Heidi Makkonen - Camera Shop's new brand ambassador
Hi! My name is Heidi Makkonen and I am a professional photographer specializing in commercial lifestyle photography and the newest member of the Kameralieki team. I started working in December as a brand ambassador.
I was born in the rural municipality of Mikkeli, under the seven stars of Otava. Currently, my family and I live in Mikkeli in a small cottage built in the 1930s. My passion for photography has been inherited from both my father's and mother's families. My first contact with cameras was through my father's film camera, which had a cube-shaped flash that Little Heidi found interesting. I got my first film camera a little later, when I was eight years old.
Heidi
I started as a freelance photographer in 2020 and a year later I started my basic photography studies at VVI (Visual Communication Institute) in Tampere. The studies focused on building the foundation of a professional photographer, i.e. lighting management, technique, image processing and different genres of photography. I graduated from VVI in the spring of -23. In the fall of 2023 I was delighted to continue my studies at VVI with a professional degree in media, with the best group of students.
While studying for my undergraduate degree, I became interested in food and product photography, because it allowed me to use my creativity and focus on composition, colors and the use of light. Light is definitely the best thing in photography, how it behaves, how it can be modified, how it occurs in nature and how you can play with it.... For lighting, I use a mix of flash, LEDs and ambient light.
For a long time, I have been a little lost, who I am as a photographer, what my style is, what my signature is, what sets me apart from other photographers. In the summer of 2023, inspiration struck one beautiful summer morning and I soon found myself composing coffee cups on a photographic platform. The inspiration resulted in an artistic and harmonious product image, which was later named “Cups”. I studied and analyzed the image, and realized that I really liked it, because of its simplicity, harmony, and composition. I realized that I was on the verge of my own style. I would describe my photographic style as a manifestation of my love for the simple Nordic lifestyle and nature with a touch of peace and quiet. Peace and quiet, as well as a life that respects nature, also play an important role in my everyday life, so it is natural that it is also conveyed in my work.
Bubbles
In the fall of 2013, I participated for the first time with the photograph “Kupposet” in the Finnish photo awards photo competition organized by the Finnish Professional Photographers Association, which is practically the Finnish photography championship. I was very surprised when the photo made it to the finals among the 10 best photos in the Commercial series. The photo did not win an award, but being in the finals was a significant and great achievement. This encouraged me to continue in the style I had chosen as a photographer and to start developing my style further.
My work as a photographer and previously as a graphic designer has given me an eye for color and a sense of detail that go hand in hand with a photographer's work almost unnoticed.
Here at Kameralieikke, various photographs, videos, and texts are created through my eyes and hands, diving into the world of photography. It's a pleasure to start in the team and I'm looking forward to future assignments. See you on Kameralieikke's channels!
With warmth: Heidi
Instagram: @kala_slowphotography
Instagram: @kala_soul_portrait
Website: https://kalaslow.photography
