Audio
On the Real Photo Show podcast with Michael Chovan-Dalton.
On the Candid Frame podcast with Ibarionex R. Perillo.
On the Camera Doesn’t Matter Youtube interview series with Sean Gallagher. Also available as audio-only podcast.
Written media
“Takkunen, a Finnish-born photo editor for The New York Times, captured both the colorful chaos and small pockets of stillness in the teeming metropolis as it faced down challenges, including political unrest and a looming pandemic.” - The New York Times Book Review
"Deliriously beautiful color photos of daily life in Hong Kong." - Kenneth Dickerman, The Washington Post
"Hong Kong is a tiny triumph (...) the print equivalent of a spring cherry blossom: the glorious first blush of a budding visual artist." - David Friend, Vanity Fair
”When I first looked at the work, I saw the great ghost of Saul Leiter wandering through a more modern cityscape . . . and that feeling made more sense when I read something Mikko said: “I approach picture-making as a kind of visual jazz. There should be beautiful melodies but the rest should be less obvious, less straightforward.” I hear that. And I love it.” - Bill Shapiro
"Takkunen's use of color throughout Hong Kong is perhaps his most notable characteristic, and the way he brings out the hues in each of his images is genuinely remarkable." - Max Wiener, Musée Magazine
”This book, in a word, is brilliant. And I mean that in two ways. It is brilliant aesthetically in its use of composition and subject matter, in the way it seeks to give light to a city and the artist’s relationship to it. It is also brilliant, visually, in that, more perhaps even than Hong Kong itself, this is a book about color.” W. Scott Olsen, Frames Magazine
”Takkunen's breathtaking photography defames the stereotypical narrative of Hong Kong and instead introduces a captivating journey through the heart of this vibrant metropolis.” Martin Kaninsky in About Photography
”…it’s not Takkunen’s use of color (and high contrast black) that makes his photographs fascinating. It’s his unique perspectives and inventive framing, often combined.” Tom LeClair in Open Letters Review
”When is street photography not quite street photography? When it’s as cool, concentrated, and colourful as the 68 sublime images in Mikko Takkunen’s new photobook, Hong Kong, captured during the year that Covid swept the world.” Tony Maniaty in Head On Foundation Magazine
"His eye for color, light, and composition, honed both through his work as a photographer and photo editor engenders captivating, beautiful images that leave a lasting impression." - Josh Bright, The Independent Photographer
"A wild ride through Hong Kong." - Mee-Lai Stone, The Guardian
“Each photo in this book tells a rich and vivid story.” Richard Storm in F-Stop Magazine
"I have not seen Hong Kong depicted with such a serene and dignified approach since the photographs by Fan Ho. Takkunen's observations of the city take us on a collective journey through exceptional compositional technique and color theory and leave us with as many questions as we have answers. " - Kalum Carter, Digital Camera World
"..if you like photography that gives an impression of a place rather than a literal interpretation…" - Ailsa McWhinnie, Amateur Photographer magazine
"He brings us a fascinating vision of Hong Kong going through changes, filled with colours and neon lights, revealing moments that make this city magnificent. " - Eli Anapur, Widewalls