The first time Kaisu and I were to meet, I was nervous. Kaisu is an intelligent and ambitious architect – what if I couldn’t give her what she’s looking for? This nervousness dissipated quickly as soon as Kaisu sat down in front of me. We connected right away and the getting-to-know-each-other-chat that regularly lasts for … Kaisu: from (what she thought was) okay-looking to (what we already saw as) beautiful
It was September 2011, the start of my final year of University in Vancouver, BC, Canada. For three years I had been dreaming about taking a ceramics class but it was always coinciding with a mandatory class up until my 4th year. And I’m forever grateful for taking that specific class. Because you see, there … Portraits of the inspiring Julie Damhus
It’s finally time to introduce the amazing Sini. Sini is a 40-year-old successful interior designer who loves to travel and photograph. Sini has also modelled although she hasn’t specifically liked the way she has looked. Sini has had it in her head before that she’s fat. This has prevented her from eating in public all … Gorgeous, strong, sensitive and successful Sini
I love Taru! She’s warm and open, so friendly and kind. And her business, Taru Hanna, is a direct reflection of her cheerful and loving soul. Taru helps small business owners shine in digital spaces, ie helps them with all their digital marketing needs. This business was born when Taru, along with her family, moved to … Brand photos for Taru Hanna
Introducing Viola. A woman so openly herself that you immediately feel the liberating freedom of being your crazy self as well. From the moment we met, conversation flew easily and the more we spoke, so did the giggles. Viola has a pure heart of gold (which is why it was only fitting we did the … Viola glowing in the golden hour
It’s not every day that I get to photograph such a delicate young lady as Ella. Ella had her confirmation camp this summer and her mother decided to gift her with a photo shoot. Ella herself is also interested in photography which she clearly has an eye for since her photographs are gorgeous, serene and … Unique Ella in the Rhododendron park
Oh, Miia! Miia is starting a new adventure in her professional (and personal) life and needed photographs to represent the new her. She connected to my concept of accepting yourself and loving yourself as you are so she contacted me. I was excited to work with her because it was a bit different from what … Miia and her life-long adventure
When Satu and I sat down to have our face-to-face getting-to-know-each-other-chat, I knew her and I would get along just fine. She had been emailing me for a while and shown such openness and trust towards me long before we’d ever met. This always speaks so highly of people: when they’re willing to be vulnerable … Satu and the struggle with her teeth
Until next time lovely. With hugs, Erika
Lotta is a Super Woman. She’s educated, married, has four children and still continues to work – all in the ripe old age of 34. And yet she still experiences inferiority. This is a feeling she doesn’t want to pass on to her children which is what’s pushing her to seek solutions. And that’s how Lotta … Lotta N. – a.k.a. Super Woman
The fourth woman to be photographed for the Me Naiset project was Päivi. Päivi is a 44-year-old woman who’s always battled with her appearance. Päivi told me she’s always had issues with her weight, whether they were imagined or real. She hasn’t been able to relate to her appearance in a healthy way and has … Päivi finding a way to love and accept herself
Salla is a 26-year-old burlesque dancing mother who used to be bullied. She feels good in her own skin as long as she doesn’t have to see any photographs. Because in the photographs she only sees “a bouncy backside, a jelly belly striped by pregnancy and thighs full of cellulite”. Her acne scars make her … Salla – the gorgeous burlesque dancer
More than 80 women applied for the project with Me Naiset magazine. For many of the women their stumbling block was their appearance and even more specifically their size. All we need to do is take a look at the most recent covers of women’s magazines to see how common women’s weight issues really are. Everybody … Nina and her struggle with size
Päivi was the first of the five women I was meant to photograph for the my collaboration with the Finnish women’s magazine Me Naiset. (To read the introduction to this series click here) We met on a cloudy Friday morning in front of the main railway station in Helsinki. As we began walking towards our … Päivi – the stepsister, never Cinderella
Earlier this year I did a collaboration with the Finnish women’s magazine, Me Naiset. We were looking for women who think they’re not photogenic and therefore don’t enjoy being in front of the camera. We received more than 80 applications. Amazing women one after another, we could’ve picked each and every one of them. However, … Me Naiset + Studio Metsä
“I’m so nervous!” That’s the most common phrase I hear at the start of every photoshoot. My response is always some variation of: “I’m so glad!” Because nervousness is an indication that what’s about to happen really means something. In other words, if you didn’t care, you wouldn’t be nervous. When we look at it … Nervous or not, Hanna is showing you the way!
One of the biggest perks in my work is that I get to meet and know the most incredible people. And this woman is no exception. She’s an amazing combination of determination, intelligence, femininity, confidence and sensitivity. She’s a CFO, a wife, a mother, a daughter, a friend and a yogi. She’s all in one. … Kristiina and Lugano – meant for each other
Time for a bedtime story! (Lue suomeksi täällä) Once upon a time there was a girl, who time and time again felt disappointed when looking in the mirror – her wishes still hadn’t been answered, she still looked the same. Her legs were nowhere near the same as the model’s, her face still had the … Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?
Do you remember Alice? Of course you do, how could you forget. The real Alice What I didn’t tell you about Alice in my previous blog post is the reaction I got from her after I revealed the photos. Also, if you haven’t seen them yet, please click on the link above to see them. … Body image story of the beautiful Alice
Have you ever visited Mexico? Not the touristy coastal towns, but the real Mexico? That’s the Mexico I love. And I was lucky enough to visit the beautiful country for the third time in my life. But it was the first time I made a friend there. Earlier this year, as I might have mentioned … Mexico City: New friend in La Condesa
