“I captured this moment at 4 a.m. Photographing elk in the early summer is part of my yearly routine, and these two appeared near my tiny hiding hut that I use when photographing.
The doe gave birth to the calf nearby but soon after they left to spend their summer elsewhere,” explains Antti Leinonen, who took this beautiful shot in Kuhmo, near the Russian border.
The picture was magical enough to be chosen as the Finnish Wildlife Photo of the Year 2015. This is the third time Leinonen has won this distinguished award. Leinonen and his camera have roamed Finnish forests since 1974, mostly photographing birds and large mammals, like brown bears, wolverines and wild reindeer. Some of his most renowned pictures are taken on wolverines, and also published in National Geographic.
“Lately, I have been focusing on wild reindeer and I’m preparing for an exhibition on this topic in 2017.”
By Maarit Niemelä, May 2016
