Photographer Interview: Pete Mustaniemi
I try to follow a variety of photographers (and styles) on social media, Flickr, etc.
Sometimes, I’ll find a photographer whose style is similar to my own. Pete Mustaniemi from Finland is one of those photographers, so I thought I’d get to know him and his work better.
Where are you, and what do you do?
I’m Pete Mustaniemi, a photography enthusiast and elderly millennial from Finland. Professionally, I work as a web developer at a digital marketing agency.
How did you get started in photography?
I’ve been into photography for as long as I can remember, and I’ve owned my own cameras since my high school days. For a while, music took center stage, and photography had to take a back seat.
But over the last five years, photography has come back in a big way, and I’ve started taking it a lot more seriously.
What do you enjoy about your photography, or about photography in general?
For me, photography is about practicing creativity and a bit of artistry. Wandering around alone with a camera is also a kind of therapy. It helps me step away from everyday life for a while. In my own style, I really enjoy the joy of finding things, stumbling onto subjects and shots without having planned anything in advance.
In general, I like it when a photograph stirs up some kind of feeling, something you can’t quite put into words. And of course, the cameras themselves are part of the hobby, too.
I enjoy the variety in your photography: seaside, plants, sunlight, and winter scenes. How do you approach the subjects of your photography? How do you decide what to shoot?
Since photography is a hobby and a creative outlet for me, I can shoot whatever I find interesting in the moment. I don’t feel boxed into one specific genre. For the most part, my focus is on everyday scenes, still life, and nature, rather than people.
One of the best things about living in Finland is the changing seasons. They completely transform the landscape, so the exact same spot looks entirely different in winter than in summer.
My approach has actually evolved over time. I used to do more nature photography with long telephoto lenses, but recently I’ve found my interest shifting toward wider frames and urban environments, especially scenes that show signs of human presence.
You mention the Elliot Erwitt quote about “the things you see and how you see them.” How do you see the world? Where do you find beauty or interest?
It’s hard to say exactly what grabs my attention, but in general, I pay attention to light, color, and shapes. Anything slightly out of the ordinary catches my eye, and I like finding things that please me and my own eye in everyday situations.
A sense of calm and quietness is also something I try to bring out in my photos. And anything too perfect is just boring to me.
I see you shoot with a Canon 6D (one of my favorites!) and the OM system. Talk about how you select your gear, and what you use most often.
I have a long history with Olympus and the OM System, and over the years I’ve built up a fairly complete kit. That’s my main setup most of the time.
The Canon 6D is a fantastic camera too, though, and it’s often my pick when I’m shooting at home. I also occasionally get the itch to shoot film, so a lot depends on the mood I’m in.
Any upcoming projects or photo shoots that you’re working on?
At the moment, I’m not working on any specific projects, beyond photographing daily life around my home and neighborhood. I do have a couple of ideas bouncing around in my head, though.
They’re still very much in the early planning stages. We’ll see where they end up.
Follow Pete on Instagram, and check out his website.