Canonical URL: https://natureslens.co.uk/article/why-photographers-are-drawn-to-finland/ # Why Photographers Are Drawn to Finland Published on August 3, 2026 [![One Of The Large Wild Brown Bears Photographed By Johnny Sodergard During The Natureslens Wild Brown Bears Of Finland Photography Holiday](https://natureslens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/one-of-the-large-wild-brown-bears-photographed-by-johnny-sodergard-during-the-natureslens-wild-brown-bears-of-finland-photography-holiday.jpg)](https://natureslens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/one-of-the-large-wild-brown-bears-photographed-by-johnny-sodergard-during-the-natureslens-wild-brown-bears-of-finland-photography-holiday.jpg) Written by David Miles with images contributed by Johnny Sodergard. ### Article brief Editorial article Published August 3, 2026 Finland’s taiga forest, right up against the Russian border, holds one of Europe’s most reliable wild Brown Bear populations — & a supporting cast that most photographers don’t expect until they’re sat in the hide. For the current trip list, see our [Finland wildlife photography holidays](https://natureslens.co.uk/discover/europe/finland/); you can also explore more [nature photography in Europe](https://natureslens.co.uk/discover/europe/). Wolverine, a genuinely elusive mustelid across most of its range, turns up as a regular visitor here, & White-tailed Eagles work the same skies overhead. Johnny Södergård guides the trip & has spent years building relationships with the hide operators that make this level of access possible. What makes it work is the hide network built specifically around this behaviour, refined over years to bring bears & [wolverines](https://natureslens.co.uk/photograph/wolverine/) into range without disturbance. Long summer daylight hours mean extended working light long into the evening, & the cotton-grass understorey gives every encounter a soft, distinctly Nordic backdrop that’s hard to find anywhere else Brown Bears are photographed. ## Our Finland Photography Holiday We run one small-group trip to Finland, guided by Johnny Södergård: ### 10th – 16th Jul 2027 — [Brown Bears of Finland](https://natureslens.co.uk/photography-holiday/finland/brown-bears-of-finland/) **5 nights | from £2,899 | Medium — Balanced Days with Moderate Activity** Working fixed hides deep in the taiga through the long summer evenings, with wild [Brown Bears](https://natureslens.co.uk/photograph/brown-bear/) as the headline subject, Wolverine as a frequent & genuinely rare bonus, & [White-tailed Eagle](https://natureslens.co.uk/photograph/white-tailed-eagle/) overhead. Sessions run into the late evening to make the most of the extended summer daylight. [More info on Brown Bears of Finland](https://natureslens.co.uk/photography-holiday/finland/brown-bears-of-finland/) **Want to know more before booking?** [Get in touch](https://natureslens.co.uk/wildlife-photography-holidays/about-us/contact-natureslens/) & we’ll talk you through what to expect from the hides & the season. ## What You’ll Photograph in Finland ### Wild Brown Bears Finland’s taiga forest holds a genuinely wild Brown Bear population, working through cotton-grass meadows & around small forest lakes in the long summer light. Young bears in particular approach cautiously, giving time to compose before they close the distance. See more in our [Mammals photo archive](https://natureslens.photos/subjects/mammals/). Because these are genuinely wild animals rather than habituated to a feeding station, no single visit or evening is guaranteed — that unpredictability is part of what makes a successful encounter feel earned rather than manufactured, & it’s why the hide sessions run across multiple evenings through the trip rather than a single attempt. [![A European Brown Bear Amongst The Summer Cotton Grass, Typical Of The Type Of Image Captured On The Natureslens Brown Bears Of Finland Photography Holiday](https://natureslens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/a-european-brown-bear-amongst-the-summer-cotton-grass-typical-of-the-type-of-image-that-may-be-captured-photographed-at-the-location-used-for-the-natureslens-brown-bears-of-finland-photography-holid-scaled.jpg)](https://natureslens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/a-european-brown-bear-amongst-the-summer-cotton-grass-typical-of-the-type-of-image-that-may-be-captured-photographed-at-the-location-used-for-the-natureslens-brown-bears-of-finland-photography-holid-scaled.jpg) [![One