Emma Sarpaniemi – When the Sun goes down We see Lemons

When the Sun goes down We see Lemons portrays the relationship between myself and my models. In western society connecting with people has become either swiping or texting. By choosing to shoot analogue I stress to search for the lost intimacy and time with my models. We are grounding ourselves in the present rather than looking ahead to the future – it’s all about us together, in that moment.

Balancing between the role of photographer and friend, the intimacy in the photoshoot alters the dialogue to create a new way of connecting with each other. I’m in control of the moment by pressing the release cable but as we are on the same side of the camera, the self-determination is equal. Each one of us can determine oneself freely.

Emma Sarpaniemi is a Finnish photographer recently graduated from the Royal Academy of Art, The Hague. Sarpaniemi’s playful work can be regarded as an expanded form of self-portraiture in which she herself is a character exploring different female roles and relationships with the people she works with. Her work has been recently featured in i-D Netherlands and Der Greif. Sarpaniemi has presented her work at The Finnish Museum of Photography, Melkweg Amsterdam and WORM S/ash Gallery. She is currently working between The Netherlands and Finland.