Juh a Suonpä ä | The Kuusa mo NaTur e PhoTogr a Ph y ac a dem y

© 2014 Juha Suonpää

University of Lapland Publications of the Faculty of Art and Design C 43. Reviews and Addresses.

1st edition

Text and photography Juha Suonpää

Graphic design Riikka Vaahtera

ISBn 978-952-484-742-1

ISSn 1236-9616

ISBn 978-952-484-723-0 (pdf)

Juh a Suonpä ä | The Kuusamo NaTure PhoTogr aPhy academy

10introduction

16 workshops

17 Initial workshop in Oulanka20 The Pyhätunturi workshop21 The Ice Screen workshop22 The In the moonlight workshop24 The Paanajärvi workshop24 The Oulanka workshop27 Workshops on moving images28 The Global Change workshop28 The Kilpisjärvi workshop31 The Paanajärvi II workshop31 Visualization of Enviromental Change workshop

32orGAnisinG EducAtion

35 Open University

09ForEword

Contents

40orGAnisinG rEsEArch

43 International Network

45orGAnisinG innoVAtion

45 Residency Centre51 The New Paanajärvi

56in concLusion

58EpiLoGuE

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This report is part of the Environment and Nature Photography project initiated by the town of Kuusamo. The project aimed to increase and develop the education and tourism services related to nature and strengthen Kuusamo’s image as a mod-ern, high-level international nature tourism destination. In ad-dition to the city of Kuusamo, the University of Lapland, the University of Oulu and the Kuusamo College participated in the project. Cooperation partners of the project also included several nature photography professionals and entrepreneurs, the Koillismaa Co-operative, the Metsähallitus Natural Herit-age Services, the Summer University of Northern Ostroboth-nia and the Hannu Hautala Foundation. The project, which was funded by the European Regional Development Fund, began in the autumn of 2011 and lasted until the end of 2013. It was divided into four sections. The first of these was connected to building the infrastructure of photography sites in Kuusamo and gaining more exposure for them. The second to productis-ing nature photography, and the third to developing the equip-ment resources of the Kuusamo College and the Oulanka re-search station, both of whom are involved in supporting the academy. The development of the expertise within the environ-ment and nature photography academy was born, on the one hand, alongside the aforementioned, and on the other hand, as a partial theme connecting all of the above. The University of Lapland appointed a part-time professor for this purpose, until the end of the year 2013. This report was drafted by the appointed professor, Doctor of Arts Juha Suonpää, and is con-nected to the section concerned with developing expertise in the environment and nature photography.

The environment and nature photography project is an en-

tity comprising many parties and interaction situations. A lar-ge number of volunteer experts and students from all over the world participated in the project workshops, and their sincere enthusiasm towards the nature and environmental issues only strengthened our preconceptions of the interest in the project and its significant potential for development.

On behalf of the project, I must give great thanks to all the experts invited to the workshops, who represented numerous universities, institutes of higher education and other communi-ties, both in Finland and abroad. Thank you: Walter Bergmoser, Elina Halttunen, Paavo Hamunen, Hannu Hautala, Audun Het-land, Jouni Hirvonen, Lawrence Hislop, Michael Jacobs, Kari Kaila, Kari Kantola, Frank Kappas, Jussi Kivi, Olli Lamminsalo, Alexander Lembke, Helena Lonkila, Riku Paavola, Pekka Parvi-ainen, Anne Pelin, Risto Raunio, Seppo Ropponen, Pekka Sam-mallahti, Felix Sattler, Outi Snellman, Antti Tenetz, Vesa Touko-maa, Petteri Törmänen, Thomas Ulich and Soile Veijola.

Thanks to Pirkko Siikamäki, chair of the environment and nature photography college control group and members, Jouni Alavuotunki (until 31.8.2013), Erkki Hämäläinen, Timo Joke-la, Kari Kantola (from 31.8.2013), Henrik Karvonen, Olli Lam-minsalo, Pekka Manninen (until 31.8.2013), Timo Majava, Jyr-ki Matila (from 31.8.2013) and Riku Paavola, as well as Riikka Vaahtera, who is responsible for the lay-out of this publication.

And finally, a big thank you to the Council of Oulu Regi-on and the town of Kuusamo for granting the funding from the European Regional Development Fund, which covered most of the project’s proportion of internal financing. Project manager Kari Kantola and his successor Risto Raunio made sure that the project progressed smoothly and in an inspiring atmosphere.

Foreword

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Over the last 40 years, nature photography has become a recognis-able and recognised genre within the Finnish photography scene. It speaks to large audiences, regardless of language or social barri-ers, and is recognisable through its beautiful images of nature and the wilderness, as well as birds and other animals. Often seam-lessly connected to tourism, nature photography, as a form of photography, is one of the most popular. It is known in Sweden as Naturfotografi and in Britain and North America as Nature Pho-tography, Wildlife Photography or Outdoor Photography. Because nature photography is at times related to both environmentally protective and artistic ambitions, it is sometimes referred to as Environmental Photog-raphy. The practice of depicting beauty in nature photography and the social emphasis of environmental photogra-phy come together to form a combina-tion that allows for environmental and nature photography to be perceived as a new kind of opening and as an op-portunity to discuss the complex chal-lenges with immense consequences connected to the environment and its use. The rise in living standards, increase in mobility and the cli-mate change will continue to focus more tourist interest on Nordic areas, in terms of visually enjoying scenery and doing activities. One could even say that the less there is left of nature in its natu-ral state, the more the photographers and the general public will have an interest in whatever is left. This calls for new environment

and nature photography concepts and plans, which work towards sustainable development in terms of both culture and ecology.

The Finnish nature photography scene includes both a small group of internationally acknowledged professionals, as well as a significant number of professionally operating ama-teur nature photographers making a little money on the side. In 2005, these professional amateur nature photographers founded the Suomen ammattiluontokuvaajat association that currently has 37 members. The key association in the field is

the Suomen luonnonvalokuvaajat association, founded in 1977. It has increased the number of its members significantly over the last few years and currently has, approximately, 3,000 members. The association’s most prominent products are the Vuoden luontokuva competition (Nature photograph of the year) and the Luontokuva magazine.

In practice, the job description of these self-taught photographers is that of the adapted use of pho-tographs. The most common are-

as include tourism and programme services, journalism and uses connected to print media. The photographers are mainly men, who see themselves as professional photographers, even though their primary income may come from somewhere else entirely. As a profession, nature photography is quite distinguis-hed, yet indefinable, as it belongs to the new area of cultural work,

Introduction

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which characteristically keeps on changing in terms of salary cont-racts and various assignments, as well as various interconnected assignments, such as programme services and teaching. This means that there is no such thing as a pure nature photographer. Nowa-days, nature photographers utilise moving images and social media as a marketing tool, alongside traditional still photography.

Even though nature photography is carried out by a large number of semi-professional amateurs, the field is marked by a cer-tain monotonicity. It is a profession carried out, abiding by certain unwritten rules, which is also an advantage. The nature photograph perpetuating this repetitious and unwritten tradition is easy to identify and, thus, market as a certain kind of image. On the other hand, repeating the old recipe will probably not offer any inviting choices for those making career choices and looking for a new, in-novative expression or the livelihood of the future, let alone any change to the current unstable and often scarce living on offer to nature photographers

Critical views on nature photography often include stigmatic notions, where nature photography is determined as something be-hind the times, as activities associated with middle-aged men living in remote locations. As strange as it may seem, this can also be an advantage. The exoticism of the Northern periphery seems to be one of the most significant characteristics that draw international attention to nature photography. The stereotype of a nature pho-tographer, deeply connected with nature, treading on through the waist-deep snow is an internationally fascinating product.

Eastern and Northern Finland have had a central role as the birthplace of exotic nature photographs for a long time. Hannu Hautala, who lives in Kuusamo, can be dubbed the “grand old man” of nature photography, whose name is synonymous with the ima-ge of traditional Finnish nature photographs. The international Kuusamo Nature Photo festival, already over ten years old, and the Hannu Hautala nature photography centre that opened in 2007

have developed Kuusamo into a Finnish nature photography brand. Kuusamo’s role as a nature tourism destination close to the Eastern border is an attraction with undeniable international potential. Kuusamo acts as a kind of gateway to the untouched wilderness of the East.

