If I had a heart

If I had a heart (Vikings)

Smile through the pain

Smile through the pain. This is how I've been feeling these last couple of days. While the sky is falling down on me (for absolutely no good reason at all, just to make things even more confusing), I still have to try to be social, polite and smile. Gladly, these days pass eventually, and gladly, I have been blessed with very understanding bunch of friends, so the most harm was really only done for myself.

Yesterday I had the privilege and honor to meet this lovely lady called Sonja. What at first seemed like a cruel joke on Mother Earth's behalf, turned out to be a good thing for the photos - the sucky sucky cold and snowy weather. Just when I'd thought that the model-freezing-days were behind me already. Oh well, Sonja was a trooper and took it like a girl dressed as a clown in the downtown! It's always pure awesomeness to meet people who just don't give a damn about what the surrounding world thinks of them, and then just make the best of it. All glory to Sonja also for coming up with the concept, wardrobe and the make-up!

I think this set is my all-time favorite so far, especially the head-shots. It's nice to be this proud of myself for once, and I think I deserve to be, as I'm usually way too critical of everything concerning me, myself and I.     

On the top of the world vol. 2

On the top of the world

Last Saturday Sanni came to visit, and we had an awesome photoshoot. These kinds of Saturdays just feel so natural..This is how a Saturday is supposed to be spent!

First we went out and used the outside wall as a white background for some simple headshots. Then we headed to the city to check out a location I'd been wondering about for a while now. I'd been wanting to shoot on a rooftop with the city in the background, so we went to roof of a parking garage and it turned out to be pretty much perfect. 

I persuaded Sanni to buy these awesome pilot sunglasses so we would get some Top Gun feel to the styling. I didn't have to regret that. :)

In search of colors with Julia

Yesterday we went to the city to shoot some basic portraits of Julia before she runs off to Japan for a month. I have to say, yesterday's shoot was extremely refreshing for me. It was awesome to shoot outdoors again, and we found some cool backgrounds with loads of color. I got to experiment with some new color editing tools in photoshop as well. Julia got to be completely herself with no special themes or anything and the whole shoot was very laid back and fun. Perfect Saturday! 

Remember to click the images to see them all sharp and awesome and stuff! ;)

Niina & Hilma

Last week I got my friend Niina and her dog Hilma in front of my camera. Hilma has now moved to another home, and Niina wanted some photos of her. This was my first time shooting animal portraits in a studio environment and I'm quite pleased with the results, even though my Photoshop wasn't really agreeing with me when I was working on some of these. Anyways, here's Hilma and Niina. :)

My Bitch and some other smoking hot black and whites

My Bitch

Heidi came for a visit from Vaasa again, and our regular team went out and built a studio to take some b&w shots of Heidi and Sape. Those two are seriously two of the most gorgeous people ever! As always, we had loads of fun and I'm super pleased with the outcome. :)

Sape and the nude lady, Pusu

Photos & edit: Milla Kouhia

Models: Heidi Järvi & Sape Koskinen

Assistant: Pasi Itäsalo

Queen Ravenna

"I shall give this wretched world the queen it deserves."

Last Saturday I got up at 6 am and started getting ready and packing. Around 9 am I started the car and headed for Nokia to pick up Sanni, and then be begun our 3-hour-roadtrip to Vaasa. A couple of months ago Sanni suggested that we'd turn her into the queen Ravenna from Snow White and The Huntsman, and this was our goal for the weekend. It was fun driving to Vaasa with someone for once. Usually I'm alone and the drive feels so much longer. 

We got to Vaasa around noon, and Heidi took us to check out the location for the shoot. After that I did Sanni's make up and hair and Heidi graciously borrowed her clothes for the outfit. I was supposed to make the feather collar, but that idea had crashed and burned back at home. I had already given up and getting used to the idea that she wouldn't have the collar, when Heidi showed us her little black angel wings that were in fact perfect for the job. 

It seems to have become some sort of a tradition that in every photoshoot there has to be problems with the flashes. Before the shoot was over, a volcano had erupted inside Heidi's head and spit the smoke out of her ears, and I had almost fallen into silent despair when the rim light in the camera right went off only when its highness wanted to. But after all this we managed to get the shots we needed and wanted, and we may still have some of our mental health left to ruin in shoots to come too. 

Photos & edit: Milla Kouhia

Model: Sanni Saarenmaa

Assistant & clothing: Heidi Järvi
Skirt: Marianna Bragge

The Shaman

Photos & edit: Milla Kouhia

Hair & makeup: Miia Leppäaho

Model: Sofia Solanakis

Assistant: Pasi Itäsalo

Behind the scenes -photos HERE!!