Of The Finnish Brown Bears Alongside One Of The Small Lakes, Photographed During The Natureslens Brown Bears Of Finland Photography Holiday](https://natureslens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/one-of-the-finnish-brown-bears-alongside-one-of-the-small-lakes-photographed-during-the-natureslens-wild-brown-bears-of-finland-photography-holiday.jpg)](https://natureslens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/one-of-the-finnish-brown-bears-alongside-one-of-the-small-lakes-photographed-during-the-natureslens-wild-brown-bears-of-finland-photography-holiday.jpg) ### Wolverine & White-tailed Eagle Wolverine is one of the hardest mustelids in Europe to photograph in the wild, yet the hides here see regular visits — usually fast-moving & fleeting, rewarding a fast shutter finger as much as patience. [White-tailed Eagles](https://natureslens.co.uk/photograph/white-tailed-eagle/) work the same skies, adding a third dimension to a trip already built around two headline [mammals](https://natureslens.co.uk/for/mammal/). A Wolverine sighting anywhere else in [Europe](https://natureslens.co.uk/discover/europe/) would typically mean weeks of fieldcraft with no guarantee of success, so seeing one from a comfortable, fixed hide is a genuinely rare privilege — worth treating as a bonus rather than an expectation, however regularly they do turn up at this particular site. [![Hurtling Past At Speed, One Of The Wolverines That Visited The Hides In Addition To The Bears, Photographed During The Natureslens Brown Bears Of Finland Photography Holiday](https://natureslens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/hurtling-past-at-speed-one-of-the-wolverines-that-visited-the-hides-in-addition-to-the-bears-photographed-during-the-natureslens-wild-brown-bears-of-finland-photography-holiday.jpg)](https://natureslens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/hurtling-past-at-speed-one-of-the-wolverines-that-visited-the-hides-in-addition-to-the-bears-photographed-during-the-natureslens-wild-brown-bears-of-finland-photography-holiday.jpg) [![A Wolverine, A Regular Visitor To The Hides In The Area, Photographed During The Natureslens Brown Bears Of Finland Photography Holiday](https://natureslens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/the-wolverine-are-regular-visitors-to-the-hides-located-in-the-area-photographed-during-the-natureslens-wild-brown-bears-of-finland-photography-holiday.jpg)](https://natureslens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/the-wolverine-are-regular-visitors-to-the-hides-located-in-the-area-photographed-during-the-natureslens-wild-brown-bears-of-finland-photography-holiday.jpg) ### The Land of the Midnight Sun This far north in July, true darkness barely arrives at all — the sun dips low toward the horizon for a few hours around midnight before climbing again, giving a long, soft twilight rather than night. That changes the whole rhythm of a hide session compared to anywhere else in the series: rather than racing the fading light at dusk, you have genuinely extended hours of workable, gently changing light to wait for a bear or wolverine to appear. It also means a single evening session can run far longer than a conventional dusk shoot elsewhere, & many of the most memorable images from this trip come from the softest, latest hours of light, well past what would be full darkness at home. ## When to Visit Finland Our current departure runs in July, right at the height of the Finnish summer, when daylight lasts almost around the clock this far north. That extended light gives genuinely long working sessions in the hide each evening, & bear activity around the forest lakes & meadows tends to be at its most consistent through the warmer summer months. ### Life Inside the Hide The hides used on this trip are purpose-built for extended, comfortable sessions rather than a cramped hurried setup — enough room to reposition quietly for a different angle, & sturdy enough support for a long lens without a tripod taking up valuable floor space. A telephoto lens in the 400mm to 600mm range is the most useful single piece of kit for this trip, given the typical working distances from the hide. A sturdy beanbag rest is a practical alternative given the limited space inside the hide itself. Several hours in the same small structure with fellow guests is part