Breath-taking portraits. Warning: Suffocation risk!

A vacuum cleaner, a tube of lube, and industrial-strength plastic vacuum-sealed bags... What could possibly go wrong?!

It’s not often we see something that completely takes our breath away, figuratively speaking. But if you happen to be a subject for Tokyo-based photographer, Haruhiko Kawaguchi’s Flesh Love series, you can quite literally expect your breath to be taken away.

© Haruhiko Kawaguchi, from the series, Flesh Love.

In photography, it can sometimes be challenging to come up with a concept that nobody has ever thought of before, or has not been brave enough, or crazy enough to execute. For example, who in their right mind would ever consider setting the bride’s dress on fire to get some unique shots?

Kawaguchi’s ongoing series features couples intertwined inside industrial-strength vacuum-sealed plastic bags. Being a vacuum, there’s no air, so not a great deal of breathing can take place. Actually, there's no breathing taking place, and couples can expect to have to hold their breaths for at least 10 seconds.

In order to produce these original portraits, the couples are covered in lubrication, to avoid friction burn with the plastic, and then a vacuum removes all the air. Kawaguchi then shoots a few of frames before asking his assistant to set the love birds free. Should the subjects be affected by a lack of air, a medic is on hand, and they’re handed a can of oxygen.

To see more of Kawaguchi's work, follow this link to see his initial series, and this one to view latest images in the project. Suffice to day, we can’t recommend you trying to replicate these images, bizarre and unusual as they look

© Haruhiko Kawaguchi, from the series, Flesh Love.