NeedsEven though nature photography and, especially, environmental photography emphasising artistic and environmentally sound goals possess obvious potential for development, the expertise structures that create continuity are underdeveloped and scat-tered. There is also a lack of modern educational environments that would contribute to continuity. Even though photography is nationally linked to various short courses on the level of general schooling, Finland is entirely lacking higher education in the field of nature and environmental photography. In terms of nature photography, we could even call this a skill deficit in the national educational system.

This is opportune for Northern Finland. The Hannu Hautala Nature Photography Centre, Kuusamo College, the Summer Uni-versity of Northern Ostrobothnia, the city of Kuusamo, the Oulan-ka Research Station of the University of Oulu located in Kuusamo and the University of Lapland can be seen as central actors in the development network, which plays an important role as a developer and validator of tourism in north-east Finland and the closely rela-ted innovation in nature photography.

The aforementioned actors, together with nature photo-graphers and nature photography entrepreneurs, form the core of a regional innovation system that is able to combine theoretical kno-wledge with practical skills, as soon as a functioning long-term ope-rations model is created for the network. The development task could

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be described as developing nature and environmental photography’s social importance, job description, pedagogic model and artistic and tourism-related adaptation areas, both nationally and internationally.

GoalOn the one hand, implementing the development task described above demands setting a flexible goal, and on the other, a tangi-ble goal. Developing Kuusamo-based nature and environmental photography skills, education, research, tourism and services is only possible, if the cooperation comes naturally and brings about and strengthens strategic partnerships, i.e. creates win-win-type self-regulating motivation between the cooperation parties. Cre-ating a service and education organisation for Finnish and for-eign nature photography professionals and hobbyists, as well as larger target groups, requires combining the limited resources to achieve a common goal. In order for the special skills and financial resources of the various parties to be utilised efficiently for the common goal, we need to create a cooperation structure, based on the network model. This structure should support regional de-velopment related to education, research and tourism. The nature and environmental photography strategic operations concept that contributes to Northern culture, industry and commerce, as well as subscribes to the principles of sustainable development, is just like this. Thus, the project’s main goal can be summarised as cre-ating an operations concept, based on the network model for the nature and environment photography college.

The development project is not about research as such, but the main goal described above can, nevertheless, be presented in the form of a primary research problem like this: What would the nature and environmental photography college network operations mo-del be like if it enabled regional development, education, research

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and innovation? The primary research problem can be divided into three sections: 1. How should environmental and nature photography education be organised? 2. How could environmental and nature pho-tography research be initiated and organised? 3. What are the kind of innovations that the network model could create and develop through cooperation?

MethodThe task set for the development project is, simultaneously, both universal and personal. In other words, the sights are on a com-prehensive concept that even functions internationally, as well as a grounded structure that is based on regional boundary condi-tions. When the central goal is to attain tangible results and pro-posals, the task must be defined realistically. The success of the development task requires identifying disconnected pieces and strengths and using them as a basis for redefinition and creation, in terms of building a regional and local network with existing ac-tors. Finding and moving forward with developable ideas is made possible by creating an intense and creative atmosphere, for ex-ample.

In order to reach the goals set for the development task, the project can utilise the workshop method that can be used to ge-nerate new ideas as openly as possible in intense workshops com-bining experts from various fields. Best of all, it is not difficult to find experts who are familiar with photography. On the cont-rary, it is likely that photography will act as common ground for people from various fields. The diverse innovation workshops na-turally create an atmosphere that enables presenting varied views

from both science and the arts. In terms of creating new ideas, it is essential to consciously diminish the division between photo-graphic arts and nature photography. Breaking out of established social boxes is both challenging and eye-opening. In other words, the workshop method seeks ideas on cultural interfaces through broad-mindedly colliding surprising combinations. Making “good mistakes” that are an integral part of a creative critical process is allowed in order to avoid repeating them.

The goal of the workshops was to determine the skills needed for education and opportunities related to research, as well as de-velop innovations for adaptations of photography. Altogether, ele-ven Finnish and international workshops were organised between 2011 and 2013, of which seven were in Kuusamo, two in Russia and workshops at the research station in Kilpisjärvi and on Pyhä-tunturi. These workshops resulted in a number of ideas that can be adapted to education and research, as well as developing inno-vations. During the workshops, it became clear quite early on that the divisions between the partial goals determined in the previous chapter were, somewhat, artificial. In other words, the goals for education, research and innovations constantly overlap and inter-lock, so that planning education will inevitably lead to discussing issues related to research. Furthermore, in terms of innovation, the ideas born out of discussing the development of education and research can be innovations in their own right.

The following is an account of the workshops organised wit-hin the project and the conclusions derived from them, in terms of what the skills are that the nature photographer of the futu-re needs, what kind of research work can be derived from nature photography and what the innovations are that can be developed in relation to nature photography.

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Workshops

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Initial workshop in OulankaThe first workshop of the project was organised at the Oulanka research station in December 2011. Nature photography and pro-gramme service experts, mainly from north-eastern Finland, were invited to the workshop. The discussions over the weekend focused on the goals set for the project and their assessment, as well as skill requirements for education and the development of various feasible and unfeasible ideas for programme services. In other words, the goal of the workshop was to open-mindedly identify, produce and create various ideas, themes and subjects for future workshops that could be used to test tangible solutions for the needs of education, research and services.

The workshop yielded 15 different themes or workshop titles that had potential, either for testing or further development. Of these, the following were related to competence requirements for education:

• Ice Screen – experimental presentation methods for nature photography• Moving image – video and low budget productions• Game camera – new photography methods• Exhibition skills• Books and storytelling• Hut – building a hut and photographing from a hut

The following were three themes to support research at the Oulanka station:

• Nature photography and natural sciences• Repeat Photography – monitoring nature and the climate change• Microscope photography

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The following, on the other hand, were ideas to support innova-tions and service concepts:

• In the moonlight – to the core of light snowy nights, the northern lights and darkness• Nightless night – a summer night in the North• Water on the move - rapids • The wake – new meanings in photographing large beasts• The empowering nature photograph – the photograph as a wellness product• Paanajärvi - Kuusamo as a gateway to the east• Artist residency

The plans for the next ten workshops were created, based on the themes mentioned previously. The workshops would enable the creation of new ideas and developing the aforementioned ide-as further. Three international workshops were organised during the spring of 2012, whose central principles were experimentati-on and crossing borders. In other words, core expertise and new innovative ideas were sought by mixing the interfaces of the fields of culture and science. The workshops were based on the heuris-tic method, where academic and artistic expertise are combined. Both local experts and, altogether, twenty specialists in various fields from Finland and abroad were invited to participate in the workshop. Participants included nature photographers, artists, researchers, teachers and programme service entrepreneurs.

One of the goals for the workshops was to define nature and environmental photography competencies, i.e. skills, related to education. The definition of the content of any future educational entities and study periods was discussed in all three workshops. The prospect of a nature and environmental photography educa-tional entity formed a helpful core question for each workshop, in

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terms of academy and general education. A core theme run-ning through all of the workshops organised in the spring was the northern dimension.

The Pyhätunturi workshopThe second workshop was international and it was organ-ised on the Pyhätunturi fell towards the end of February in 2012. With the international cooperation of the University of Lapland, the theme of the workshop became Exploring possible Arctic co-operation on Arctic nature photography. The workshop helped determine the chances of founding a the-matic photography network that would join the virtual net-work of the universities, institutions of higher education and research institutes of the north, University of the Arctic.

