Tag: Fotoskolan Göteborg

To tell a photographic story – Musings from this spring’s intern

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To tell a photographic story – Musings from this spring’s intern

“If you’ve, just like me, been in love with Jenny Jacobsson and her creative and well thought out pictures and stories, for a while, you’ve probably seen the one with a girl in a white dress, covered in pink paint, sitting on a ladder surrounded by cherry blossoms. The image, called “The Burden”, is about unrealistic ideals, it’s about all women who are suffering under warped expectations – it’s about me.

I met Jenny for the first time one cold morning in May 2014. I then only knew we were about to create an image and that I would be covered in paint – and that it probably would be cold. All those expectations came true and so much more. I strongly believe that some people are just meant to meet and become friends and that’s just what happened this cold spring morning.

Amanda Falkman, färg, colour, hands, händer, ångest, anxiety, paintCan you name the colour of your soul, Photography by Amanda Falkman 2014

So who am I, sitting in Jenny’s sofa, singing along with Mumford and sons? More than a girl tired of unrealistic beauty ideals who sometimes get tired from painting cherry blossoms?

Well, my name is Amanda and I’m just like Jenny a freelancing photographer with a request to create captivating images. I have a predilection for blurry foreground photography, liver spots and sparkler. I see all the days of the week in different colours, I ugly cry to Toy Story and I’m hopeless in love with a two hundred years old fortress called “Carlstens fästning” (Carlsten’s fortress).

Amanda Falkman, Carlstens fästning, Marstrand, Glöm inte bort mig, Ocean, Sky, Island, Västkusten,Don’t forget me – she dances in the shape of shadow and wind, Photography by Amanda Falkman 2014

And the reason why I’m writing this blog post is because I have the honour to be Jenny’s intern and assistance this semester. The main reason why I chose her as my mentor (besides her bubbly and likeable personality) is her impressive capacity to tell stories through images. This is one of the many things I hope to become better at, when this semester has come to its end. Because in a society where we constantly see and come across pictures of all kinds I’ve started to wonder:

Can we, as photographers, use images to tell stories with important messages and in the extension make the world a better place?

Amanda Falkman, apokalyps, skog, motljus, forestApocalypse, Photography by Amanda Falkman 2014

Take “The Burden” as an example – it’s an extremely beautiful image (highly objective opinion) but it tells you a story and highlights a major problem of our time.

So, as an exhortation from me to you is to start thinking about your part in making difference and what kind of problem you could highlight by creating an image and telling a story.”

Amanda

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Creating the story of a phoenix, and setting fire to a man

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Creating the story of a phoenix, and setting fire to a man

“The phoenix hope, can wing her way through the desert skies, and still defying fortune’s spite; revive from ashes and rise.”*


When Anders came to me to tell his story through my portraits I got so excited. We had worked at the same office before, but I had no idea about the strong and gripping story surrounding his path through life. I feel so fortunate and honored to be one of those he wanted to open up for and to have been invited to hear the full story has truly enriched my own view of life. Hopefully, many more will get the opportunity to sit down with Anders and talk about his interesting life, and even more so, the fantastic transformation he is going through right now to come out a stronger person.

THE STORY OF A PHOENIX

The more he told me about his life the clearer it got that to me Anders is like a phoenix. Transforming in front of our very eyes, shedding his old life, rising from the ashes and coming out in all his splendour. Ready to take on the world again, to spread his wings and fly. Together we took this story and made it into that fabulous imaginative and a bit surreal reality we both are drawn to so much.

How to add fire to a person in Photoshop


SHOOTING, BARBECUING CLOTHES AND SETTING FIRE TO A MAN

So we threw ourselves into creating this image and after loads of conversation and planning to come up with this final vision we went out to the archipelago here outside Göteborg (Gothenburg). The evening was warm and still and we gave ourselves  proper time to do all we wanted to do. We had a marvelous picnic that Anders had made. We were barbecuing, not food, but clothes. We shot Anders for about 30 minutes and then we sat down on the warm cliffs and talked and talked watching the sun set.

