So who are you?
I am a professional freelance photographer, based in both Gothenburg Sweden and London UK. I specialise in wedding photography and, over the last eight years have shot all kinds of weddings, from Hindu ceremonies to Quaker meetings, and from French Chateaux to Göteborg Spårvagnar.
While I specialise in weddings, I also do portrait work and an increasing amount of commercial commissions.
What kind of styles do you use for weddings?
I have two main styles for wedding work: Documentary reportage, and Portraiture. Whenever I work though, I make a point of chatting to couples to find out exactly what they want and how they would like to look back on their wedding days.
Ultimately though, the best albums show a mixture of both. And ultimately the best of my portraits look like documentary story-telling and the best of my documentary looks completely staged…
Documentary reportage is more popular in the UK where couples tend to prefer their photographs to show the story throughout their day, I follow couples from morning preparations right through to the dancing at the end of the night. During this time I catch a mixture of intimate close-ups, scene settings and all the personal moments which can frame a story. While only a few of the pictures will be as jaw-dropping as my portrait work, they fit together in albums to show a complete and incisive portrayal of the entire day.
My portraiture has developed enormously in Sweden. They are the photographically more artistic side of what I do, using light and composition and couples’ natural emotion to make photos that are so much more than just ‘snaps’ showing my subjects at their very finest.
They can be dramatic, inspired by art and film. They can just as easily be simple and casual, getting couples to sit in the right place or walk down the steps just as the sun comes out. I am often struck by how many couples tell me they want a ‘natural’ portrait and then pick out a picture which was completely arranged. Most importantly, I keep things relaxed and even fun so that the smiles and emotion are completely genuine.
I use whatever locations are available and make the most of natural light there, ideally in the evenings. Since I need to fit around a couple’s schedule though and things are rarely perfect, I will often add a bit of extra lighting to pack punch. While I do work quickly on the day I do recommend setting a bit of time aside for portraits so that they can be unhurried and enjoyable for everyone!
So where exactly are you?
I am based in Göteborg, Sweden with a studio where I handle most of my portrait work but I still do a lot of wedding and commercial work in the UK, and elsewhere in Europe. Thanks to a super convenient Ryanair route between Gothenburg City and Stansted where I used to live, travelling door to door to London takes just a few hours and costs me very little.
I run two separate companies, a limited English company based in the UK and an enskild företag in Göteborg. I am in London once a month and more often during the wedding high season.
Why is an English (ahem, half-Canadian) photographer living in Sweden?
Because of my Swedish wife. Oh, and because we have trees, lakes and elk here, it’s a lot more beautiful than London and people smile more.
Talar du inte svenska?
Ja, jag talar lite svenska men inte så bra än. Jag kan faktiskt tala bättre än jag förstår så det går bättre om man talar mycket långsamt och tydligt med mig men det kan bli ganska tråkigt och ofta är det lättare att tala engelska med mig. Därför använder jag alltid engelska när jag arbetar men kan absolut använda lite svenska med barn eller med mor eller farföräldrar.
