Tag Archives: blogging101

Picture this

Eiffel Tower in Paris
Should I stay or should I go? Eiffel Tower in Paris. My version at that time.

What is a photograph? How come we are so fascinated by it? These questions come to me over and over again. With the camera we record something three dimensional on some kind of media. Then it comes out in two dimensions. Color or black and white. A black and white version of a reality in color is often a very strong image. When we take the colors away we focus more strongly on the subject in the picture. But, of course it would be all to easy if it were always like that. The moment we press the shutter the picture is part of history, and that part of time will never come back again. Is it perhaps that? We have recorded something that is unique in time. It will never happen again. Sometimes we adjust it. Change contrast, colors or saturation and it becomes more interesting. A good composition helps. But not always. Always is never. Pictures often become more interesting as time goes. They help us to remember. But as they are not always a true document of a person or place they will not help us to remember the truth. But, what is truth anyway? Sorry to confuse you, but I am just so fascinated by it. Please share some thoughts with me if you like. I am sure I will come back to the subject in the future. The future that tends to become past very soon. Often. No, always that is.

Eiffel Tower
Eiffel Tower in Paris. This is my camera version of reality.

What other people see

3 Hovtänger
“Parents arguing with a child”. 4×5″ Dicomed scanner image.

Exhibiting is an exciting experience. Time to show your work, images, pictures to others. Perhaps after working hard for a long time in solitude. An ego boost. Personally I create with my heart, my eyes and a gut feeling. I seldom, or never, analyze. If it feels good to me, then it is good. The best thing with exhibiting, or just showing to others, is to listen to what people say about your images. Things perhaps you are not aware of yourself. That happens to me every time, and I just love it. Talking to people and listen to their opinion. What professional critics say I have trouble to understand. Perhaps we are on different ends of the creative rope? Here are three images that I remember especially. What friends told me about these images I had not thought about myself. Not even close.

8x10" Transfer 1
“Illustration to the standard size of tomatoes in EU”. 8×10″ Polaroid transfer
8x10" Transfer 2
“Illustration to the standard size of tomatoes in EU”. 8×10″ Polaroid transfer

Finally  I would like to recommend an ongoing exhibition by Jostein Skeidsvoll at Galleri Axel in Stockholm. Open until 22/3. Adress Södermannagatan 16. Great work by a great person! Go see if you can!

The Mysterious Smilebox

Siroun 2

The camera is a mysterious thing. How come most people smile when they see one? They smile though they know they perhaps will never see the picture. Kids and grownups. Celebrities too, until it becomes a threat to their privacy. The camera is powerful. Or should I say the photographer? Some say guns don´t kill, people do. Is it the same with cameras? When you press the button it is all up to you what you like to express. Cameras can be dangerous. The days are long gone when we thought that cameras never lied. But I guess they always have, more or less. Is a b/w image a lie about a colorful reality, or Is it just an artistic freedom to be subjective?  Why is it so important to look good on a photograph? Some people will never be pleased with a pictures of them selves. Are they having problems with their self image? The selfie is an interesting phenomenon. It is not a new idea. How much of your inside would you like to show on the outside? Is beauty only skin deep and can the camera see that? Well, just some more thoughts about the, most often, black box, people put in front of their faces. Just like I do. I like that cameras can be very poetic. A good photographer is one that makes peoples inside show on the outside. But all this is just about portrait photography… There are so many other ways to use a camera.

Is there any other tool that can be used in so many various ways as the camera? A pencil?

( The camera I used to photograph these images was however too big and heavy to hold ).

 Transfer on film 2

Won´t get foold again!

IMG_03926_Blogg When I studied to become a photographer I learned how rays of light travel through glass and how they reflect on different surfaces. I learned how to use chemicals to develop my films and prints. How a light meter works and that the illustration above was an up to date SLR, Single Lens Reflex, camera. It was, but not so anymore!  Today most cameras are small hi-tech computers with a lab attached that focus, recognize faces, expose in difficult lights and they develope your image. Cameras are, however, as they have always been, a lens in one end and a distance to a light sensitive material in the other. Chip or film. So who is a good photographer? What is a good photograph? Well, I am not one to judge or tell you. This will always be up to you. However, whenever you fall in love with the subject in the picture, a cute puppy or a sexy girl, or man of course, perhaps that is not a good photograph. Perhaps. At least give it a thought.

Today photography is not so destructive to our environment like it used to be. That is great! I like that!

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Here is an intresting link to an article about the box camera. About what happens when you do NOT fire away exposures, but take your time doing one. The article is written by Stephen Dowling and you will find it on BBC.com. More food for thoughts.

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-30530268      

Then there are those, like Man Ray, that produces stunning images using some photographic tools but without a camera!

Check this out if you can! Ewa Stackelberg now exhibiting at Fotografiska in Stockholm.

http://fotografiska.eu/utstallningar/utstallning/fotogram/

Happy image hunting!

Photography is healing

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Nike.