Both Finnish and foreign photography experts were in-vited to participate in the workshop from Finland, Norway, Germany and South Korea. At the Keropirtti cabin in Py-hätunturi, the atmosphere became quite intense during the week and a great deal of ideas related to challenges posed by the interaction between arts and science were created. The workshop results included identifying the skills deficit found in the academic world: in particular, researchers of natural sciences are in need of a more versatile and compre-hensive education in photography and moving images, as well as the opportunities offered by mobile devices and so-cial media in helping with research methods, documentati-on and interpretations. The skills needed by the researchers and natural science students in the Nordic area were defin-ed in the workshop, as both related to technical problems with new imaging methods and using social media, as well

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as related to quality – visual literacy. The following was set as the central goal: To link professional photographers, infor-mation-visualization specialists and art students together with students of science, arctic researchers and scientists to explore and create photo, video, and map based communication materials that can be used for publishing, exhibiting and web distributing.

The workshop resulted in the decision to apply for the themed network Thematic Network on Communicating Arctic Research to be included as part of the network of Nordic universities, University of the Arctic. Additionally, it was decided that the next workshop would be held in Kuusamo on September, 2012, with the following goal: Provide educa-tion and training in photo-based imaging and data visualization methods to create photo, video, info-graphics and related materi-als that can be used in print and on the Internet.

The Ice Screen workshopThe Ice Screen workshop was organised in February 2012 in Iisakki Village, located in the Ruka area in Kuusamo. Twen-ty international exchange students from the Tampere Uni-versity of Applied Sciences and photography students from Kuusamo College worked together to create a small ice park installation of ice projection surfaces that were used to pro-ject photographs, animations, bitmaps, moving images and light. Some of the works were interactive. The workshop broke conventional nature photograph and video presenta-tion methods by incorporating a strong experimental take from the world of modern art. The workshop resulted in an idea and model for an ice event, combining nature photo-graphs and modern art that could in the future be organ-

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ised in the town centre of Kuusamo, for example.The Ice Screen workshop helped to identify various skills cre-

ated by organising an intensive educational event in the middle of snow, darkness and ice. The expertise created as by-products of the Ice Screen workshop included the following:

• physical survival in arctic conditions• safety in freezing temperatures• the characteristics and limitations of presentation, acoustic and filming equipment in freezing temperatures• dramaturgy in expression• social skills; working in a group• communicating in a foreign language• new ways of photographic expression and presentation methods• community and environmental artistic expression• event production skills• perceiving spatial works• producing interactive works

As you can see from the very versatile list of skills, the skill potential generated by the intensive, experimental workshop is significant. Practical work is combined with improvement in skills, as well as generic, i.e. general, interaction skills.

The In the moonlight workshopThe third international workshop was organised in the Oulanka sta-tion during April 2012. The Kuutamolla (In the moonlight) workshop theme was the, so-called, natural resources in terms of nature pho-tography and tourism in the Nordic area: darkness, silence, roman-ticism, mythology, stars and the Northern lights. The general aim of

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the workshop was to brainstorm opportunities and adaptations of expression within nature photography, in terms of science, art and tourism, as well as determine what kind of network model these ideas require. The workshop consisting of some ten people was focused around presentations given by experts of photography, art, mythology, tourism and astrophysics, which were then used as a basis for heuristic discussions. The result of the workshop was the identification of the close connection be-tween nature photography and sustainable tourism. It was perceived that the central de-velopment area, in terms of education, was the need for produce education in the field of programme services, which would combine nature photography with culture, knowledge of nature and tourism skills.

The Paanajärvi workshopThe fourth workshop was organised at the beginning of August 2012. The workshop, organised in Russia, took place near the lake Paanajärvi, which used to be a part of Finland before the Second World War. The national park, especially known for its beautiful scenery, is located opposite the Oulanka National Park, and is, thus, very interesting in terms of a location as an environmental and nature photography destination of the future.

The Finnish group of ten determining the opportunities of nature photography in Paanajärvi included experts in the fields of natural sciences, art and cultural history, media arts and photo-graphy, as well as nature photography and tourism. The week-long workshop that was mainly based on hiking generated a host of ideas for nature photography opportunities in the area, as well as

ideas combining nature and history, which would allow for the uti-lisation of photography sites related to the identity of Paanajärvi in education, as well as research and services.

In connection to the cultural history context, the photo-graphy sites of the Paanajärvi photograph series from 1892 by photographer I.K. Inha and the painting locations of the painter Akseli Gallén-Kallela, who used to roam the area during that time,

were found. The painting sites for Gallén-Kallela’s works Mänty-koski and Paanajärven Paimenpoi-ka can be found. The sites combi-ne the rich cultural history of the area, with its staggering natural beauty and peacefulness. The workshop identified a kind of ex-perience concept of hiking wit-hout a map, which is nowadays a rare treat. The culturally inter-esting remains of Finnish settle-ments are located amidst rough raspberry and nettle bushes that sometimes tower over your head.

Paanajärvi is also in a league of its own in terms of locations for empowering adventures and retreats. Conserving the atmosphere of untouched wilderness and nature photography, based on subtle experiences, require that the nature photography tourism concept is small in scale.

The Oulanka workshopThe fifth workshop was organised at the beginning of September 2012 at the Oulanka research station. The international workshop,

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headed by a group of four Finnish, one German and one Norwe-gian photography experts, was also the first photography-themed pilot workshop of the virtual network University of the Arctic. The workshop focused on the possibilities of interaction between arts and sciences in universities and institutes of higher education. In order to enable the cross-disciplinary vantage point, science and arts students from around the world were invited to participate. Students arrived from Finland, Canada and Korea. In addition to the Universities of Lapland and Oulu, cooperation partners in-cluded Chung-Ang University (Cau) in Korea and Ontario College of Art and Design University (oCaDu) in Canada. The results gained from the workshop were presented as a poster-type exhibition at the Kuusamo Nature Photo event at the end of the workshop.

As the exhibition mentioned above received positive atten-tion, the University of the Arctic photography-themed group met at an international meeting held in Tampere in November 2012. The network decided to continue its workshops on interaction between arts and science, as part of developing the concept of the environmental and nature photography college. Bearing this in mind, future plans were drafted, which then culminated in brains-torming for future workshops, determining cooperation partners and preparing international funding applications. The photo-graphy-themed network adopted the name Subzero and decided to publish a webpage by that name.

Workshops on moving imagesThree separate workshops were organised during the spring of 2013. One of these was Finnish and two were international. The themes of the workshops were related to possibilities of expres-sion through moving and still images taken with systems cameras and other electronic equipment, as well as artistic and scientific

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presentation. In the workshops, nature photography was seen as part of photography in general, whose form and composition is constantly changing. In other words, photography was not seen to be limited only to the traditional idea of photography, but nature photography was perceived comprehensively as a tool for various electronic methods of presentation – sound, image and interactive forms. This proved that nature photography in the more general view can be almost anything in form – from print to performance.

The first Finnish workshop in 2013 was organised at the Kuu-samo College during January. The workshop tested the functio-nality of the image classroom built in the college. The workshop, headed by Antti Tenetz, expert in the field of visuals, trained a small group of the project’s key people from Kuusamo in using DSLR camera equipment and the basics of video editing using the Premier software.

The workshop found that the computer classroom, built with funding from the project, functioned well and was exceptionally suited for future use for training events. The computer classroom enables cooperation with the Universities of Lapland and Oulu, in the form of short courses.

The Global Change workshopThe eighth workshop was organised at the Oulanka station in Feb-ruary 2013 in cooperation with TaMK, the Tampere University of Applied Sciences. The workshop continued the international Ice Screen workshop, organised the previous year, only this year under the name Global Change: Ice, Art & Nature. The workshop, consist-ing mostly of international exchange students of the Tampere Uni-versity of Applied Sciences (TaMK), aimed to find broad-minded opportunities for expression through moving images, sound and interaction with the public. The workshop was part of the inter-

national Future Film Studies organised at TaMK. Film, television, arts and media students from around Europe participated in these studies. The artistic works from the workshop were exhibited, both at an exhibition held at TaMK as well as online.

