invited photographer - Thomas H Johnsson

Again I am very happy to present Thomas H Johnsson as an invited photographer. This time with a series in progress called "Lilla landet" ("the small country"). If you do not have discovered his blog, check it out. And search the F blog for his earlier contributions, columns as well as photographs, to this blog. - F.




Countries need to be recorded. They need to be depicted and revalued as places and social contexts. That I why I present – lilla landet (the small country)

I am photographing where I stand and live, at the moment. I let the image come to me and not the contrary. My methods are simple. With a small analogue compact loaded with the usual Tri-X, I am photographing in the queue at the supermarket, on the bus, or when I am walking with my dog. I believe in the authentic moment, that which happens for real, because it surpasses the credibility of the staged image. When you look at my pictures, you should know that what you see happened in real life. The only thing I control is compositions, slants and copying. Just for the record, I certainly do not want to call my photos objective, they are in the highest degree subjective. They are my personal stories and experiences.

Sweden is changing, rapidly, so it is important that we see ourselves in the mundane. Many pictures are taken today from a news perspective, images of big and important events, it is good and necessary. But my images tell the exact opposite, there are subtle images of ordinary people in everyday life, without labels or lectures, just about the little man here and now.

Thomas H Johnsson





All photos © Thomas H Johnsson
Invited by Fredrik Skott and Rhonda Prince