We reached out to Tommi Viitala to learn more about the inspirations, techniques, and cultural influences that shape his distinctive approach to street photography. When asked what draws him to the genre, he explained that it captivates him for its ability to capture spontaneous, everyday moments unfolding in public spaces. "For me, street photography is about freezing time to reveal the beauty and truth of real city life.
I also love storytelling, and there are so many stories in the streets to tell. It’s like building a visual diary of urban life — not necessarily capturing dramatic events, but rather the emotional undercurrents of the everyday. I think that’s what keeps me coming back — the challenge of seeing something new in the ordinary, of finding meaning in moments that most people would walk past without a second thought.
It’s about paying attention, being present, and letting the city speak for itself. Street photography also allows me to blend into the background and operate almost invisibly, which gives me a kind of freedom to express myself."
Tommi’s approach is largely intuitive; he rarely sets out with a specific image or location in mind. Instead, he often wanders through the streets, letting his instincts guide him. While he sometimes draws general inspiration from other photographers, he prefers to let scenes unfold naturally.
"If I find a location with compelling light or composition, I might return later to capture it under different conditions. Doing street photography actively for almost 6 years, there’s often a split second where I feel something is about to happen, or where a particular visual tension draws me in.
You might wait 10 minutes and nothing happens, or you might turn a corner and everything comes together instantly. There’s a rhythm to it, and you have to learn to trust it."
Tommi has worked with both film and digital, so we were curious how each medium influences his approach and mindset. "Having started with film in the 1990s, I've developed an appreciation for the patience and unpredictability it demands, and especially film teaches you to be deliberate, as you can't see the results immediately," the artist told us. "Digital photography offers immediacy, but I try to maintain that film mindset by reviewing my shots later, allowing for surprises and a more thoughtful evaluation. In film photography, you don’t have 1,000 shots at your disposal — every frame counts, and you think carefully before pressing the shutter. That discipline stayed with me even when I moved into digital.
Film also adds an element of imperfection that I find beautiful — the grain, the slight variations in tone, the unpredictability of how a moment is rendered. Digital is cleaner, faster, and more forgiving, but it can also tempt you into being less thoughtful. So I try to carry the 'film mindset' into my digital work. I want to stay present, shoot deliberately, and focus more on the scene than the outcome.
Each medium has its strengths, and I try to use them in ways that serve the emotional tone I’m after. Sometimes I choose digital for its speed and responsiveness, especially in fast-changing light. Other times, film suits a mood I want to explore more deeply, where the process itself slows me down enough to really feel the image before I take it."
The stark contrasts and introspective nature of Finnish life resonate strongly in Tommi’s photography, influencing both his style and the feelings he seeks to evoke. "Being from Finland, a country known for its stark contrasts — long, dark winters and bright, endless summer days, has deeply influenced my visual style," he says. "I aim to capture the essence of the thing called 'Finnish melancholy', which is the quiet introspection that permeates our culture. This often manifests in my work through the use of shadows, muted tones, and solitary figures, reflecting the subdued emotions characteristic of Finnish life.
I love working with strong shadows, backlight, silhouettes — things that evoke ambiguity and tension. I think a lot of my aesthetic sensibility comes from growing up in this environment, where beauty is often subtle, understated, and revealed slowly. Also, there’s a certain respect for personal space in Finnish culture, which I think makes me more attuned to moments of emotional distance — how people relate to each other in public without words. That’s what I try to capture: not just a scene, but the feeling behind it."
