This summer I spent a week doing a photo course at a Danish Folk High School way out in the countryside (folk high schools are a longstanding Danish tradition invented by the Danish writer, poet, philosopher and pastor N. F. S. Grundtvig. Check here if you are curious of the concept). I came home with my very first photo book – shot, curated and designed by me. Stitched by hand even.
The title of the course was ‘Who is this person’. Taking portraits have never interested me to be honest. I prefer working with still objects. The process of taking photos to me is very much related to my passion for design and cityscapes, light and shadow. But I signed up with an open mind.
Long story short, the teacher ended up giving each of us a personal challenge after spending a few days getting to know us and seeing our previous work. And boy was I challenged – but in a good way. My assignment was to see the human shape in the same perspective I usually see design, architecture and interior. Pure form, light and shadow, and my sense of aesthetics, language, and PRO mood. Focus on the pure shapes of the body – not the person or personality. I had to think about the assignment for a little while before I could picture it in my mind. But then I got into it and had a lot of fun. It was very different experience ‘styling’ humans for a change.
I have only shared my book with a handfull of people close to me, as it feels much more private than any of my other work. But some of my sweet followers on Instagram have asked to see it, so after some consideration I’ve decided to ignore my usual shyness and share some of the photos from the book with you.
- Creating a photo book is an art in itself. You have to tell a story and have a red thread binding the pictures together.
- There should be pauses for people to rest their eyes and brain and dwell on the details.
- You also need to give the viewer a key to solve the puzzle of your book.
- With that in mind I started in the not-so-pretty dining hall with the ambition to style the school’s not-so-pretty china to set the scene and give the viewer an understanding of my aesthetics.
My intention was to create photos that will speak to your senses. Capture surfaces and shapes that you want to reach out and touch. Pictures that will leave you thinking that you can almost feel the sensation of the surface on your finger tips just by looking at it.
That’s it. I kinda wish I could show you the book so you would see the whole story. Plus a real book with real pages is just so much cooler than photos on a screen. But this sneak peek will have to do.