Louis-Charles Buyck is a photographer, guide, and model based in Rovaniemi, the Lapland region of Finland. He is a true master at capturing the dancing lights of the aurora borealis, beautiful forests, sunsets, lakes, and other natural wonders. His Instagram is full of magical pictures taken in the Arctic region, mostly in Finland, Norway, and Iceland.
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Bored Panda shares with you the pictures of two islands in Lapland, Finland that Louis-Charles managed to capture in four different seasons. Each season brings its own magic and emotion that makes the islands look different every time. We also included some other spectacular images of the breathtaking nature of the Arctic region for your entertainment and an interview with the artist for a better understanding of the creative process. What’s left for you is to make a cup of your favorite drink and enjoy.
Meet Louis-Charles Buyck, a photographer based in Finland who likes to go out of his comfort zone and take pictures of breathtaking natural phenomena
Image credits: LouisCharlesBuyck
Louis-Charles Buyck is a Swedish-French photographer living in Lapland, the northernmost region of Finland. This area is known for its natural phenomena like the northern lights and midnight sun as well as extensive subarctic wilderness. So it’s a perfect place for Louis-Charles to fulfill his photoshoot ideas. Louis-Charles arrived in Finland 3 years ago and quickly found a job as a tour guide. It was a perfect job for Louis: being outside and enjoying outdoor activities. “I didn’t feel that I was working.”
The photographer calls himself the aurora hunter. He started shooting only one year ago: “I bought my camera and a lens and decided to learn by myself, so I was practicing a lot. The idea was to take pictures mainly of aurora borealis.” Louis-Charles got fascinated by the northern lights when he started working as a tour guide. He tried to understand the lifestyle of an aurora hunter: staying up all night in order to see the magical lights.
He describes himself as the aurora hunter and his Instagram is full of pictures of the northern lights
Image credits: LouisCharlesBuyck
One can find a lot of pictures of the aurora borealis on Louis-Charles’ Instagram page. “Hunting northern lights is a hobby for me, even if I don’t expect to see intense ones, it’s always a pleasure to go out, into the wild, freeze for a while, enjoy the quietness of nature and the immensity of the sky.” The photographer finds nature very fascinating and he always takes time to enjoy it.
Louis-Charles can’t say that he's been influenced by someone, because he can’t define his style yet (he also doesn’t consider himself a photographer). No matter how much he likes to take pictures of the northern lights, he also enjoys experimenting with something new. “I don’t have a special style. I try new things or I act according to the mood of the picture.”
In this article we share two islands captured by Louis-Charles Buyck in four different seasons. This is Kotisaari island in Fall season
Image credits: LouisCharlesBuyck
The same island in Winter
Image credits: LouisCharlesBuyck
Louis-Charles Buyck decided to take an aerial photograph of two of the islands in Lapland in different seasons using a drone, and the pictures went viral on social media. Interesting fact: these days, Kotisaari island is a tourist attraction. However, between the 19th and 20th centuries, it was a meeting point for loggers of Rovaniemi, the capital of Lapland, in northern Finland. One of the houses on this island is now turned into a tavern for tourists to hang out. People can reach the island by daily boat.
Spring
Image credits: LouisCharlesBuyck
Summer
Image credits: LouisCharlesBuyck
Another island in Finland in Fall
Image credits: LouisCharlesBuyck
Winter
Image credits: LouisCharlesBuyck
Spring
Image credits: LouisCharlesBuyck
Summer
Image credits: LouisCharlesBuyck
Louis-Charles Buyck also takes pictures of natural wonders and amazing scenery. This picture was taken in Iceland
Image credits: LouisCharlesBuyck
Louis-Charles doesn’t feel burned out by the job he’s doing. He explained that there are so many things to learn and experience in this field, as well as so many new places to explore and capture with his lens that he gets more excited than tired. “I don’t know if I have limits for it,” he adds. However, the photographer admits that when the weather is not on his side and when he has to shoot for one month or so, he gets very tired, then he wishes to take a rest with a nice warm shower and good food.
Louis-Charles likes to create memories from his experiences. However, he admits that sometimes he forces himself to go and experience something because of a picture idea he has in his head. He likes taking pictures because it is a way to show the importance and magic of nature.
Erupting volcano in Iceland
Image credits: LouisCharlesBuyck
Bored Panda got curious how long it takes to fully edit one image. The photographer revealed that it can take about 30 minutes to edit a picture. There are times when it takes around 2 hours to finish the editing process until he finally is satisfied with the result. But before the whole editing stage, he has to have an idea for shooting. Sometimes it takes several shooting sessions to capture what was on Louis' mind. “But it challenges me and leaves me even more satisfied when I realize my idea.”
Northern lights in Finland
Image credits: LouisCharlesBuyck
"The reason why I started photography was for the aurora borealis." The reflection of the northern lights is amazing
Image credits: LouisCharlesBuyck
Driving in Lofoten, Norway at night
Image credits: LouisCharlesBuyck
Shower time in front of a big waterfall in Iceland
Image credits: LouisCharlesBuyck
Aurora borealis in Finland
Image credits: LouisCharlesBuyck
"The special light on the left comes from the Atlas 5 rocket, launched from California (NASA)"
Image credits: LouisCharlesBuyck
Sometimes wild arctic animals also appear in Louis-Charles' pictures. This is a wild bear captured in Finland
Image credits: LouisCharlesBuyck
Besides landscape photography, Louis-Charles sometimes takes pictures of wild arctic animals as well. One can mostly find bear and reindeer pictures on his Instagram. Interestingly, there are more reindeer than people living in Lapland. "If you ever visit Lapland, I would recommend you visit a reindeer farm. During summer, most of them are free in the forest and you can even see them on the road or forest."
Puffin in Iceland
Image credits: LouisCharlesBuyck
Brown bear close to the border of Russia in Finland
Image credits: LouisCharlesBuyck
Reindeer calf in Finland
Image credits: LouisCharlesBuyck
Tail of a whale in Iceland
Image credits: LouisCharlesBuyck
The photographer has the passion for experimenting with new things. Louis-Charles is also involved in other projects. Besides the spectacular pictures, he also creates short videos together with his brother
Image credits: LouisCharlesBuyck
For his next trip, Louis-Charles Buyck wishes to go to the Faroe Islands and Austria. He always wants to experience something new and undiscovered, go out of his comfort zone, try out new angles for shooting pictures. "Living with extreme conditions is how I feel alive; living in the Arctic with low temperatures, discovering a volcano erupting, these things give me feelings, sensations, making a life I will remember."
“I would advise people who are considering starting photography to try to make it possible for your idea to come true, even if the end result is not what you imagined. You learn and get new skills through practice. Believe in yourself and take action!“
These experiences captured in the images are priceless, which is why the photographer keeps looking for more amazing places to visit and take pictures of
Image credits: LouisCharlesBuyck