kuvaaja

Kuvaaja is a Finnish noun that refers to a person who makes pictures. The word is formed from kuva, meaning picture or image, and the agentive suffix -aja, indicating a person who performs an action. In everyday Finnish, the most common term for someone who takes photographs is valokuvaaja, and kuvaaja is often used more generally or in specific professional contexts.

In standard usage, kuvaaja can denote a photographer who takes still images. However, valokuvaaja is the more common and specific term for a professional photographer. The word kuvaaja is also used in film, television, and video production to refer to the cinematographer or director of photography—the person responsible for camera work, lighting, framing, and the overall visual look of the production. In this context, the role is closely aligned with the craft of capturing moving images rather than still photographs.

In journalism or on location shoots, kuvaaja may describe a camera operator or videographer who records material for news or documentaries. The exact meaning is therefore dependent on context, and the term can overlap with briefly describing roles in media production.

Overall, kuvaaja conveys the idea of someone who handles a camera to create images, with nuances that vary by setting between still photography and motion-picture cinematography.