Beyond The Crane sat down for a one-to-one interview with local photographer David Neman. With a fascination for the odd situations in daily life he portrays both the familiar and unfamiliar. His work has been shown at several exhibitions around Europe and appeared in numerous national newspapers as well as established magazines. He discusses his methodology, avoiding complacency and how he’s finding his way again in Malmö since moving back in 2022.
DN: I do a form of personal documentary photography. It’s a mix of portraits, street photography, and snapshots from when I’m out with friends, family, strangers or during trips. I also do documentary projects that has a more defined framework and a clearer storyline. For money, I work as a freelance photographer for magazines, newspapers, and various clients, shooting both portraits and reportages.
BTC: How did you get started?
DN: I began taking photos around 1999, when I was around 13 or 14 years old. My mother would lend me a camera from her work, and that’s when I think I truly became passionate about it.
Around the same time, or perhaps a bit earlier, I became hooked on graffiti. One Christmas, my parents gifted me a book by Per-Olof Sännås, who was documenting graffiti culture in Sweden. He captured not only the graffiti pieces but also the people involved in the art and lifestyle. I was amazed by what I saw. Eventually, I managed to save up for my own camera and began capturing my friends painting, partying, skating, and doing random things. Since then, I don’t leave the house without a camera.
DN: The main motivation is that it’s fun. I’ve also always enjoyed collecting items, and photos have become my means of preserving memories. It’s a cliché, but like many other photographers, it opens doors to meeting people, exploring, and nurturing curiosity.
BTC: Do you show your projects/images to someone else for thoughts and input along the way? If so, who? How does it happen?
DN: It kinda depends on what the project is all about. If it’s something I got assigned by someone, I usually have a chat with the person I’m collaborating with at the time. I’m not really in the habit of showing my personal projects to a whole bunch of people – Marcus Gustafsson is one exception. We were both studying photography at the same time and we also lived together. He’s in Stockholm these days, but we manage to catch up almost every week. Naturally, I also share my photos with my partner Johanna quite a bit, especially since I take a ton of photos of her too.
BTC: How do you know when a work/project is finished?
DN: If there’s a set time and a clear framework, it’s pretty easy to figure out when it’s done. Without those, it gets a lot trickier. For me, at least, it’s really tough to wrap things up. There’s always more photos to snap or sometimes I’m not totally sure what the whole thing should be about. Especially when your projects are all about your own documenting, they could just keep going indefinitely. That’s definitely an area I’m aiming to improve in.
BTC: How do you avoid getting too comfortable in your photography?
DN: I find it quite easy to get comfortable, especially during times when I’ve had to pick up part-time gigs beyond photography to make ends meet. I think the challenge lies in pushing against that nagging feeling of not being up to the task or hesitating too much. For example, you could reach out to someone interesting on Instagram, or even approach someone you cross paths with on the street, and casually ask if they’d be up for you taking some portraits. It could be on the spot or you could plan for another time, maybe at their place or wherever. Or you could just head out without a plan and see what kind of situations you stumble upon. I need to be out and about, connecting with people, to find my inspiration and break out of that comfy bubble.
DN: I’m very much into photo books. I’ve been collecting for a while and try to buy a couple of books every month. Whenever I need inspiration, I just dive into my book stash. I also like going to art exhibitions. Looking at art in general makes me want to create my own work. And of course, meeting and talking to other photographers inspires me too.
My friends also give me a lot of inspiration, no matter what they’re doing. Everyday life, with all its fun happenings and weird stuff, also gives me ideas. I’m really into those odd things that stand out in daily life. Recently, I’ve been getting more into making videos, just using a small mini-DV camera. It’s mostly for fun, but it’s really inspiring me.
BTC: What is it like to be a creative type in Malmö?
DN: I’ve returned to Malmö a year ago after living abroad since 2014, so I haven’t fully settled in yet. I’ve been a bit disconnected from things. Right now, I’m working on figuring things out and discovering how I fit in and what opportunities there are here. However, having access to Mediaverkstaden’s printers, scanners, and Galleri Formats darkroom has been really helpful. I’m aiming to build a darkroom and workspace of my own and I’m currently looking for a suitable place.
BTC: What is your favourite place in Malmö and why?
DN: I enjoy cycling through the north harbour and nearby freight yards. I have always been drawn to industrial areas. Möllan is also close to my heart. Most of the places I’ve lived in Malmö are near Möllan, so I have lots of nice memories from spending time around that square.
BTC: What advice would you have given yourself as a young person with dreams of becoming a photographer?
DN: I’m not sure I would do anything different, so just keep shooting a lot and have fun with it. And buy tons of film, because the future prices will ruin your economy.
BTC: What do you wish someone to feel/do when they see your photographs?
DN: I hope that the person looking at the pictures can feel some kind of like-mindedness or curiosity about what is happening in the images. Personally, I like pictures I don’t quite understand – what’s happening or how a certain situation came about, or what happened after the picture was taken. I think that is what I aim for as well. But I mean a portrait can also just be a good portrait. Nothing more, nothing less.
BTC: Going forward, what are your plans for the future?
DN: Honestly, I’m not totally sure where I’m headed. But I really want to do more exhibitions and make books for sure.
BTC: Why do you still do what you do?
DN: It has been such a significant part of my life for a very long time, so a part of why I do it is probably just routine. But mostly, I still do it because I enjoy meeting people and simply love photography.
