End-of-the-year-wrap up and a look ahead

End-of-the-year-wrap up and a look ahead

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2019 has been quite a year for me. Let me take you on a retrospective tour of what has been and what is coming in 2020. I have traveled to many exciting places such as Sarajevo, I have been shooting for my coming book in London and started a very exiting journey blogging and new projects together with some amazing clients.

Opening spread from Åka Skidor Magazine.

Sarajevo – among landmines, bullet holes and deep powder snow

I started 2019 together with my childhood friends Andreas and Kristofer Lundstam. Growing up together in Östersund, in the northern parts of Sweden, we have been skiing since before we could walk. Working as a professional action sports photographer (first Scandinavian Red Bull photographer) a dream of mine always was to get the Lundstam brothers published in Åka Skidor, Sweden’s oldest and most respected ski magazine. So, on the 3rdof January we packed our skis and headed to Sarajevo in Bosnia and Hercegovina. Landing in Sarajevo, the snow was pouring down and we couldn’t be happier. A huge contrast to all the bullet holes that scared many of the city’s buildings.

”- Yes, there are still landmines in the mountain… but here, have a taste, I made it myself” says our “guide” and hands us a plastic bottle with moonshine, as he reached for a cigarette in his pocket, in what seemed like an outfit coming straight from the 1988’s skimovie, Blizzardz of aahhh’s.”

Oh, and the dream came true, double up! Not only did Åka Skidor publish the article, but as well the Canadian behemoth, Freeskier Magazine! 


London Calling – a new book is rising

I can’t say so much about this yet, for obvious reasons. This book will be quite different from my previous two. For once, it won’t be about skiing and it will not be a 1-2-year project, but a longer one. Good things take its time so you need to be patient!

The Creative Blog – from one creative to another

Well, the reason you are here! The blog. I had been blogging for some time on another platform, both in Swedish and in English. This new take is more of a scaling down and refining my vision. I believe everyone are and can be better creatives. When I started out my creative path there was no google (but Altavista), Facebook or Instagram. The concept of sharing knowledge with others, especially in the creative field, was nonexistent. When I had a creative rut, needed information about something creative or just get some feedback on my work there was nowhere to go.

So, I started this blog to write about creativity and to help others and myself to become better creatives. My goal is that it doesn’t matter if you are a photographer, graphic designer or a copywriter, every post has a takeaway of knowledge for you to use.

Swiss Education Group and Linum Design

I have some amazing clients I’m working with and couldn’t be prouder of them. During 2019 my clients, Swiss Education Group and Linum, really stepped up their game, in my opinion! Linum, launched a new e-commerce platform that I got to be a part of with my images and they hired new staff to step up their game even more.

Swiss Education Group decided to step up their content game – big time! I’m very happy to be a part of this company and especially the Scandinavian team. So many fun projects coming!

Now you might think that, why is a portraits and fashion photographer doing with interior design and food/pastry arts? Well, the short answer is because it’s fun as hell! The longer answer is that whatever keeps me on my toes, makes me tackle different challenges and absorb inspiration from other industries than portraits and fashion is good. Always good.

Instagram and Fotografiska

I have always felt that Facebook has been the platform for me. It’s easier to distribute my content, both my photography and my blog posts. But, when I got the opportunity to make an Instagram-takeover at Fotografiska something happened! I got so much love and feedback of my images and I broke the 1000 followers barrier. Its not much, but it has been a goal I have been working hard to reach!

You can follow me on Instagram here.

Business wise

I have never closed down my business, but during the last couple of years it has not been very active due to I have been working as an employee in various marketing departments, such as Fotografiska. But, deep down inside I always missed the freelancing part. I always looked at the entrepreneurs that I was working for and felt; why am I working for your dream and not mine?

Even if I started freelancing again in Q4 of 2018, I felt 2019 was my year. This “time” it felt different somehow. My mindset, my decisions and the way I was handling my day-to-day grind was different – it was better than ever before! Now, I have clear goals and how to achieve them, I’m more active with my accounting and have a better economical understanding of my business and I think long-term instead of the next day. Even if I started in 2004, now it feels real for the first time! Its VERY exciting!

A look ahead on 2020 – my year 2.0

An image of a 2020 calendar

Same as last year, miss Sophie

I will start my 2020 almost in the same way I started 2019 – on skis together with the Lundstam brothers. I will also, as read in the book: Framgångsboken by Alexander Pärleros, start my year with a one-man conference / kick-off. For this I will travel to my old hometown Åre, where I will set detailed plans for all of 2020 and map out my goals and visions and how I will get there. It’s very important to have goals for each day, week, month and year to work towards. By having a few days isolated from everything else I can focus on what I want, need and should to to succeed with my goals.

Andreas Lundstam showing off infront of my Sony A7R3

Business wise 2.0

Starting almost from scratch in 2019 was a big challenge! All my old clients had moved on to other content creators, so I needed to re-establish myself more or less. Again. I’m very proud of going from 0 to just under 260 000 SEK in turnover and just under 480 000 in-and-out, with a (very) small profit in the end.

My goal for 2020 is to double my turnover to just over 500 000 SEK and hopefully with a bigger profit. Time will tell. Goals are set. Scaling up has started!

The Creative Blog – now on Resumé!

Some great news is that I will also blog for Resumé, Sweden’s trade magazine for the communication and advertising industry. A great way to get this message of helping other creatives out there! I’m really looking forward to this!

I will also work hard to make the blog better, for you and for me. My main goal is always to share and bring value to you who reads it – there is always a creative takeaway to use.

Social Media

My main goal for 2020 is to grow my audience on my social platforms: Facebook and Instagram. Not much fun to tell, yet! Just to keep grinding and hustling.

Photography

Last year I started shooting analog again. For now, just for fun and no commercial clients. But, I notised that my analog images got more engagement and attention – especially from Vogue Italia’s PhotoVogue. So, I will keep shooting my friends using my Pentax 6×7 camera and just continue to have lots of fun!

Using my talents for good

Even if this is way too early to talk about, I can hint it a little bit! I have started working with an organisation that are working for cause I feel is (very) important! I know communication, storytelling, photography and film. With them, I will use these talents to do good in this world. Because I really feel its needed!

Wishing you all a happy new year!

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