Sanna Kamarainen

I am deeply interested in people, their feelings, intimacy and behaviour. They are my source of happiness, sadness and inspiration. I am curious by nature and photographing people, exploring their emotions and lives, the private, intimate side is central in my work. I feel an image should inspire or trigger something very deep within the observer.

This series is based on fear and anxiety. I am not after a specific emotion; rather I am looking at vulnerability, the necessary precedent for emotional honesty. I have been taking pictures of male models leading to a different dynamic in the resulting portraits. The encounters with these men take on the qualities of a seduction, showing the subjects in states of undress and vulnerability.

My aim is to create “real” images; an attempt to expose what is going on deep within the psyche of my subjects. These photographs are of authentic people with their emotional and psychological baggage exposed. Little moments of introspection.

When I shoot I have a certain control over the subject. I like to get as close as possible and create an environment where subjects can express their feelings freely. I am curious what lies behind their eyes, where have they been and where they hope to go.

I often get asked why are they all men? I feel that the gender of the portraits is central to their impact. Their vulnerability makes these men even more alluring. A man showing their vulnerability in public is still unusual, despite the cult of male sensitivity.