You can’t demand attention, you attract it
Photography, creative direction and strategy for people who want to be noticed
Essi Hirvonen
Women’s spirituality and intentional silence as acts of rebellion.
Essi Hirvonen is a double bassist, folk musician, and composer.
E
ssi Hirvonen is a double bassist, folk musician, and composer. Her double bass music stands as a counterpoint to today’s fast-paced world, rooted in sparse improvisation, long-form expression, and a deep focus on listening to and experiencing the instrument’s resonance. The thematic depth of Hirvonen’s music, her creative approach to the double bass, and her deeply present performance style together create an experience that profoundly resonates with the audience.
In this project with Essi, we visually explored how her artistic identity and music could be represented through photography. The fusion of Orthodox Christian thematics with experimental music offered a compelling subject. Essi does not want her music to be about herself, but rather about the listener—guiding them toward a more peaceful, meditative state of mind and encouraging them to explore what arises within.
Balancing act of light and darkness
Women’s spirituality is rarely spoken of today. Essi is a strong, distinctive personality, and during our conversations, she mentioned her admiration for Robert Mapplethorpe’s black-and-white photography and the poetic intensity of Nick Cave. Women’s spirituality and intentional silence are acts of rebellion. In a world consumed by noise and chaos, intentional stillness is punk. Her art is a balancing act of light and darkness — a place for inner dialogue where only the resonance of her instrument keeps listener company. The photographs turned out calm, echoing, and strong — much like her music. The iris flowers, often seen in Orthodox iconography, symbolize divine connection.
Learn more about to Essi at essihirvonen.com, a website designed and developed by us.
Team
Nelli Nyman
Jami Granström
Services
Visual Identity
Photography
Retouching & Grade
L.A. Sylvia
Curated visuals for rising alt-pop & RnB artist
Raw, atmospheric, and emotionally charged
When we first listened to L.A. Sylvia’s music, it immediately evoked a specific feeling: driving through the city at night, alone with your thoughts, neon lights reflecting on the windshield. That sensation became the starting point for the visual world we created.
The visual identity was built around contrast and intimacy, mirroring her music, which moves effortlessly between vulnerability and intensity. Drawing from her underground roots in Helsinki and London, as well as the cinematic nature of her sound, we wanted the visuals to feel raw, atmospheric, and emotionally charged.
We chose a car as the primary setting: a moving, enclosed space that feels both private and exposed. Shooting at night allowed neon lights, street reflections, and shifting shadows to become part of the narrative: creating a visual language that feels urban, cinematic, and slightly surreal. The glow of artificial light against darkness echoes the tension present in L.A. Sylvia’s soundscapes.
The result is a visual identity that doesn’t just accompany the music, it amplifies it. Capturing the feeling of motion, introspection, and torn emotions that defines L.A. Sylvia as an artist.
Listen to L.A. Sylvia on Spotify
Services
Visual identity
Photography
Creative direction
Retouching & Grade
Free Tazu
Charismatic and unapologetic
The strongest marketing doesn’t shout — it connects.
Free Tazu was created for Valofirma’s social media channels as a tribute to legendary filmmaker Tazu Ovaska — and as an celebrated example of what longevity in the film industry means.
With a career spanning over 45 years, Tazu represents a generation of filmmakers whose presence has shaped the Finnish film industry from behind the scenes. As he approached retirement, we didn’t want to frame the moment as an ending, but as a release. Together with Valofirma, we set out to celebrate Tazu exactly as he is: charismatic and unmistakably himself.
The campaign took the form of a series of highly stylized portrait photographs, featuring Tazu holding the newly launched Aputure MT Pro. Visually, the images lean into contrast and confidence — bold lighting, centered composition, and an unapologetic sense of personality echoing from the old world. While the MT Pro is present throughout the imagery, it remains secondary to the subject. The story leads with Tazu, allowing the product reveal to surface only toward the end.
This approach was intentional. Rather than traditional product-first advertising, the campaign focuses on people and legacy — using storytelling to build meaning around the brand without overt self-promotion. The result is content that feels human, respectful, and rooted in the community Valofirma serves.
he project later expanded beyond photography. Designer Simo Liukka created a shirt print based on the portraits, featuring the statement FREE TAZU. The message reframes retirement not as withdrawal or silence, but as freedom, a moment when decades of hard work are finally behind you and you’re free to do whatever you want, without expectation or limitation.