of the experience, & the shared anticipation of waiting for a bear to appear from the treeline is something many past guests describe as one of the highlights of the whole trip. Food & drink are typically taken into the hide for the duration of a session, since leaving & re-entering during a active period would risk disturbing any animals in the vicinity. Planning for a long, quiet stretch with minimal movement is part of the mental preparation as much as the physical kit list. ## Planning Your Trip to Finland Hide sessions here typically run for several hours at a stretch, often into the late evening to make the most of the long summer daylight — comfortable, quiet clothing & the patience to sit still for extended periods both matter more than any particular piece of kit. Midges & mosquitoes can be present in numbers around the forest lakes during summer, so repellent & appropriate clothing are worth packing alongside your camera gear. Evenings can also turn cool even in July, so a warm layer for the later hours in the hide is sensible. Because sightings depend on genuinely wild animals rather than a guaranteed feeding routine, keeping noise & movement to an absolute minimum inside the hide is essential — Johnny briefs every guest on hide etiquette before the first session, since a single careless movement can end an evening’s opportunity for the whole group. Helsinki is the usual arrival point, with an onward domestic flight or a long road transfer needed to reach the hide region close to the eastern border. ### A Trip That Rewards a Second Visit Because the bear population here is genuinely wild rather than baited to guarantee an appearance, several past guests have returned on a second Finland trip specifically to build on images from a first visit — different individual bears, different light, & the chance of a [Wolverine](https://natureslens.co.uk/photograph/wolverine/) sighting that eluded them the first time round. It is one of the destinations in the series where repeat visits tend to add real, distinct value rather than simply repeating the same shots. Even without a sighting on a given evening, the taiga setting alone rewards the patience it asks for. Johnny keeps track of which bears & family groups have been most active around the hides in recent seasons, so even a returning guest benefits from genuinely current, rather than historical, knowledge of the area. ## Join Us in Finland [Finland](https://natureslens.co.uk/discover/europe/finland/) rewards photographers who want a genuinely wild [Brown Bear](https://natureslens.co.uk/photograph/brown-bear/) encounter without sacrificing comfort or reliability — the hide network here is built for exactly that. [Johnny](https://natureslens.co.uk/about/johnny/)’s years of experience with these specific hides & the animals that use them is what turns a week of patient waiting into a genuinely productive trip. [Get in touch](https://natureslens.co.uk/wildlife-photography-holidays/about-us/contact-natureslens/) if you’d like to know more, or head straight to the [Finland destination page](https://natureslens.co.uk/discover/europe/finland/) to see current availability. ## Plan your Finland photography holiday Explore our [Finland wildlife photography holidays](https://natureslens.co.uk/discover/europe/finland/), compare more [nature photography in Europe](https://natureslens.co.uk/discover/europe/), & meet the [NaturesLens photography guides](https://natureslens.co.uk/our-guides/) who lead our small-group trips. ## ### What wildlife will I photograph in Finland? The trip is built around wild Brown Bear as the headline subject, with Wolverine as a frequent and genuinely rare bonus, and White-tailed Eagle overhead. ## ### How difficult is the Finland photography holiday? Brown Bears of Finland is rated Medium - Balanced Days with Moderate Activity, reflecting extended hours in fixed hides through the long summer evenings. ## ### When does the trip run? Our current departure runs in July, timed around the long summer daylight hours and peak bear activity in the taiga. ## ### Who guides the Finland trip? The trip is currently guided by Johnny Sodergard, our specialist Finland guide. ## ### Do I need previous wildlife photography experience to join? No - the trip is structured as a small-group photography tour working from fixed hides with guidance built in throughout, so it suits photographers at any experience level. ## ### What is included