30.03.2019

After several photoshoots in the city — I realised I spent the entire winter shooting indoors or in urban settings — it was high time to go back to the nature. As much as I appreciate the stunning design buildings in Helsinki, I find it much more relaxing to shoot outside the city. Winter is not ideal for that, though now that finally spring is here and summer is approaching, I'm looking forward to being in my element more often!

This time around I got to work with Jessica — a talented stylist who did an incredible job to collect some beautiful pieces of clothes that perfectly fit the mood we were after — and with Veramari — a gorgeous young model. Once again, I must thank Onni agency!

I enjoyed that Saturday morning so much, everything went smoothly: the weather was warm enough, the sky was just the right amount of overcast and both Jessica and Veramari did an excellent job. How do you like the result?

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

24.03.2019

Yet another great photoshoot arranged through Onni agency: it's a pleasure working with them! I'm planning to do many more now that spring has finally arrived in Helsinki!

This time I met Vilma in Kalasatama, a neighbourhood of Helsinki which has been under redevelopment for the past few years. I thought the new playground and the modern buildings in the backdrop would make for a cool location, don't you agree?

It was a very pleasant afternoon: despite the strong wind, we managed to take several good shots and I loved Vilma's outfit, which she has styled herself!

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

09.03.2019

After shooting in Oodi and being so happy with the results, I simply had to try my luck in another public library. Fortunately, in Helsinki there is no shortage of cool looking libraries; one of them is Kaisa-talo — the university library just a few-minute walk from our home.

That day the weather was on our side: the wind kept the afternoon sky clear, so a magnificent light filtered through the big windows of Kaisa-talo. The light is such an important factor for my photos to look right.

Our model this time was Nanna — whom we got in touch with through Onni agency. Working with Nanna was wonderful: she was perfect in front of the camera and such a pleasant person too. I felt immediately at ease with her!

I'm truly happy with these photos and the overall shooting left me feeling completely satisfied with the way I performed — which doesn't happen often. I'm so grateful for this day!

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

26.01.2019

My quest to find interesting and convenient urban locations for the colder months continues: this time we tried the roof top of the new shopping centre REDI, just a couple of metro stops from the centre of Helsinki. The day was cold and snowy, but we could easily pop indoors to warm up every few shots, which was great!

I was very happy that Chono — a beautiful Helsinki-based young model from Zambia — had agreed to pose for us! The contrast between the snow flakes and Chono's skin tone is so striking that it makes these photographs very powerful, don't you agree? I really hope to be able to shoot with Chono again, perhaps on a warmer day next time!

Camera Nikon Df
Lens Nikon 105mm f/2 DC

24.02.2019

Isn't it very annoying when, after an entire week of sunshine, the day that you have scheduled a photoshoot the weather turns bad? That's pretty much what happened this time around, though we didn't let the bad weather win!

I had never considered Autotalo as a location for a photoshoot before, but the lobby turned out to be easily accessible and quiet. There wasn't much for us to work with, though we made the most of it; the staircase was especially interesting.

Shooting with Marjana once again was lovely. Since last summer, she has signed up for Paparazzi Model Management and getting more experienced. I'd love to work with her more often!

Camera Nikon Df
Lens Nikon 105mm f/2 DC

10.02.2019

Despite the dreadful weather, we had a really fun time shooting in Merihaka with Maleek! He was the one reaching out to me on Instagram, when I asked if someone was interested in modelling for me. At first I thought to postpone the shooting to a day with better weather, but then I thought I could take a challenge and so I did.

Many thanks to Maleek! He was professional but also down-to-earth and easy to talk to. I don't usually arrange shooting with guys, but this was a very pleasant experience which truly makes me want to have more men in front of my camera!

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

P.S. During our shooting, an elderly lady was coming down an ice-covered staircase, but Maleek offered to help her and carried the trolley all the way down for her. There should be more people like Maleek, don't you think so too?

02.02.2019

The Helsinki city theatre Kaupunginteatteri is certainly one of the most beautiful locations I have ever shot in! Even if only a five-minute walk from home, I had never been inside the building but I had always admired the marble staircase through the big windows.

It was actually Jacopo's idea to use the hall of the theatre as a location for one of our shootings. We both decided that Heidi would have been the perfect model because of her impeccable taste; in fact her pastel colour suit was classy and yet very original — I loved it!

I am really happy with the results! Even if at the beginning I was overwhelmed by the grandeur of the location, I eventually managed to take several good shots. I hope you will like them as much as I do — you can see more on my Instagram.

Many thanks to Helsinki Kaupunginteatteri and to Heidi, of course!

Camera Nikon Df
Lens Nikon 105mm f/2 DC

20.01.2019

This is the time of the year when shooting outdoors is extremely challenging — for both model and photographer — so I'm on the lookout for inspiring indoor locations. Even though it's hard for me, as I still prefer natural light!

I only shot inside Helsinki metro once last year, so I thought I could give it another try. Sara — a lovely model with a pixie haircut I met through my friend Riim — agreed to come and pose for me. It was a fun photoshoot and Sara was very professional, but I'm not too keen on the artificial light of the metro stations. What do you say?

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

12.01.2019

The first photoshoot of 2019 was a special one! Oodi, the new Helsinki public library, has finally opened and it is every bit as grand as I was expecting it to be. With my dear friends Riim and Kristo, we arranged a shooting on an early Saturday morning: Riim was to be the model, while Kristo and I were going to be behind our cameras.

Even though indoor shooting in crowded public spaces is not something I'm very confident with, I have managed to produce a few photographs that I'm quite proud of! The morning light filtering through the big windows of Oodi was certainly helpful, as it felt almost like shooting outdoors. What do you think of these? I would like to shoot more architectural portraits this year!

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

24.11.2018

After having used my 50 mm for the entire Portugal trip, I got inspired to use it more for my portraits too. Lately I feel like I want to show more of the settings of my portraits and for that I need more depth of field and a wider lens, that is why my 50 comes in handy.

Being the nature a bit sad in November, I find myself choosing to shoot more and more in the city. This time I chose Löyly, an interesting looking restaurant by the sea. The massive wooden structure, built on multiple layers, offers plenty of inspiring backdrops.

On that sunny Saturday morning, we met with Festa and made the most of the few hours of light that November allows. Shooting with Festa was a pleasure and Löyly gave me the chance to try something different. How do you feel about these?

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

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