Iida Salonen finds interesting social media photo spots in Riihimäki, and her favorite is the Glass Factory area.

Iida Salonen supports herself as an influencer, meaning she works as an entrepreneur on social media. She produces lifestyle content that tells about her life through family, well-being and food. She lives with her husband and 3,5-year-old daughter Olivia in a terraced house in Taipale. The family also includes the dogs Titus and Poppet.

“I share content on my own social media channels, Instagram and TikTok, almost every day. I also have companies as partners. For some, I create content as individual campaigns and for others, for example, once a month on their social media channels. I produce content about, for example, a lactic acid bacteria drink, various food products, clothing and cosmetics.”

Peaceful Lake Paalijärvi

Salonen has lived in Riihimäki for over 20 years, so he is familiar with many things, but nowadays he looks at the landscapes through the eyes of an influencer, looking for beautiful filming locations for his videos and photographs. Salonen thinks the most picturesque place in Riihimäki is the area around the Glass Museum and the adjacent Messupuisto.

“I have photographed there in all seasons. The Glass Museum has picturesque exterior walls and beautiful old doors. The Hunting Museum courtyard also offers great backgrounds. The Fair Park has a charming pond and fountain, benches and a pretty white bridge, near which I have photographed a lot.”

Customers often ask Salonen to use a green nature view and water in the background of a video introducing a product. In those cases, he heads to Lake Paalijärvi, 13 km from his home.

“There is a lean-to and a nice beach with a shallow sandy bottom suitable for children. I often go there to swim with Oltsu. It's like a hidden gem, because it's always peaceful at Paalijärvi, even though there are a lot of people swimming at Hirvijärvi two kilometers away.”

Salonen hunts for beautiful light for her videos, and in the summer the light is best late in the evening. That's why the family quickly stopped by to admire the azalea garden's floral splendor just before her daughter's bedtime.

“It was a rainy week, and when the beautiful evening came, I quickly filmed a video for my social media post in the mood. Later, I’ll go there in peace and quiet to film a lactic acid drink video. About 200 azaleas have been planted in the park and they bloom for about three weeks from the beginning of June until Midsummer. We have often walked the park’s boardwalks with Oltsu and climbed up to the Helge Hirvinen observation tower to admire the area from above.”

Serving library

Salonen hadn't been to the library in years, but with the child it has become a regular destination. Olivia got her own library card and always wants to borrow and return books herself through the machine.

“Recently, Olivia picked up the Pupu Tupuna book to read, and I immediately recognized that it was the same book my own grandmother used to read to me as a child when I was staying with her. It moved me a lot, because we had just celebrated my grandmother’s funeral.”

Salonen is grateful that books can help children deal with even difficult issues. The family daycare group's parents' evening was held at the library, and a library employee introduced good children's books that can be helpful and enjoyable in children's everyday lives.

“We got lots of tips and I borrowed a book about dentistry so we could read it before Olivia’s dental checkup.”

During a visit to the library, Iida took an ex tempore photo of a customer's clothes at the library entrance.

"I'm kind of always working if I come across an interesting-looking spot, background, or light. The idea was to show the customer's clothes in everyday use, and I happened to be wearing that shirt in the library."

Summer theater atmosphere

Salonen has been introduced to many new things through her Riihimäki posts. She had never even heard of the Children's Parliament before becoming familiar with it.

“I was amazed at how intelligently the children asked questions. One articulate boy spoke like an adult. He asked the mayor how he spends his free time, when he must have a lot of work.”

Salonen also praises the Riihimäki Summer Theatre, where she attended a free children's concert. The children were offered fruit juice, raisins and face painting during the intermission. The performance was fun, and the children were very involved.

“Even the rain didn't bother me in the covered auditorium. Later I went to see the very funny comedy musical Opehuone. There is an Ella and Paterock play for children.”

Salonen is posting about spending the summer in Riihimäki, and of course, the outdoor swimming pool is included, which he has wonderful childhood memories of. As a schoolboy, he often spent the whole day there with his friends, sometimes getting some food from the kiosk.

"I want the same memories for Olivia, and I plan to go swimming with her a lot. It's a shame the kiosk is no longer there."

In the work of an influencer, editing videos can easily take 5-10 hours. For example, Salonen spent five hours on a video about a dietary supplement that helps with pollen allergies. It was filmed on the cliffs of Hirvijärvi, and he added the sound to the video later. He usually films at home or in his backyard.

“I want to share casual content. I’ve been dreaming of my own podcast for a long time. And maybe I could invite other influencers to check out Riksu! As a teenager, I wanted to move away from here, but now I realize that Riihimäki is the perfect and safe place for a family with children.”

Text: Reija Ypyä

Iida Salonen is one of three social media influencers with whom the City of Riihimäki has agreed to collaborate for a year. The goal is to highlight the everyday life of living in the city. Salonen writes about her life in Riihimäki on Instagram under the account @iiida.salonen.