LEARN MORE
You can follow David’s latest work on Instagram at @david_neman
Beyond The Crane sat down for a one-to-one interview with local photographer David Neman. With a fascination for the odd situations in daily life he portrays both the familiar and unfamiliar. His work has been shown at several exhibitions around Europe and appeared in numerous national newspapers as well as established magazines. He discusses his methodology, avoiding complacency and how he’s finding his way again in Malmö since moving back in 2022.
Portraits of David: Christian Skog
BTC: Beyond The Crane DN: David Neman
BTC: What is it that you do?
DN: I do a form of personal documentary photography. It’s a mix of portraits, street photography, and snapshots from when I’m out with friends, family, strangers or during trips. I also do documentary projects that has a more defined framework and a clearer storyline. For money, I work as a freelance photographer for magazines, newspapers, and various clients, shooting both portraits and reportages.
BTC: How did you get started?
DN: I began taking photos around 1999, when I was around 13 or 14 years old. My mother would lend me a camera from her work, and that’s when I think I truly became passionate about it.
Around the same time, or perhaps a bit earlier, I became hooked on graffiti. One Christmas, my parents gifted me a book by Per-Olof Sännås, who was documenting graffiti culture in Sweden. He captured not only the graffiti pieces but also the people involved in the art and lifestyle. I was amazed by what I saw. Eventually, I managed to save up for my own camera and began capturing my friends painting, partying, skating, and doing random things. Since then, I don’t leave the house without a camera.
BTC: Why do you do what you do?
DN: The main motivation is that it’s fun. I’ve also always enjoyed collecting items, and photos have become my means of preserving memories. It’s a cliché, but like many other photographers, it opens doors to meeting people, exploring, and nurturing curiosity.
BTC: Do you show your projects/images to someone else for thoughts and input along the way? If so, who? How does it happen?
DN: It kinda depends on what the project is all about. If it’s something I got assigned by someone, I usually have a chat with the person I’m collaborating with at the time. I’m not really in the habit of showing my personal projects to a whole bunch of people – Marcus Gustafsson is one exception. We were both studying photography at the same time and we also lived together. He’s in Stockholm these days, but we manage to catch up almost every week. Naturally, I also share my photos with my partner Johanna quite a bit, especially since I take a ton of photos of her too.
BTC: How do you know when a work/project is finished?
DN: If there’s a set time and a clear framework, it’s pretty easy to figure out when it’s done. Without those, it gets a lot trickier. For me, at least, it’s really tough to wrap things up. There’s always more photos to snap or sometimes I’m not totally sure what the whole thing should be about. Especially when your projects are all about your own documenting, they could just keep going indefinitely. That’s definitely an area I’m aiming to improve in.
BTC: How do you avoid getting too comfortable in your photography?
DN: I find it quite easy to get comfortable, especially during times when I’ve had to pick up part-time gigs beyond photography to make ends meet. I think the challenge lies in pushing against that nagging feeling of not being up to the task or hesitating too much. For example, you could reach out to someone interesting on Instagram, or even approach someone you cross paths with on the street, and casually ask if they’d be up for you taking some portraits. It could be on the spot or you could plan for another time, maybe at their place or wherever. Or you could just head out without a plan and see what kind of situations you stumble upon. I need to be out and about, connecting with people, to find my inspiration and break out of that comfy bubble.
BTC: What inspires you?
DN: I’m very much into photo books. I’ve been collecting for a while and try to buy a couple of books every month. Whenever I need inspiration, I just dive into my book stash. I also like going to art exhibitions. Looking at art in general makes me want to create my own work. And of course, meeting and talking to other photographers inspires me too.
My friends also give me a lot of inspiration, no matter what they’re doing. Everyday life, with all its fun happenings and weird stuff, also gives me ideas. I’m really into those odd things that stand out in daily life. Recently, I’ve been getting more into making videos, just using a small mini-DV camera. It’s mostly for fun, but it’s really inspiring me.
BTC: What is it like to be a creative type in Malmö?
DN: I’ve returned to Malmö a year ago after living abroad since 2014, so I haven’t fully settled in yet. I’ve been a bit disconnected from things. Right now, I’m working on figuring things out and discovering how I fit in and what opportunities there are here. However, having access to Mediaverkstaden’s printers, scanners, and Galleri Formats darkroom has been really helpful. I’m aiming to build a darkroom and workspace of my own and I’m currently looking for a suitable place.
BTC: What is your favourite place in Malmö and why?
DN: I enjoy cycling through the north harbour and nearby freight yards. I have always been drawn to industrial areas. Möllan is also close to my heart. Most of the places I’ve lived in Malmö are near Möllan, so I have lots of nice memories from spending time around that square.
BTC: What advice would you have given yourself as a young person with dreams of becoming a photographer?
DN: I’m not sure I would do anything different, so just keep shooting a lot and have fun with it. And buy tons of film, because the future prices will ruin your economy.
BTC: What do you wish someone to feel/do when they see your photographs?
DN: I hope that the person looking at the pictures can feel some kind of like-mindedness or curiosity about what is happening in the images. Personally, I like pictures I don’t quite understand – what’s happening or how a certain situation came about, or what happened after the picture was taken. I think that is what I aim for as well. But I mean a portrait can also just be a good portrait. Nothing more, nothing less.
BTC: Going forward, what are your plans for the future?
DN: Honestly, I’m not totally sure where I’m headed. But I really want to do more exhibitions and make books for sure.
BTC: Why do you still do what you do?
DN: It has been such a significant part of my life for a very long time, so a part of why I do it is probably just routine. But mostly, I still do it because I enjoy meeting people and simply love photography.
LEARN MORE
You can follow David’s latest work on Instagram at @david_neman
David’s Website