We came from very different photography backgrounds: Masha had previously focused solely on fashion, while I had mainly shot weddings and lifestyle. We both felt completely drained, lacking creative energy, and doubting if we could ever create again.
This led us to consciously decide to try something completely different from our previous work—something entirely new for both of us. We relatively quickly chose to try still life photography. We chose it mainly because it’s slower-paced, calmer, and less commercialized – exactly what we needed at the time.
So, we began experimenting. Our early work often featured lots of floating elements within the frame. Each time, we tried something different, learning how to express ourselves in our own unique way. Although we were experimenting with abstract compositions and floating objects, we didn’t yet know how to tie everything together cohesively.
Around that time, I decided to use some of our recent experiments for my day job as a photographer for an automotive company. Although my colleagues liked the result, they all assumed it was created using Photoshop.
That’s when we realized we needed something to unify our photographs, something to connect the different elements. We felt this is what separates photography from collage: a photograph is more than just the sum of its parts.
This connecting element became air and light. We began studying everything about natural light: how it works, how it feels, and how we could mimic it as precisely as possible. The light, and the air it passes through, became the ‘glue’ we needed. This combination could lend believability even to the most surreal-looking compositions.
And these were the first three images that marked the beginning of mmiri.