Free Tazu is ultimately a community-building campaign. It celebrates individuals rather than institutions or job titles, and continuity rather than closure. By spotlighting the people who make the industry what it is, the project reflects our broader belief: the strongest marketing doesn’t shout — it connects. As Tazu spent most of his 45-year career before the digitalization of movie cameras, we decided to shoot his portraits primarily on medium-format film, in honor of tradition. The working culture around film is more than a format, it’s an essence in the way of looking, creating, and thinking about an image.
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Services
Photography
Concept
Osmia
Essence of Finnish sauna culture
Control over every sensory detail
Osmia is a Finnish brand founded by chemist‑turned‑perfumer Eero Vänttinen, who left his academic path to pursue a deeper connection to scent and nature. Every product is made in Helsinki, where Osmia oversees the entire process — from selecting raw materials to the final pour — ensuring complete control over quality and sensory expression.
We shot photos for their collection of concentrated sauna aromas designed for the quintessential Finnish sauna ritual. For this project, we set out to create visual identities that reflect the purity of Osmia’s approach: simple, elemental imagery that highlights the bare‑bones ingredients and the quiet rituals that are so important to us Finns. The resulting brand images accompany their three signature scents: Birch, Pine (kelohonka), and Eucalyptus, capturing the calm, grounded mood of a Finnish sauna in its most authentic form.
Client
Team
Nelli Nyman
Jami Granström
Services
Photography
Concept
For big and small dogs
A nod towards the classic print ads we admire
Equally important, equally loved
This lighthearted campaign created for Valofirma socials and print ads features then-office dogs Bestur (left) and Pahis (right). The contrast between their size symbolizes the difference between clientele of both Valofirma and Kamerafirma. From huge international Hollywood productions to smaller-scale agile run-and-gun projects, both are equally important and loved, just like these dogs.
The visual style of this campaign is a nod towards classic print ads we admire, such as New Balance’s or 60’s car advertisements, simple visuals combined with a witty headline.
Team
Nelli Nyman
Jami Granström
Services
Photography
Concept
Copy
Arri Sky Panel X
Sparkly tinsel curtains, smoke, and blue‑purple lighting
Embracing bold, expressive visuals in an industry that often plays it safe
Arri has introduced the Skypanel X, a long‑awaited addition to their LED lineup. In Finland, where lights are often used outdoors, the new weather‑proof design is especially welcome.
To mark the launch, we teamed up with Valofirma to create a visual celebration. Sparkly tinsel curtains, smoke, and blue‑purple lighting amplified the lamp’s warm glow and turned the shoot into a small light show.
This campaign reflects our approach: embracing bold, expressive visuals in an industry that often plays it safe. Valofirma’s clients are some of the most creative people working in the industry, and Valofirma has been brave enough to match that energy with colorful, experimental content.
Services
Photography
Concept
Leica Elsie
Visual language of classic luxury product photography
To capture beauty and emotion
When Kamerafirma received one of the first sets of the new Leica Elsie lenses in Europe, we wanted to celebrate them properly, not by placing them against the usual grey, sterile backdrop or simply opening their transport case. These are lenses used by some of the world’s leading cinematographers to capture beauty and emotion. They are luxury objects, both in price and in craftsmanship, and deserved to be treated with the same respect as a fine watch or a perfume bottle.
With Valentine’s Day around the corner, we leaned into the visual language of classic luxury product photography: soft powdery pink fabrics, delicate flowers, and a romantic atmosphere that highlighted the lenses as the jewels they are.
The project received a warm response for breaking away from industry conventions, and even Leica themselves took notice of the concept.
Team
Nelli Nyman
Jami Granström
Services
Photography
Art direction
Concept
Retouching
Filmmaker Flatlay
Tools of the trade
Highlighting independent filmmakers and their trusted toolkits
“Filmmaker Flatlay” is a social media photo series created for Valofirma, showcasing independent filmmakers, community members, and the personal gear they rely on. The series is a glimpse into the kits that keep their productions moving and make them feel prepared for sudden changes and requests. Alongside with the images in the interview, the subjects get to tell about their approach and philosophy behind their choices. People behind the camera are often passionate about their craft, but rarely get a chance to speak publicly about it. Together with Valofirma we wanted to give them a platform, especially during these challenging times across industries.
People are naturally drawn to other people, yet they’re equally fascinated by their colleagues’ tools of the trade. The series has become exceptionally popular on social media, with constant requests to feature individuals from different departments.
We’re often asked whether these images are made with AI or composited in post. In reality, every shot is created entirely in-camera, with each item carefully arranged around the subject.
Read Producer Tiina Pesonen’s Interview (bottom left)
Read Production Designer Heini Erving’s Interview (bottom right)
Team
Nelli Nyman
Services
Photography
Concept