Nokia Lumia Instagramer of the Week: Sari Alanko

Documentary photographer, Elliot Erwitt once said, “To me, photography is an art of observation. It’s about finding something interesting in an ordinary place.”

Thanks to Instagram Beta more and more Nokia Lumia lovers are appreciating the wisdom in his words. One such photographer is this week’s Nokia Lumia Instagramer, Sari Alanko. Based in southern Finland, Sari has a wonderful knack of finding something beautifully interesting in her surroundings. To see for yourself check out her top ten favourite photos below. But before that, let’s hear what she has to say about her Lumia, her photography and the joys of shooting in Finland.

Which Nokia Lumia do you have and what do you like most about it?

The Nokia Lumia 1020. I like the camera best. In many cases it replaces my dslr. Image quality is top-notch, even in low light. I also like it’s manual adjustment possibilities. It’s easy to manage different lightning situations with Lumia 1020. Also I like the fact that it has bigger screen than my previous instagrammin tool, IPhone4. (I’ve been on Instagram since 2010)

Where do you shoot most of your photos and what sort of photos do you like to take best?

I shoot most of my photos in the nearby areas of my hometown in southern Finland. We (me and my hubby) are constantly exploring our surroundings with cameras. Almost every weekend we go to long walks and take loads of pictures.

I like to shoot nature and landscapes, find their details, rhythm and balance. Same place may look mystically beautiful in one light and just ugly in another light.

We recently moved and our new home has very beautiful light so lately I’ve been shooting “what’s on my table” –type of shots. Also I shoot almost anything that draws my attention aesthetically. I don’t, however, post many people photos on to Instagram.

What are your top tips for taking Instagram photos on your Nokia Lumia?

Look around and see beauty in ordinary things. Think if the light is right. Think if it’s really necessary to use flash. Learn manual controls if your phone’s camera has them. Take lot’s of pictures so at least one is good.

Which five Nokia Lumia instagramers do you recommend everyone to follow?

@mortenordstrom
@gagojm
@franantares
@faded_grape
@ginyastar

What are the best things and the worst things about taking photos in Finland?

Your fingers freeze during winter, although this winter that problem didn’t occur.
Best thing is we have lots of trees and great natural areas. I wish we had more old buildings left. On the other hand new suburbs can be very photogenic too.

Fresh garlic got some nice light from the window.

 I took this shot while I tested my Lumia’s low light performance. One window had a nice flower curtain.

It was a rainy and gray winter day and somehow the house and lamp seemed to fit that atmosphere.

There was a perfect blue light when I saw these horses.

Walked by this scene in fog and snapped a picture.

The wall colour matched the greens quite well.

These trees had a nice rhythm. No colours were needed.

I was chopping vegetables when I suddenly noticed that the leftovers looked quite delicious in a photogenic sense.

This looked like a pattern in a fabric.

I was surprised how nicely the background blurred on this one.

We love the Zen like calm and chilled minimalism of of Sari’s photography.  If you do too make sure you check out her other beautiful images on Instagram. And if you’re a Nokia Lumia Instagramer who’d like to see their work celebrated here, follow us on Instagram or share your best pics with #Lumia, or both. In the meantime, we’d love to know which of Sari’s photos most you most enjoyed.