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Combining passions with a profession

When your passion becomes your job, it usually means two things: the amount of work you do goes through the roof, and you get paid to do what you love. Both are rewarding.

As a professional photographer based in the scenic country of Norway, I have seen how photography has changed in recent years. In my opinion, too much of the visuality we all are fed is based around hunting for quick hero-shots that don’t really invite the viewer into a story. This reduces photographs and the possibly engaging narrative behind them to mere attention grabbers, suited to fast-paced consumerism and social media content.

Even though my age doesn't yet allow me to be called 'old school', I do prefer the traditional photo story over a quick hero-image any day. Creating something just for the joy of it is what keeps my spark alive and balances the parts of being a working pro that are not always that interesting. And a big part of that joy is storytelling.

Challenge yourself both personally and professionally

This article did not start as a professional assignment, though it evolved into one. Instead, it all began with me wanting to challenge myself in a new way. Like my photographs hopefully show, I’m an avid hiker and climber, and love the adrenaline boost that climbing new routes and finding epic new places give me.

Being outside in nature, sleeping in a tent, waking up to a fresh cup of coffee and taking a hike to find new places are all things that I'm always excited to do, and I try to fit them into my life as often as possible.

E-M1 Mark III • M.Zuiko Digital ED 17mm F1.2 PRO • 17mm • 1/400s • F13 • ISO250

The lesser-known south face of the Troll Wall formed of Gneiss rock.

So, to add something really special to this year I recently asked if my friend Nikolai would like to join me on a trip that would take us to the top of the tallest vertical wall in Europe, the Troll Wall (Trollveggen) in southern Norway. It's a massive rock wall that reaches 1100 meters from its base to summit and offers views you hardly ever get to see.

I had never received a quicker 'yes', and before I knew it we had already started packing our bags for the adventure ahead.

Quite coincidentally, around this point I got a call from my friends at OM Digital Solutions who knew of my passions and had a challenge in mind for me. Their idea was to limit my photography on a trip to just using one fixed focal length lens. Naturally, I was immediately intrigued, since I knew I was about to embark on the perfect journey to make this happen.

E-M1 Mark III • M.Zuiko Digital ED 17mm F1.2 PRO • 17mm • 1/500s • F8.0 • ISO250

1100 m vertical drop overlooking the endless peaks of Romsdalen and the Rauma river.

As a professional creative, limiting myself to fixed resources has a romantic resemblance to how things were in the past. It invites me to capture my journey in a way that challenges me and my creative eye.

So instead of packing my usual camera gear, I left my house with just my trusted E-M1 Mark III camera body and the 17mm F1.2 PRO wide-angle lens.

Reduce to boost your creativity

In my work, I usually have the flexibility to choose the perfect lens for the subject, which obviously makes the job a lot easier. When I have the luxury of taking my time, prime lenses are the obvious choice for their superior sharpness and performance. But when time is limited and I can't keep switching between lenses, I love using the M.Zuiko 8-25mm F4.0 PRO, since its focal length range works perfectly for me.

But this flexibility can also make you a little lazy since you don’t need to get creative to get a shot. So, the purist in me was really delighted to get challenged like this and train my eye to go back to being ready to capture anything in front of me at any given moment.

E-M1 Mark III • M.Zuiko Digital ED 17mm F1.2 PRO • 17mm • 1/400s • F7.1 • ISO250

Fast-moving clouds creating unique light spots on the landscape. A brief moment that was gone in a matter of seconds.

I’ve always enjoyed and appreciated that Olympus cameras and lenses have enabled me to create, regardless of weather conditions. In the outdoor world, relying on your camera is especially important since sometimes getting the images might require risking the equipment. And I’m happy to say Olympus has proven to be reliable over and over again.

Rewarding summit view and a moment to enjoy the endless mountain peaks.

If you choose to leave the house with just one camera and lens, the margins of error get even tighter.

Talk through your images

In the Norwegian outdoors only one thing is certain, and that’s the ever-changing weather. Nevertheless, there is something exciting about letting go of the controls and simply taking it all as it comes when you pack your bag and hit the trail.

The spirit of adventure is what keeps me going back to mountains, and from a photography standpoint it really opens great opportunities for storytelling. Every hike has a beginning, middle and end – the foundation of every story. The same classic three-act storyline is compelling in photography too. This line of thinking from the get-go helps you to create a complete narrative through your images.

E-M1 Mark III • M.Zuiko Digital ED 17mm F1.2 PRO • 17mm • 1/8s • F16 • ISO250

Capturing hand-held long exposures is one of my favourite practical features of Olympus cameras and it never ceases to impress me.

Remember to focus on the details of your location and not just get hung up on the epic views around you, since the smaller details you find along the way are equally important parts of the story, even if they are also easy to overlook.

Situations where weather sealing and the compact size shine.

My camera is attached to me from the first step because you never know when the perfect light will emerge, a wild animal will pass by or you simply come across a moment that only lasts for a second and never comes back. Knowing the camera and its capabilities is necessary for environments like mountain adventures, so you don't miss the shot.

One camera with one lens allows me to be fast and ready at any given time. Landscape photography requires fast decision making and choosing to go with one lens eliminates the time spent switching lenses on the go. It’s a game of give and take, but bringing only my favourite lens helps me to prioritise catching the quick moments.

Could one lens be enough?

On long hikes every gram of weight counts, and using Olympus camera equipment has helped me reduce the weight significantly, allowing me to hike further and see more. In addition this this, the more I shoot, the more I learn about what to bring in order to capture the images that help me tell stories.

Enjoying the experience is the most important part, as well as taking time to look around without a viewfinder.

In my camera bag I usually carry the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III with two extra batteries, the 17mm F1.2 PRO lens for low-light conditions and the new 8-25mm F4 PRO as the workhorse ‘do-it-all’ zoom lens. Good preparation enables me to be precise with packing and only bring what I need.

On a hike like this, 17mm F1.2 PRO was the right choice, knowing the space and the way I wanted to capture it. Normally, I would bring a longer lens but this trip was to challenge myself to stick to the lightest possible camera setup.

When the equipment is pared back it's just a matter of taking action, and I often plan areas or specific locations I would like to see or hikes I want to experience. Having a rough plan helps to plan photography in the outdoors, but with all of the other variables involved it often becomes the perfect mix of planning and surprises.

E-M1 Mark III • M.Zuiko Digital ED 17mm F1.2 PRO • 17mm • 1/1250s • F6.3 • ISO500

The autumn season is my favourite time to enjoy the outdoors due to the vibrant and rich warm colours. The fact that there are less people around during the off-season in the mountains makes it all the more enjoyable.

It’s always easier to stay home and be comfortable, but in my experience, making it out the front door always pays off, even when the weather is terrible. That’s what often makes memories and stories that are worth living and photographing.

Life is made up of brief moments, and the most significant ones become memories. Documenting my experiences in the outdoors helps me build an archive of memories for the days when I can no longer hike to the mountain tops – I'll still have all the photographs of those moments.

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About the author

JoelHypponen

Being a multi-disciplinary artist, Joel expresses his view of adventure through photography and filmmaking. Rooted in the outdoors, his experience of documenting stories in the wild has become second nature and something his commercial clients also widely embrace. Joel’s style is a combination of film and digital photography and often described as candid, natural, and timeless.

Growing up in Finland and through the years of nomad life around the world, his military experience, and international non-profit work Joel established a home base in the mountains of Norway where he currently resides with his wife and their dog.

The authenticity of his documentarian style work emerges from being immersed in adventure and experiencing life outdoors as a way of living. Always looking for adventure, telling compelling stories, and experiencing life outdoors he is available for work upon request.

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