Interview with Linus Bergman

Can you tell us a little bit about how you became a photographer?

When I was 19, a friend and I embarked on a backpacking trip across Asia. To fund this adventure, I worked in insurance sales, earning commissions. Just before we left, I won a sales competition that came with a financial bonus. Instinctively, I decided to spend that money on a camera, thinking it would be a great way to document the journey and share experiences with everyone back home. Throughout the trip, I regularly uploaded my photos from various internet cafés around Asia and quickly fell in love with the entire process. It felt natural, and the positive feedback I received motivated me to keep going. For the next decade, photography remained a beloved hobby intertwined with my travels. However, after cycling from Sweden to Spain, I experienced a moment of clarity—realizing it was now or never. From that point forward, I fully committed to pursuing photography as a career and have been working tirelessly to sustain this dream ever since.

Please share something about your images. What is your special interest? How do you choose colors, compositions, themes, etc.? Where does this interest come from?

Photo: Linus Bergman - With a shadow gap and light oak wood, the Basel frame gives the photo print on Alu-Dibond lightness and allows the motif to take center stage.

My photography journey began as a way to share travel experiences with my family back home. This passion was first sparked during family gatherings when my grandparents would showcase slides from their adventures around the world. I vividly remember seeing their photographs from places like China, amazed that such radically different worlds truly existed. These early experiences planted deep curiosity within me and inspired my own travels at a young age, naturally leading me to document and share my journeys through photography.

For my first 7-8 years as a photographer, I dedicated myself exclusively to black-and-white fine art photography. Growing up, my visual references were primarily the timeless black-and-white works of masters like Michael Kenna, significantly shaping my early photographic approach.

Shooting long exposures on a tripod taught me patience and precision, as each shot could take 10-20 minutes—there was no room for mistakes. This disciplined and thoughtful method of working deeply influenced the intentionality and mindfulness I bring to my photography today.

After a prolonged break, during which my motivation waned, I decided to explore something new: color photography. This coincided with joining social media around 2017/2018, opening up a vibrant new world of inspiration and community interaction. Today, my photography is intimately tied to capturing the beauty and diversity of our world, especially through rich, vibrant colors. Now, I find it difficult to imagine returning exclusively to black-and-white, given how integral color has become to expressing my photographic vision.

How do you get inspired? What inspires you most - films, books, magazines, or your surroundings?

Photo: Linus Bergman - The large areas of color and the dreamlike atmosphere of the motif are optimally emphasized by an ArtBox made of white aluminum. Acrylic glass gives the photo print more depth.

Inspiration for me comes from everywhere: books, films, magazines—but most often, it arises from beautiful light and exploring new places. Even a simple early morning drive can spark countless photographic ideas. I typically find myself more creatively productive when traveling rather than staying stationary; a change of scenery—be it people, landscapes, or everyday objects—fuels my creativity immensely. Additionally, working professionally has taught me that inspiration isn't always spontaneous. Often, you must actively create opportunities for it to emerge.

What are your plans for the rest of the day?

I'm heading out to enjoy the sun! Summer is nearly here, and the days are finally growing longer and brighter. Coming from Sweden, I'm accustomed to long, dark winters, so the first sunlight after months of darkness is something I deeply crave. You've probably seen Scandinavians standing still, eyes closed, faces turned towards the sun—that's us! It’s practically euphoric, haha.

What else should we know about you?

Photo: Linus Bergman - The dark oak wood of the Hamburg frame sets a clear visual boundary to the richness of detail in the motif. At the same time, it creates a subtle connection to the dark parts of the picture, creating a harmonious overall effect.

Linus Bergman, photographer. My twenties were spent traveling the world, doing a lot of adventurous—and sometimes foolish things along the way, all of which built character and a sense of calm. Experiencing countless adventures that taught me far more about life than school ever could. Jack Kerouac had a profound influence on me; reading "The Dharma Bums" shaped my perspective deeply and provided a richer education than formal schooling.

A few more fun facts: I'm not a gear geek. I value the aesthetics and feel of a camera over technical specifications. Give me a camera that feels right in my hands over one loaded with all the latest features any day.

Additionally, I've shot a lot of film throughout my photography journey, but I also genuinely enjoy digital photography. During the low season of client work, I decided to develop my first-ever presets, designed specifically to emulate analog film. ÅäÖ - Analog Pack. They've been enthusiastically received by photographers worldwide, which has been incredibly rewarding.

Creating these presets has been a fun and fulfilling process, and I'm quite proud of the results!

Also, related to prints, a friend and I are currently working on launching a carefully curated gallery and print shop specifically for photographers. Without going into too much detail, the previous gallery that represented my work didn't always pay artists fairly, sometimes not at all, and even asked us artists to take cuts from the profits. That experience inspired me to create something fairer and more respectful towards the people behind the artwork. So keep an eye out for that!