Finnish cuisine is based mostly to fish, game and reindeer and limited vegan and vegetarian options may be available. If you have any questions about dietary options, please let us know and we can discuss this with you. We aim to eat either at the hotel restaurants or local high quality restaurants frequented by locals which will give you a feel for the 'real' Finland. Breakfast and packed lunches from the hotel are included.

Luggage:

Luggage is limited to one medium suitcase and one camera bag per person. This should give you plenty of room for all you need.

Fitness:

This workshop requires a high level of physical fitness as you may be standing with your camera for extended periods of time in cold conditions. We would expect to cover approximately 2-5km walking each day. Most places we can walk on hard snow surfaces, but in Kuntivaara and Riisitunturi we recommend the use of snow shoes (hire included in workshop price) to get great angles for photos. Please advise us before you book about any medical conditions you may have which may impact your participation in the workshop or may affect the other delegates on the workshop.

Accommodation:

The workshop will be based from the lovely boutique Ruka Peak Hotel. All rooms are single occupancy and have en-suites. Ruka Peak is close to the extensive facilities at the Kuusamo ski resort. The accommodation has been chosen to give us proximity to great photography or potential aurora locations. We try to choose the best possible accommodation available to offer great surroundings in which to relax and unwind after a long days photography.

Transport:

Transfers to and from the airport (subject to timings) may be available. All transport around the national parks is included. When we are not hiking or on snowmobiles, we will be travelling in a small convey of 4x4's equipped for winter conditions. 

Flights:

Flight to Finland are NOT included in the cost of the workshop. You will need to book your own flights to / from Kuusamo Airport. Airlines operate regular flights from Helsinki. You need to be at Ruka Peak Kussamo on the 19th February by 8:15pm local time, so we can collect you from the airport and drive to the hotel. You are welcome to arrive earlier or later, but you would have to make your own transfer arrangements to Ruka Peak. It is approx 25 mins from the airport to the hotel by taxi. Suggested flights would be:

Outbound:  Heathrow to Helsinki. Finnair (AY1332).  3hr Transfer. Helsinki to Kuusamo. Finnair (AY487)

Return: Kuusamo to Helsinki. Finnair (AY482). 2hr Transfer. Helsinki to Heathrow. Finnair (AY1335).

Photography Tuition:

We show you how to get the best from your Nikon camera and lenses. We can also cover all settings for landscape, astro / aurora photography as well as wildlife photography. We can explain the best settings to get front to back sharpness in your landscape images and techniques such as focus stacking, panoramas, timelaspe and video. We can show you how to shoot long exposures to make night landscapes look like daytime and we will also take you through the apps or websites we use to plan landscape and astro shoots as well as the key settings to capture great wildlife images and working in sub zero temperatures. 

Photography Knowledge:

You will need a basic understanding of your camera and it is recommended you are familiar with either aperture priority or manual mode. Knowledge of ISO, aperture and shutter speed is essential. If you already have an understanding of landscape and wildlife photography techniques you will get the most from the workshop.

Weather:

The weather in Finland can be very changeable and sometimes extreme. While we will do our best to follow our planned route and itinerary, we will always put safety first and only travel or visit locations if it is safe to do so. Due to this, we may not cover all of the planned locations. Each day we choose the locations to visit depending on the prevailing weather conditions to ensure you get the chance to shoot the best possible images. Please bring suitable clothing (layered approach is best) and footwear for cold temperatures. Average daytime temps are -8 C and at night the average is around -19.

Arctic Light:

Subject to favourable weather conditions, even though we are far north, we should still have around 8 - 9 hours of daylight each day. Sunrise will be between 7:30 - 8am each day, and Sunset is between 4:30 and 5pm. This also gives us ample time in the evenings to photography the Aurora Borealis if we are lucky enough to see it.

If you have any questions about this workshop, feel free to get in touch with us at [email protected]