Many years ago, world-renowned Swedish photographer Hans Hammarskjöld gave a lecture at the Art Hall in Lund, where I live. He explained how he creates portraits, among other things.
There were three stages. First, he set up the equipment, measured the light, etc. and told the sitter to relax while he took some test shots. Second, he asked the sitter to sit or do this or that while shooting ‘for real’. Third, he again told the sitter to relax because he would check what he had done and perhaps decide to take some more photographs. In this last session, too, he took some pictures of the sitter.
– Invariably, he said with a warm smile, the best pictures were created in the first and third stages.
Although I’ve never been commissioned to create photographic portraits – but I wouldn’t mind – I took that to heart. The best shots are those that are not arranged too much, just a little; sometimes, the ‘object’ is not even aware of what is going on.
Friends, family, colleagues and people I have met throughout my life are the personalities in my portrait photos. Some images have taken a little time to take and process, while others are snapshot-like. It’s a bit like life itself.
I have created this portfolio because the people I’ve met and photographed tell you something about me as a person and photographer. What fascinates me about portraits is this non-definable and psychologically interesting thing that happens between the photographer and the photographed, thanks to the camera’s presence and not only the two actors.
People most often associate the portrait with a face, but it doesn’t have to be only a face. Also, all portraits here are taken in a natural setting and situation, not in a studio.
You’ll find portraits in other portfolios, too, for instance, in Black Girls and Boys and in Art Photographics.
I do not expect my visitors here to be interested in buying any, so they are not in the Shop. Should you, however, want to acquire one, just write to me.
By the way, move your cursor over each image to enlarge it and see its details.
Christina Spännar in 2013
Born in 1945. Christina is my wife. We met in 1983.
Henrik Celander in 2015
Book publisher in Lund, Sweden, and a friend.
Jonathan Power 2011
Columnist and author in Lund, Sweden, TFF Associate and friend since the 1990s.
Sören Sommelius in 2008
Author and columnist in Helsingborg, Sweden, TFF fellow-traveller and friend since the 1990s.
Ebba Sjödell in 2013
Born in 2008. My third grandchild.
Sylvie and Alex Wengraf in 2013
Art and Art Basel lovers and friends
Shima in 2013
A friend in Isfahan, Iran
Klara Sjödell in 2005
First grandchild, on Daddy’s arm.
Inge Mørch Sørensen in 2011
1926-2014. Teacher in Denmark and a friend for over four decades.
Johan Galtung in 2010
1930-2024. Here with his wife, Fumiko Nishimura Galtung, Peace and future researcher, mentor and friend since 1974. Norwegian and Japanese living in Alicante, Spain, where these were taken.
Natalia Shi in 2010
A student from Russia in Basel, Switzerland. Find works with her also in the Art PhotoGraphics shop.
Sidney B. Felsen in 2019
Born in 1924. Co-founder and president of legendary Gemini G.E.L. – Graphic Editions Limited in Los Angeles, one of the world’s finest art prints and multiples workshops. I have known him since the mid-1970s. Photographed at Art Basel.
Bill Goldston in 2016
Born 1943. President Director at the legendary United Limited Art Editions, ULAE in New York – another of the world’s finest print shops. Here with his wife Riccarda de Eccher. I have known Bill since the mid-1970s. Photographed at Art Basel.
Ina Curic in 2018
Romanian storyteller and author of children’s books, born in 1979 and a former student of mine in
Austria 2004, TFF Associate and friend ever since. I take photos of Ina throughout her life and in different appearances. One day, they will become a book.
Frederik Dessau 2017
1927-2019, Essayist, critic, theatre play director, script editor, radio editor, translator, etc – and my friend since the mid-1980s
Anker Jørgensen in 2008
Danish prime minister, 1922-2016, social democrat, a man guided by solidarity, peace and humanity whom I met several times. Here with Viggo Rivad (see below); they knew each other from when they were both bicycle delivery men during the Second World War – with Birgitte Eskildsen and Frederik Dessau (see above). Non-arranged snapshots.
Antoinette Batumubwira in 2008.
Born 1956, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Burundi 2005-2009. I took these photos during an interview with her, so they were not arranged. She was kind enough to also let me create two video interviews, one on the role of women in politics and one on peace and foreign policy.
Erni Friholt in 2008
Feminist peace activist, born in 1936, co-leader of the Orust Peace Association, Sweden – a friend since the mid-1980s.
Cynthia Ndongozi in 2009.
Born 1986. Member of a youth organisation in Burundi that I worked with.
Niels I. Meyer in 2009
1930-2023. Danish physicist, visionary, alternative energy expert, author, social thinker and politician
– and friend since the 1980s.
Miyo 2007, born 1970
A nurse and student of mine in Nagoya, Japan – a friend since then.
Ayana from Ethiopia in 2014
A student in one of my classes at Basel University.
Narges Farshi in 2014
At the time, art gallery assistant, now a theatre play director in Tehran, Iran – and a dear friend.
Vita Jensen in 2016
Born in 1938. My oldest love, my nanny in Aarhus, Denmark, in 1952 and a friend of mine
and our family ever since.
Skot Foreman in 2019
Founder of Skot Foreman Fine Art in Florida at Palazzo Mora in Venice, Italy, with a work by Purvis Young. In my video here, Skot tells about Young.
Black Hat Man in 2009
Muramviya in Gitega, Burundi.
Playing To Survive in 2016
A beautiful talent taking the people on Knez Mihailova in Belgrade by storm.
Viggo Rivad in 2009
Leading Danish humanist photographer (1922-2016), my fellow traveller in China in 1983, mentor and friend. Here is his homepage.
More of my portraits of Viggo on his homepage
Chen Li Fan in 2023
An artist, art teacher and friend in Shanghai
Kiki Wang in 2023
Businesswoman and friend with a fine sense of humour, Shenzhen in China.
Liu Xin in 2023
Born in 1975, journalist and host of “The Point” on China Global Television Network, CGTN.
More about her here, and this is “The Point”.
Created in June 2020 and updated in April 2024.