Risto Raunio
I photograph the nature of the Earth's most sensitive regions, including landscapes and wildlife, primarily on the colder sides of the southern and northern polar circles. These areas host a rich yet vulnerable ecosystem, whose survival depends on climate change, particularly its rate.
The cold theme of my images reveals the significance of this surprisingly diverse world. At the same time, their visual message is well-suited for illustrating research on climate change, magazine articles, literature, and, of course, social media.
The online store supports WWF's initiatives, and WWF is actively working to mitigate climate change, among other efforts.
"The images also contribute to raising awareness about regions whose fate is closely linked to the future of our planet's living nature."
My career as a professional nature photographer may be relatively recent, but my experience as an active nature photographer spans several decades. The transition to the digital age brought a boost of energy and unprecedented opportunities, while also clarifying my photographic goals.
I am in love with cold and harsh conditions. As I explore these environments, I am continually amazed by how wild and untamed nature thrives in such severe yet stunning landscapes, and by the extreme conditions under which new generations of life are born. Over the years, it has also become clear that my areas of interest—south of the southern polar circle and north of the northern polar circle—are precisely those fragile regions where climate change is causing the most severe damage. This destruction affects all species, and not all will adapt in time before becoming extinct. I realized that high-quality photographs from these areas are not abundant, so I decided to focus on them. Thus, many of my available images can be associated with the term 'climate change.'
From the perspective of impact through photography, I have observed that images of Arctic and Antarctic nature are among the most downloaded globally from various stock photo libraries. This trend is also on the rise, suggesting that the increasing download rates may reflect growing human concern for the existence of glacier regions and the ecosystems dependent on them. When even a single one of my over 2,000 purchased images helps people realize the catastrophe we are on the brink of, my work as a documenter of Arctic and Antarctic nature has not been in vain.
Many of my images have also achieved success in various significant national and international photography competitions, from finalist positions to top medals.
In 2024, I was awarded the highest and exceptionally rare honor, HonSKsLE, by the Finnish Association of Camera Clubs (SKsL) in recognition of my success in the association's competitions and exhibitions. There are now a total of 11 photographers in Finland who hold this honor.
(Photo: Arno Rautavaara)