Will Burrard-Lucas will be photographing people in the Helsinki region on Wednesday and Thursday, April 18-19. Walk into the frame!
Your first steps in the morning – or ever – are always a little wobbly. But once you get into your stride, you enter the flow zone.
Walking is our most natural way of moving. Wildlife photographer Will Burrard-Lucas is now coming to Finland to capture the way people walk in the metropolis. Burrard-Lucas will be photographing pedestrians in their natural habitats all around the Helsinki region on Wednesday and Thursday, April 18–19.
The shoots are part of HSL’s and the Helsinki region municipalities’ joint goal of turning the metropolitan area into the walking capital of the world.
“HSL wants to walk the Helsinki region onto the world map. The metropolitan area is full of inviting walks, and walking is the easiest way to get around in city centers. We don’t necessarily notice what a fundamental aspect of our everyday lives walking is. Globetrotter Will Burrard-Lucas is now bringing his own perspective to walking: how walking around the city looks from the outside, through the lens of a wildlife photographer,” says Senior Advisor Tarja Jääskeläinen from HSL.
Will Burrard-Lucas has previously worked with the WWF and photographed many terrestrial mammals. Pedestrians in the metropolitan area are not as large, or as shy, as Burrard-Lucas’s earlier subjects.
“Photographing humans instead of wildlife is going to get me out of my comfort zone but I am looking forward to the challenge! I am also looking forward to exploring Helsinki. I am a great advocate of walking. When I am not in the wild photographing animals, I spend long days sat in front of a computer and so the chance to stretch my legs and get some exercise is always welcome. Whenever possible, I would prefer to walk rather than travel by underground, taxi or bus. Not only is walking my favorite way to explore and experience a city, it is also a time when I can get lost in my own thoughts. Of course, as a wildlife photographer, the environment is also an important consideration for me,” says Burrard-Lucas.
Burrard-Lucas will be photographing people in the Helsinki region on Wednesday and Thursday, April 18–19. Walk into the frame!
Burrard-Lucas will be shooting in Helsinki at the Railway Square on April 18 at 4.30pm-6pm and in Esplanadi Park on April 19 at 12noon-1pm.
Burrard-Lucas will choose the hundred best photos of the feet that pass him by. They will be published on HSL’s Instagram account. The photos will also be used later in campaigns to promote walking in the Helsinki region.
“A recently published analysis coordinated by the UKK Institute shows that immobility – a low level of physical activity, a lot of sitting, and poor physical condition – cause at least EUR 3 billion in costs for Finnish society every year. Whereas walking brings both people and the city to life. Cities are made for walking. We want to raise walking to its rightful place: to make walking king and the number one choice,” says HSL’s Mari Flink, Director of Customer Experience and Sales.
Will Burrard-Lucas’s timetable:
April 18, 4.30pm-6pm Railway Square, Helsinki
April 19, 12noon-1pm Esplanadi Park, Helsinki
HSL promotes walking
HSL wants to encourage everyone in the metropolitan area to walk more. Walking brings cities to life and supports citizens’ physical and mental wellbeing. Walking is also a fundamental aspect of using public transport and an important element in urban trip chains. HSL wants to turn the Helsinki region into the walking capital of the world.
Read more: hsl.fi/kävely
Will Burrard-Lucas is a wildlife photographer from the UK. His images can be found on his website, www.burrard-lucas.com, or by following @willbl on Instagram.