Risto Raunio, MNFFF/p

Risto Raunio, Finland. Awarded MNFFF/p in March 2026.

Nordic mammals (Nature portfolio)

I’ve always photographed a bit of everything in nature, but large mammals have remained the subjects I enjoy the most. This set brings together fifteen wildlife images taken in Iceland, Norway, Svalbard and Finland.

Together they form a relaxed, cohesive look at some of the North’s bigger mammal species, supported by notes on their conservation status and approximate body size. Each species is shown as a single individual in its own habitat, with the key identifying features clearly visible. And in every image, there’s a moment of direct eye contact that creates a small but meaningful connection.

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A Journey Into Another Reality (Photojournalism portfolio)

I travelled through India a few years ago, chasing a rare bird: the Greater Adjutant, an unattractive but rare stork with fewer than 2,000 birds left on Earth.

I had heard that a small population survives on the vast landfill of Guwahati. The site happened to lie along my route, but nothing could have prepared me for what awaited.

The taxi driver hesitated when I gave him the address. Near the end of the journey, he switched off the air conditioning, a silent acknowledgement of what awaited. He agreed to wait and drive me back, perhaps sensing that this would not be a long visit.

I found these birds immediately. They were almost indifferent to humans and easy to photograph. My original mission was accomplished within minutes. But then the reality around me flashed before my eyes.

The landfill stretched endlessly, a landscape of waste rising and falling like waves. Among the mounds moved hundreds of people — far more than storks. Children, teenagers, adults. Barefoot, in worn and dirty clothes, working through the refuse.

I left the storks behind. I focused only on the lives of people – those who try to make a living from the garbage heaps amidst the horrible, palpable stench. I felt uncomfortable and far from my comfort zone. I still wanted to document everything I saw.

To my surprise, the foreign photographer caused no alarm. No one paid me much attention. The place did not feel threatening; my fear of being robbed dissolved quickly. I started taking more and more pictures…

Slowly, I understood the logic behind it all: there was some kind of recycling form where every scrap with even the slightest value was collected in the hope of earning a few coins. The job seemed hopeless, but perhaps it wasn’t, as hundreds of people were picking through the garbage heaps.

To someone accustomed to Nordic standards of living, life on an Indian landfill is almost unimaginable. And yet, when a genuine connection forms, even amid misery, people can smile — and pose for the odd foreigner with a camera.

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