The workshop resulted in the realisation that the Oulanka station is especially well suited for organising international work-shops. The compact nature of the learning environment, in terms of accommodation, catering and classrooms, offers excellent pre-requisites for organising an intensive course. The possibilities of microscope photography were also apparent in the works (hTTp://vIMeo.CoM/60148448). From an international point of view, the winter, ice, snow and darkness were revealed as an interesting Fin-nish export.

The Kilpisjärvi workshopThe ninth workshop, and the third international workshop in 2013, was organised in cooperation with the University of Tromsø, the University of the Arctic and the photography-themed group Subzero founded within the project. The Visualizing your science workshop organised at the Kilpisjärvi station during March was funded by the University of Tromsø. Due to logistics costs, the workshop was held in Kilpisjärvi, instead of Kuusamo, as over half of the students arrived from Tromsø in Norway. In addition to the group consisting mainly of natural science graduate students from the University of Tromsø, an international call invitation attracted some art students from the University of Lapland, Aalto Universi-ty and Bauhaus University. Altogether, 25 multinational students and eight Finnish, German and Norwegian teachers focused on the problems between arts and science and the challenges in expres-sion related to various visual presentation alternatives (hTTp://goo.gl/pw1p1C).

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The workshop, included in the University of Tromsø curriculum (hTTp://goo.gl/lTThhu) was based on an experimental concept, where students of art and science worked together on a shared research problem. The content emphasis on visual methods and visual presentation was crystallized in the large (1 x 3 m) posters made by the students and exhibited, both at the traditional Kuusamo Nature Photo 2013 event held during August and later at the University of Tromsø.

The Paanajärvi II workshopThe tenth workshop took place yet again at Paanajärvi in Russia, towards the end of August in 2013. The goal was to increase the knowledge of the area gained in 2012 and determine the potential filming sites that could be utilised in the future in creating concepts for both nature photography and programme services, as well as in planning and implementing teaching and research at the Universities of Lapland and Oulu.

The six-strong Paanajärvi II workshop crew con-sisted of environmental and nature photography ex-perts that had already visited the area. The program-me of the week included mapping the shorelines on a boat and documenting photography sites that are potentially suitable for programme services, with the help of various imaging methods. Possible sites in the area surrounding lake Pääjärvi, which is situated along the Paanajärvi road, were also looked into.

The Visualization of Environmental Change workshopThe eleventh, and the last, workshop of the project was organised at the Oulanka station during Septem-ber 2013. The workshop, headed by students from the University of Lapland, the Ontario College of Art and Design and the BTK Univer-sity of Applied Sciences in Berlin, as well as the inter-national teaching staff from the photography-themed network Subzero, aimed to develop the structure for an international student work-shop lasting, approximately, one week in a field environ-ment. For this purpose, a two-day canoeing trip was organised on the Oulanka-joki, which is a very appropriate river for observing changes in the environment, from both the viewpoint of natural changes and those caused by man. Addi-tionally, the students produced a poster exhibition at the end of the workshop for the Kuusamo Nature Photo 2013 event. The workshop resulted in a compact schedule and content model for future international workshops. In order to create social interaction, the intensive field section was paramount to get the group dynamic of the multi-disciplinary and multina-tional group to function.

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Thus far, there has been no higher education level education in nature photography in Finland. Instead, there has been Swedish-language vocational education in nature photography at Ålands Folkhögskolan in the Åland Islands. The nature photography course (Naturfotolinjen) at Ålands Folkhögskolan mainly focuses on learning through field-work. Additionally, the education con-tains basic professional skills, such as digital image processing, studio photography and themed weeks on making portfolios. The course is subject to a fee and organised from August to May. In 2013, the price was 960 €.

The nature photographer’s diploma, which takes two and a half years to complete, can be completed in Kemiö, at the Swedish-speaking Axxel Institute. Adult education intended for those alrea-dy working as or looking to become nature photographers is carried out as multiform education that can also be completed part-time. The training includes skills, such as digital image processing, macro photography and shooting from a hidden hut, as well as photo-graphy trips to exotic nature photography destinations. African animals and safaris, fells in Sweden and bird islands in the Arctic Ocean are all part of the curriculum, mainly based on photography trips.

Finnish-language nature photography education has rarely been on offer. The Ranuan Luontokuva-Akatemia (Ranua nature photography college) has not profiled itself like Ålands Folkshög-skolan, which offers an entire nature photography course, but orga-nises short courses in various sections of nature photography for a

fee. The courses, organised quite sporadically, seem to have diminis-hed since the beginning of the 2000s.

The Suomen luonnonvalokuvaajat association that is focused on nature photography has been active in the field as an organi-ser of small-scale training events for over thirty years. Training for members, organised in connection with events organised by the association have covered themes, such as technical issues related to nature photography and image processing. The visual expression within these training events has conventionally been limited to a so-called traditional view of what nature photography should look like.

Colleges focusing on general education have also combined sections, including nature photography, with their courses. The Voi-onmaa Institute and Muurlan opisto (Muurla College) in Southern Finland are among the most well-known. Since 2007, the Kuusamo College and the Summer University of Northern Ostrobothnia have annually organised ten or so short courses on nature photography, which means that their nature photography profile can be conside-red to be significant. The photography course offered by Kuusamo College from August to May also includes a significant amount of study periods connected to nature and the related programme ser-vices.

Based on this, we can state that there is an education deficit in the field of nature photography. Finland has absolutely no Fin-nish-speaking nature photography studies leading to a vocational diploma or higher education in nature photography. On the other

Organising education

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hand, the quantity and quality of necessary education is difficult to assess, because there is no such thing as a uniform job description for environmental and nature photographers. Professional activities focusing on natu-re and environmental photography primarily make up a kind of hybrid-type multi-profession that typically com-bines one or more professional skills.

Even though no target group research for environ-mental and nature photography education was carried out during the project, a certain target group seems to have emerged. The current group of nature photography professionals is probably not large enough in terms of planning education – and perhaps not even motivated enough – even though they lack specialised, accredited nature photography training. The most likely candidates for the education are those who see environmental and nature photography as a complimentary education, i.e. a necessary addition, to their existing skills.

In the future, networks created during the project, new equipment resources, a classroom suitable for pro-cessing moving images, camera equipment and the studio at the Kuusamo College enable the organisation of edu-cation that is increasingly versatile. Equipment resour-ces ensure that the Kuusamo College vocational photo-graphy course will continue, but the improvement of the content of education requires a new kind of cooperation with universities. A tangible example of such implemen-tation is teaching carried out with the Open University.

Enabling interdisciplinary and inter-artistic skills requires flexibility and the organisation of multiform education. Various flexible implementation methods for

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learning and teaching should be utilised by combining indepen-dent and group work, classroom teaching and virtual teaching. The work methods should form a uniform unit, so that the diffe-rent learning assignments, field work and lecture-like presenta-tions form a natural, cost-effective and pedagogically motivating entity. The flexibility connected with multiform teaching requires that the students are active and motivated, which enables critical learning, aimed at acquiring new information. In order for the te-aching to best support the students’ commitment, thought deve-lopment and learning, classroom teaching can also be organised as intensive courses in the evenings, on weekends or during se-condary school holiday times, which would also enable part-time studies for those with families or jobs.

Open UniversityDuring the project, the idea of a pilot project for a study entity in higher education was formed. At first, the one-off entity, com-prising 25 credits, could be carried out in Kuusamo, as an Open University course, in cooperation with the Summer University of Northern Ostrobothnia and the arts faculty in the University of Lapland. Additionally, the studies could be incorporated as an op-tional part of the one-year vocational photography course at the Kuusamo College.

Even though organising the studies in Finnish should be te-sted at first, international potential must also be considered. Fo-reign exchange students from both the University of Lapland and the University of Oulu showed significant interest for the Nordic and Finnish nature. In other words, as we are creating the Finnish study entity, we must keep in mind, that the courses should be ea-sily adaptable for international students by making sure that they

can be taught in English, according to resources and demand. Through student-specific crediting, it is possible to include

the five-credit English-language workshops organised by the photography-themed network Subzero of the University of the Arctic as the international extension of the course. They could be integrated into the course selection for international exchange students at both the University of Lapland and the University of Oulu. The workshops could also serve as additions to the environ-mental and nature photography course, making the course worth 30 credits.

