Interview: Photographer John P Hagby (Sweden)

Can you tell us a little about you?

I’m a portrait and commercial photographer, I’ve been working with photography more or less during the last 30 years. I’m 46 years old and live in Sweden. I run 2 photographic companies, PictPro (about 10 years old now) and Studio – Pi film & Foto (about 1 years old). I’m a Elinchrom and Olympus ambassador and I love shooting photos with people in it. 2016 and 2018 I made first place in Swedish Portrait masters.

How and when did you get into photography? In HighShool I was introduced to the analoug darkroom and loved the process, after that it was a big hobby for me that rather soon turned in to work. I did work some years as a chef and with computers during a couple of years but photography allways pulls me back.

3 What does photography mean to you?

To me it gives me the possibility of working with something both creatively and technical and at the same time meet up with a lot of intersting people.

Please briefly describe your photography style for our readers. If i get to choose it will be rather tight cropped portraits or “Rough beautyshoots” if I may call it that. But one of the more exiting parts in photography is to develop so I always try to stretch my style. Generally I tend to use muted colors and maybee a bit more contrasty image than most of my fellow Swedish photographers.

Where do you get inspiration from?

Actually I steal… I’m a thief and I steal from other artist and there creative idéas. A lightsetup from one artwork, styling from one, posing from one, and so on and so on… if I mix enough from different influences I can take cred for the perfect mix. ;) I also love to work with creative people so rather often my own work is created with a cluster of creative people.

Think you in advance what you want in the picture?

Yes, I always have a plan but it can in any given situation during the shoot, or just before, change and become something else. I think a plan for how you want to create the image is important to ensure the quality of the image but I’m not afraid to abandon the plan if something comes up that will improve the result.

Studio, on location or both?

Mostly studio but I tend to do more and more locationshooting.

Would you consider yourself a hobbyist or a paid professional? Paid professional

What has been your most memorable session and why?

Ohh… 30 years of shooting… ha ha ha… Probobly one of the photoshoots I did in Gothenburg city. I think it’s fun to work and have a natural audience. People passing by often stops and watch, sometimes askes questions… Since I love people, I love audience when I work. One of the most memorable shoots would be “Shopoholic” (The BW image with a woman exiting the cab)

Nikon or Canon? Favorite lens?

If only thees two is the choice, I would say Nikon but i don’t use my Nikon that much anymore… I have Phase One and Olympus to… So… I’ll say… Olympus and the 45/1,2 from Olympus. If you need a favorit lens from Nikon it will be the 58/1,4

What is one piece of advice you would like to offer a new photographer looking to start their own business?

Keep your photographic business as a hobby for as long as you can but charge your costumer as if you were a pro. That will make the transition to a full time photographer easier since you already have a set of costumers that are willing to pay what you need to charge to survive as a photographer. If you want to stay a hobbyphotograper then charge nothing. That way you can stay with doing just the shoots you want to do and the way you want to shoot them. As soon as you charge for a photograph you need to adapt to your customer in one way or another. With a portfolio that shows what type of photographer you are and what style you have more people will ask for you and your style, not only because they know you. And if you start up a professional business make sure you can afford it. In Sweden most photographic business do not generate a profit and have a good customerbase within the first 3 years. A lot of people give up before that.

What do you think of our new magazine?

Very inspiring , i will probobly steal some idéas from your magazine and call it my own. ;)

www.pictpro.se

www.studio-pi.se

Facebook: PictPro – John Hagby,

Facebook: Studio-pi,

Insta: PictProPhoto