I photograph whatever I find interesting. I do not categorize myself into one kind of photography. I like the diversity. The diversity enriches and make photography more interesting. Some people like to focus on one thing in order to get really god at it. That is not for me. I feels too restrictive. It could be that I am interested In to many things. But i like to explore in different fields.

One could say that I photograph everything and nothing. My photography comes and goes from time to time. Sometimes my inspiration falls short, photography is stalling and no pictures are taken. In other periods the inspiration is strong and the feeling of joy for photography comes back. The camera is taken out of the bag to consume the daylight or maybe the light from the strobes in my studio.

My ordinary work has taken a lot of time and effort. Maybe a little to much. Therefore my own photography has been held back a lot. When I photograph I do it mostly for my own sake.


Slow photography

I like to think of my own photography in terms of Slow Photography. I believe that pictures often gets better if I allow the process to take time. I does not matter if it is about documentary photography or a portrait in the studio.

To photograph feels like a meditative process for me. A rest from the daily life. An escape from stress, pressure and have tos. A time when I can allow me go into myself. I shut out the world, get engulfed by the creative process and become one with the subject.

In documentary photography, the images that I want may not always come directly. I am trying to read the situation. Trying to predict what is going to happen. Waiting for the right moment. Sometimes it happens quickly and sometimes the wait will be longer. But I feel calm in these situations. If I start to stress it will be only harder to focus. The concentration is there. I go into my own little bubble and exist in the present. It is not always that the picture come out the way I have imagined. Or maybe the event plays out differently than what I did foresee. Then it will be a new attempt to wait for the next possible moment. A bit patience is of essence here. I try to be open for the process and allows it to take the time needed.

If I shoot a still life in the studio, it is easy for the time to pass without me taking notice about it. The motive is set in order. The placement of the camera is decided. The main light is set. Hmm, well… something feels off. A small change of the light. What will happen if I move this part of the motive a little to the left. Maybe I change the angle of the camera slightly. I think the shadows needs a bit of fill light. I can make small adjustments for quite a long time until I am satisfied. Small adjustment that can have big impact on the final result. I do not feel that I am in a hurry.

When I am out in the nature making pictures it is a similar process. I walk around and enjoy and try to see what might fit as a motive. I can look around for a long time and imagine how different things might be presented in a picture. I have no firm approach to what nature photography means. Nature is an endless source of inspiration. It can be difficult to know in advance what the nature offers for the day and what I will discover. I usually have focal lengths from telephoto to wide angle as well as a macro lens with me. I photograph what I find interesting and try to make a good picture of it.

Sometimes it's hard to find the motives when I walk around. They will not come to me. Then I sit down and try to feel the serenity, breathe in the nature and just be there. After a while, I start to discover things around me where I sit. A flower begins clamouring for attention, or maybe I see an insect crawling on a leaf. Little things I do not see when I walk around. The landscape is emerging in a different way when I sit down. The character of the light can change after a while. Maybe an animal comes out of the forest by the marsh while I sit there all quiet.

Nature gives me peace. I find it hard not to relax when I am out in the nature. Time is of no essence.


The photographic feeling

When I photograph I try to trust in my gut. Although I have read a lot about many things regarding photography through the years and taught photography for nearly fifteen years and has both theoretical and practical experience the conclusion in the end is that the gut feeling wins. It should just feel right when you look at the picture. A feeling that is not always easy to define but which is a merging out of the experiences gained through life and that rests in bone and marrow. An acquired experienced sense of technique and aesthetics that lives in the gut.

A mantra I've always had with me over the years I taught has been that everything I'm trying to teach will pour into practical skills. Theory in all its glory. But without practical application, it is not worth much. At least not in my world. Some theoretical knowledge does not hurt. It might even be of value. But in the end it is about making the pictures. Get the job done.


About inspiration

I sometimes get the question if I have photographic role models. The answer is that I do not really have any.
“It's good to have role models,” some would say.
I have role models. But my role model is good photography.

There are so many skilled and talented photographers around the world today, both well-known and less well-known, it is difficult to keep track of everyone and put all the names in memory. And pictures are so easily accessible today and are in such an abundance because of the internet. You meet photos everywhere from dedicated photo sites and photographers portfolios to news sites, sites about nature and science and there is advertisements e.t.c. Photos are obviously not just on the internet but occur in most media, even in radio context. There is no shortage of photographs out there. Everything is maybe not directly inspiring. But there are a lot of good photography and I find it in very different contexts.

I have been interested i Photography since childhood but my photography really took off with the digital technology. Photography became more accessible, the road to the finished image became shorter and the creative possibilities became larger.

I have studied media at universities. Communication Science, Magazine Design, Media Pedagogic and Multimedia as it was called when I studied. My medial and communicative interest is derived from these educations.

Within photography I am self-taught since I do not have any photographic education.

I have taught media, mostly photography, at Luleå University of Technology, Campus Piteå, Sweden, since year 2000 until 2017. The teaching consisted of courses within the Media Design program and independent courses in photography.

In photography I have taught the basics of photography, composition, photo editing, compositing, image communication, photojournalism and lighting for photography both inside and outside the studio, such as still life, products and portraits. Other teaching has included design and media projects, media communication, web design and video.

I have started and been responsible for the independent courses Digital Photography, Lighting for Photography and Photojournalism. Over the years I have also taught photo in other programs within the university, including Film and TV Scenography/Prop Making in Campus Skellefteå.


Well, today is today. And the future is a blank page ready to be written upon. I am looking forward to write upon it. Some write with ink. I write with light.