Photographers are following the events of the first leg of the Venla relay. Photo: Mikko Jalonen
In Jukola relay, there are 98 accredited photographers working for newspapers or other media.
One of the professional photographers is Minna Määttänen from Salon Seudun Sanomat. Her task is to photograph the Venla relay from the start to the finish. Another photographer will be taken care of the Jukola relay.
The plan of Minna Määttänen is clear: a photo of the winning team is needed for the newspaper as well as a photo of Angelniemen Ankkuri, the team of the circulation area of the newspaper.
Määttänen has been a professional photographer for 26 years, but is now in the Jukola relay for the first time.
– When the Jukola relay was organised in Salo in 2006, I was on parental leave, otherwise I would have definitely been there, Määttänen says.
– I have followed Jukola relay on television and I knew that it is a huge event. The direction of the media seems to be well organised. Orienteering as a sport is familiar to me. I have been photographing many other orienteering competitions.
In Jukola the photographers are led in groups to the control points. Minna Määttänen was on the last control point of the first leg of the Venla relay. She needed not to wait for a long time, as Heini Saarimäki of Angelniemen Ankkuri punched in the competition on the second position.
– To be on the safe side, I follow the numbers of the teams, but this time it was easy notice her. On the other side, the image would have been better, if there was some queue at the control point.
