Interview with Jukka Heinovirta

Hi Jukka! Tell us about yourself in two sentences - who are you?

I’m a Finnish photographer trying to capture the beauty of the world around me. I love to travel and to learn about new places.

QWhat's the weirdest situation you've found yourself in while taking a photograph?

AA few years ago I spent some time in Spain. One night I spotted a scooter parked outside a football stadium. The street light lit the scooter beautifully. I didn’t have my camera with me but I decided to use my phone to take a photo. I took some test photos, but I forgot to turn off the flash of my phone. Suddenly I heard a loud voice shouting behind me in Spanish. I don’t understand Spanish very well and took no notice of it. I started to walk away, but there was somebody running after me. At that point I realised that he was shouting at me. I stopped and a tall Spanish guy was shouting at me and pointing the scooter and my phone. He seemed to be the father of the owner of the scooter. Of course, he didn’t speak any English. I tried to explain that I’m a photographer and I only admired the bike in the night light with my very limited Spanish. Finally he seemed to believe me and walked away. If only I had my portfolio in my pocket to show him I’m just a photographer and not somebody who was trying to steal the scooter.

QWhat do you shoot on? What's your favourite set up?

A I shoot on Canon 50D body with some Canon lenses. Sometimes I play around with Lensbabies and old Zuiko lenses I have from the film era. I recently got a Walimex fisheye which is great for landscapes. But my favourite is the 50D with the Canon 24mm lens. That’s a fast and suitable setup for the most of my photographic needs.

QWhat's your number one tip for an aspiring photographer?

AI’d have to say: show your photos to somebody. Be active on social media and share your photos. You’ll get comments and tips and see other people’s work, too. They help you to develop as a photographer. On many social media sites you get only positive comments. That’s great too, because it will encourage you to take more pictures. On the professional sites you’ll get some critique and hopefully some professional tips. They are very valuable advice for you. Don’t get depressed if National Geographic doesn’t accept your photos. Take more pictures and always try to take a better one than the last one.

QWhat's the one thing you love most about Picfair?

A I think Picfair is a great idea. I feel like I’m selling my photos on a little gallery of my own. Or like in a booth at a country fair. I get to set the price for my photos and decide which photos are sold there by myself. I get a very cozy feeling every time I visit Picfair.