Granite cliffs, hot cocoa, marshmallows and a glowing campfire. 

Cocoa with a view

We started on the open granite cliffs, with the forest rolling out below us. The couple had packed a thermos, and soon the smell of hot cocoa drifted over the rocks. Marshmallows in the cups, a blanket underneath — and there they sat, in the middle of a national park, as if on their own private adventure. I simply documented it. These small, genuine moments are what make engagement photos truly yours: no stiff posing, just a shared adventure where the photographs happen naturally.

The campfire — and a little stroke of luck

As the evening cooled, we walked over to the traditional kota hut at the Solvalla sports institute — and luck was on our side. There were already people grilling inside, and when we asked if we could join the fire for a moment, we were warmly welcomed in. The marshmallows found a new purpose on the end of a stick, and the warm glow of the flames gave the photos an atmosphere all of their own. That’s how the best sessions go: the plan gives you a framework, but the most beautiful moments come from happy accidents. Campfire photos are the secret weapon of a Nuuksio session anyway: firelight, the darkening forest and two people close together — more story in a single frame than in a whole album of posed shots.

A lake view that goes on forever

We ended the session at the lookout deck on the Maahisenkierros trail, where the Nuuksio lake landscape stretches to the horizon. Pine tops, still water and two people at the railing, looking in the same direction — towards the future, if you ask me.

Why Nuuksio is perfect for an engagement session

Nuuksio National Park is one of our favourite places for couple and engagement photography in the Helsinki region — and if you’re planning a trip to Finland, it’s the easiest way to get that Nordic wilderness look without travelling to Lapland. The scenery changes every few hundred metres: open cliffs, lakeshores, mossy forest and weathered old pines. The light under the trees stays soft almost all day. And most importantly, a session in Nuuksio doesn’t feel like a photoshoot — it feels like an adventure. Bring a thermos, a blanket and good shoes, and the rest will take care of itself.

Engagement photography in Nuuksio and beyond

Planning an engagement session or a love story shoot in Nuuksio, elsewhere in Finland’s nature — or dreaming of a Nordic forest session while visiting Helsinki? Get in touch and let’s capture your story, campfire, cocoa and all.

See our photography packages and pricing or write to info@studiohappymoment.fiMore inspiration: a summer picnic engagement session at Pitkäkoski and a seaside couple session at Suomenlinna fortress.