Strength of Creative Freedom

For those who know photographer Olli Häkkinen, it’s no surprise that he enjoys shooting inanimate objects. It’s not because he doesn’t appreciate or create portraits — far from it. He simply gets his energy from arranging different types of objects into compositions that, for him, represent harmony or universal beauty. Then he lights them in the way he feels best complements the subject. It’s all deeply instinctive. For Olli, it’s ultimately about shapes and colours in their simplest form.

Olli shot these images for Lumene. They represent his working style well: that delicious orange tone, the interesting shapes, the controlled compositions. That’s just the way he works. Olli has been experimenting with a slightly different approach to commercial shoots for some time now. While working in a group can be rewarding and fun, it’s sometimes equally important to be in the studio alone — or with a set designer who understands his vision and becomes an integral part of the process.

With Lumene, Olli has found a mutual respect that gives him real creative freedom. Sometimes he receives a brief and is trusted to create the images as he sees fit. Naturally there are creative discussions and back-and-forth — essential for a successful shoot — but overall he is able to unleash his creativity in a genuinely empowering way. It’s something to be valued.

Olli has been working like this for a while, alongside more conventional group-based productions. He enjoys this method, and it clearly shows in the results. If you feel this approach could serve your needs, feel free to reach out to Olli or Ääri.

More of Olli’s work can be seen on his site.