by Yvette Depaepe
Published the 29^th of May 2023

Benny Pettersson's landscape photographs all have an wonderful ethereal touch and contain a lot of emotions. Photography gives him calmness, harmony and allows him to create.  He also has a tremendous respect for Mother Earth and is concerned with the way we, humans, live and behave. Let's wander through his work and discover more about the artist behind the images in this interview.

'The day wakes up'

Dear  Benny, first I would like to thank you for taking the time to answer this questionnaire! To begin, please introduce yourself shortly and tell us more about you, your hobbies or other projects you are involved in!

My name is Benny Pettersson and I'm from Sweden.
I live just outside Gothenburg,on the Swedish west-coast.
I work at Volvo Cars as a test driver. I test cars that will go to customers.
When I'm not photographing, I ride MTB and swim.

When and how did you start your photographic journey?

My first camera was a Kodak instamatic that I got when I was maybe 8 years old.
I got my first real system camera when I was 13 years old. I photographed until I turned 17.
Then there was a long break because I rode motorcycles until I was 30 years old.

'Never quiet'

'Evening by the sea'

For many of us photography is either a hobby or a way of life. How would you define your relationship with photography?

Photography is very important to me, because I have a great need to create and experience what I see. Photography gives me a calmness that makes me forget all the musts of everyday life.

'The Boulders'

'Ramhulta waterfall'

What is more important to you, the mood,/story behind your images or the technical perfection?

For me, the atmosphere is a very important part of my work. It gives me harmony and a lot of satisfaction. Then I really feel good. And of course, the technical perfection is also necessary and fun. But first there must be emotion in the image to go for the best processing.

'Towards the end of the road'

'The handicap bath'

What generally is your relationship to your subject matter beyond being an observer?
Do you prepare carefully the locations where you are intending to photograph?

My relationship with nature is that we humans must be more aware of it.  We have too think more about how we live and behave. As it feels right now, we humans are destroying what we are supposed to consider as our place to live.  We should respect the way we use water, air and earth.
I don't do much preparation before i shoot. The most important thing for me is the weather report.

'Dawn light'

'A foggy morning'

What are the main features of a successful landscape photographer in your opinion?

The most important good qualities to become a fine landscape photographer are patience and getting up early in the morning. You should be there before the sun rises.

Can you please tell us something more about your workflow from the idea to the final product?

I process my images in Lightroom and some final adjustment in Nik software.

'Daybreak'

'Dawn at lake Haketjärn'

Where do you look to find inspiration and what inspires you the most?

A lot of what gives me inspiration can be found in all the pictures at 1x. But it doesn't necessarily have to be landscape shots, action and architecture shots can work just as well. The important thing is that the pictures are giving me a good feeling.

Many are of the opinion that the gear is not very important when the passion for photography is strong. However, can you please share with us what gear you use (camera, lenses, lighting, tripod, etc.)?

To me the equipment is somewhat important. Not the camera brand but filter and stands, which should be of good quality.
My camera equipment: Nikon D800e,D800,D3s Nikkor 16-35f/4 , 24-120 f/4 , 70-200 f/4, 50f/1,8 ,Micronikkor 105f/ 2,8 ,Tamron 150-600 f/ 5-6,3 Flashes SB700, SB800, SB910, Nisi filters, Leofoto tripod.

'Sky'

'Trion'

Who are your favourite photographers or mentors whose works have influenced you and your photography?

My favourite photographers and inspirations all are here on 1x. Thanks everyone. But if I have to name one, it would be Mikko Lagerstedt.

Now, since we have almost reached the end of this interview, I would kindly ask you to share with us your plans or photographic projects you would like to be involved in.

My plans for this year are to visit some car graveyards here in Sweden. And of course there will certainly be a visit to the Swedish West coast.

'The new day'