The immediate knowing of something without the conscious use of reasoning. This definition of intuition found in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary best describes the method Nelli Palomäki uses in selecting her subjects for her photographs. She essentially becomes her own radar collecting other people´s feelings while moving within the streets of the city. Based upon these collections Palomäki selects her subjects more by their sensibility than by their appearance. It´s a language without words where understanding is communicated through a nod of the head, a look in the eye, or a smile at the corner of a frown.

Palomäki is one of those rare portrait photographers who inherently found the ability to emotionally merge with the subject she is observing. She combines her fiery spirit with her charm to create an environment of trust. It is through this bond that Palomäki is able to extract the innocence from her subject. Nevertheless, anyone who has ever met Nelli Palomäki knows it´s far more than that.

Her enthusiasm bubbles with an exorbitant vitality that can hardly be contained. For Palomäki it´s not only about taking photographs as it is about seducing life and in the process, sharing that enthusiasm until it´s contagious for all who are around her.

Diane Arbus, Pierre Gonnord, and Francesca Woodman are all good examples of artists who—like Palomäki—have used their internal compass to navigate through the human spirit. It´s a sensibility based more on the color of one´s heart and the ability to transcend beyond what the eye can see.