The way I see everything around me – Interview with Jarno Embryo

Hello Jarno! First of all, thank you very much for taking the time to tell us about your passion for photography and the use of Olympus equipment. To begin with, please present yourself to our readers.
Hello! I’m 38 years old, and I’m a landscape photographer from Helsinki, Finland. I work as a docker in Helsinki harbour, and I also do a little side business with portrait photography. My love story with Olympus began back in 2016. That’s when I got my first touch with Olympus equipment, and there has still been no need to look at the other side of the fence. Right now, my biggest dream is that someday I can do photography for a living. Of course, using Olympus equipment!

We understand that your interest in photography came from way back, but it was only during the Covid lockdown that a true passion kicked in and then everything changed, right? What happened, what triggered your change in attitude towards this wonderful world of photography?
Yes, that’s right. When Covid closed the world and there were lockdowns etc, there was almost nothing else to do but pack your bag and get to nature. As time passed, I realized that I spent almost all my free time in the woods, wandering and photographing. So have to say that, in my opinion, there was also something good in those pandemic years. Those times really opened my eyes in many ways, and really ignited my passion for photography.

At that time, when nature became an escape from all the madness of information that entered our homes through the news, did you feel that the camera brought you even closer to the earth, to the elements, and made you notice details that otherwise might have passed unnoticed?
It truly did! I’m privileged to live in Finland, we have a really wonderful, pure and diverse nature here. Even here in Helsinki – the capital city of Finland – nature is with us everywhere. So there’s no need to travel much to get to nature. During that Covid time, I had more time to explore nearby nature, and I found many beautiful new places to discover and photograph. It’s amazing to live here and experience all four seasons!

Speaking of cameras, which kit did you use when you started, and what do you use now?
My first Olympus body was an E-PL8 with the pancake zoom lens. It was a really good combination for beginners to start with. I mostly used it for travel photography etc. Today I have an OM-D E-M10 Mark lll. I’ve really enjoyed working with it, it fits perfectly to my hands and the menus are easy to use. In future, I might upgrade it to some of those more expensive bodies, but so far everything is fine with it.

What made you choose Olympus, and what are the advantages for the type of photography you do? And what about the disadvantages?
I really like the size of Olympus equipments. They are conveniently sized, so they are easy to use and carry. Most of the lenses that I use fit in my pockets. That’s the biggest thing that made me choose Olympus. Sometimes I even doubted their quality because they’re so light, but how wrong I was.

What do you usually carry in your camera bag, including accessories?
Usually, there’s the OM-D E-M10 Mark lll body, the M.Zuiko 12-40mm F2.8 PRO, the 45mm F1.2 PRO, the 100-400mm F5.0‑6.3, extra batteries, ND filters and tripod. These are my tools for success.

Do you feel that these incursions into nature in order to take pictures have led you to discover (or rediscover) places that would otherwise go unnoticed? Could you tell us about some of these locations?
For sure, they have! Before falling in love with Olympus and photography, I wasn’t that much interested about the surrounding areas. I had a few places where I went if I wanted to get to nature, and that’s it. Today I search for new places all the time. No matter where I go or where I am, I keep looking for something to photograph. That’s the biggest change to the old version of me. There are many great seashores in the Helsinki area and nearby towns. Those are my favourite places around the year, they are easy to get there, and almost every time you find something interesting over there. But my top place in Finland is Lapland, in the northern part of Finland. That nature and those landscapes are truly amazing. It’s something that I can recommend to every photographer and non-photographer. When comes to discovering the whole world, so far, Norway and Iceland have been the most amazing places that I’ve visited. Finland is a kind of flat country, so it’s amazing to see all those mountains and fjords that we don’t have here.

In conclusion, and now asking a more personal question, what do you consider the best thing photography has brought to your life?
Photography has brought so much to my life! First of all, it has changed the whole way I look at everything around me. It has taken me on amazing journeys around the world. It has brought a lot of feelings of success. It has brought me closer to nature, thinking more about nature. It has brought me some new friends also. So there are many reasons why I can recommend photography to everyone!