Jessica Wikström
Jessica Wikström is an award-winning portrait photographer, based in Stockholm. She specializes in cinematic and creative portraits and gets hired by clients from all around the world to create stunning images for them. Working with one light source and introducing a lot of drama and deep shadows in the images are two of the hallmarks of her style.
Professional portrait artist Jessica Wikström shines a light on her beneath-the-skin approach, staying open to inspiration, a simple studio set-up and the importance of the GFX50S II’s image quality
In the genre of portraiture, beauty reigns – not only on the level of a photograph, but within its contents too. Only a bold few dare to carve a space for hidden depth. In Jessica Wikström’s imagery, however, focus shifts to the intention behind the lens and the humanity beneath a subject’s skin. Through this process, we’re invited to reflect.
Jessica approaches each portrait with a bare-bones set-up, achieving astounding results in surprisingly easy ways, and demonstrating that vision, rather than kit, is the only true photographic limitation.
Getting here was no simple process.
Photo 2021 © Jessica Wikström | FUJIFILM GFX50S and FUJINON GF80mmF1.7 R WR, 1/125 sec at F2.8, ISO 100
Finding a Portrait Photography Style
“I’ve been photographing for 17 years now,” Jessica begins. “Early on, having heard you must try everything as a photographer, I had no direction. I worked in weddings, products, corporate, fashion, you name it. But that drove me to hit a wall. I lost all my passion, sold my kit and quit.
“One day, I got asked to photograph an old colleague and his friends, a fun bunch of bearded dudes. I agreed, but only if I could do it my way. Until that point, I’d forced myself to create in a style that agencies, clients or magazines would like – but it wasn’t my own.
“We created the portraits and they hit the internet to great success. People loved them. That sparked something within me,” Jessica continues.
Photo 2023 © Jessica Wikström | FUJIFILM GFX100 II and FUJINON GF55mmF1.7 R WR, 1/125 sec at F5.6, ISO 400
For the next few years, she developed her style and followed an instinctual pull towards the everyman subject. Photographing a new era of model for male grooming brands, the photographer lay the foundations of an enjoyable career.
“I liked how stylish these men were. They brought something into the public eye that, at the time, people only saw women do. They were so vain and fussy about the way they looked, in a charming way.
“At that time, I realised what I really wanted to do was portraits of real people – capturing them as they truly are. I started caring less about style and more about authenticity.”
Choosing Portrait Models
What attracts Jessica to her portrait photography muses now is far more attainable for photographers of all levels. Centrefold beauty is not a necessity for high-end portraiture.
Photo 2023 © Jessica Wikström | FUJIFILM GFX50S II and FUJINON GF110mmF2 R LM WR, 1/125 sec at F2, ISO 320
“It’s okay if you don’t have a supermodel,” she states. “You can still pose and light your subject like they are one. It’s not about forcing them to fit a certain ideal, but making someone feel their best in a photo.
“It’s important to deal with people you enjoy – and share an energy with – in this genre. The older I get, the more interested I become in people’s stories and what they can tell me, rather than how they look.”
With a model chosen, next steps involve dressing and lighting a studio. It’s here that beginner studio portrait photographers typically stumble, but once again Jessica offers a guiding hand that’s open to all.
Photo 2017 © Jessica Wikström | FUJIFILM GFX50S and FUJINON GF110mmF2 R LM WR, 1/125 sec at F2.8, ISO 100
Portrait Lighting and Set Design
“I love going around flea markets or looking online to find old chairs and wooden boxes for subjects to sit on, or rugs and cloth for backdrops,” she smiles. “You can put together a whole set for £100 that way, which is amazing.
“Next, I’ll prepare my studio early. I try to keep everything I’ve collected there – nice and organised, and close by. If I didn’t have at least the starting image’s set-up clearly in my mind, I would run around not knowing what to do when my model arrived. The aesthetic can always evolve.
“My lighting usually consists of one strobe and one modifier,” the photographer adds. “I love an octabox or umbrella myself – you can do a lot with that. Perhaps not big groups, but certainly a few people.
“Bounce tools help, too. You can essentially create a second low-powered source that way. I don’t have anything specific for that – I’ll just hang a long sheet of white paper.”
Studio flash – or strobes – can be intimidating, and there are more specific approaches than could ever be covered in a single article. Jessica provides general tips, and reminds us that what’s most important is trying anything at all, as the first step on the road to mastery.
Photo 2022 © Jessica Wikström | FUJIFILM GFX50S II and FUJINON GF45-100mmF4 R LM OIS WR, 1/125 sec at F5.6, ISO 500
“At the beginning, I had no clue what I was doing. So, the photos looked bad,” she recalls. “A lot of people starting out will panic when they see that. But you’re not going to know how to use a light when you first get it, and might not even know what it should be used for. You just have to start simple and commit to learning.
“I always use a strobe with a continuous modelling light, so I can view my lighting effect consistently between pictures; it only flashes when triggered. I’d also recommend getting rid of all other studio light, so you don’t get ambient spill.”
The Best Camera for Portrait Photography
Then, there’s camera and lens choice. After selling her kit all those years ago, Jessica used nothing more than a simple fixed-lens system to professional effect. Lately, that’s changed.
Photo 2023 © Jessica Wikström | FUJIFILM GFX50S II and FUJINON GF110mmF2 R LM WR, 1/125 sec at F2.8, ISO 400
“I’m not a deeply technical photographer, in terms of what I demand from a camera. I don’t use advanced autofocus modes or high-speed bursts. It’s all about image quality,” she asserts.
“When I first came across the GFX System, I thought there was no way it could be much different to the camera I’d been using. Then I saw the files and thought, ‘wow, this is what I’ve been looking for’. I’d been chasing that painterly feeling in my images for years. I thought it was my lighting or editing that needed to improve, but it came down to the files and what I can make with them. I haven’t experienced that with any other camera, so it was love at first sight.
“I always use my FUJIFILM GFX50S II in the studio. When I work with families, I attach the FUJINON GF45-100mmF4 R LM OIS WR. With older kids or adults, I can use the GF80mmF1.7 R WR or GF110mmF2 R LM WR. The zoom lens simply lets me keep up with children’s movements, but the two primes are my absolute favourites. They create beautiful fall-off at faster apertures and I can get different types of framing with the two focal lengths.
“I love the Film Simulation modes. They’re a doorway to incredible artistry. Plus, if I photograph RAW+JPEG, it means I’m not committed to that particular look. I can actually see the aesthetic I’m building in the moment.”
Photo 2017 © Jessica Wikström | FUJIFILM GFX50S and FUJINON GF110mmF2 R LM WR, 1/125 sec at F2.8, ISO 100
This final point emphasises that studio portraiture is all about pursuing a vision, encompassing everything covered so far. While she begins with a set idea, there’s always room for change in Jessica’s process. It is her final – and perhaps most important – piece of wisdom to share.
Portrait Photography Advice
“A portrait is shaped by its subject in a big way. A lot of times, I can feel immediately how a scene is going to end up. Some pictures are made to be one certain way, and other visual choices won’t work. Other times, for example, I might have a vibrant person in front of the camera, then discover that they make for beautiful black & white images. It’s not always a direct reflection,” she concludes.
“Either way, if I get too locked into one idea, I don’t dare try anything else. So, I always want to keep my options open. Don’t be afraid to play during a portrait shoot – and make your subject part of the process. Otherwise you’re just going through the motions. You have to stay inspired by the person on the other side of your lens.”