Preparing clothes for a phoenix, barbecuing and burning fabric
How to add fire to a person in Photoshop

Before any of you think I’m a terribly cruel person, setting fire to a man and pushing him off a cliff, I want to say that the whole shoot was safe. The clothes weren’t actually burning on Anders’s body, but instead the flames were added afterwards with some digital craftsmanship in Photoshop from frames that I took with burning and glowing fabric. “No men were harmed in this photography session” 😉

“ALL THE PREPARATION”

Since Anders seemed to have such a wonderful time through all of the process creating this portrait, later on I asked him what he found the very most fun part of it all. And it was so great to hear that he had enjoyed immensely the whole preparation phase, planning everything and the time we met up to tear up his clothes, and then later going into the photography day. And well… I couldn’t agree with him more 🙂

*Quote: Miguel de Cervantes, The Book of the Bizarre: Freaky Facts & Strange Stories (2008) by Varla Ventura

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5 essential questions as photographers – Artist talk at Fotoskolan Göteborg

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5 essential questions as photographers – Artist talk at Fotoskolan Göteborg

I was invited to do an artist talk at Photography School Gothenburg (Fotoskolan Göteborg) yesterday and together we wrote down answers to five questions. When working and living as a photographer sometimes it can be difficult to try to stay true to your own visions and keep your creative pride, thinking that you need to create something else because you feel pressured to. I strongly believe that if you are not true to your own creative vision and pride, you will soon start to resent the work that you used to absolutely love. And also, I’m a firm believer that as long as YOU love what you create, there will be lots of others out there that do as well.

“To remind ourselves what we actually love about photography, and also to keep pushing ourselves to do even better, be even better, we ask ourselves these questions. Questions that we can go back to and rethink over the years, in constant evolution, to move forward, but still remind ourselves of where our true love for photography once started and what our core values are for the images we create.“

WHAT MADE YOU FALL IN LOVE WITH PHOTOGRAPHY? | Remind yourself of that magic moment, or those magic images, that ones pushed you to start shooting.

THINK OF 3 THINGS THAT YOU LOVE IN AN IMAGE | Try to as often as possible incorporate those 3 things in your own images, to keep your voice and to create consistancy in your work. May it be a color, a subject, a location, an emotion, a genre…

IF YOU HAD NO LIMITATIONS, WHAT WOULD YOU PHOTOGRAPH? | If money or relying on others were no issue, what would you create? Is there anything you can do, right now, that can make you go out and shoot something similar, or even more awesome?

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE BETTER AT/STRENGHTEN YOUR PORTFOLIO WITH? | As photographers we need to constantly evolve and push ourselves. Right now, what can you do to evolve?

AS A PHOTOGRAPHER, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SPEND YOUR DAYS DOING? | Working as a photographer, we do not only pick up our cameras and photograph all day long. We need a focus as a business and spend our days creating more than photographs. For you, do you want to be hired by a company, sell prints, do exhibitions, do assignments, write a book, work for a magazine, teach…?

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Conceptual imaginative portraiture truly makes my heart beat. If it does the same for you, and you want to learn more about creating it, visit my blog category Educational to find out more.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN HIRING ME AS A SPEAKER, FEEL FREE TO SEND ME A MESSAGE!…

 
 

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Exhibition at Strandverket- Håkan Ludwigson

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Exhibition at Strandverket- Håkan Ludwigson

This week we got the wonderful opportunity to get a private showing of the great exhibition present at Strandverket on Marstrand, by no less than Håkan Ludwigson. Håkan is the introducing exhibiting photographer of this new gallery for photography, sculptures, video, design, and fashion. Håkan is highly inspiring both as a person and by his work of art. It was a great showing with Håkan being incredibly nice, insightful, and he gave a lot of himself and his experience. Thank you Håkan!

The gallery is in the old defensive fort at the harbor of the island Marstrand. I certainly recommend a visit at Strandverket if you have the chance!

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JO! Models Fashion Project

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JO! Models Fashion Project

We got a fashion assignment from JO! Models to create a still image and video campaign at the prospect of the upcoming relaunch and rebranding of the company, former ModelOne. Also, we were creating shots for the model’s portfolio.

A few weeks ago I posted a sneak peak of the session.

