10.15.15

LA BOUND

Taking off to LA today to see my love. It's been 3 weeks too long. We have a 3 week rule that we try to attend to, but our schedule's vary so much which makes it difficult to stick to at times. Being from two complete different countries is interesting, Sweden and the US. Though we have our cultural differences there is a very strong connection that brings us together, and in 9 out of 10 times the culture clash is something very beautiful. 

Given that I spent 12 years in the US as a child I do feel like a piece of my heart has a special place here. Though its not part of my heritage or culture, those 12 years were significant years in developing my identity. I do feel more Swedish at all times, especially when I'm in the US, but when I'm in Sweden, there is something that pulls me back. Home is Sweden, but being in between the two keeps my heart at ease. 

10.14.15

MICHA x LUCINDA

Team work is key, it always helps me see things from different perspectives. Here is a collaboration I did with my dear aussie Lucinda Taffs. These photos of Annie were taken in Malibu a few months back. 

10.13.15

Mason Rose 

Like most of your typical instagram girls, I too share a love for palm trees. Tree's are wise, they tell an old story. There is something very playful and exotic about Palm Trees. I wanted to share one of my favorite Palm Tree Photographers with you - Mason Rose. 

10.13.15

Go Sit On a Cactus / Understated Leather

Here they are, my first campaign for Understated Leather. I can't even tell you how many times I run into these photos, I see them everywhere. Having people repost these photos uncredited or credited is the best compliment of all. That means I did the job well, however, the result is always amazing when I get to shoot this natural beauty. We shot this in the spare of the moment, and it took us about 15 minutes. Best advice to my models: don't model, just be weird but still natural - whatever that means... open to interpretation. 

All we needed here was an epic jacket, Anna Herrin, a few cactuses, and good friends.  (Click on photo to enlarge)

10.12.15

Found in today's inspiration archives.

By photographer Prue Stent

10.11.15

Christina

From time to time I do test shoots for modeling agencies in NY, here are a few portraits I took a while back of beautiful Christina for One Management. 

10.10.15

BIG CITY LIFE

Something I always struggle with is staying visually inspired in New York. I thrive off of nature, open spaces and natural lighting, and unfortunately I never seem to get enough of that in NYC. New York has great benefits, but concrete and cars just don't do it for me. Here are a few photos to inspire my day to day urban fashion photography. 

How to shoot fashion in a concrete jungle:

- Find a street or roof with good access to natural light - Play with shadows - Go on a mission to find an intriguing wall or fence - Avoid windy streets - Have patience - 

#artistsunknown

10.09.15

XYLØ

Brother and sister duo 'XYLØ' just recently released their latest single 'L.A Love Song', and I'm hooked. They convey a dark aesthetic, a unique sound, and raw lyrics. Here are a few photos I developed on film of Chase and Paige Duddy this summer. 

10.08.15

Hawaii 

Another session with my favorite, Janni, channeling ultimate beach vibes. 

(Click the photo to enlarge)

10.06.15

Was so excited when Janni Deler and I were able to merge together Jon Olsson and Riley, who are like two peas in a pod, feels like we have been friends for a very long time when we have actually only known each other for a little over a year. Here is a little storyboard, captured in Hawaii. 

click on photo to enlarge. 

10.04.15

HAWAII 

I was recently on an unforgettable trip to Hawaii with my dear friends and boyfriend, Janni Deler, Jon Olsson and Riley Harper. What a humbling and beautiful place. During our vacation, Janni and I took on the opportunity to shoot, a whole lot. Instead of your typical tanning we danced along the beaches with our cameras, amazed by the light and colors. 

Here are some shots from one of our impromptu shoots, minus the beach.  

(Click on the photo to enlarge)


10.03.15

WELCOME

So glad you found me. Now, this is a bit long, but it tells the story. 

After years of photography and content collecting I decided to start my own website. Here you will find everything from my digital photography, film photography, inspirational components, interviews & collabs, as well as various forms of blogging or "journal taking".

I have been doing photography for about 6 years now, and what pushes me to pursue it is that notion of being able to frame things, not literally, more like capturing my own moments, in the light that I see them. I started doing concert photography at age 18, and quickly learned that I knew what looked appealing, and I also knew when to press the shutter release. 

Through shooting artists in their most vulnerable state, on stage, where there is so much emotion and anticipation I learned that my niche was people. So I started photographing people in the crowd, more like obsessed fans. This brought me to India.. which probably doesn't make any sense at all, but I wanted what was real. After spending a few months volunteering at a school for young bright children and being placed into a culture that was so unfamiliarly beautiful to me I realized that I loved lifestyle photography.

So, I traveled to Rwanda and tried shooting wildlife and more people. And, well, I loved it. Being amongst the few Mountain Gorillas that are left in the world was very raw and a very different framework. Mountain Gorillas never take a bad picture. 

When I was 20 I moved to the US and kind of just fell into fashion. It was a rollercoaster of good times and confusion. As an artist, it made me put my work and values in perspective. After being caught up in the LA scene of fashion and then getting reality checks when reminiscing on my previous adventures I discovered that photography had so much more depth outside of fashion. 

So - at the moment. I shoot fashion, and still love it, but my aesthetic keeps changing based on my previous experiences. Somewhere my creativity is a balance of being lost in translation and culture adaptation. What I have learned is to be considerate and to always be able to stand up for your work. 

Can't wait to share my picturesque and bicoastal love story between New York, LA and occasionally Sweden in between. 

xx

Michaela Wissen