We sat down for a one-to-one discussion with Finnish (living in Malmö, Sweden) photographer Aija Svensson about her work and inspirations, finding her calling again as a photographer and her plans for the future. BTC: Beyond The Crane (Portrait of Aija by Jenny Leyman)
BTC: What is it that you do?
When I’m not parenting, gardening, doing some weird crafts or spending endless hours watching documentaries and TV shows, I make images. Both commercial (to feed the family) and documentary projects (to feed my personal needs).
BTC: How did you get started? For example, was it an event, a person or something else altogether?
I had access to cameras from an early age. I was a crazy horse girl and loved to photograph them whenever I managed to get sight of one – I still have a huge pile of old photographs in a box from ’89 to ‘93, mostly of horses.
I also loved writing and dreamed about writing a book someday. In my 20’s I ended up working as a journalist, writing mainly interviews with musicians and actors as well as concert, record and movie reviews. I did start taking photographs again as they were required for the live show reviews, and I realized how much I had missed it.
When digital cameras became more affordable I bought one for myself.
BTC: And then you moved to Sweden…
When I moved to Sweden in 2007, I basically stopped writing in Finnish as I had a new language to learn and in the end I started having trouble expressing myself in any language. The richness of my native language I’d always loved so much was gone. I was so frustrated as I’ve always had a strong urge to tell stories and I felt paralysed, my thoughts were like prisoners inside my head. I guess this was the breaking point for me when I started using photography as my language instead.
BTC: What is it that drives you to do what you do?
I need to borrow the words of Mare Kandre here as I couldn’t formulate it better myself:
“I write because I love, understand, know nothing, suffer, remember a lot, have to die, want to live, for various reasons, under duress and debt, from outside, to take me in, from below, to get out, and because they are my ancestors, the dead, yourself, those who I have never met before, the animals, people of all kinds and vegetation who tell me that this must be shown and benefit the world.”
That sentence pretty much sums it up, just that I write with images. I’ve got too much to say, but I’m lost in words.
BTC: How does your work process typically go? (Project/planning/collaborations etc)
It varies depending on the project. Commercial projects are quite similar to everybody I guess. You get a request and try to do your best to please the customer and simultaneously bring your own touch to it. I usually do a lot of research before I even dig the camera out from my bag; I mean a lot (of research). It can be emotional research or it can be straight forward information research. So they usually start with a question, and boy do I have a lot of them, I suffer from constant hunger of information and self-analysing.
But 99.9% of them won’t become a project. At least not a finished one. I could get frustrated about that fact in the beginning but I’ve learned to enjoy the journey even there’s no end destination.
BTC: How do know when a piece of work or project is complete? And if you are satisfied with the completed job?
I’ve never been fully satisfied with any of my projects. There’s not so many of them yet though but I doubt I’ll ever see that day come. Unfortunately, that trait sits quite deep in my bones. If I was entirely pleased then that would probably be my last project.
I guess it’s when I realise that I’ve started constantly thinking about something that is not fitting for that particular project or have nothing else to say, it’s time to move on. And for the commercial projects, the deadlines help.
BTC: And how do you get to this stage in your work process?
I talk to my friends and to my fellow photographers about my thoughts and ideas. I’m depending on that support and approval, maybe because I’m still very green at this. Or it’s because just how life made me. But if someone would tell me not to go for it, I’m pretty sure I’m going to go for it. So I’m both insecure and an anarchist! (laughs)
BTC: What inspires you?
Mostly familiar things that are close to me in some way. I think every person has a story, and every person I meet or pass by is inspiring. I get inspired by nature and weather. Art of all kind, especially paintings. I also watch a lot of documentaries, TV shows and movies.
BTC: Are you influenced by other photographers?
Then there are of course other photographers. It’s usually not so much about the images themselves or the techniques they use but how they approach whatever they want to capture.
Hannah Modigh, in particular, has been a great inspiration; she is just an exceptional photographer. Her approach to the medium and to other people and how hard she works, as well as her knowledge. I was really lucky to be her assistant for a year, she taught me a lot, more than I could have learned at any school. I’m ever so thankful to her for kindly kicking my ass towards to the right direction.
BTC: How is it to be a creative individual in Malmö? I’m not that familiar with other creatives here apart from musicians and photographers. The photographers’ community is, in my experience, very warm and welcoming.
BTC: What is your favourite place in Malmö and why?
It’s definitely Bergsgatan. All my workplaces have been technically located on that street since I moved to Sweden, just on different blocks. The street can provide all you need: great cheap food, cheap beer, live music and a camera store.
BTC: Looking ahead, what are you planning to do in the future?
I really hope towards more confidence and trust in myself. At the moment I’m working on my first photo book, which is very scary but at the same time liberating.
BTC: Why are you continuing to do what you do?
I have just started, and not ready for the last words yet.
