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Magazine
Benny Pettersson : Environmental conscious landscape photographer

by Yvette Depaepe
Published the 29th 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'

 

Write
Succinct and to the point. Let the images do the talking. Very enjoyable interview. Thanks
Estupendo. Me ha encantado esta entrevista. Enhorabuena, Benny.
Classic Storytelling

by Editor Lourens Durand
Edited and published by Yvette Depaepe, the 26 of May 2023

 

'Goodbye My Lover' by Ismail raja sulbar

 

Classical music is a genre of entertainment that has been around for centuries and has evolved over time, in tune with historical changes in social mores.  If we look closely at its structure, we will see that it has always had several layers of complexity that contribute to its unique beauty and appeal, all of them together evoking emotions, captivating moments of import, and telling stories.

These layers include melody, harmony, rhythm, dynamics, form, emotions, and expression, each requiring a high level of skill and knowledge, both for the composer and the performer (and the listener).
There is nothing like experiencing the interplay of the different orchestral instruments reflecting a balance of pitches and melodies above a baseline of rhythm and complemented by harmony and drama, building a series of pictures that build up to a crescendo of emotion that tells a story, evoking memories and emotions, whether of happiness, toil or sorrow.

 

Similarly, good photography uses layers of complexity to evoke emotions and tell powerful stories, capturing moments in time that are memorable and making them stand out from the thousands of other pictures seen daily.

The most basic layer is the technical skill of the photographer in using aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and focal length in an optimal way to get the message across. Complementing this is the photographer’s ability to process the results optimally in post-processing, either in the darkroom or in image editing software.

One of the most important layers after this is composition, the conscious arrangement of elements like lines, shapes, and combinations of tones and colour to create a sense of balance and harmony, whilst adding to the emotional effect.

Also important is that the blend of light and shade, the direction and intensity of the lighting used enhances the mood of the story.

Then there is the setting, the choice of background, the clothing (in the case of portraits), and the props, all of which add to the story.
Finally, there is the story.  All the elements in the photo need to be carefully thought through and planned in advance, anticipating the situation, the overall scene, the lighting, the mood, and even the use of symbolism to enrich the story. All of this requires the EYE – the ability to see the final picture well before pressing the shutter button.

Here is a selection of photographs taken by 1X.com photographers, illustrating the value of visualization, planning, and storytelling in photography, in the same way as classical music masterpieces are built up, primarily in the mind of the composer.

Or, sometimes, the moment just arrives.
But still the story behind it needs to be recognised…

Lourens Durand

 

'Persian musician girl' by Moein Hasheminasab

 

 

'Repairman violin.' by Israel Fichman

 

'High seas 2' by Adrian Donoghue

 

 

'Still life with violin and candle' by Andrey Morozov

 

'The Greatest Love of All' by Ario Wibisono

 

 

'symphony to my best friend' by dete

 

 

'Music Lesson MMXV' by Karol Szejko Zeiko

 

 

'Sophie' by Chris Bos

 

 

'Mysteries of Depth' by Sergey Parishkov

 

 

'Through time.' by Silvia Simonato

 

 

'Story Of Family Farmer' by A.Madestra. W

 

 

'Gift' by Natalia Simongulashvili (NATALIORION)

 

 

'What shall we do next?' by Ineke Mighorst

 

 

'Maasai Mother and Son' by Yuzheng Ren

 

 

'Happy hour' by Adrian Donoghue

 

 

n/t by Leila Emektar La_

 

 

'The silence of water' by Mohammad Sorkhabi (Sorkhe Abi)

 

 

'Red Rose 3' by Sebastian Kisworo

 

 

'The Rhythm of Sorrow' by Sebastian Kisworo

 

 

'The performer' by Marc Apers

 

 

'Long LOVE' by Sarawut Intarob

 

 

'Shepherd' by Mustafa Cebecioglu

 

 

Гармонист by Viktor Cherkasov

 

 

'When you say nothing at all' by Lita Pratikto

 

 

Aydın/klasikler by Yavuz Arslan

 

 

'Swimming of Memory' by Kenichiro Hagiwara

 

 

'Insomnia!' by Ali Khataw

 

Write
Wow. Just Wonderful. A big Thank you and off course congratulations to the creator of the stories.
Thanks for sharing these amazing story-telling images, and congratulations to all the photographers who have told the stories!
A wonderful collection of storytelling photographs. Thanks a lot and my compliments to the photographers!
Beautiful collection of storytelling photos .
Wonderful collection of beautiful storytelling photographs
Excellent repertoire of images, congratulations to the authors.
Both in terms of composition and colour tone are very extreme, exquisite.
This is a wonderful collection of images. I aspire to get stories in my images and these are good examples.
Excellent images, it was treat to watch
Excelentes fotografías
Motion Panning : Technique for succesful action photography

By Editor Miro Susta
Edited and published by Yvette Depaepe, the 25th of May 2023


A beautiful effect is created when you move the camera along with the motif. We call it 'motion panning'. It adds dynamism to a photograph.

