03.08.2019

After a 2-weeks break, I was dying for a photoshoot! Having said that, taking a break is good from time to time: I got back with more energy and a fresh mind.

Here in Finland, the beginning of August is the best time to leave town and go to the country: the colours of late summer are just perfect, if you ask me. For this session, our model was gorgeous Siiri from Onni agency, while my dear friend Alina took care of makeup and styling — I am going to involve Alina more and more, since I really love working with her.

I'm really happy with the results: the field backdrops were perfect and so was the light. Also, we ended up spending a great afternoon together: all of us had a fun time, model included!

Camera Nikon Z6
Lens Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.8 S

20.06.2019

The evening before Midsummer I had the most perfect photoshoot!

Last time Chono had posed for me was on a snowy day in January: 6 months after, this photoshoot couldn't have been more different. The sun was warm, the sky was blue and the grassy hills of Suomenlinna were covered in flowers.

I had a lovely time with Chono strolling around the island and the photos turned out exactly how I wanted them to be! Which set do you prefer? The one on the rocks by the sea or the one on the grassy hills?

Camera Nikon Z6
Lens Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.8 S

01.12.2018

Laura is a lovely young model, who travelled all the way from Tampere for our shooting that Saturday morning.

Our plan was to go to the rocky beach in Suomenlinna, but unfortunately the wind was too strong for us to get too close to the sea: not only it was unbearably cold, but it was almost impossible to stand. I have to remind myself that Suomenlinna is a no-go when there's a gale!

We ended up shooting in the least windy spot we managed to find on the island: at least the December sunlight was very beautiful and that made for some decent shots. What do you think? I hope I will be able to meet Laura again for a longer session on a warmer day!

Camera Nikon Df
Lenses AF-s Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G & Nikon 135mm f/2 DC

03-16.11.2018 — Portugal

I wanted to go to Portugal for a long time, but always ended up in Nordic Countries instead. For our honeymoon, Jacopo and I decided to draw different destinations from a jar; Portugal came out and I'm so happy it did! In a little under two weeks, we covered most of the Country and it was one of the most wonderful journeys we have done together! I'm not even going to try to write about all the lovely towns we saw, the amazing landscapes we drove through, the unique traditional food we ate and the warm people we met, but I will concentrate on a few highlights and share a few photos.
You can find more photos on my Instagram!

Favourite places in chronological order
Praia da Galé: a beach near Albufeira with colourful cliffs, incredible rock formations and a desert-like vegetation.
Porto Côvo: a seaside village located in the municipality of Sines in western Alentejo, with charming little white houses.
Mértola: a historic village on a hill overlooking the Guadiana River, located in the southeastern Alentejo.
Monsanto: a mountain village in the northeast in the municipality of Idanha-a-Nova, "the most Portuguese village of Portugal".
Cabo Espichel: a cape on the western coast in the municipality of Sesimbra with a sanctuary, a lighthouse and stunning cliffs.
Porto: the second largest city in Portugal after Lisbon, with quirky architecture and lovely art & craft shops.

Favourite traditional dishes in no particular order
Caldo Verde: soup made with potatoes and collard greens
Alheira: sausage made with bread and meats other than pork
Tarte de Amêndoa: caramelised almond tart
Broa Castelar: sweet potato cookies

Other favourites in no particular order
Hungry Biker: a charming cafe in Porto, with a healthy menu and cozy interiors — the best brekkie I had in Portugal.
Vira Bar Restaurante: a restaurant located in the charming town of Guimarães, with delicious traditional food — that's where I tried the Alheira sausage.
Taverna Lusitana: a cosy cafe and restaurant in Monsanto, where I tried my favourite version of Pastel de Nata with cherry custard.
Delizia: a local "gelataria" in the town of Tavira, with the best gelato I tried in Portugal.
Garfe Park Camping: a campsite run by a Portuguese family in the village of Garfe, with the most welcoming staff and the best facilities.
Tiago, Uber driver in Lisbon: the most friendly driver I have ever met, he keeps a playlist with the favourite music of his clients. If you get a ride with him, tell him I say hi!

We experienced Portugal in what I hope was the most authentic way. We rented a van from a Lisbon subsidiary of Indie Campers and tried to visit as much as we could in two weeks. After having driven over 2000 km, I left a big chunk of my heart in Portugal and I hope we will go back soon to visit all those places that we couldn't see this time around!