in the trip cost? Pricing covers the guided itinerary, hide access, accommodation, and the elements listed on the trip page - see the More Info link above for the full breakdown, single occupancy details, and current availability. - [![One Of The Bonellis Eagles Found On The Estate Photographed On The Estate Used For The Natureslens Birds Of Extremadura Photography Holiday](https://natureslens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/One-of-the-Bonellis-Eagles-found-on-the-estate-photographed-on-the-estate-used-for-the-NaturesLens-Birds-of-Extremadura-photography-holiday-300x225.jpg)](https://natureslens.co.uk/2025/06/10/wildlife-photography-holiday-in-extremadura/) ### [Wildlife Photography Holiday in Extremadura](https://natureslens.co.uk/2025/06/10/wildlife-photography-holiday-in-extremadura/) June 10, 2025 See what awaits you during our wildlife photography holiday in Extremadura ... imagine mornings with griffon vultures circling crimson skies,… - [![A backlit Arctic Hare photographed at the Varanger hide that NaturesLens use twice during their Arctic Wildlife of Varanger tour - 04](https://natureslens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/A-backlit-Arctic-Hare-photographed-at-the-Varanger-hide-that-NaturesLens-use-twice-during-their-Arctic-Wildlife-of-Varanger-tour-04-300x169.jpg)](https://natureslens.co.uk/2026/04/21/arctic-hares-under-the-northern-night/) ### [Arctic Hares Under the Northern Night – Two Evenings That Deliver](https://natureslens.co.uk/2026/04/21/arctic-hares-under-the-northern-night/) April 21, 2026 On our Arctic Wildlife of Varanger photography tour, two dedicated evenings in a specialist Arctic hare hide give you the… - [![Beautifully Reflected In The Waters Of Kerkini A Quartet Of The Pelicans Photographed By Tony Berry During One Of The 2019 Natureslens Dalmatian Pelicans Of Lake Kerkini Photography Tours](https://natureslens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/beautifully-reflected-in-the-waters-of-kerkini-a-quartet-of-the-pelicans-photographed-by-tony-berry-during-one-of-the-2019-natureslens-dalmatian-pelicans-of-lake-kerkini-photography-tours.jpg)](https://natureslens.co.uk/2019/03/23/mesmerizing-dalmatian-pelicans-of-kerkini/) ### [12 mesmerizing images of the Dalmatian Pelicans of Kerkini](https://natureslens.co.uk/2019/03/23/mesmerizing-dalmatian-pelicans-of-kerkini/) March 23, 2019 Earlier this year, Tony attended our Dalmatian Pelicans of Kerkini photography holiday. 2019 saw the return of snow & ice… In this article 1. [Our Finland Photography Holiday](https://natureslens.co.uk/article/why-photographers-are-drawn-to-finland/#our-finland-photography-holiday) 1. [10th – 16th Jul 2027 — Brown Bears of Finland](https://natureslens.co.uk/article/why-photographers-are-drawn-to-finland/#10th-16th-jul-2027-brown-bears-of-finland) 1. [What You'll Photograph in Finland](https://natureslens.co.uk/article/why-photographers-are-drawn-to-finland/#what-youll-photograph-in-finland) 1. [Wild Brown Bears](https://natureslens.co.uk/article/why-photographers-are-drawn-to-finland/#wild-brown-bears) 1. [Wolverine & White-tailed Eagle](https://natureslens.co.uk/article/why-photographers-are-drawn-to-finland/#wolverine-white-tailed-eagle) 1. [The Land of the Midnight Sun](https://natureslens.co.uk/article/why-photographers-are-drawn-to-finland/#the-land-of-the-midnight-sun) 1. [When to Visit Finland](https://natureslens.co.uk/article/why-photographers-are-drawn-to-finland/#when-to-visit-finland) 1. [Life Inside the Hide](https://natureslens.co.uk/article/why-photographers-are-drawn-to-finland/#life-inside-the-hide) 1. [Planning Your Trip to Finland](https://natureslens.co.uk/article/why-photographers-are-drawn-to-finland/#planning-your-trip-to-finland) 1. [A Trip That Rewards a Second Visit](https://natureslens.co.uk/article/why-photographers-are-drawn-to-finland/#a-trip-that-rewards-a-second-visit) 1. [Join Us in Finland](https://natureslens.co.uk/article/why-photographers-are-drawn-to-finland/#join-us-in-finland) 1. [Plan your Finland photography holiday](https://natureslens.co.uk/article/why-photographers-are-drawn-to-finland/#plan-your-finland-photography-holiday) ### Author Written by David Miles with images contributed by Johnny Sodergard. Next step ### Find your next wildlife photography holiday Browse small-group trips by destination, subject, season and photographic goal. 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