Morning Light in Helsinki

These days, I find myself in Helsinki, Finland—a city that greets the early riser with a quiet story. One of my favorite rituals here is waking up before the city fully stirs, Leica M9 in hand, Summilux 50mm f/1.4 ASPH mounted, ready to capture the subtle magic of morning light.

There’s something different about the city at dawn. The light is softer, more forgiving. It find it´s way between buildings and trefects from surfaces in between.

As I wandered through the waking streets, I noticed the runners first—running before the streets is full of people and not too hot. It is surprisingly warm these summer days in Finland. Then came the seagulls, bold and unbothered, feasting on a dropped pizza left on the street. People owning dogs know they have to do the morning routine too.

Moments that most people sleep through, unaware of the quiet beauty that unfolds before the city fully wakes. In those early hours, Helsinki belongs to the dreamers, like photographers who watch how the world behaves when it is peaceful and undisturbed by the troubles happening in other places.