LUMO Image Turns 15
15 Years.
On the first of April 2011, I founded LUMO Image. (No, it wasn't an April Fool's joke — it was completely real.) Five years ago I wrote that the only constant is change. That still holds true. Perhaps more than ever.
(These images are from 2011)
I ordered my business cards from moo.com
Photography at Sara and James's wedding in April 2011.
I photographed new cars for Wetter in Oulu, Kuusamo, and Rovaniemi, among other locations.
(These photos are from 2016, when LUMO Image turned 5.)
This photo was taken at Restaurant Fransmann in Original Sokos Hotel Oulu.
A photo from a reportage I shot for Sairaanhoitaja magazine, from the children's and adolescents' ward A6 at Oulu University Hospital.
A brand photo shot for Bitfactor ten years ago.
At the time I also photographed some product images for Metsola — here, children's clothing photographed on models in the studio.
In 2016 I shot reference images for tile manufacturer ABL-Laatat in the newly opened Baccaro Doppio café at Kauppakeskus Valkea.
In February 2016 I photographed the annual Oulu Business School event at Nallikari, Oulu.
Five years ago, video accounted for 26% of my revenue and I was expecting strong growth. Now video is everyday business, drone work was added on top of that, and AI has transformed my workflows far more than I anticipated.
(Photos from 2021)
In 2021 I started working with OX2 and spent over a year documenting the construction of the Metsälamminkangas wind farm in Vaala.
I shot reference images for Kaluste-Kolmio at the renovated Radisson Blu hotel — they had manufactured the fitted furniture for the newly renovated rooms.
For SOK Media I photographed the new energy-efficient refrigeration units at S-Market Kaukovainio.
Five years ago I photographed staff portraits for the Innovation Centre at the University of Oulu.
For construction company Hartela I photographed facades of their completed projects — here, Liminganlahti School.
My company looks different today than it did five years ago.
I separated my corporate photography services onto petterilopponen.com back in 2017. That was the right decision then, and it still is. This year I built an entirely new website for the corporate photography side. Faster, cleaner, better performing.
(Photos from early 2026)
In January I photographed images and video for FinnEasy Oy of their EasySwing products. This image was used on their exhibition wall at the World Ag Expo trade fair.
I photographed science communicator Satu Räsänen — recipient of a science communication award — for a Tiedetoimittajat article. This photo was taken in the magnificent landscape of Koitelinkoski.
In early 2026 I also shot product images — this one for Solumineraalikauppa.
In January 2026 I had the honour of photographing at the Oulu 2026 Opening Festival, where I captured this image of President of the Republic Alexander Stubb and Minister of Science and Culture Mari-Leena Talvitie, who graced the opening of Eanangiella — Maan kieli, the grand exhibition of Sámi art and duodji at Oulu Art Museum.
AI has crept into my own processes too — here's one example. I photographed a person in the studio and created the background with AI according to the client's wishes.
The biggest change over the last five years hasn't been technical — it's been strategic.
In 2025 I did roughly a third fewer shoots than a couple of years earlier. Revenue grew anyway. Fewer jobs, but larger and better-planned projects. That's the direction I want to keep moving in.
The second biggest change is AI. I'm not talking about the AI that replaces photographers — you see enough of that fearmongering already. I'm talking about the AI that makes a one-person company more efficient. I've built my own tools that speed up quoting, scheduling, and client communication. Coding has become part of a photographer's daily life — who would have thought.
The uncertainty hasn't gone anywhere. The calendar still looks sparse a couple of weeks out sometimes. But I trust it more than I used to. Fifteen years teaches you that work comes. Time has also taught me that you need to prepare for slow periods early — build a buffer. And it's not always worth buying the latest camera; better to put those funds into reserves, or into marketing that generates new enquiries.
Thank you to all the clients, partners, and colleagues over these years. Special thanks to those who have been there from the very beginning.
There's a good foundation to keep building on.