I was born in Helsinki, Finland in 1953. Already at a very early age I was drawn to birds, but did not get my first binoculars until years later, at an age of 10, and my first camera when I was 12. Birds have always been important to me, but from the late teens it became clear, that birds were to become a life-style.

In 1981 I became a free-lance birder, making my living from bird photography, artwork, writing books and papers for magazines, leading birding tours etc., etc.

There is never a dull day when you work with birds, and no two days are alike!


* Photography:

I have been photographing regularly since 1970, when I bought my first SLR camera second hand. Birds have always been my main focus, in particular birds of prey, but landscapes, plants, animals and insects are important, too. Although the birds of prey have always been dearest to me, and probably always will be, I do enjoy all kinds of birds. I have travelled extensively in Europe, the Middle East and Africa in search for birds, but the Finnish nature and wildlife still remain the most important. Recently I also started to photograph the Finnish butterflies systematically. My photographs have been published in numerous books and magazines in more than ten countries worldwide.

* Drawing, sketching and painting:

My earliest memories of drawing birds date back to my early childhood, and ever since that time I have been drawing birds. However, the time spent drawing and painting varies a lot from time to time, and in recent years it has suffered from my extensive travelling abroad. So far I have had nine private exhibitions and taken part in seven joint exhibitions.

* Organised birding tours:

Since 1989 I have been organising and leading birding tours in Finland and abroad. During our summer (May-August) the tours center around Finland and neighbouring Norway, while the rest of the year is spent leading abroad. Over the years I have lead more than 60 trips in Finland, Africa and the Middle East for companies like Birdquest, FieldGuides, Limosa Holidays and Sunbird. During this time I have also organised a number of private customized tours to various destinations, from Finland and Norway to various locations in southern Europe, the Middle East, to Ethiopia, the Gambia and South Africa.

If you have a group ready to go and want to enjoy your birding in the company of a professional guide, don't hesitate to get in touch.