The following is a description of a proposal for the envi-ronmental and nature photography course. Developing a mind-set to support critical visual expression is emphasised as a core skill, which is obviously needed in developing the presentation methods of traditional nature photography and the new type of border-crossing expertise. The utilisation of ever-developing di-gital equipment and features, as well as creative opportunities, must be integrated into expressive skills, as cameras today can record moving images and sound, in addition to taking still pho-tographs.

As the equipment changes, the adaptation skills in environ-mental and nature photography are emphasised. Developing new products, enabling cooperation between operators in the creative field and other fields, corporate cooperation and projects with the third sector are all part of the typical mediator expertise of the fu-ture. Developer-type skills are, in turn, needed for strategic plan-ning and in service design for nature photography availability and user experiences. Producer skills, such as project coordinating, raising funds, selling works, and communications and marketing are also a part of environmental and nature photography adapta-tion skills.

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sTudy guide

1. The studies focus on expressive skills and artistic vi-sion, as well as support the development of professional skills. Environmental and nature photography is exam-ined, both as a mode of expression in the visual culture and as adaptive use of art and producing services.

2. The course offers a basis for the professional skills of an environmental and nature photographer and expert, as well as for the adaptation assignments of the inde-pendent nature photographer and nature photography.

3. The core values of the course are based on a sustain-able use of natural environments that supports wellbe-ing in society and the building of a sustainable cultural identity that supports equality.

Course on environmental and nature photography, 25 credits

course objecTives

The goal of the course is to create a new type of environ-mental and nature photography expertise that is based on the conventional nature photography tradition on the one hand, but on the other, it also enables both new methods of expression in the sphere of adaptive artistic work, as well as readiness to produce services around en-vironmental and nature photography.

sTudy meThod

The studies consist of lectures and online teaching, prac-tical assignments, a seminar and an intensive field-work period.

course sTrucTure

Project work

10 creditsBasics of visual

expression

5 credits

Recording, presentation and publishing equipment for

creative expression

5 credits

Adapted expertise

5 credits

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Recording, presentation and publishing tools for creative expression, 5 credits

objecTivesStudents understand the features and possibilities of vari-ous equipment used to record images and sound in terms of creative expression.

Students utilise recording equipment in visual narratives and artistic work.

Students identify the different presentation possibilities of works.

coNTeNTThe course familiarises students with the technical features of DSLR and action cameras, hard disk recording devices and mobile devices and the digital processing and production of files. During the course, students produce an online publica-tion and an exhibition piece.

Basics of visual expression, 5 credits

objecTivesThe students interpret nature photography as part of fine arts, creative expression and interaction between art and science. Students observe visual methods of expression related to the environment critically and analyse (photo-graphic) images, as well as identify contractual conven-tions related to them.

coNTeNTDuring the course, students will interpret and analyse different publications containing photographs, text and moving images. The course includes an introduction con-taining information on nature photography, the history of modern art and critical image literacy. The students’ own photographs will be analysed in, so-called, image clinics. For practical work, students will produce a critical analysis and visual re-interpretation of selected material.

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Adapted expertise, 5 credits

objecTivesStudents learn how to combine nature photography, cultural history, knowledge of nature and aspects of tourism. Students possess social skills, interaction skills and safe field-work skills, which enables service adaptations and producing in the field of nature pho-tography

coNTeNTDuring the course, students produce a service concept and marketing materials related to environmental and nature photography and sustainable tourism. In addi-tion to lectures and practical work, the course includes a week-long field trip in northern conditions in Paana-järvi in Russia or another location

Project work, 10 credits

objecTivesStudents examine their own work, as part of vis-ual culture and service, providing critically. Stu-dents define a theme, based on problems, select methods and materials and implement an inde-pendent artistic production or service concept plan. Students are familiar with the presentation practices, ethical boundary conditions and the earnings logic of environmental and nature pho-tography.

coNTeNTThe course consists of lectures, guidance in crea-tive writing and a project seminar, where stu-dents present a documented artistic production or a concept plan, related to a service.

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The framework of the North and nature offers a current starting point for research that also suits the Nordic universities’ brand. In terms of its location and nature identity, Kuusamo can be seen as the intersection between the definitions of policy from the Uni-versity of Oulu and the University of Lapland, when looking at multidisciplinary research problems on the interfaces of culture and natural sciences.

The constant changes in the economic structure, the increase in the volume of tourism and solutions related to land use in terms of mining are creating a change in the Nordic nature, culture and social life, which may develop into a quite heated discussion on the environmental impact, health, culture and employment situation. The strategic emphasis of the University of Lapland postgraduate studies is on research subjects in the field of Nordic cultures and natural resources politics, which tie in naturally with the Kuusa-mo region that attempts to combine actions that benefit the en-vironment and the regional culture sustainably. The development goals for mining, nature tourism and culture often contain oppo-site interests, which means that combining them usually requires support from research. This is when multidisciplinary research is needed, because expertise in fields such as technical science or bu-siness is not enough on their own to create comprehensive and

sustainable decisions and operations. Indeed, research plays a vital role in preventing problems.

In terms of research strategy, environmental and nature photo-graphy could even be a focus area in solving economic, cultural and natural scientific challenges. The cooperation between the Universities of Lapland and Oulu creates prerequisites for cultural sustainability and research projects related to natural resources politics, as well as the supporting university education.

In order to adapt strategy-level rhetoric to practice and turn it into tangible, long-term research, the research at the Universi-ties of Oulu and Lapland is key. The project has produced an idea of a residency centre, formed by combining the facilities of the Oulanka Station and Kuusamo College in the Kuusamo city cent-re. The goal is to make a new concept available to research, which would create a structure, bringing together both researchers and artists.

In addition to the residency centre, the project has also brainstormed international multidisciplinary education that sup-ports the creation of research. The Universities of Lapland and Oulu hold their shared courses at Oulanka, because it has versatile and practical facilities, as well as a location that is close to nature. Even though transporting students to the research station loca-

Organising research: science – art – nature

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ted in the middle of the Oulanka National Park requires special transport, the education and research meetings organised at the station create a strong sense of community, which has received some positive attention during the course of the environmental and nature photography project.

International networkThe international photography and science visualisation network Subzero was founded during the project in 2012. The Subzero web-site will be published at the beginning of 2014. The main goal of the network is to support sustainable development by increasing visual expertise in science and art in identifying and anticipating global change. The starting point for the operation of the network is to improve sustainable development in the nature, culture and natural resources politics of the North by increasing interaction between science and arts and by developing education and re-search events intended for both scientists and artists.

The role of education and research is deemed to be impor-tant in an interdisciplinary and inter-artistic context in the opera-tions of the network. The goal of Subzero is to use the discussion between science and arts to highlight blind spots that are often overlooked due to administrative faculty divisions or a marginal position of a subject. An example of a typical blind spot is the ma-nagement of visual presentation procedures that is an important part of any section of academia, but that is mainly only limited to art education. In natural sciences and in scientific publications, popularisations and project funding, for example, managing ima-ges and other visual materials can be of vital importance when jus-tifying the impact and credibility of a project. In adaptive research work, in particular, visual material, the use of videos, animations and photographs alongside text is quite common. The increase

in various electronic publications has also increased the need for the use of visual and digital materials. Producing scientific infor-mation based solely on text will not be enough in the future. The scientific use of images and other visual materials resembles the expertise in the field of arts, such as graphic design, photography, video editing, etc. Similarly, in the procedures of modern art, pre-sentation methods borrowed from science make up a significant part of modern art that criticises the theory of knowledge and na-tural science, as well as anthropological presentation conventions.