 

'Flying to the light' by Joan Zhang

 

In other words, the photographer wants to have the moving motif in focus and the rest of the scene blurred to convey the motion of the subject, to make speed visible in a photo.

 

'white horse' by Ummu Nisan Kandilcioglu


Photo motifs for motion panning can be found all around, flying birds, moving animals and people, rolling rail and road vehicles, even flying aircraft's, basically everything that is in motion.

 

'White swans taking off' by Katsu Uota

 

'2' by Vito Castrignano

 

 

'Great migration' by Giuseppe DAmico

 

 

'full trotting' by mihai ian nedelcu

 

 

'Panning Havana' by Andreas Bauer

 

 

'Racing in Motion' by Li Jian

 

 

'Rescue Me' by Piotr Wrobel

 

'Roundabout' by arminMarten


Motion panning technique is great to use when it is already too dark to freeze the movement. You can take photos with a relatively low ISO value because you must lengthen the exposure time to pull along anyway.

 

'KEIRIN' by Masatoshi Ujihara

 

 

'Lights chaser' by Hayk Shalunts

 

 

'Flying at sunset' by Sufang Wang

 

'Night moves' by Jason Crockett


Again, depending on the motif, motion panning shots can be successful with different exposure times.

 

The Sound of Speed by Lucas Gnarini

 

 

Lowrider by Leif Løndal

 

 

Dynamic trotting race by Erhard Batzdorf


For a racing car or racing motorbike at full speed, perhaps shutter speeds as fast as 1/125 sec are necessary: with a telephoto lens, such panning shots succeed even at faster shutter speeds.

 

Streamlined by Dan Thompson

 

 

High concentration by Rudra Sen

 

 

'Barrido' by Carlos Gonzalez



For a normal moving car or motorbike 1/60 sec, and for a cyclist or pedestrian at five to ten metres, 1/25 sec to 1/10 sec or even 0.5 sec are good starting values if you use an 18-55 mm wide-angle or normal lens.

 

Head to Head by Dan Thompson

 

 

Urban Cyclist (Amsterdam series) by luisfer


The further you are from the motif, the more difficult it becomes to the camera along.

 

Velodrome II by Masatoshi Ujihara


Sport is an ideal subject to practice motion panning technique, whether the subject is running on the road, on a racetrack or moving around a circuit.

 

Pokhara Marathon by Yvette Depaepe

 

 

'cycling track' by Gilbert Claes

 

 

'Revolution' by Masatoshi Ujihara


To make your motion panning successful, use the following approach:

* Stand so that you are looking slightly in the direction the motif is moving. This will give you a much more stable stance than if you were standing parallel to the moving motif.

* Since you want the moving motif to be in focus, you must focus on it.

* Find the right background because you need details that can blur. For example, if you wanted to do this technique with an airplane in the sky, it will not work because the blue sky will not blur. Lamps, city scenes, trees, anything that can blur will work.

* Activate the Servo Autofocus mode for motion panning, then the camera automatically and continuously adjusts the focus of a focused object as soon as it is in motion.

* Set the camera in Manual or Time Mode to the appropriate exposure time between approx. 1/125 and 0.5 s (rule of thumb).

* An approximate guideline for the exposure time is the reciprocal of the speed in km/h - for a car with a speed of 50 km/h this would be 1/50 second.

* Set the ISO is in Automatic Mode. Thus, the ISO takes over the fine correction over the entire panning range.

* Press the shutter button all the way down without releasing it.

* Follow the motif with the camera until it is in the optimal position.

* Release the shutter and continue to follow the motif in motion so that there is no abrupt jerk.

* It is advisable to use a Polarising or Grey Filter for slow shutter speeds and a mono- or tripod for better stability.

 

'Chasing' by Shi & Wei


Do not give up! The technique of motion panning requires a lot of practice. But success brings a lot of excitement and fun.

