Saija Lehtonen Paints with a Lens

by Marilyn Noble

1959 Cadillac El Dorado tail fin by Saija Lehtonen.

Saija Lehtonen says the shutterbug bit her at the age of twelve when she first saw a book of Ansel Adams’s work. She then took her first photos with an inexpensive little Kodak camera. But even before photography captured her interest, she was a budding young artist, winning her first award at the age of six for a drawing of a Disney dragon for a contest in Finland, her home country. Her commitment to visual art has in another award — her image of a 1959 Cadillac El Dorado tail fin was the grand prize winner in the Rio Nuevo fall photo contest.

Lehtonen took a few art classes in college, but she says she’s mostly self-taught. She also goes on photo shoots with her photographer friends and learns tips and techniques from them. Her early experiences with painting and drawing infuse her photographs with a painterly quality – many look like they came off an easel rather than out of a camera. “I combine the two without even really thinking about it,” she says. “I love sunrises and sunsets and I’m always chasing the perfect light.”

Now a resident of Chandler, Ariz., Lehtonen was born and spent her early years in Finland. Her family moved to the U.S. when she was still in school and lived all over the Southwest. “I love it here, and that’s why I stayed. I love to be out exploring, to see what I can find. It’s an outlet for me and allows me to get away from everything.”

Lehtonen is out in the desert nearly every day shooting mainly landscapes, but she also enjoys animal shots. “I love the interaction with animals, and I’ve never had a fear of them,” she says. “If you give them space and respect, they’ll give it back.” One recent evening she was out looking for a sunset spot when she heard a rustling in the bushes. A coyote emerged, and she began talking with him. “I started complimenting him on how handsome he was, and he sat and posed for me for at least ten minutes.” Eventually his pack began calling, and he turned and left. “It was a moment to remember the rest of my life,” she says.

A Nikon user, Lehtonen started with film and has moved on to digital, doing her own processing with Photoshop. She’s been making a living with her fine art photography for about the last five years.

If you want to become an accomplished photographer, Lehtonen advises that you get out at least once a day and take some shots. “You’ll develop your creative eye and begin seeing things differently,” she says. She’s also a big advocate of learning from friends. As in any pursuit, spending time with people who do it well and paying attention to what they do and how they do it will help increase your own skills.

“I’m just trying to share the beauty I see with others,” Lehtonen says. “It’s nice to see people enjoying my work and it’s always nice to hear from them.”

View Lehtonen’s complete portfolio here.