IMAGE AND PROJECT BRIEF
Stop motion video and collage:
Dynamic, movement, high energy. Cool, streety, sexy, rock’n roll…
Portfolio images:
usable and diverse

Collage connected to the video:

Portfolio images for Emma:

Some more Behind the Scenes footage of our studio session:

Photography and post production: Jenny Jacobsson, Joacim Schwartz, Morten Clausen, Nadim Elazzeh, Pernilla Skoglund
Project leader/creative director: Per Zennström
Stylist and client: Jennie Bramer
Make up & hair: Jeanette Rokas of Rokas Prestige
Model: Emma of JO! Models

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The Westgiotha Gustavianer. A trip to the 1700’s

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The Westgiotha Gustavianer. A trip to the 1700’s

As an assigment at Fotoskolan I got in touch with the Westgiötha Gustavianer (WG). The WG is a cultural association based in Gothenburg (Göteborg) with the purpose of their activities to bring the city of Gothenburg and the Garrison in the late 1700’s  to life and to preserve the heritage from the Gustavian period.

Westgiotha Gustavianer, 1700's, 1700-tal, Göteborg,

In early December I got the chance to join three very nice members of WG on one of their hikes in which they were staying out overnight. One of the purposes of the hike was to test some of their newly handcrafted gear and see if it worked accordingly to expectation. This day happens to be one of autumn’s absolutely worst weather wise, with cats and dogs raining constantly at close to freezing temperatures. Not only was this testing the limits of my photographic gear and ways to handle such extreme conditions, but for the guys it sure was a true test for coping the outdoor life and what the gear and clothes made for the 1700’s really could do for you (no Gore-Tex there!).

Even though the circumstances could have been better (!) I sure had a marvelous time and it was really interesting to study such whole hearted interest from the group. Here are some shots from when the camera lens wasn’t completely covered with icy water:

A huge thank you to Andreas Gustafsson who came with me this uncomfortable day, elevating our spirits, assisting in wiping the lens and carrying heavy gear.

As a bonus I also got to join the WG’s for a gathering down in the city center from where they walked to Skansen Kronan, a redoubt in central Gothenburg, for some Christmas celebrations and 1700’s dancing. Moving around town together with these guys sure was an extraordinary experience, with people turning around just about everywhere to have a curious and closer look. The beautiful and carefully crafted clothing and equipment sure is a joy to watch. And so is the joyful and well practiced dance, characteristic to the period they all are so fantastically fascinated by. And after having spent some time with them, who can resist to be?

conceptual, portrait, Göteborg, dreads, dreadlocks, medieval, magic, fantasy, sorceress, witch, enchantress, dress, forest

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Come with me from the 1700’s to medieval times in my conceptual imaginative portrait with fantasy theme…
 
 

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Where shall we go now? . . . Berlin!

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Where shall we go now? . . . Berlin!

Last week our class at Fotoskolan left Sweden and took an awesome trip together to Germany and to Berlin, The city of Artists. It was a week filled with new inspiration, reflections, and plain old FUN!

We had loads of time to stroll around Berlin to just inhale the spirit of this remarkable city, check out loads of second hand stores, and indulge in german beer. For four hours we got a a guided bike tour through the city and it turned out that Berlin was perfect to bike around in (and some of the guys transformed back to the age of eight… 🙂 ). The evenings were of course spent trying out what the huge variety of bars and restaurants had to offer or trying to beat each other at card games and drinking wine.

I want to hand out a YEAH UH-HU especially to Nadim and Rania for making this trip so special and for all the fun we had. I think I was full of aches from laughter for several days after returning back home. Waking up every morning by getting a towel or a PET bottle  thrown at my head was definitely forgiven by being greeted by two constantly happy hugely smiling faces in the beds next to mine. Thank you my darlings. That’s the way to view life!

We went to several exhibitions and galleries including C/O Berlin – Arnold Newman Neu National Galleri – Gerard Richter Swedish Photography Gallery – Christer Strömholm Helmut Newton Museum – Helmut Newton polaroids and Japanese post-war photography exhibiton Sammlung Boros bunker – private collection Here is a small selection of some of my favorite frames from the week in Berlin, including Die Mauer, Kimchi Princess, Sammlung Boros, The Holocaust Memorial, Tacheles, and more. Berlin_Sammlung_Boros_bunker Berlin_Trumpet Berlin_Kimchi_princess_2           Berlin, street, dead, bird, död, fågel, gata, cigarette               Rania and Nadim – <3 TEAM SAUERKRAUT!
 

