Photography can be used to focus attention on social injustice and provoke discussion about people who are marginalised from society. This is the view of Mika Juhani Luomansivu, a photographer based in Jyväskylä, who recently took one of the top places in Europe's largest photography competition. His series Mirror of our dreams about marginalised people earned him third prize in the 2009 Prix de la Photographie Paris (PX3).
After a long search, photographer Mika Juhani Luomansivu (40) has found a profession which offers him new creative dimensions every day. At the moment he feels that he has so far only scratched the surface of photography, a means of expression which is already more than two centuries old. He says that he is particularly interested in the relationship between light and shadows: the right light brings out the very essence of the subject.
"I'm especially interested in photographing people and objects. People have their own personality and objects have their own faces, too. The old masters, like Yousuf Karsh and Richard Avedon, knew how to use light," Luomansivu says. He believes in the power of minimalist photographs and their new popularity in a world saturated with information.
Luomansivu says that he is pleased he has found a profession that allows him to realise his creativity and constantly stretch his abilities. It has taken him a long time to find his own place, and he has tried his hand at many different types of work over the years.
"To begin with I spent a couple of years training to be a cook, but I dropped out and went to work on a building site. When I'd done my military service I got into the music scene, carried along by punk rock. I was young and restless," Luomansivu recalls.
He says that he is creative by nature, and recalls that the teachers at his school urged him to go into the theatre. His creativity came out in many ways, such as the time during his schooldays when he climbed onto his desk and started singing Elvis during a religious education class.
"Even though I knew that I had creativity inside me, I drifted into business and computer studies. When I was just over twenty I got a vocational qualification in business and administration. I then set up my own company producing advertising stickers and bought my first camera. Since then a camera has been a natural part of my working day."
Luomansivu was initially keen on natural subjects: he was fascinated by different compositions and colours. He maintained his interest in photography while studying IT at JAMK University of Applied Sciences. When he completed his Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Luomansivu worked for six years as a systems specialist with telecoms company Elisa Oyj.
"The work felt great to begin with. But gradually I started to feel that the world of IT was empty and cold, even though the pay and conditions were good. I kept longing to do creative work and shot a lot of pictures in my spare time."
At the age of 36 Luomansivu finally took the decision he had been thinking about for years and enrolled at Jyväskylä Institute of Adult Education to study photography. Eighteen months later he gained his Further Qualification in Photography, and set up his own studio in early 2007.
"I felt straightaway that photography was the right subject to study. The qualification has given me a good basis for my work: we studied the various stages in the photographic process, lighting techniques, studio and field work, image manipulation and many other aspects that are essential to a professional photographer," Luomansivu explains.
Luomansivu is now studying at the Institute of Visual Communications with the aim of gaining a Specialist Qualification in Photography. He particularly wants to learn how to assess his own work himself, which is an essential skill for photographers.
During his short career as a professional photographer, Luomansivu has already achieved international recognition. He was awarded third prize in the category Book (Series Only) in Europe's biggest photography competition, the PX3 Prix de la Photographie Paris, and he also received a commendation. Luomansivu's entry consisted of portraits of homeless and marginalised men and is entitled Mirror of our dreams.
"I wanted to highlight people whose dreams have never come true and to stimulate the debate about the hard values in our society. The people in the photos have fallen through the cracks, they are outside society and they have become invisible to ordinary people."
Mirror of our dreams is part of a larger series focusing on humanity, which Luomansivu continues to work on. He intends to do portraits of Second World War veterans and women who worked in the Lotta Svärd organisation, and he also has a plan to photograph Bolivian women who have suffered violence.
The 2 lowest pictures were taken as promo photos for the play 'Ansa' ('The Trap'). Kari Kihlström in the role of the inspector, with Eeva Hakulinen as Florence.
words by timo sillanpää, photos by petteri kivimäki, mika juhani luomansivu