One of the principles of the University of Lapland postgra-duate studies is “methodological curiosity”, which refers to the new methodical and instrumental possibilities opened up by the digital era. The international workshops organised by the Subzero network in 2012 and 2013 intentionally comprised multidiscip-linary groups of students whose task was to adapt the procedu-res between natural sciences and arts. Based on the workshops organised during the project, it has become apparent that open-minded experimentation has its place and a certain niche in in-creasing the multidisciplinary education, internationalism and visual literacy in higher education. Images and photographs can be seen as a system of symbols resembling text that needs to be interpreted and whose language and contractual practices we can learn to identify.

The Oulanka National Park is an excellent venue for inter-national education and research projects concerned with interac-tion between science and arts. The friendship park entity being built with Paanajärvi national park located on the other side of the eastern border, the Interact network of Nordic biological re-search stations and the University of the Arctic network consisting of Nordic universities, act as existing international structures. The aSaD (Arctic Sustainable Arts and Design) network coordinated by the University of Lapland is a thematic cooperation network, which includes a total of 26 circumpolar arts and design institu-

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tions of higher education. The goal of the network is to promote international cooperation in the field of Nordic and Arctic arts and research, through exhibitions, for example. The Subzero network being built alongside this can be seen as a supportive, essential operator in developing education and research between arts and science.

The three-year Visualization of Environmental Change project coordinated by the University of Oulu is scheduled for 2014. This project, together with the international workshops organised by the Subzero network, will form an excellent starting point for criti-cal examinations and adaptations of new visual methods and pre-sentation practices in the areas of art and science. The project will generate a selection of sub-sections in adaptive research that are connected with visual research methods and their development. New possibilities connected to the quickly developing new fea-tures of digital presentation equipment and the ever-decreasing price of the equipment pose significant potential for developing research methods for science. Visual documentation connected to landscape monitoring and global changes, as well as imaging met-hods suitable for new conditions, form possibilities that intrigue both scientists and artists. Development of the Repeat Photography method, microscope imaging, underwater photography in flowing waters, new possibilities of aerial photography and digital image processing are only some examples of methods that offer new possibilities on the one hand, and require new skills on the other. These methods have an undeniable place in educating scientists and artists.

Combining research and education in Kuusamo, organising the international field photography workshops in Oulanka and publishing pilots, as well as popularising science in connection with an annual Kuusamo Nature Photo event, for example, forms a natural entity for a venue for poster exhibitions, for example.

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Two development innovations outshone the others during the project. Their common denominator was internationality. A residency centre acts as a tool for international artists, photog-raphers, researchers and other experts to move, so that instead of mere tourism, we are creating a regional impact. Another de-velopable idea is connected with developing education, research and services in Paanajärvi in Russia, which can be linked to both the operations of the residency centre and international exposure that makes Kuusamo a well-known gateway to the wilderness in the east.

Residency centreResidencies usually refer to Artist in Residence (AiR). Residencies often offer artists an opportunity to retreat and focus on artis-tic, creative work. A residency offers the prerequisites for carry-ing out creative work professionally, which means that the focus is usually on artistic work, photography, collecting material and developing works in general. Research work and work related to the local community or environment can also be seen as artistic work. More comprehensive projects, such as artistic or scientific projects concerned with the nature in Kuusamo, require persever-

ing planning and work on site. The residency offers artists or re-searchers an opportunity to make new contacts, build networks, interact with the local community and strengthen international mobility and cultural exports.The goal of residency operations is to support artists’ and scien-tists’ work, national and international networking, as well as re-gional education, innovation and the research operations of the

Kuusamo Nature Photography College. Residencies are offered for the purposes of fine arts, photography, moving images, en-vironmental and community art, as well as increasing dialogue

Organisinginnovation:internationality

rEkku Residenssikeskus Kuusamo

kurrE Kuusamo Artis Residency

kuurE Kuusamo Residency

Name suggesTioNs:

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between science and art. Geographically, the residency is centred around the nature in Kuusamo and the Oulanka National Park.

Locally, these operations may be incorporated into educati-on and workshop activities at the Summer University of Nort-hern Ostrobothnia and Kuusamo College, the Kuusamo Nature Photo event in the town of Kuusamo, the exhibitions at the Han-nu Hautala Nature Photography Centre, research and education conducted by the Oulanka Research Station, as well as tourism programme services. The residence guests may be asked to parti-cipate in Artist Talk and Artist Studio evening events.

Working with limited resources requires creative coopera-tion between different parties. Residency operations often work through active networks. The residence centre established in Kuusamo will have accommodation in two locations. The Kuusa-mo College artist residence in the town centre offers urban ac-commodation, but is also close to the surrounding nature desti-nations, a studio space suitable for digital work and the gallery space located in the Hannu Hautala Nature Photography Centre. The researcher/artist residence in the Oulanka Research Station, located in the heart of wilderness in the Oulanka National Park, enables artistic and scientific work connected to the natural en-vironment. The station has supporting research equipment and other special equipment: underwater cameras and microscope photography.

Kuusamo College, the Oulanka Station and the Hannu Hau-tala Nature Photography Centre / Hannu Hautala Foundation make up a network that acts as the base for the residency centre. Because all of the parties mentioned above are legally competent, any one of them can be assigned the operation of their area. From the point of view of efficient operations, a clear division of tasks, marketing, human resources and sufficient language skills, it would be easiest if one of these parties acted as a residency coor-dinator.

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The residency centre should also have a common name and visual look, including a logo. The primary communications chan-nel will be a website, connected to the Kuusamo Environmental and Nature Photography College portal. The forthcoming resi-dency centre and its name will be communicated to the media and a website will be published in both Finnish and English.

The practical side of the operation will be taken care of either by the Kuusamo College education planner or course assistant, the Oulanka Station office secretary or the Hannu Hautala Na-ture Photography Centre customer advisor, in addition to their usual tasks. This requires a work resource of 3 to 4 days/month. The tasks include assisting the artists/researchers, taking care of communications, applying for funding, taking care of bookkee-ping, translating, maintaining the website and archives, maintai-ning the work space, acting as secretary to the control group and board of directors, as well as taking care of cooperation with the Hyrynsalmi,Kemijärvi and Oulu artist residencies. Volunteer as-sistants and, especially, the traineeships of students of the college and institutions of higher education should be seen as a possible additional resource for the long-term operation of the residence.

A control group or board of directors should be generated for the residence. It should include representatives from the three le-gally competent parties mentioned previously, as well as local na-ture photographers and programme service entrepreneurs from Kuusamo. One of the most important roles of local entrepreneurs is to familiarise residence guests with the environment, photo-graphy locations, events and experts in the area. Support from local artists and researchers is important.

Linking the residence to international operations is achieved through nature photographers and programme service entrepre-neurs in Kuusamo, as well as the networks of the institutions mentioned previously. Global communications can be carried out through the electronic newsletter edited by the Res Artis residen-

ce network that has approximately 30,000 subscribers.The costs of the residence centre are divided into three cate-

gories: administration, premises and costs arising from the actual residency operations. The budget for administration costs should include labour expenses with additional expenses, office costs, communications and marketing expenses, meeting and hospitali-ty expenses, and bookkeeping. The budget for premises contains rent, cleaning, electricity, and maintenance and repair expenses.

The basic funding for the residency centre is managed by three stable parties, so that the financial risk remains small and there is a chance of longevity. The residence funding is based on the normal, publicly funded activities of three operators and fund raising, as well as selling services and accommodation. Unfortu-nately, we cannot rely on the state subsidy for artists’ residencies previously granted by the Arts Promotion Centre Finland any-more. In the future, project-specific grants are applied for via the Nordic Culture Point and EU structural funds.

The residence centre funding can be covered with rent col-lected from the artists, if the artists are not expected to create commissioned works and generate local exposure. In this case, the rent should be approx. 200-400 €/month, because artists of-ten also have to simultaneously pay for accommodation in their home country. On the other hand, if we want to utilise the artists for local operations and projects, we should probably not charge any rent – or the rent should be very affordable. If we determine a rent that is too expensive, it will quickly be reflected in the uti-lisation rate of the residence. Residency periods could be priced according to season or the number of applications, if necessary. We should also consider the possibility of family members travel-ling with the artists in pricing.

