Mikko Lagerstedt

I create atmospheric landscape photographs that live in the quiet space between reality and memory. Fog, night, winter light and open horizons are recurring elements in my work. I am interested in how a place feels, not only in how it looks.

My images are often described as calming and meditative. I see them as invitations to pause for a moment, to breathe, and to reconnect with a sense of stillness that is easy to lose in everyday life.

How it began

Photography was never part of my original plan. Art was present in my life through my grandmother’s paintings, but I did not expect to become a photographer.

In 2007 I was driving through the Finnish countryside after a rainstorm when I saw something that made me stop. Fog was moving across the landscape, shifting gently with the light. I took a photograph with a small point and shoot camera, and later, when I looked at the image, I realised I had captured more than a scene. I had captured a feeling.

That simple moment changed everything. A year later I bought my first DSLR and started to explore light, composition and mood with intention. Photography became a way of understanding the world and a way of being present in it.

Recognition and features

Over 1.6 million people follow my work across social platforms, and my photographs have been widely shared and exhibited.

• Featured by BBC, The Telegraph, The Huffington Post, Nikon, Business Insider, Daily Mail and others.
• Exhibited internationally and collected by private clients around the world.
• Used in editorial features, interior projects and visual campaigns.

What collectors say