LEARN MORE
You can follow Aija’s latest work on Instagram @aijasvensson
We sat down for a one-to-one discussion with Finnish (living in Malmö, Sweden) photographer Aija Svensson about her work and inspirations, finding her calling again as a photographer and her plans for the future. BTC: Beyond The Crane (Portrait of Aija by Jenny Leyman)
BTC: What is it that you do?
When I’m not parenting, gardening, doing some weird crafts or spending endless hours watching documentaries and TV shows, I make images. Both commercial (to feed the family) and documentary projects (to feed my personal needs).
BTC: How did you get started? For example, was it an event, a person or something else altogether?
I had access to cameras from an early age. I was a crazy horse girl and loved to photograph them whenever I managed to get sight of one – I still have a huge pile of old photographs in a box from ’89 to ‘93, mostly of horses.
I also loved writing and dreamed about writing a book someday. In my 20’s I ended up working as a journalist, writing mainly interviews with musicians and actors as well as concert, record and movie reviews. I did start taking photographs again as they were required for the live show reviews, and I realized how much I had missed it.
When digital cameras became more affordable I bought one for myself.
BTC: And then you moved to Sweden…
When I moved to Sweden in 2007, I basically stopped writing in Finnish as I had a new language to learn and in the end I started having trouble expressing myself in any language. The richness of my native language I’d always loved so much was gone. I was so frustrated as I’ve always had a strong urge to tell stories and I felt paralysed, my thoughts were like prisoners inside my head. I guess this was the breaking point for me when I started using photography as my language instead.
BTC: What is it that drives you to do what you do?
I need to borrow the words of Mare Kandre here as I couldn’t formulate it better myself:
“I write because I love, understand, know nothing, suffer, remember a lot, have to die, want to live, for various reasons, under duress and debt, from outside, to take me in, from below, to get out, and because they are my ancestors, the dead, yourself, those who I have never met before, the animals, people of all kinds and vegetation who tell me that this must be shown and benefit the world.”
That sentence pretty much sums it up, just that I write with images. I’ve got too much to say, but I’m lost in words.
BTC: How does your work process typically go? (Project/planning/collaborations etc)
It varies depending on the project. Commercial projects are quite similar to everybody I guess. You get a request and try to do your best to please the customer and simultaneously bring your own touch to it.
I usually do a lot of research before I even dig the camera out from my bag; I mean a lot (of research). It can be emotional research or it can be straight forward information research. So they usually start with a question, and boy do I have a lot of them, I suffer from constant hunger of information and self-analysing.
But 99.9% of them won’t become a project. At least not a finished one. I could get frustrated about that fact in the beginning but I’ve learned to enjoy the journey even there’s no end destination.
BTC: How do know when a piece of work or project is complete? And if you are satisfied with the completed job?
I’ve never been fully satisfied with any of my projects. There’s not so many of them yet though but I doubt I’ll ever see that day come. Unfortunately, that trait sits quite deep in my bones. If I was entirely pleased then that would probably be my last project.
I guess it’s when I realise that I’ve started constantly thinking about something that is not fitting for that particular project or have nothing else to say, it’s time to move on. And for the commercial projects, the deadlines help.
BTC: And how do you get to this stage in your work process?
I talk to my friends and to my fellow photographers about my thoughts and ideas. I’m depending on that support and approval, maybe because I’m still very green at this. Or it’s because just how life made me. But if someone would tell me not to go for it, I’m pretty sure I’m going to go for it. So I’m both insecure and an anarchist! (laughs)
BTC: What inspires you?
Mostly familiar things that are close to me in some way. I think every person has a story, and every person I meet or pass by is inspiring. I get inspired by nature and weather. Art of all kind, especially paintings. I also watch a lot of documentaries, TV shows and movies.
BTC: Are you influenced by other photographers?
Then there are of course other photographers. It’s usually not so much about the images themselves or the techniques they use but how they approach whatever they want to capture.
Hannah Modigh, in particular, has been a great inspiration; she is just an exceptional photographer. Her approach to the medium and to other people and how hard she works, as well as her knowledge. I was really lucky to be her assistant for a year, she taught me a lot, more than I could have learned at any school. I’m ever so thankful to her for kindly kicking my ass towards to the right direction.
BTC: How is it to be a creative individual in Malmö?
I’m not that familiar with other creatives here apart from musicians and photographers. The photographers’ community is, in my experience, very warm and welcoming.
BTC: What is your favourite place in Malmö and why?
It’s definitely Bergsgatan. All my workplaces have been technically located on that street since I moved to Sweden, just on different blocks. The street can provide all you need: great cheap food, cheap beer, live music and a camera store.
BTC: Looking ahead, what are you planning to do in the future?
I really hope towards more confidence and trust in myself. At the moment I’m working on my first photo book, which is very scary but at the same time liberating.
BTC: Why are you continuing to do what you do?
I have just started, and not ready for the last words yet.
LEARN MORE
You can follow Aija’s latest work on Instagram @aijasvensson
Also, check out her website for more info: https://www.aijasvensson.com