MY TIP FOR FURTHER READING! Futuristic, storytelling, fashion shoot. Mode, GöteborgIf you like the architecture of Berlin you will want to check out the awesome futuristic water tower in Gothenburg, Sweden, being a fantastic photography location! The tower was part of forming the entire story in the fashion editorial for fashion designer Emelie Arvidsson, ‘The space that is and isn’t’.

 

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Sneak peek of JO! Models Fashion project

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Sneak peek of JO! Models Fashion project

This week we are excited to start the fashion weeks at Fotoskolan, a project where we are working with fashion photographer Per Zennström as project leader/creative director. The assignment is from JO! Models and we are to create a still image and video campaign at the prospect of the upcoming relaunch and rebranding of the company.

Here is a sneak peek of our studio session yesterday. Watch out for the upcoming stop motion video to be released in late June! And of course more Behind the Scenes footage….

PS. Working with spray paint in a secluded environment is NOT to be recommended…

MY TIP FOR FURTHER READING! JO! Models, model, fashion, agency, Fotoskolan Göteborg, fashion workshop, Göteborg, studioCurious about the result? Check out the stop motion video, collage, portfolio images for Emma and even more Behind the Scenes shots!

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Studio workshop

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Studio workshop

The portrait “Rania” above I created in a photo studio project a few weeks into our first term at Fotoskolan i Göteborg. It began with a studio workshop at DDR GBG that are run by Magnus Cimmerbeck and Magnus Johansson here in Göteborg (Gothenburg). Magnus & Magnus are two awesome and talented dudes who were nothing but nice, fun, and helpful and they both made the day a total blast. Starting with several cups of coffee, buns and cakes, we had a long and good discussion about the lives of photographers, how to make it in a tough business, and M&M gave us tips and tricks and their point of view…

We were amazed by their studio/office space and I must say that it was close to exactly how I would like it myself… Also, we got the opportunity to practice our studio skills with a lot of good help from M&M.

We were given a task to choose an image that we found interesting and that was shot in a studio, and later in the school studio try to replicate the lighting that were used in that shot by shooting a model of our choice. I knew straight away that I wanted to photograph my classmate Rania who is not only an awesome girl but also has an amazing look that I find very interesting. And she chose to shoot me, and if you want to have a look at the result here it is over at her blog: “Jenny” and also at “Jenny again”. We had lots of fun in the studio. Until we managed to break one of the lamps…

A week later M&M came to our school to review what we had done and to discuss our work, comparing the original photo with our own version. Another great day with a lot of good laughs.

Johan Ekström who is awesome at lighting and photoshop had created a shot that caused the class to break out in chattering and turbulence and everyone wanted to study the photo up close.

The absolute favorite of mine was done by my classmate Helena below who recreated one of the famous portraits of Tyra Banks from Italian Vogue, with another classmate as a model… a guy called Morten. And she had done it so beautifully. I fell in love with the portrait straight away. Click the image to see it bigger.

Kudos to Magnus & Magnus for giving so much of their knowledge and making the studio workshop so much fun. Check out their work at DDR GBG.

conceptual, portrait, Göteborg, dreads, dreadlocks, medieval, magic, fantasy, sorceress, witch, enchantress, dress, forest

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If you like this portrait of Rania with her gorgeous dreads, don’t miss the conceptual portrait ‘She walks with colours’ where Rania lets them out and truly got to be in her true element in this medieval/fantasy image!

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Portrait in existing light

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Portrait in existing light

I’d like to share with you news, updates, fun stuff, hair tearing moments, or whatever comes up from my life as a student at Fotoskolan Göteborg which is the photography school I’m blessed at being at full time from this autumn and four terms forward. We started September 5th which is almost a month ago (sorry for being so slow), but better late than never, right?

The first assignment we got was to use each other in the class as models and to go out and take a portrait using only existing natural light, and if you wanted, a reflector. I had a great day together with my new and awesome classmates Morten Brix and Josefin Olander, and I’m impressed of how well they did 🙂 Here is my shot of Josefin, where I wanted to capture the movement of the scarf on a very windy and grey day.

Soon more posts from school, so keep an eye over here. And don’t forget to keep updated on my work on Flickr. See you soon!

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