A Summer Love Story at Suomenlinna Sea Fortress — By Private Boat
This session took place at the end of May, just before Anita and Matias’s July wedding. The weather was exceptionally warm, the boating season was in full swing — and the couple arrived in style on their own boat from Espoo. What followed was an afternoon that turned into a story of adventure just off the coast of Helsinki.
At sea, on their own boat
We started and ended the session on the water, and that’s what made this shoot special. Their own boat gave the photos a lifestyle feel that’s hard to capture on the public ferry: Matias at the helm, Anita leaning on his shoulder, sunlight flickering on the waves. These aren’t staged boat photos — this is a slice of their real life, looking its very best.
Exploring the fortress island
Suomenlinna — a UNESCO World Heritage sea fortress spread across several islands — is vast and varied, so we made the most of it and walked almost the entire island. We stopped at the rugged shoreline rocks where the sea breaks just a metre away. We visited the historic submarine Vesikko, whose orange-red hull makes a surprisingly beautiful backdrop. And of course the fortress’s famous pink walls: in front of them, every photo looks like it was taken somewhere in Southern Europe — yet we’re only a twenty-minute ferry ride from Helsinki’s Market Square.
“The Puu” — a fairytale stop
Our route also took us to the island’s famous big tree, playfully known as “The Puu”. Under its branches, the light filtered through the leaves and the photos took on a fairytale quality — as if the couple had stepped out of the city into another world entirely. In the evening’s final frames, the same tree stands as a silhouette on its hill against the sky: two people and one tree, and nothing else needed.
Black hot air balloons — the perfect ending
At the end of the day, I got a ride back to central Helsinki on the couple’s boat. And on the way, the sea offered one more gift: black hot air balloons drifting over Suomenlinna in the evening sky. You can’t plan a moment like that — you can only receive it. It was the perfect ending to a warm May evening.
Why Suomenlinna is perfect for an engagement or couple session
Suomenlinna is one of the most versatile photo locations in the Helsinki region — and one of the most atmospheric places in Finland to be photographed: the sea, rocky shores, green ramparts, historic walls and colourful facades, all within a few hundred metres. The ferry runs from Market Square year-round, so the island works in every season — and if you’re visiting Helsinki, it’s the easiest way to combine sightseeing with a session you’ll never forget. The best time is a weekday evening, when the day-trippers have left and the island falls photogenically quiet.
Planning a session in Helsinki?
Dreaming of a photoshoot that includes the sea or a boat? Get in touch and let’s plan your own adventure — at Suomenlinna, in the archipelago or anywhere else.
More love stories in every season: an autumn couple session on a Helsinki beach and a winter date-day session in the snow and Christmas lights. Suomenlinna also hosts weddings — see Milja & Marcel’s summer wedding at Helsinki Cathedral and the Suomenlinna Officers' Club.
