SISTERS
ELINA MANNINEN AND JOHANNA NORDBLAD
We are sisters and we live on our island, Lauttasaari, in Helsinki. Element water is a passion for both of us.
Elina is a professional photographer and Johanna has a long history in advertising.
We are a good team to work together. In Elina's world "life is a beautiful journey and an adventure" and Johanna says "Let's go. Now".
So - we go for adventures, see the world together and create our beautiful photos and picture books.
ELINA MANNINEN
I have always been the observer, the one who loves to look at people. I could do that all day! I love to ‘see’ people, the way they really are, the fun kids have, the love families share. It makes me happy and I love to be able to give those beautiful memories back to my clients, who usually also become my friends. I love fun, colours, smiles, outdoors and beautiful natural light. My travels have opened up my eyes to see the beauty in natural, every day moments, and to see the changes in light in different parts of the world. This is what I strive for in all my work, with the families I see, with my advertising work, with all aspects of my photography.
If I'm not somewhere in the world making a documentary project with my sister Johanna, I photograph children, families, child fashion and advertising. I make beautiful lifestyle images, which are full of life, emotion, natural light and hopefully stories as well.
I have lived in Australia and New Zealand for 8 years and at the moment I'm based in Helsinki, Finland. I can't think of anything more fun than making documentaries and other projects with my sister. We get to meet so many cool people and for that little moment see the world through their eyes.
JOHANNA NORDBLAD
I love to draw, paint, make up stories and even create functional user interfaces, which can be rather frustrating and neverending. I like to lay out magazines, code websites and design games. In my handbag I always have a pencil, a sketchbook and a couple of marker pens. I have worked full time in digital media, printing products and as a graphic designer in child & family marketing, as a producer, as an Art Director and as a Creative Director since 1997 while sometimes drawing small furry creatures and sometimes being in charge of creating big concepts, projects and managing staff.
If you've seen Onni Orava at S Group, Werneri rabbit at Hiihtokeskus or Helppi at Visit Helsinki, you have met some of my creations, my darling character babies.
On my free time I freedive, ride motocross or downhill bike, snowboard or boat with my RIB-boat or kayak. At times I freedive for results and I have held one World Record and during my years of freediving I have won many other medals in the World Championships.
My newest record is swimming under ice for 50 metres, female record. With only a swim suit. Brrrr, cold.