There Is this saying. “A picture tells  a  thousand words”. It does n’ t always do that, but sometimes. And when it does it is magical. Photographic images are documentation, memories, art and much much more. Different to all people. It is serious, but also great fun. Photography is also healing. To do, and to look at. When I saw “Broken Light” here on Word Press I was stunned and became an immediate  follower. Seeing how important photography is as an expression of peoples minds, moods etc. is just wonderful. This is nothing new to me, being a photographer by the profession and for life, but every time I see it this way I am overwhelmed. Isn’t it wonderful to read the light people has written with a camera. Often it is quicker than reading a thousand words. But sometimes it takes longer than that, and it can last forever. Go see and read!

http://brokenlightcollective.com

The photographs here I have made myself.

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Psyche Revived by Cupid’s Kiss.

I made these photographs in the Louvre, Paris.

Thank you father!

Mamma och son i bil

My aunt Gertrud gave me my very first camera. A small Clic.

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She encouraged me to take photographs whenever we met, so I have always thought that she alone started my way into photography. I lived with my family outside Gävle. She lived in Stockholm and was working in a small milk shop. But, my father also must have been important. I see that now. He didn´t have a lab and he never spoke about it, but he was a keen photographer. He wasn´t interested in printing. But he was in taking photographs.

These two are my favorites. Me and my mother and our family on a picnic. He died ten years ago and left us thousands of images. Some very old from his youth and time in the army. His biggest interest in life was vintage cars and motorcycles. There are many with that too. Unfortunately we don´t know who they all are, the people, on the photographs.

My father was happiest in his blue working overall spending most of his time in the garage with his old motorcycles. He had a great selection. I know we have many things in common, we are much alike. I am also very happy with my photography. It has become my way of living.

I remember staying over night in Stockholm at the time. My father and I was walking along a pavement and I was holding his hand. I was so taken by the atmosphere and the surroundings that I said, father I like to live here. He kindly laughed at me. Like parents do when their children say something funny or stupid. He answered, Is that so, no I don´t think so. Since many years I live in Stockholm. Not far from where Gertrud lived.

Thank you father. And you too, aunt Gertrud!

: ) Pelle

Bilsemester

Pictures, pictures, pictures

Imagine this. Like, in a movie theater lights go down. You sit yourself comfortably concentrating on the movie. No commercial break! Vibrant colors, still images washing over you. Large screen. Good sound.

There it is.  A slideshow.

Adding images changes things. Like, you have one. You have one, only. Two makes a pair. Three a series, and perhaps the start of an exhibition. Adding more could be a film, a video. In between it could be a slideshow. Though there are not many slides these days many still call it slideshow. I have always loved them. Now it´s digital images edited on a computer. But, that is not a big deal, where the pictures come from. This is about pictures working together telling a story. Still images that starts to move, and if all goes well, they will move you too. Just wishing the screen could be bigger more often.

Here´s the story about this slideshow. I was asked to photograph for an album cover. Studios has always fascinated me. All kinds. Music and film, whatever. The atmosphere was vibrating, all musicians preparing, concentrating for the recording. Like athletes before the start. All sitting in different rooms.  The sound engineer making final adjustments. I just had to do more with the images than selecting a few for the cover.

I like the finished product also, the music and the cover, but I just loved to be in on the journey to get there.

I am so happy today´s assignment on WordPress brought me back to images and inspiration. This is what I would like my blog to be about. Behind the scenes. How they are made, and thoughts about making them. But technical, not much.

: ) Pelle

PROOF_1

Good thinking, but there is more thinking to do

image image

Todays assignment on WordPress blogging101. Edit your title and your tagline. I have made some adjustments, but I still have a lot more thinking to do. My tags will be changing and I wouldn’t be surprised if my title will to.

So, how was it my company got named Znapshot? I was studying advertising at Beckmans School. The most inspirational and best school I have ever attended! It was more like an art school. I found a studio and decided to start my own company. Before studying at Beckmans I had been a photographers assistant. A strong trend at the time was to spell with a z instead of an s. I liked that! I just didn’t like to name my company Studio xxx, or Photographer xxx. Too many other photographers did. Most of it is history today. That was over 30 years ago.

Todays images are from my exhibition in Karlstad last summer. Old hand written recipies from the family archive.

Who am I, and why am I here blogging

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A good and existential question.

My name is Pelle ( Per Erik ) Berglund and I am a professional photographer since many years.  The best job I still can think of.  I am one of those lucky guys that live of my greatest intrest in life.  Lucky me! I would like to share my images, my experience and my thoughts with you. Perhaps you are a working photograper, just like me, or you would like to be one. Perhaps you are a person who are working with photographers or you like photography. An Art Director perhaps?  This will not be a blogg about technical tips. Not many anyway. This will be about my work and everything that goes with it. My thoughts and inspirations. Today I am very much a food photographer working with the Swedish Culinary Teams. Seniors and Juniors. Also the Swedish Pastry Team.  I have photographed 11 cook books until today, and it is OK to get hungry now and then.

Welcome!

Pelle

www.znapshot.se