17.03.2018

When Alexandra asked me to go on a photo session with her, I said yes right away: having taken a break of a couple of weeks after Faroe Islands, I was so eager to get behind the camera again! Not to mention that, after seeing the photos my friend Alina took of Alexandra, I was really keen on taking some myself.

We met on a very cold Saturday afternoon in the city centre of Helsinki, as I wanted to get some urban shots as well: I still want to push myself to try out different locations, not to get stuck with nature settings only — even if that's where I am the most comfortable.

We started beside my favourite brick buildings in Katajanokka, then walked to Kruununhaka and ended up in Musiikkitalo for a few shots indoors. Eventually we decided to make the most of the golden hour in the nature at hour favourite location by the sea, just outside Helsinki. Overall, three very different sets which I am quite satisfied with. Which one is your favourite?

The day ended with tea and cake at Tin Tin Tango — a new discovery — and a lovely chat with Alexandra: I am surely going to call her again to pose for me!

Camera Nikon Df
Lens Nikon 135mm f/2 DC

21.02.2018 — Faroe Islands

One of my favourite places in Faroe Islands was definitely the island of Suðuroy, but I also loved the little village of Múli in Norðoyar — where we didn't meet a single soul except for a very friendly black sheep.

With the last Faroese model we met, Bjørt, we decided to have our session in Gjógv and in Funningur, two charming villages by the sea in the Eysturoy region. I fell in love with Funningur — even the name in itself is just perfect, isn't it? In my opinion the most beautiful location where we took portraits. Not to mention that the cloudy weather enhanced the dramatic landscape around us so well!

Even if we spent 12 days in Faroe, I still felt like there was much more to see that we couldn't fit in our schedule and I would have stayed there much longer! The day we flew back to Finland, I felt very melancholy about leaving such a peaceful and friendly place. While writing this I am wearing my Faroese knit and, if I hug myself, I can still smell Faroe and my heart skips a beat because of all the vivid memories.

Call me crazy, but part of me still dreams about living in a small hut in a remote village, like Funningur, and perhaps I will one day. Though for now, I only know I will be back to visit Faroe Islands many times in the future!

Camera Nikon Df
Lens Nikon 135mm f/2 DC

20.02.2018 — Faroe Islands

The day we met adorable Sigri was so sunny it felt like summer. In fact, summer in Faroe Islands doesn't get too warm, so 15 degrees Celsius is a positively balmy day — but be ware of the wind, as I had never felt a wind so strong and Helsinki can be very windy!

We started our session on the mountains, by the old road for Tórshavn, Oyggjarvegur: the views from up there are breath-taking and most locals still use that road, despite the fact that taking the newly built tunnel would be much faster.

When I said "adorable Sigri" I wasn't exaggerating: we have felt extremely at ease with her since the moment she got in our rental. She was wearing a lovely brown knit made by her grandma and she was happily chatting away with us, as if we were good old friends. We both liked her so much, we actually ended up giving her some of the clothes we brought for the session since she seemed so into them — especially the blue puffer.

We decided to end our photoshoot once again in Kirkjubøur: the light was very different from the afternoon we went with Juanita, so we stayed out until late to make the most of the golden hour. It was a beautiful day, perhaps my favourite we spent in Faroe.

Camera Nikon Df
Lens Nikon 135mm f/2 DC

17.02.2018 — Faroe Islands

The days we weren't meeting models, we spent slowly soaking in the beauty of Faroe, visiting charming little villages and chatting away with the locals — always so friendly! Quite often we ended our evenings in a coffe shop in Tórshavn — my favourite was Paname Café — tasting Faroese delicacies and looking through our photos. I fell in love with an extremely hard Faroese cracker called Skipskeks: I wouldn't recommend it to everyone, but I found it delicious!

We met Maria on a Saturday morning outside her home in lovely Vestmanna and we were pleasantly surprised when her parents invited us in for a delicious homecooked brunch. It was wonderful chatting with them and learning more about life in Faroe!

Needless to say, we chose to photograph Maria because of her amazing curly hair but we ended up meeting a young woman that was so much more than her looks. In a few months, she will leave Faroe to spend a year studying in the United States: I wish her all the best and I'm hoping to have her in front of my camera again in the future!

Below a selection from our session in charming — and very rainy — Saksun.

Camera Nikon Df
Lens Nikon 135mm f/2 DC

15.02.2018 — Faroe Islands

It didn't take longer than a day for me to feel at home in Faroe: it's hard to put down into words the sense of calm and peacefulness I experienced. This was definitely because of the incredibly beautiful and solitary landscape surrounding us, but also because of the people I met and their pace in life — which felt so different from what I was used to!

The second time we met Juanita — two days after the first session — I remember picking her up outside her work place and spending the drive to the location chatting with her as if we were old friends. She was knitting a sweater in the back seat of our rental, telling us about Faroe: we had many questions, but she seemed happy to answer them all.

The location for this session was Fossá — one of the highest waterfalls in Faroe. The mist of the water rising from the waterfall made for a very moody backdrop and the reddish colour of the earth matched perfectly with Juanita's copper hair.

Camera Nikon Df
Lens Nikon 135mm f/2 DC

13.02.2018 — Faroe Islands

Juanita was our first Farose model and therefore our first encounter with the Faroese culture — a wonderful first encounter, I must say!

Living and working in Tórshavn as a teacher, Juanita is originally from Suðuroy, the southernmost of the Faroe Islands. She has been modelling for 10 years and having her in front of my camera was a real pleasure, but most of all I enjoyed getting to know her — so much that we decided to go on a second portrait session together!

That day we started our shooting in the old part of Tórshavn — which is certainly the tiniest and one of the most charming capital cities I have ever visited. We then continued to the village of Kirkjubøur, where it started to rain quite heavily. I quickly learnt though that the weather in Faroe changes quite fast and ended up taking my favourite shots of the session, when the rain stopped shortly after.

Camera Nikon Df
Lens Nikon 135mm f/2 DC

03.02.2018

February begun with snowfalls and icy cold days here in Helsinki. The days are finally getting longer though, so that means more time for photos!

When we decided to go to Suomenlinna with Heidi — one of my favourite models — I wasn't sure what to expect, but we ended up mostly using the colourful houses as backdrops because the weather was quite grim and we did not feel like walking by the sea. What do you think of these? Urban settings have been really inspiring me lately!

Camera Nikon Df
Lens Nikon 135mm f/2 DC