The winners of the Rakas Riihimäki photo competition have been selected

The City of Riihimäki organized the Rakas Riihimäki photo competition in the summer of 2025. A total of 38 photos were submitted to the competition. The jury, consisting of the city's communications and marketing experts, has now selected three winners from among the wonderful competition photos: Katariina Pohjola, Tiina Pohjola and Pirjo Tanni.

Riihimäki's nature, parks and street art inspire participants

The photo competition sought images that showcased the best aspects of Riihimäki. Participants were encouraged to consider which places or things in Riihimäki evoked a sense of joy or pride in them and made the city beloved and special.

The participants had sought inspiration for their photos, especially from the city's sights, street art, nature and history. The most popular photo locations were the station area, Rautatienpuisto, Atsaleapuisto, Jukka Jalonen Park and nature trails. Statues – especially the Glassblower Statue – also appeared in several shots.

All competition photos are available Dear Riihimäki photo competition website.

Atmosphere and recognizability decided the winners

The criteria for the competition photos were that the photo was taken in a public place and Riihimäki was clearly recognizable in the photo. In some shots, the recognizability criterion was not met, which denied the possibility of winning, even if the photo had been spectacular and impressive.

The jury was particularly pleased that many of the images featured creative, rarely used angles that presented the city from a new perspective. The jury also noted that the images mainly featured places, while people were only rarely seen.

The competition guidelines called for attention to the atmosphere and story conveyed by the image, which played a more important role in selecting the winners than the technical aspects of the image. The jury found that several of the competition images conveyed a calm, serene and relaxed atmosphere. Overall, they created an image of Riihimäki as a peaceful and safe place to live, where the combination of nature and urban culture delights city dwellers.

"We were pleased with the number of participants and the quality of the photos. We will see these great photos in the communication channels of the City of Riihimäki in the future. Based on these good experiences, we are considering organizing the next competition next year as well," says Mia Miettinen, the city's communications and marketing manager.

Atmospheric winning photos

After thorough consideration, the jury selected the photographs taken by Katariina Pohjola, Tiina Pohjola and Pirjo Tanni as the winners of the competition. The winning photos impressed the jury the most, among other things, due to their layout, atmosphere and color scheme.

Katariina Pohjola's blue-toned and hazy shot of the Glassblower Statue highlights perhaps Riihimäki's most famous landmark in a beautiful, sensitive and even slightly wistful way. The jury particularly appreciated the fact that the statue has rarely been photographed from this direction, which offers a new perspective on the statue and its surroundings.

The other winner, Tiina Pohjola, has managed to capture the colors of the Azalea Park in a wonderful, fresh and joyful way in her winning photo. The composition of the photo combines different levels in a spectacular way, with beautiful and delicate flowers glowing in the foreground, while in the background the trees rise majestically towards the serene sky. The moose in the background brings a recognizable Riihimäki connection to the photo.

The Hämeenaukio statue appears majestic and solid in an impressive sunset in the photograph taken by Pirjo Tanni. The color scheme, lighting and composition of the image simultaneously create a majestic and majestic atmosphere, as well as a serene and hopeful atmosphere, which impressed the jury.

All three winners will receive two theater tickets to the Riihimäki Theater's comedy musical Opehuone (value 104 euros) and a Riihimäki product package (value 30 euros).

Competition photos will appear in the city's communications

The competition photos will be seen in the communication channels of the City of Riihimäki in the future, as all participants in the competition have given permission to use their photos in the city's communication and marketing. The photographer's name will be mentioned in connection with the use.

The photo competition was open from June 18 to August 10. The competition was open to all adults living in Riihimäki and those interested in Riihimäki. Each competitor was only allowed to enter one photo.