Algorithmic Landscapes of Finnish Nature

Exploring Mires through Computer Vision and Senso-Digital Walks

Authors

• Juhana Venäläinen https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8259-4460

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.23991/ef.146712

Keywords:

nature photography, environmental relations, digital aestheticization, social media, computer vision, ethnography, walking methods

Abstract

This article examines how digital technologies and AI shape perceptions of Finnish mire landscapes, focusing on imagery and experiences of the Patvinsuo National Park. Employing a hybrid methodological approach, the study integrates senso-digital walks and computer vision analysis to explore the interplay between embodied on-site experiences of nature and their online digital counterparts. By drawing inspiration from sensory ethnography and various walking methods, senso-digital walks involve participants reflecting on their use of digital tools and the contrasts between physically experienced and digitally mediated environments. To complement the ethnographic fieldwork, a large set of Instagram images of Patvinsuo was scraped and clustered using machine learning techniques to create a visual taxonomy of the various ways in which Patvinsuo is represented in the digital sphere. The process of attempting to interpret the machine-generated clusters hints at how algorithms participate in reframing aesthetic sensibilities in the perception of the environment. By combining digital and sensory approaches, the study explores the complex interrelations between algorithms, human practices, and aesthetic values in shaping environmental perceptions and ethics.