Maretarium’s special summer exhibition is Jari Heikkinen’s nature photographs “SITUATIONS AND FEELINGS!”

Situations and feelings from unique Finnish nature.

Maretarium’s special exhibition in summer 2024 is the photo exhibition “Situations and feelings” by Jari Heikkinen, a professional nature photographer from Kouvola.

Since his school years, Jari Heikkinen (b. 1965) has been interested in photography. Since retiring from the army four years ago, he has been able to invest more in nature photography. Heikkinen has won numerous international awards for his photographs, and this spring he was awarded an honourable mention at the Kymenlaakso Culture Gala for his versatile and distinguished career as a nature photographer.

When choosing exhibition images for Maretarium’s exhibition, Heikkinen thought especially about images suitable for the space. The bird pictures in the exhibition were photographed in Kymenlaakso, foxes in Helsinki and bears in Kuhmo and Suomussalmi.

Heikkinen says that in nature photography it is important to know your subject. He has photographed Red-throated loons (Gavia stellata) in Suomenniemi for over 20 years in the same place. In this way, he has learned to know their habits as individuals and has been able to plan what kind of images he is aiming for. Heikkinen says that hiding is important when photographing animals. When photographing the Red-throated loons, he himself is partly in the water with his neoprene overalls and fins, there is a stone-looking hideaway on the raft, and there he is part of the landscape of the pond.

Heikkinen emphasises the importance of light in capturing the right atmosphere. Mornings, evenings and nights are valuable fleeting time for a nature photographer. As his decades-long career in photography continues, Heikkinen is eager to tell how nature constantly offers new situations and new things to learn.

The entire Heikkinen family, now adult four children and the mother of the family, take photographs. Photos and stories can be found online under the name FotoFamily: www.fotofamily.fi, FB: Jari Heikkinen FotoFamily, Instagram: jariheikkinenfotofamily

Jari Heikkinen’s exhibition will be on display at Maretarium throughout the summer, until 29 August. The exhibition is a sales exhibition, the prices of exhibition pictures are 400 – 600 €.
The exhibition is included in the entrance ticket price to Maretarium, welcome to admire the magnificent nature photos!