 

'Flamboyant' by Annie Poreider


I wish you much pleasure and satisfactory results in your own motion panning actions, and I would be happy to see your best photos in our 1x photo gallery.

www.mrsphoto.net
[email protected]

 

 

Write
Thank you very much Yvette and Miro for a very valuable collection of information and photographs. I watched it with pleasure, Regards.
Very nice and informative read!
Many thanks, Rudra
Muchas gracias
Eres muy bienvenido, Eduardo
Thank you very much Yvette and Miro for the exceptional collections.
Thanks for your appreciation, Kenneth!
Very, very inspiring, creative and powerful works. Thank you very much Yvette and Miro.
Thank you, Erhard!
Results Contest - Wildlife Photography

by Yvette Depaepe
Published the 24th of May 2023

 

'Wildlife photography' takes knowledge, patience and lots of luck. We can't help with the last two but we can always improve our skills and techniques. In this challenge, the creativity when photographing animals in their natural environment was set in the spotlight. 
The many submissions all were amazing and original.  

The winners with the most votes are: 
1st place : The Jar - Geir Jartveit  
2nd place : Franke de Jong
3rd place : Christian Kurz

Congratulations to the winners and honourable mentions and thanks to all the participants in the contest 'Wildlife Photography'

 

The currently running theme is 'Seascapes'
Seascapes are without any doubt, one of the most exciting types of landscape photography. 
In seascapes, the water is often the main subject. The change of light (sunrises and sunsets) allows you to shoot different seascapes; from capturing the sea flows by doing long exposure photography to freezing the motion of the breaking waves using a fast shutter speed.

This contest will end at midnight on Sunday the 4th of June 2023.
The sooner you upload your submission the more chance you have to gather the most votes.
If you haven't uploaded your photo yet, click here

Good luck to all the participants.

 

AI. GENERATED IMAGES ARE NOT ALLOWED.

 

1st place : by The Jar - Geir Jartveit
 
 
2nd place  : by Franke de Jong
 
 
3rd place : by Christian Kurz
 
 
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
 
by Jesus Concepcion Alvarado
 
 
by Kutub Uddin
 
 
by brigitte van krimpen
 
 
by Louis-Philippe Provost
 
 
by Sergio Volani
 
 
by M. Photos
 
 
by Molly Fu
 
You can see the names of the TOP 50 here.  

The contests are open to everybody except to crew members.
Submitting images already published / awarded on 1x is allowed.
AI. GENERATED IMAGES ARE NOT ALLOWED.
Write
Congratulations to the winners and to you Ivette for the organisation.
Thank you very much dear Yvette for putting all these contests, topics and interviews together and put a lot of your time and effort on it, much appreciated! Congratulations to all the participants!
I love what I'm doing here, Molly ... Thanks for so much appreciation, dear friend!
Wonderful images! congrats to all.
Very nice wildlife photos!! Congrats to all photographers.
Superb wildlife photos, congratulations to winners and honourable mentions
Congratulations to all winners
Congratulations to all the winners and honorable mentions, beautiful work! Hats off to all wildlife photographers!
Great images, congrats to all.
Rafal Kaniszewski's own vision on the world's beauty

by Yvette Depaepe
Published the 22nd of May 2023

 

Rafal Kaniszewski's wonderful landscape photographs all have that ethereal touch which makes them unique and magical. Nature is his greatest inspiration. Rafal always strives to capture the beauty of the world and seldom processes his images. He quotes: the less editing, the better'.  I invite you today to discover more about this fine artist through this interview.

 

'Lavender fields'

 

 

'The breath of the far North'

 

 

Dear  Rafal, 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!

Hi my name is Rafal Kaniszewski, I'm from Poland but have been living in Norway for several years. My hobby and of course great passion is photography, but besides photography I like sports, music and good movies. There are a few projects I want to carry out, but these are just plans ;)

 

When and how did you start your photographic journey?

As far as I remember photography was always present in my life, however for the past few years it's integral part of it. I remember when I was little, my dad had a camera and a photographic darkroom. Later on, photography was relegated to the background through sport and football. It came back for good in 2010 and stayed that way.

 

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

It’s so important that it has become an integral part of my life. Basically I interact with photography every day. Although it is not my profession from which I make money, it is a great passion that gives me a lot of fun and a break from everyday life.

 

What would be the most important experience so far that has influenced your steps in photography?

I think the moment I learned to see and not just look, was an essential experience, and that's when my photography journey started.

 

You have your very own style. Why are you so drawn by landscape photography?

Photography gives me the opportunity to keep the moment that will never happen again: light, atmosphere, mood, and emotions. It also gives a chance to show the world around, the magic of the early morning or the amazing view of the setting sun, and at the same time, my own interpretation of it. It is my safe place to which I can escape. I want to show the emotions and beauty captured in my photos to share with the viewers, to make them stop for a while, to think and even to dream.

 

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

Each of these things is important to make a good photograph, and I always try to show a place in a unique way, capturing the atmosphere, the atmosphere and the magic. Behind many of my photos there are the stories of the people I met along the way, and my own experiences and testimonies.