The residency centre could offer premises for both working and living. Both the Kuusamo College and the Oulanka Station are suitable for both purposes, which means that there are ex-

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cellent prerequisites for the operations. Existing premises are well suited to artists, photographers and researchers, whose work is drawn from the surrounding environment. The painter’s atelier in the Kuusamo College, the graphic arts space and the sculpture space available at certain times, including bronze casting, offer facilities for more traditional artists as well. Additionally, the residency cent-re could meet artists’ needs by utilising empty business premises in the Kuusamo town centre for communal projects, art events and as temporary exhibition spaces. The creative work of nature pho-tographers, artists and researchers will help liven up the Kuusamo town centre

The residency centre offers the basics needed for living and working. The work space must fulfil the occupational safety require-ment in terms of ventilation, electrical safety, fire safety and soun-dproofing, for example. The advantage of both the Kuusamo College and the Oulanka Station premises is that they offer meal services, which promotes social interaction between the visiting artists/re-searchers. We must provide wireless Internet. The hiking gear and camera and studio photography equipment stored in the Kuusamo College premises, on behalf of the environmental and nature pho-tography project, form an excellent equipment reserve that can be lent to the residency guests upon agreement, provided that they insure the equipment they borrow.

In terms of the quality, the residency centre’s well-managed artist and researcher selection process is emphasised. The visitors’ selection criteria are announced on the website and must be drafted carefully. This criteria will determine the nature of the residency operation. The application form should be electronic. It is usually accompanied by the applicant’s CV, working plan and some samples of works or research projects. The selection criteria are based on art or science, the quality of the working plan and its suitability to the residence environment. An appointed group of experts will make the decision.

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The selected artist/researcher will enter into a written cont-ract that defines the duration of the residency period, funding and visitor rights and duties. There will be a set of rules concer-ning the residence, and by signing the contract, the visitor comp-lies to these rules. If the artist produces any artistic projects du-ring the residency, a separate contract will be drafted for these. The contract will cover the production’s expenses, returns, copy-right, marketing and communications. The work of the artists or researcher can also be promoted by offering communal support, contacts and various services, either for free or for a fee. The fun-ding of arts and science is also eligible for grants from public sec-tor entities.

A residence premises guide book containing instruction, ru-les and additional material will be drafted: materials will include maps and contact information for local services. Artists arriving from within the EU should have their own European Health In-surance Card that entitles them to local medical care for Finnish citizens.

We will create an electronic guest book on the residence website. Text and images uploaded by the visitors form both an archive, as well as a vital foundation for recording the residence’s history, marketing and presentations.

The new PaanajärviBefore the Second World War, Paanajärvi was part of Finland. Nowadays, it is located level with Kuusamo on the Russian side near the Finnish border. Paanajärvi is a ravine lake that is, ap-proximately, 23 kilometres long, 128 metres deep at its deepest spot and, approximately, one kilometre wide. Paanajärvi used to be the second largest village in Kuusamo and became popular as a Finnish holiday destination at the beginning of the 1900s. The

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artists inspired by the lake, including painter Akseli Gallén-Kal-lela and Into Konrad Inha, as one of the most prominent pho-tographers, created imagery of the area that contributed to its popularity.

Since 1992, Paanajärvi has been a national park that coope-rates with the Oulanka National Park in Finland. Nowadays, only a few thousand tourists visit Paanajärvi annually, which is due to its poor infrastructure, limited services and the visa needed for foreign tourists.

Paanajärvi is a unique nature and cultural destination that can stir emotions. From the point of view of natural scientists, the area is seen as a uniquely undisturbed entity, where nature gradually reclaims the landscape built and transformed by man. The bedrock contains lime, and as a result, the seeping rock surfa-ces of the steep hillsides surrounding the lake make up a botanical treasure trove. The exceptionally clear and deep waters contain a richness of fish with sizable bass and coveted red-meated fish. The layers of cultural history are also significant: there is over a hundred years worth of old, nostalgic photographic material. Paanajärvi has a dual nature of being an iconic foundation for the Finnish identity produced by the golden age of Finnish art and a traumatic epitome of the painful memories of war.

Paanajärvi is a significant wilderness destination, both in terms of natural science and culture. Even though the cultural history of Paanajärvi is mainly based on the nostalgic and roman-tic framework of the old Paanajärvi, more recent history also has a part to play. The Finnish-speaking forest rangers of the national park have their own stories to tell, much like the tourists, fishers, researchers and artists who have a habit of visiting the lake. The-refore, it is fair to speak of the old Paanajärvi and the ”new Paana-

järvi”, whose rebuilding and returning to significance, Finns take an active part in.

The current culture of the New Paanajärvi can be built in many ways. The thought of “a periphery with no perspective” from the Soviet times has transformed into new possibilities. From the point of view of natural science research, Paanajärvi of-fers vast possibilities for aquatic ecologists, where the long-term monitoring and unique plant ecology of the seeping rock surfaces of the steep hillsides practically beckons the organisation of field courses. The area, left in its natural state after the war, forms a singular, undisturbed entity, where nature reclaiming its space looks extraordinarily interesting, because the aggressive felling carried out previously by the Finns came to a sudden halt. Nowa-days, the forest in the area is “managed” naturally: the tracks of the forest fire that reached the south shore of Paanajärvi in 1992 are still visible.

The re-emergence of the species from the old forests slowly swallows the marks left by the Finnish settlement and operations: the pot, rusted through the motor of the boat Paanajärvi I opera-ted by an old resident of Paanajärvi, Ivar Yltiö, the draw-well of the Rajimainen house or the phone line leading to the eastern end of the lake. The cultural heritage is there, if you know where to look. This is illustrated by the fact that a saw blade struck cultural researcher Helena Lonkila in the knee as she was setting up her tent in the field of the old Finnish Arola farmhouse. In the sum-mer of 2012, Lonkila describes in an expert workshop memoran-dum, how the saw blade “carries a whole way of life in its teeth, the experiences of many generations, as well as very personal ex-periences”. Even though photography is the action of choice for many people roaming the area, a sort of “photography-lessness”

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is one way of observing. Moving around without a camera sometimes helps you to relax for a moment and experience the location better, compared to constantly snapping away. Experiencing the cultural heritage is not, necessarily, only limited to experiencing the documentary photograph.

From the point of view of the operations of the envi-ronmental and nature photography college, Paanajärvi of-fers opportunities for education and short course concepts. Because the area has no accommodation as such, a sort of camping-related operational concept is essential. At Paana-järvi, we are with tourists, not tourists, as Soile Veijola, Pro-fessor of Cultural Studies of Tourism, put it. In other words, social interaction, based on tent accommodation, acts as a premise in which course leaders, teachers, persons in charge and programme service operators are always part of the rest of the group – the other tourists. Being without electricity, maps and mobile phone reception must also be seen as an opportunity. Group dynamics favour relatively small groups, in order to ensure safety and sustainable tourism. The sui-table number of people fit into two minibuses. This way, the group visiting Paanajärvi will remain controlled and will not carry too many foreign species into the area on the soles of shoes and amidst belongings or cause too much other dama-ge to the area.

The organisation of short courses related to education and research in Paanajärvi makes all the wishes and goals

related to Nordic conditions come true. In terms of the bed-rock, flora and fauna of the Northern forest belt, the area is most suitable. The area offers nature photographers an ex-perience of nature in its natural state, which is becoming in-creasingly difficult to find in Finland and the rest of Europe. As a location for various retreats, empowering photography and education related to nature tourism, the camping site located on the grounds of the Arola farmhouse in Paanajärvi is excellent.

Moving around in Paanajärvi requires travelling by boat, because the terrain around the lake is rough in places and waking is restricted by the Russian Border Guard De-tachment and the National Park. Even though you can hire a motor boat for day trips in the park’s information centre, the Paanajärvi of the future has a different dream: the idea of a visa-exempt channel between Finland and Russia, running through the Oulankajoki river on boat. The route could even be called the New Paanajärvi – and it would serve as a symbol for both sustainable culture and nature. The trip across the border, travelled by canoes, kayaks and river boats, would connect the Oulanka and Paanajärvi National Parks to form an entity on par with World Heritage sites. It would be an unforeseen world-class nature photography destination and elevate the research, education and service operations of the Oulanka Research Station of the University of Oulu to a new level locally.