Camera Nikon Df
Lens AF-s Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G

13.10.2018

I don't usually share family portraits, but these are different and very close to my heart. It may be because Kate and Jamie are two of our closest friends — and also because their Emily is one of the most adorable toddlers I know — but I had so much fun during this session! It was a warm Saturday morning in Mustikkamaa, the leaves were colourful and the light was golden: we ended up having pastries on the beach and everything felt just right.

Many thanks to this beautiful family for allowing me to share these!

Camera Nikon Df
Lens AF-s Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G

22.09.2018

Estonia has become one of my favourite weekend destinations: it's so easy to reach and the wonderful staff of E.M.A Model Management is always ready to provide us with new faces to photograph!

This time around we ended up staying in Tallinn for two nights and decided to take a day trip to Saaremaa to meet Lisa-Martina — the lovely model who came to Tallinn for us in July. After a 3-hour journey by car and ferry, we met in her hometown — Kuressaare, where she took us to see some sights.

It was a very windy day and the rain threatened to come any minute, but we were determined to shoot and eventually settled on a beautiful beach called Mändjala with some majestic pine trees. The results are quite moody and nice, don't you think?

Once again, being able to meet with a model for the second time has been a pleasure: interacting with people is what I love the most about portrait photography!

Camera Nikon Df
Lens Nikon 135mm f/2 DC

18.08.2018

If you follow this blog or my Instagram, you will probably recognise the elegant girl in these photos: Eeva has modelled for me many times before and has become a good friend of mine. When she asked me to take photos of her and her boyfriend Kevin, I was immediately taken by the idea!

We chose a location that never fails do deliver: Kallahdenniemi — with its beautiful pine-tree forest and its sandy beach — is the perfect spot, if you don't feel like going too far away from the city but still want to be surrounded by nature.

The weather was ominous that Saturday evening, but luckily the rain started falling only after our shooting. The stormy clouds made for a wonderfully moody backdrop though! I must say, I am extremely happy with these photos and after having such a nice afternoon with Eeva and Kevin, I feel like I should go on shootings with couples more often!

Camera Nikon Df
Lens Nikon 135mm f/2 DC

13.08.2018

Thanks to my dear friend Lauri I was introduced to this incredibly beautiful location and to lovely Mona — the list of wonderful people and places I have got to know this summer is growing exponentially!

I had never been in the middle of a field of sunflowers before and it felt a little like a dream come true — only a short drive away from Helsinki. Mona looked so beautiful and stylish in her Marimekko shirt, I am looking forward to shooting with her again soon!

Camera Nikon Df
Lens Nikon 135mm f/2 DC

16.07.2018

Last time Maria and I went on a shooting together was July 2017, so when she asked me to join her for a portrait session with her lovely colleague Onerva I simply couldn't refuse! I have known Maria for a little over a year and not only I really enjoy her company as a friend, but I work very well with her too.

That Monday evening it was extremely hot in Mustikkamaa, the light was perfect and Onerva was cheerful and fun to work with. We shot in a few different spots around the island and ended up on the beach, when Maria finally gave in and got in the water. I decided to follow suit — with t-shirt and skirt — not only because the light was too nice to miss on those shots, but also because it was extremely hot.

It was such a lovely and carefree evening! I remember biking home at 11 pm in the fading light and thinking to myself how lucky I was to live in such a beautiful town, surrounded by such wonderful people. I am so grateful!

Camera Nikon Df
Lens Nikon 135mm f/2 DC

13.07.2018

Possibly my favourite photoshoot of this summer so far! Go to my Instagram to see more — it was so hard to select just a few to share here.

We met Iida on an exceptionally hot Friday evening in her hometown Siuntio — a little over an-hour drive from Helsinki. We had carefully selected the outfits putting together some of my favourite pieces — my R-Colletion Helsinki sweater and Marimekko Jokapoika shirt, plus Iida's grandmother's incredibly cool jumpsuit. As for locations, we were looking for flowers and the beautiful Finnish countryside offered plenty of them. Everything was perfect: the evening light, the flowers, Iida's natural way of posing... I am so happy and proud to share these photos with you!

We are certainly going to shoot with Iida again: it was a pleasure to work together and because of her we discovered Siuntio and its beautiful surroundings! Many thanks to Iida's agency too, Paparazzi Model Management.

Camera Nikon Df
Lens Nikon 135mm f/2 DC