Meet The Budding Berlin Photographer, Juuso S.

24 April 2017

Juuso Santala, a Berlin newcomer and an avid photographer, captures the city of Berlin with his artistic lens. He explores his new terrain with his best friend, his camera. Originally from Finland, he has ventured to and lived in many places, now making Berlin his home, at least temporarily as he studies photography at BTK. Although his narrative is wordless, his image-centric story, with a history of capturing Breakdance, is a captivating one. Read below for our interview with him.

Image Courtesy of Juuso Santala

TCT: Where are you from and how long have you been in Berlin?

JS: I’m originally from Finland but I’ve lived in Spain (Cádiz) and in the United States (San Diego) as well. I just arrived 4 weeks ago; I moved here to work as a photographer and I’m also getting my bachelor’s degree (photography) at the BTK University.

TCT: What inspired you to start photographing in Berlin?

JS: It’s a natural thing for me to make pictures wherever I go, but Berlin really took me by surprise and inspired me to take new pictures daily.

Image Courtesy of Juuso Santala

TCT: How would you describe your work in 80 characters?

JS: I try to make photographs that capture the most inspiring aspect of the place, the person or the event. I hope that my pictures motivate the viewer in some way or another. My background is in shooting a lot of Breakdance, and I believe the energy and use of color comes from the dynamic world of street dance. I really try to avoid taking neutral or boring photographs, no matter what the subject is. In the future, I plan to keep traveling and exploring my surroundings and try to inspire other people to do so as well.

TCT: Do you capture the moment as it is happening, or do you try to create moments to capture?

JS: I combine the two; I always carry a camera with me but I’m also constantly planning new pictures to make, places to go and adding things to make the photograph or a moment more interesting. The key is the decision to create; great pictures won’t come to you, you have to go to them.

Image Courtesy of Juuso Santala

TCT: What’s the next step with your photography?

JS: More travel, better portraits.

TCT: Where are your favorite places to photograph in Berlin?

JS: Four weeks is not enough to answer this question; I’m still exploring Berlin and constantly finding new things I didn’t know that existed, the city is big and full of surprises. At the moment, I tend to focus more on when to go out and explore than specific place or subject.