As a photographer, I have discovered that starting a project can help me channel my creativity and bring new dimensions to my work. A project can be a way to explore new techniques, themes, and perspectives, leading to personal and artistic growth. Currently, I am working on a new photography series that will challenge me to think more deeply about my craft and explore new horizons. While I cannot reveal my project, I encourage you to consider the benefits of taking on your own photography project. A project can provide purpose and direction to your photography work. It can help you explore a ..read more

It’s been one month since I introduced a challenge to all of you who follow me on my blog. The #DiscoverWithMikko challenge was to capture something nearby (no more than 20 km’s away) where you live. It was also to encourage you to try to capture something unique. The month flew by, and I can say that it was a tough challenge for me as well. Not many participated in this challenge, but I saw some beautiful entries on Instagram, which I’ll share in my stories @mikkolagerstedt. I went out to photograph 15 times in the past month, whether to a nearby field or around the nearby lake. I didn’t take ..read more

Today, I'm excited to announce something entirely new! Photography challenge I'll participate alongside you. This challenge is designed to push our creative boundaries, help us improve our skills, and, most importantly, have fun! This is an experiment and I don’t know how many participants we will have, but I’m looking forward to seeing as many as possible. There might be a small reward at the end of the challenge, but the main reward is to inspire yourself! The Challenge: "Discovering the Unseen" The theme of this challenge is "Discovering the Unseen" The goal is to capture something people o ..read more

I’m excited to announce my new exhibition, ‘In the Solitude of Nature.’ It’s an exhibition including my best photography from the Nordics of the past ten years of my photography journey. The exhibition is in the Redi Shopping Center, in Finnfoto Gallery in space A2-03, starting on the 1st of August 2023 and running until the 30th of September. The gallery is open 8-23, and it’s free entry. Below are the exhibition notes if you want to read about it. Exhibition information ‘In the Solitude of Nature’ is a photography exhibition that showcases Mikko Lagerstedt’s profound vision of Nordic landsca ..read more

Support Mikko's blog posts! I hope you are having a wonderful Summer. Even though I love summer, I find it challenging for photography. I have never been a big fan of the midnight sun or bright nights. The mist is something I find inspiring to photograph, yet there are only a handful of mornings when there is some mist in the summer. And as soon as the nights get darker and colder, I find myself inspired to go out and photograph. So for the upcoming dark season, I started writing a comprehensive and inspiration-filled tutorial about night photography. I hope you enjoy it. As someone who has sp ..read more

I wanted to write something different this week. Since it’s been very much a lot of misses on the photography part lately. Even though I have been photographing quite a lot recently, there are times when it just doesn’t happen, and you end up empty-handed. Sometimes, I find it inspiring to reminisce about certain moments while out photographing. The morning I captured the “Morning Echo” photograph was one of those special moments. I left to photograph at this beautiful secluded beach at Päijänne Lake in Finland. My idea was to capture the night sky from this place, spend the night under the st ..read more

Today, I'm thrilled to share the new 2023 update to The EPIC Preset Collection. So, in this article, I'll be going through The EPIC Preset Collection. With the help of these updated tools, I can make easier selections and enhance my photography adjustments and editing to bring my vision to life easier than before. If you already have EPIC Presets, you should have received an update in your email. If you don’t have the presets yet, now is the perfect time because The EPIC Presets are now -30% OFF only for a limited time! What is new in the 2023 EPIC Preset Collection? How can you make the most ..read more

Today, I'm excited to share my favorite AI-powered image editing tools. While Midjourney has taken the spotlight for the tool to create "AI art," I personally don't use it because my heart belongs to the captivating world of photography. There's an indescribable feeling of awe when standing before an inspiring landscape or view. For me, it's all about the journey – immersing myself in the outdoors and capturing the breathtaking beauty of nature. So, in this article, I'll be shedding light on the incredibly powerful AI image editors. With the help of AI tools, I can make easier selections and e ..read more

Today, I want to share some insights on finding and capturing the hidden beauty in everyday landscapes. In recent years, there has been a trend to seek out and photograph the most spectacular views, often replicating the same composition down to every detail. While these images may be visually stunning, they only sometimes showcase true creativity or originality. I've personally done the same, but it's good to practice finding beauty near where we live. Traveling is always inspiring, but I firmly believe you can see beauty almost everywhere – even in the most mundane places by thinking creativ ..read more

This week I wanted to share the story behind one of my favorite recent landscape photographs, Wonder. It was quite a cold morning. When I woke up, I saw the mist rise, so I headed out. I went around the nearby places and saw the mist rising on the lake. I had been waiting for the perfect shot of this majestic tree I had been photographing for years. I never was able to capture its full glory until that day. As the sun began to rise, the frost-covered branches were illuminated by the cold morning light, creating an eerie and magical effect with a wonderful blue sky. One of those moments which r ..read more