 

What generally is your relationship to your subject matter beyond being an observer?

In my opinion, photography is not just about observing the world and life around us through the camera's viewfinder. It's something more than what you see in the pictures. It is about experiences, people and friendship. All this makes photography a part of life, at least in my case.

 

Do you prepare carefully the locations where you are intending to photograph?

I always prepare everything before an extended outdoor shoot, so that I am not surprised on the location and do not waste valuable time. Due to my professional work, I can't afford to look for places to photograph during the trip. I have everything ready before I leave. Although there are times when I take my equipment and just go to a region and discover new locations.

 

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

Above all, patience, I think this quality is one of the most important in landscape photography. Of course, you also need to love what you do, to be sensitive to the beauty of nature around you.

 

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

When going to a place, I first check the maps, the situation of the land, what is where and how to get there. Then frames start to appear in my head. I always try to frame and use the rest of the settings on location and filters so that there is as little work as possible on the computer. I think the less the better, although sometimes you have to do a bit of work to process the images.

 

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

Nature itself is an inspiration to me, being in the right place at the right time, then I have it all ;) Of course, I also browse photo portals, photos taken by other photographers, travel guide videos , blogs. Inspiration can be found everywhere.

 

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.)?

Equipment I use:

Nikon D850

Nikon Z7 II

Nikkor 14-30 f/4

Nikkor 14-24mm f/2,8 G ED

Nikkor 24-70mm f/2,8 G ED

Nikkor 80-400mm f/4,5-5,6 AF-S ED

Nikkor 85mm f/1.8 D AF

LeoFoto LM-324C - tripod

Shimoda X50 - backpack

Lee filters, Haida filters

 

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

I enjoy the work of many photographers, ancient masters such as Ansel Adams to current photographers. I look at a lot of photographs by other artists, which gives me inspiration to continue working and learning new things. I think we have a lot of good photographers these days but we don't hear about all of them.

 

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.

I would like to publish an album of my photos, maybe a book one day. A big dream of mine is to visit Patagonia. I am starting to run photography workshops, I want to share my knowledge and experience.

 

Is there anything else you wish to add  and what do you think about 1X as a home base for your work?

I would like to thank my wife and children very much for their endless support in what I do and for their understanding.
And as for 1x I think it is one of the best places to share my creativity as well as a place to learn.

 

Thank you very much

Rafal :)

 

'Ice'

 

 

'Belveder'

 

 

'Lighthouse'

 

 

'Lighthouse in Lofoten'

 

 

'Morning on the Baltic'

 

 

'Pieniny'

 

 

'Kannesteinen Rock'

 

 

'Trollstigen'

 

 

'Baltic morning'

 

 

'Lighthouse'

 

 

'Foggy forest'

 

 

'Aurora'

 

 

'Before sunrise'

 

'Winter sunset'

 

 

'Green Lady'

Write
Great
精彩的对话,杰出的作品!学习。
Excellent works with the nice writing! Learning. Congratulations!!!
Piękne fotografie. Gratuluję kunsztu i umiejętności. ;)
Great shots !!
Thank you :)
What beautiful images, I love your style. It has been wonderful to walk through your eyes in all those places, Rafal. Once again thank you Yvette for bringing us such beauty and talent.
Thank you so much :)
Thank you Mabel ;-) xx
Great artistic landscapes composed with use of appropriate lighting. Love it Rafal Kaniszewski.
Thank you so much :)
Stunning work, Rafal! A very interesting interview, thank you for sharing, Rafal & Yvette.
Thank you so much :)
Thank you dear Heike
Great photography and such amazing landscapes full of mystery and drama! Congratulations, Rafal and thank you, Yvette, for this interesting interview!
Thank you so much :)
It is so fine to discover talented photographers to interview
Superb photography, beautifully displayed and presented. A very interesting article. Hearty congratulations and greetings !
Thank you
izis PRO
Piękne krajobrazy Rodaku! Gratuluje!
Dzięki śliczne Izis ;)
great photography, great style as you can see in every photo, bravo
Thank you so much Janku :)
Very absorbing and Wonderful images. excellent lighting , colors , framing make the images breathtaking. Thanks for sharing with lucid narration.
I'm very glad, thank you very much :)
Thank you for showing us your beautiful landscapes Rafal, and thank you for sharing your story and recommendations. Thank you as always Yvette, for your tireless work behind the scenes, we all appreciate your commitment, all the best to YOU!
Thank you so much :)
Thanks Wayne ... love to do what I do ;-)
Stunning images, congratulations Rafal, thank you Yvette for sharing work of talented photographers, it enriches me every time I go through magazine
Thank you so much :)
My pleasure, Anita