Timeless black and white portraits by Nelli Palomaki

Feature Shoot

The complexity of portraiture is based on its power relationships. Each and every portrait I have taken is a photograph of me too. What I decide to see, or more likely, how I confront the things I see will inevitably determine the final image. But more than that, the intensity of the moment shared with the subject controls the portrait as we stand there with our grave faces, breathing the same heavy air, acutely aware of each other’s details. One is blind and lost without seeing his own appearance, the other is desperately trying to reach the perfect moment. The way people act in front of the camera is truly fascinating. They are desperately searching for their mirror-face that, paradoxically, only exists in their mind. Everyone is aware of their better side and even more acutely of their flaws that they are unsuccessfully trying to hide. They recognize the same in me, and this realization makes me feel extremely insecure, I need to hide myself from their gaze.