NFFF Nordic Master of Photography 2023, Monochrome
Nordic Master of Photography, Monochrome title from Nordic Championship of Photography 2023 with four portraits of bearded men.
Black Tears
The idea of the makeup came after taking this image. I just thought that it needed some extra. I found joker makeup images that I took in 2013. I then added that makeup to this image, and it looked much more like my kind of image.
The Fly
I have seen these portraits with a clear grid reflection on sunglasses. When I found these big round black sunglasses, I decided to give it a try. The image immediately reminded me of a fly, so naming the image was easy. I rarely make monochrome images, but I think it suited this one well. It...
Self-portrait
I took one passport photo, and since my home studio was open, I took some self-portraits. One thing I tested was how this 110mm lens looks wide open. It is incredibly sharp, even in f/2. The second thing I tested was the automatic eye detection for self-portraits. It worked well in smaller apertures, but it...
Orange
I wanted to make something colourful for the “black” theme. The original idea came from the painting “The Son of Man” by René Magritte. I decided to make something similar for myself. I needed colourful fruit, and I found oranges in the kitchen. I used the same colour for the background.
Personal Jesus
This idea is from a drawing from one of my favourite artist Hugleikur Dagsson. And the idea for the drawing comes from Depeche Mode song Personal Jesus so it kind of goes with the musical theme of this series. This is the last image for this series at least for now. I might continue it...
Human vs Life
I got this idea from a friend. I immediately checked the net for used boxing gloves and found these really nice looking old ones for a nice price. The poster was designed in photoshop and added later. I already had that in mind when shooting, so I had the image ready. The old paper texture...
Hanging by a Thread
This one took some editing time. I made the hole from XPS foam and added several textures to it. Skeleton hands were taken individually using my full-size skeleton. I could have done the broken rope when shooting but the idea arrived at me when editing. So I cut and unthreaded the rope and shot it...
Broken Mind
For the props, I had to go to the storage at the end of our building to find the old Finnish army helmet that I have not used for a long time. The words from the 1984 book were a perfect fit for the theme of this image so I added them as a poster...
Puppet Master
I made this cross with strings for the life of an artist series. I just removed the “flags” and it was ready for this image. I was first thinking about hooks like in real body suspension but decided to go to a more surreal route by ropes blending to the body. You are like a...
Bullets Missed
During the shoot, I noticed I did not have made the hood for this idea. I quickly made it from an old bedsheet with textile glue and the shoot could continue. Bullet holes were made later to my favourite building material, the XPS foam. It feels like you are at the front of the firing...
Preserved Heart
The column is a 30-year-old deodorant bottle that I found from the drawers. The scale was spot on for the 1:6 scale models that I have been using in this series. I would have used it anyway but it was a happy accident. Heart and the glass dome are 1:1 scale and were on a...
Doomsday Clock
I made this image without the clock and it was so low balanced that I didn’t like it. I left the image and started thinking if there is anything to add. Doomsday clock seemed to fit the theme and I found this clock from the personal stock I have gathered over the years (phone capture...
The Comedy and Tragedy
I have used these theatrical masks before. I like the look and symbolism that they have, so I keep using them. They were a bit unattached to the image, so I sent the image to a couple of other photographers for an opinion. After the discussion, smoke was added to tie things up. It is...
Sound of Silence
I got this idea when making the three monkeys image. I thought that clouds might look good on the sides. The idea went to the sketchbook and I took the shot in the later shoot. All you hear is silence. All you feel is numbness. All you see is emptiness.
My Only One
I had heart-shaped balloons but I guess they were old since they did burst when I tried to blow air into them. Well, it was quite easy to edit the normal balloon to look like one. So much cry. So much pain. Still missing you, my only one.
The endless rain
Last of the XPS miniatures used in these images. This time the bathtub of stone. I was sitting on our balcony in 2019 and looked at the sky. It was a good cloud day, so I fetched my camera and took about one hundred cloud images during the day. Images are used as brushes or...
Roles I Have to Play
I just love using masks in my images. You just can use them in so many ways to tell stories. And for this image, there is plenty of them. Again a different role for today. Too scared to be yourself. Playing something you think others want to see. But it is just your empty shell.
Trust you seek
Another photo with Frank the skeleton. This time he got the dress on and the bomb from the old picture. Trust you seek but shall not find. The riddle near you will hunt you down.
Angel Crusher
Angel character can be found in many religions. As an atheist myself I don’t have religious views for it. For this image, I see it as a vulnerable human being whose wings are easily broken in today’s unforgiving world. This idea came from Stam1na’s song title “Enkelinmurskain” (Angel Crusher) and I mean the title only....