Internationally established photographer Sølve Sundsbø has photographed some of fashion's biggest names, but when it came to the Pirelli Calendar 2027, he believed one photographer alone couldn't tell India's story.
Having shot last year's Pirelli Calendar, Sølve Sundsbø approached the 2027 edition with a different mindset. He embraced a collaboration with Indian photography legend Raghu Rai (who sadly died in April) – later completed by his daughter, Avani Rai – believing the country's richness demanded multiple perspectives.
In an exclusive interview, Sølve Sundsbø explains why he felt he had "no right" to photograph India on his own, how working with natural light transformed the project, and why the people he met became the calendar's lasting memory.
"No right to do that on my own"
The 2027 Pirelli Calendar marks the first time the publication has been created through more than one photographic voice. For Sølve Sundsbø, that collaboration was essential.
"If I was going to be involved, it was important that it was someone else as well, because I have, in so many ways, no right to do that on my own, being who I am and where I'm from," he says.
Working alongside Raghu Rai – and later Avani Rai – allowed the project to present India through contrasting perspectives.
"I've concentrated on portraits whilst Rai went into the streets," Sølve Sundsbø explains.
"This fact made it more multifaceted. Coming from two completely different vantage points – with my background, and Raghu's background and Avani's background – it gives us a better chance of creating a more multi-dimensional picture of what India is."
"Like doing it again for the first time"
Having created the 2026 Pirelli Calendar, Sølve Sundsbø admits he approached his second edition with a different mindset.
"It was different this time," he says. "Last time, it was just me, my ideas in collaboration with the talent I was photographing."
"This time it was a whole different approach. It was less conceptual, more real photography. It was on location. It was natural light. It was a very different approach on every level."
Sølve Sundsbø explains that it felt like doing it for the first time, but without the pressure.
"Natural light is the most beautiful light"
Unlike the previous calendar, the 2027 edition relied almost entirely on natural light.
"We worked with daylight, almost exclusively; there was just one picture where we added a bit of light, as it was a difficult location."
The team carefully planned the photo shoot around the sun.
"You kind of go, 'At four o'clock we're going to do that picture because the sun will then give us the light we want."
Large diffusion screens softened the sunlight while preserving its natural quality, "but no filters, no nothing, just natural light," Sølve Sundsbø explains.
He adds, "Natural light is the most beautiful light."
"I shot it with a Fujifilm GFX with a huge resolution. It's got great light sensitivity, so you can work in lower-light situations without any problems", Sølve Sundsbø says.
The people became the story
For Sølve Sundsbø, every portrait began with a conversation.
"It's really important that there's a collaboration with the person you photograph, because you don't want to put somebody into a scenario they don't want to do," he explains.
Those conversations often shaped the final image.
"Padma was very happy to be in a lake with lotus flowers because 'Padma' in Sanskrit means lotus flower."
"With Anushka, she loved the monsoon, so we did rain. Every person has a different connection to the picture."
What Sølve Sundsbø will remember most
Asked what moment from the project he will still remember in ten years, Sølve Sundsbø finds it impossible to choose just one.
"It's a bit like choosing a favorite child. It's impossible," he says.
"What I'll take away from it is all the amazing people we worked with. Not only the people in the pictures, but the people around us – the helpers," adds Sølve Sundsbø. "They were great and we had a fantastic time."
