Our latest Headshots Matter StudioTalk featured Sissela Johansson, a Swedish photographer known for her emotionally resonant portraits of women. Her work isn’t about perfection or polish—it’s about truth. Through her calm presence, unhurried process, and deep empathy, she creates photographs that allow women to see themselves honestly, often during moments of transition or self-rediscovery.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for this StudioTalk LIVE on Instagram. These conversations remain an important way to share the experience, practices, and viewpoints that help shape our community.

A special thanks to Sissela for her openness, her generous way of speaking about her work, and the calm honesty she brought to this session. For those of you who enjoy a read in addition to a watch and listen, we’ve created a short blog excerpt below. [↓]

Please enjoy and feel free to comment or ask any questions below in the comments.

Cheers, Dwayne.

Photographing Truth, Not Perfection

Sissela describes herself as being “in flux”—a creative state of questioning, adjusting, and redefining. That sense of movement filters into her portraits. Many of her subjects come to her at times of personal change: after loss, divorce, or new beginnings. Instead of posing them into confidence, she builds trust by sharing her own vulnerability.

“I always joke that I’m a bad business owner because I bring my soul and my feelings into the work,” she said. “But that’s where the best images happen—when we meet each other as humans.”

Her sessions begin with long conversations over coffee rather than quick camera setups. Clients are invited to bring their whole selves into the room—their stories, insecurities, and emotions. Sissela believes that this shared honesty is what transforms photography from a transaction into something much more intimate.

The Truth Seer

Sissela’s portrait philosophy centres on respect and presence. She considers herself a “truth seer”—someone who doesn’t construct beauty but reveals it.

“It’s not about making someone beautiful,” she explained. “They already are. My work is about creating space for that truth to be visible.”

Her authenticity extends to every detail of her process. She no longer works with makeup artists, preferring subjects’ natural appearance over any manufactured version of themselves. “Clients used to say, ‘I don’t recognise myself,’ and that felt wrong,” she noted. “So I stopped. Now, what you see is you.”

That decision shapes her distinctive style—soft, cinematic, and grounded in reality. Whether photographing in the forests near her home or inside a simple, sun-lit room, she lets mood and light guide her rather than trend or formula.

Women, Aging, and Reclaiming Beauty

Her current personal project, Crone, explores how society views women as they age. Drawing from Norse mythology, the project reframes the “crone” not as an insult but as a symbol of wisdom and strength.

“It’s about reclaiming the word and the women it describes,” she said. “In a world obsessed with youth, we forget that older women carry knowledge the rest of us depend on.”

Through Crone, Sissela invites her subjects—often women over fifty—to be photographed without filters or expectations. The resulting portraits are unapologetically real: skin textured, expressions unguarded, beauty redefined on their own terms.

Creating Space for Others

For Sissela, photographing women is also about giving them back space they were once told not to take up. As she put it, “When I photograph someone, I leave my ego at the door. It’s not about me—it’s about them.”

Her quiet, deliberate sessions allow that truth to unfold naturally. There’s no rush, no performance—just two people meeting in the middle. Many clients describe the experience as emotional or even therapeutic. Sissela is quick to clarify that she isn’t a therapist, but she is a witness, holding space for her subjects to see themselves clearly, perhaps for the first time.

The Gift of Honesty

In an era where filters, AI, and surface perfection dominate, Sissela Johansson’s work stands as a reminder of what photography can still do at its best: reveal humanity. Her portraits feel like conversations—a dialogue between photographer and subject where truth, not appearance, is the goal.

She laughs when people call her style “raw” or “moody.” To her, it’s simply real. And real, as she puts it, “is enough!”

You can view Sissela’s work at: www.sisselajohansson.com or follow him on Instagram at: @sissela.johansson

StudioTalk