Greta Carlstrom’s passion for photography began at a very early age, seeing an image develop before her eyes in her father’s darkroom. She continued growing her visual language through her career in advertising as an art director on Madison Avenue in New York. While creating campaigns and commercial photography projects for companies, Greta continuously worked on her own photo projects. Now, she carves out time to work on photography full-time, including getting feedback on her work and professional-quality printing at The Image Flow. Learn more about Greta’s photography practice in her own words below.
Photography is my artistic expression, my creative language. It’s how I like to tell stories. My visual style is influenced by minimalism, classical art and by several photographers: the clean dramatic images of Irving Penn, the fashion images of Lillian Bassman, the soft and alluring work of Sarah Moon, even the surrealist work of Man Ray.
My work comes from an emotional place in my psyche and soul. My images can be mysterious, cinematic, often dabbling in a surrealist realm, and even capture the emotional side of my Swedish approach to imagery.
I’ve been building the collection of Diptychs and Triptychs for several months. At the beginning, I selected pairs from my archive of images that made a sequence. Patterns emerged when images came together, forming a new visual language while creating depth, contrast, and meaning.
Currently, I find myself thinking of a single image that would be nice as a pair, so I keep an eye out for something to photograph to complete the story. I have a library of the “duets”, Diptych images, now creating a boxed set of 25 diptychs. This Diptych series allows me to capture the essence of a person or place, to build narrative environmental stories of artists, architects, painters, and people expressing themselves in their daily life.
Experiments are a natural part of my creative process.
My perspective is shifting, and I’m discovering my approach is expanding. I think about making pairs, highlighting subjects with hidden stories, that combine with other images to tell an expanded narrative. Photographing in this way, I am more aware of the interaction of overlapping subjects, colors, shapes, and stories than I was previously.
I like creating new compositions by aligning images that convey a message through the interaction of thematic juxtapositions. I prioritize visual elements that complement one another. Often, my diptychs explore the narrative concept of similarities or differences through color, light, shape, form, texture, perspective, or parallel storylines.
I began photographing a character study of Krisjon Svanberg on the very essence of his creative life. I’ve created a photographic series of triptychs that highlight his varied talents, going beyond his professional architecture work. I’ve been exploring his architectural renderings, followed by his other creative expressions: playing piano and guitar, and collecting classic furniture.
I call the resulting images “environmental portraits.” My environmental portraits evolved while being inspired by Cinema Verite films. I believe a cinematic approach allows the true spirit of the person’s essence to emerge.
Beginning with the environment, I look for a space with cinematic possibilities and perhaps a little mystery. I select a natural environment that is comfortable, in which the individual can engage in conversation during the photo session. The lighting is the most important factor, as it enhances the storytelling of the person. The depth of the space is crucial, along with the right lens and camera position.
I work as a director, drawing their attention to the story and relationship to the camera. I like to collaborate with the person to express their life experiences in an authentic way.
I began expanding the series, I’ve started photographing a painter in her studio. I’ve lined up a few new individuals to photograph, a watercolor artist, a barista, an ex-Google employee, and a few more diverse talented individuals.
The Image Flow creative team has assisted in expanding my photography projects. Attending the Photo Challenge class, I received the support of professionals. Sharing creative work with colleagues and instructors has elevated my photographic journey. From working with the graphic design creatives to build book templates as extensions of a body of work, to printing images for group and solo exhibitions, The Image Flow has been very professional, ensuring the highest standards at every step.
Keep up with Greta’s work through her website and Instagram.
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