We recently connected with Hugo Korhonen and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Hugo, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

Before I knew what I wanted to do when “I grow up” I was in secondary school. Secondary school was very tough time for me since I got bullied daily a lot. At that time, I was proud of my photography, and that was the only thing I was truly proud of.

On a regular day, I posted an astrophotography image on Instagram. It was the first photo I had posted that I had taken with a lens dedicated to astrophotography. I didn’t think anything special of the photo, I was hoping that people would like it, but I had no idea it’d change my life.

It blew up and went viral like we like to say. So many people showed love towards my work, and I hadn’t felt anything like that ever before. There were so many nice comments, and one, in particular, has always stayed in mind. The commenter said she forgot her worries, and sorrows and felt very peaceful watching the photograph and thanked me for giving that experience to her. That made me emotional.

I was able to make people’s days better with my art and make them feel things. That’s the first time I knew I must be making this a lot, as much as possible. And to do this as much as possible, I’d must do this as a job. I never stopped after that.

Hugo, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m Hugo Korhonen, a 19-year-old photographer from Finland. I started photography during secondary school when I was going through hard times. I was bullied daily and I was depressed but photography was the light that got me through the darkness.

It was the only thing I was truly proud of, and the thing that showed me I have the ability to help others.

I got into photography as a professional in May 2021. I started offering businesses my photography services, and since then, I’ve worked with some of the biggest and known organizations and brands in Finland, some of them being Mannerheimin Lastensuojeluliitto, Traficom and Halti.

I currently offer services for businesses, I take photos for them of nature, products etc., license photos, write articles, edit photos and also I teach others photography and photo editing.

Most of my time I dedicate to NFTs. I make art, showcase the beauty of this world, and mint it to the blockchain where people can buy it if they so wish.

I believe what sets me apart from others is how open I am with what I’ve gone through and my work of art. With art, I showcase the human-nature connection, that we both can co-exist. My art has hopeful feelings in it, and wish the viewer gets those when looking at it.

I’m a person who loves pushing myself to new limits, to limits most think are crazy, but if you live your life like most, you’re gonna end up like most (not successful), and I don’t want to be that.3

I also want to be uncommon amongst those who strive to be uncommon.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on NFTs. (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)

I see NFTs as the next thing that will change so many things in our world. That is why I put so much time and effort into NFTs on daily basis.

I recommend everyone to go ahead and educate themselves about NFTs right now. There are so many opportunities there, as an artist, but also as an individual.

For artists, it is a new way to monetize their art and make a living. For individuals, there are a lot of investing options (but crypto markets are volatile so be careful and do your own research into everything).

: Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Yes, there is.

I don’t think being successful just for yourself is the right thing to do, and won’t bring you the most satisfaction. I have two main drivers that drive me forward like crazy.

They are (1) proving to others (and myself) that no matter your past, you can achieve your wildest dreams and (2) protecting nature.

I was once very bullied, and at that time, I felt that there was no way I could achieve some things. I know many have got made fun of them and their dreams, but you can overcome these. Your past doesn’t define your future.

I believe actions are louder than words, and that’s why I push myself every day to prove everyone wrong who has ever doubted (including past self). I want to get the success that others see it truly is possible.

When I was bullied, I was spending much time in nature with my camera. It was my escape. That’s where I fell in love with nature and what it does to us, humans. What is unfortunate, is how a lot of us treat nature.

I want to showcase the beauty of this world to others, so that they see what truly is out there. I hope based on this people will start to respect nature more, do more sustainable choices and go out and experience nature themselves.

Contact Info:

• Website: hugokorhonen.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hugoraphy/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100076051670961
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hugo-korhonen/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/hugoraphy
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK1hIfuk8LAaqxYv6UX6dPg
• Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hugoraphy