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In conclusion The goal of this final report was to define what kind of operator net-work model would be most suitable as a result of the development carried out in the environmental and nature photography project. During the project, the key principle has been to look into the future and look for ways to create continuity without separate additional funding, in order to avoid the discontinuity of operations that are dependent on project funding. In other words, our goal has been to look for modes of operation and operational combinations in terms of funding that are based on a win-win concept created in coopera-tion by the operators, which makes these modes of operation au-tomatically networking in nature. To support the depiction of and limit the operations model, we posed three questions that are con-nected to finding education, applied research and any new discov-eries, i.e. innovations. During the two-and-a-half-year project, an operational pedagogic concept for workshops was determined and we found a host of feasible ideas to bring us closer to the goals men-tioned above.

In terms of developing education, the most important proposal was concerned with the development possibilities of higher educati-on. Based on the existing resources, the Summer University of Nort-hern Ostrobothnia and the University of Lapland can work together to create a course worth 25 credits that would initially be conducted in Finnish, but could be transformed into an English-speaking in-ternational course. This would also cater to the potential demand among the exchange students at the University of Oulu. This course would be unique, both in Finland and abroad.

The second goal was to discuss the prerequisites for research activities in the future. This spells out combining education and re-search, as well as taking an interdisciplinary approach. The Subzero network founded during the project is an example of how educatio-nal operations inspired by the natural environment of the Oulanka National Park, both in Finland and abroad, and the related research come together naturally and inseparably. The core of the research

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operations is an interdisciplinary structure that combines the scientific and the artistic point of view. The goal of the Subzero network is to improve the sustainable development of Nordic na-ture, culture and natural resources politics by improving the inte-raction between arts and sciences by developing shared education and research events for artists and scientists forms a methodically and theoretically new type of experimental research concept that is quite obviously internationally attractive. The research project plan Visualization of Environmental Change, drafted during the project, is a good example of this. It has been granted international funding by the Foundation Prince Albert II of Monaco for the years 2014-16.

When aspiring to develop international research work, the concept of the residency centre introduced by the project plays an important role. Interdisciplinary research, i.e. the natural develop-ment of the interaction between science and art, is strengthened when the researchers and artists can be attracted to and brought together for shared projects. The residency centre created in coope-ration by the Oulanka Station and Kuusamo College forms an en-tity that will, in the future, be sufficient in terms of resources to ensure continuity. This means that it can be used as a foundation for long-term development. The residency centre, where artists and researchers are in close interaction with each other, is a new and exciting operational concept, even by international standards.

The research trips to Paanajärvi in Russia during the project had a profound effect on the experts who represented the fields of art history, cultural research, art and natural sciences. The area’s potential is clearly significant in terms of education, research and tourism. These include the cultural destinations in Paanajärvi and the vantage point of art history and indigenous nature: rich flo-ra, fish and the cultural history of fishing, aquatic ecology, moving without a map and finding one’s way in a landscape that is retur-ning to its natural state and being rehabilitated create unsurpassed

conditions and opportunities for development in terms of educati-on, research and nature tourism. The ever-closer cooperation with Russian residents of the Pääjärvi area and the interaction between the Oulanka and Paanajärvi National Parks help in creating new tourism concepts, education events and international projects, born from the aforementioned and in keeping with sustainable development.

The Uusi Paanajärvi seminar organised in Kuusamo in No-vember 2013 attracted an audience of two hundred to the Hannu Hautala Nature Photography Centre, which is indicative of the lo-cal interest. A similar seminar organised at Pääjärvi in Russia in February 2014 is an example of actions that can support the creati-on of sustainable development projects, so that Finnish operators are not only seen as tourists, but as necessary and essential part-ners in planning future projects and preparing for the possibility of a visa-exempt border crossing.

In order for the previously mentioned action proposals crea-ted during the environmental and nature photography project to take off, the different operators within the various networks must enter into a cooperation contract. Utilising resources efficiently in terms of premises, equipment and staff will, in the future, promo-te the core goals of various parties. As legally competent opera-tors, the University of Oulu, the University of Lapland, the town of Kuusamo, the Summer University of Northern Ostrobothnia, Kuusamo College and the Hannu Hautala Foundation are key in terms of the network model and proceeding in keeping with the operational proposals mentioned earlier. Based on the project, it is proposed that a control group or board of directors by the name of Kuusamon luontokuvausakatemia (the Kuusamo Nature Pho-tography Academy) be founded to be the organiser of the network model operations, the first task of which will be to draft a contract on future operations, responsibilities and continuity between the operators in the network

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Even though this report lists a limited number of tangible steps towards developing the field of environmental and nature pho-tography in the form of operational proposals, there is more. The dozens of local and international operators that were involved in the project one way or another have hopefully already utilised the ideas and contacts they gained from the workshops. Hopefully these ideas will create some kind of sustainable application in the future, in terms of culture or business. A project begins and ends at some point, but that does not mean that the parties in-volved could not cultivate their thoughts further, independently and innovatively. A permissive, innovative and plural exchange of ideas and thoughts has been the basic value and all-encompassing pedagogic principle throughout the entire project. Finding broad-minded combinations and new possibilities requires tuning your thoughts onto new frequencies, which helps you notice the obvi-ous and, thus, often overlooked opportunities. A good example of this is a group of Hannu Hautala’s photography huts on the banks of the Oulankajoki river, which the author of this report visited as a young nature photographer in 1985. The very same “hut vil-lage” is still there and has served as an inspiration to many young Finnish nature photographers. The authentic, peculiar place sur-rounded by rich visual history matches the prominent tourism researcher Dean MacCannell’s theory of how a unique tourist at-traction is born and ”sanctified”.

Epilogue

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Front cover. On Ruskeakallio in Paanajärvi in the footsteps of I. K. Inha 110 years later, 2012.1-3 Financial map of Finland 1924.8-9 Paanajärvi 2013.10 Antti Tenetz and Riku Paavola. Paanajärvi 2012.11 Juha Suonpää. Paanajärvi 2013.14 Paanajärvi 2012.16–17 Pekka Sammallahti, Jussi Kivi, Kari Kaila, Alexander Lembke, Pekka Parviainen, Kari Kantola. Oulanka Station 2011.18–19 Oulankajoki 2013.20 Pyhätunturi 2011.21 Kuusamo, Ruka 2012.22–23 Oulanka 2012.24 Kivakkakoski 2012.25 Mäntykoski 2013.26 International students’s poster exhibition works. Oulanka Station 2012.27 Kuusamo College 2013.29 International students’s poster exhibition works. Kilpisjärvi 2013.30 Uunikivikallio, Paanajärvi 2013.31 Antti Tenetz. Oulankajoki 2013.33 Kuusamo College 2013.34 Kuusamo College 2013.37 Kuusamo College 2013.38-39 Kuusamo College 2013.41 Nordic lights. Oulanka station 2012.44 Subzero exhibition. Kuusamo Nature Photo 2013.46–47 Kuusamo College 2013.49 Kuusamo College 2013.50 Susihämähäkki. Oulanka Station 2012.51 Riku Paavola. Paanajärvi 2013.52 Rajalan Kutsu. Former Rajala’s House, Paanajärvi 201355 Ruskeakallio. Paanajärvi 2013.56 Antti Tenetz. Juomasuo, Kuusamo 2013.59 Hannu Hautala’s photography hut. Oulankajoki 2013.

Images

A project begins and ends at some point, but that does not mean that the parties involved could not cultivate their thoughts further, independently and innovatively. –– Finding broad-minded combinations and new possibilities requires tuning your thoughts onto new frequencies, which helps you notice the obvious and, thus, often overlooked opportunities.

University of Lapland Publications of the Faculty of Art and Design C 43.Reviews and Addresses.