Since you often use print as a medium for the execution of your work, may I ask you which type you prefer?
I prefer printing on matte papers, preferably Hahnemuehle, especially for the color rendering.
What comes first, the idea or the fascination with the material? In other words, does the artistic project come first, or is it inspired by the techniques and particular processes that have struck you?
It depends on whether I’m working on a fashion or art project. With fashion projects, the idea comes first. It’s usually inspired by a particular location or a story I have in mind that I want to tell. The idea materializes in a moodboard where I gather a series of images (photographs, paintings, illustrations, etc.) that will later serve as a guideline during the shoot. With art projects, however, I might be inspired by an experience I’ve had or will have.
Do you have any Masters you look up to and feel close to?
Certainly. I’ve always been particularly inspired by great American photographers like William Eggleston, Robert Adams, and Stephen Shore. I believe they were true precursors of contemporary photography, both stylistically and conceptually, through their valorization of everyday banality, portrayed and derogated as artistic photography. Furthermore, having studied film, I can’t help but mention some directors who have influenced my work, including Antonioni, Bergman, and Jarmusch.
I notice in your shots, such as those of the Fashion Week Backstage, a repeated use of the flash that immediately brings to mind the “stolen” photographs and reportages of the second generation Paparazzi, as if you were stylistically close to the work of Ron Galella but with the delicacy and mimicry of the first Annie Leibovitz when she followed the Rolling Stones on tour at the end of the 70s, documenting both their exploits on stage and the backstage of their shows.
Does this way of shooting, which allows the world of fashion to coexist with that of documentary photography, arise from any particular need or research?
Some of the photographers who introduced me to the fashion world were definitely Juergen Teller and Ezra Petronio. One of their defining traits is their creative and personal use of flash. I also began experimenting with this type of photography during my early work. After receiving positive feedback, several brands called me to use the same technique backstage at their fashion shows. In this sense, I didn’t limit myself to Milan Fashion Week, but also explored the international scene, such as London, Paris, and Shanghai.
Biography
Sami Oliver Nakari
I photograph
www.instagram.com/sami_oliver_nakari
Sami Oliver Nakari is a photographer born in 1984.
He was born in Austria to Finnish parents and lived in Oberndorf for the first years of his life.
He then moved to Italy, to Lake Garda, where he began his studies and completed his studies in the film department, which took him first to Rome and then to Finland. At the age of 25, he began another important life experience in Holland, where he worked in the artistic field as a video maker for several Amsterdam galleries. At the same time, he cultivated a passion for photography, drawing inspiration from artists such as William Eggleston, Stephen Shore, and Daido Moriyama. At 31, he exhibited his Directions series for the first time, which includes images of humble city views made interesting by the play of shadows and the strange shapes created by the figures, such as plastic animals glimpsed behind a railing or trolleys lined up in a row.
outside the supermarket.
Shortly after, during a stay of a few months in Berlin, he created a new series in
Black and white, inspired by the city and its rebellious pace. In the German capital, he visited a Helmut Newton exhibition and was struck by his ability to create fashion without clothes, focusing on visual construction and character. Upon returning to Italy, Sami began his journey in these footsteps, creating editorials for print and online magazines, attracting the attention of the first brands who also called on him to design advertising campaigns.
In 2017, he began regularly attending Milan Fashion Week, capturing the highlights backstage in the minutes before the shows. This activity took him to London, Paris, and Shanghai in the following years for similar experiences. His portfolio today echoes the irreverent photography of Jurgen Teller, another example that inspires him in combining the photography of poverty, of a bare and forgotten street, with international fashion. His leitmotifs include scenes from old French films and the commonplace contexts of everyday life, such as city corners and cluttered rooms.
(Text by Roberta Besci)