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Johanna Ronn

As her long-time Instagram follower, I admire her works always. The spark that ignited my desire to interview her was an encounter I had with one of her Instagram posts on a lesser-known technical aspect of photography. The technical jargon was unfamiliar to me, so I sent a DM to ask her.  Her response was beyond anything I expected. Rather than providing a brief explanation, she went above and beyond, taking the time to create a video demonstration of the mysterious photography technique. Her selflessness and eagerness to share her knowledge revealed the depth of her passion and genuine desire to help others grow in their craft.

Through our virtual exchange, it became abundantly clear that she not only possesses exceptional skills but also values the act of sharing with a profound sense of purpose. She firmly believes that in the world of photography, sharing knowledge is the key to personal growth and development. Her philosophy resonates deeply with me, reaffirming the significance of fostering a community where artists can uplift each other through the exchange of ideas.

It’s a one-of-kind interview, Johanna generously unraveled the story behind her creative endeavors and the principles that guide her in both art and life. Prepare to be inspired as we gain insights into her artistic vision, her experiences in the photography realm, and the wisdom she imparts about the power of sharing in the ever-evolving world of visual storytelling.

1. Can you share with me the journey of how you developed your unique and recognizable photography style, particularly the subtle femininity and nostalgic atmosphere that are often present in your work?

Since I started taking photos more seriously, in 2012, I think I have been taking photos or working with my photos almost every day. Some days it might just be for 30 minutes, but I really believe that by doing it often you will eventually develop your own style. Also, I hardly ever plan my photos. I go out with my camera and what I happen to see or feel is what will end up in my camera. I use my photography as a form of meditation or sometimes therapy. It is a way for me to be completely present in the moment and it provides time for inner reflection. I can look at many of my photos afterwards and I remember exactly how I felt at that moment. It is like a visual diary. I think if you use photography like that, your style will be yours, it comes from within and then it will be yours automatically. I never analyze, set-up goals or strive for any particular style. My photography is free from pressure and I think that too helps in feeling free in your creativity. I remember coming back from a photo trip once and a friend of mine asked me if I got any good shots? I was feeling a bit disappointed because I felt I didn’t. But then he said, “Well, at least you trained your eyes!”. This of course makes complete sense and I often think of that. It is like a muscle, your creativity needs to be maintained and it doesn’t matter if you don’t get good shots every time! Again, thinking like that takes pressure off and I just enjoying seeing beauty through my camera!

 About femininity, it is a bit alien to me to think of myself as feminine. Growing up I was a tomboy, playing in the forest with a bow and arrow, I had really short hair and was often mistaken for a boy. I kept that style for a long time! I played soccer until I was 18 and in a game I got so badly injured I could no longer continue with soccer, so I changed to martial arts. I also have a hunting license (but I never shot anything! I am way too worried about harming an animal! The hunting license I took as a complement to my education). So, with all this, I still find it strange to think of myself as feminine. But maybe my feminine side that comes out through my photos is a revenge and an over compensation for all those not so feminine years! It is like the identity you build when growing up sticks with you! I think I have only started to embrace my femininity in the last few years and now I am loving it! I think of it as a strong, independent and daring to be vulnerable kind of femininity!

2. Your visual storytelling is truly impressive, capturing emotions and evoking a sense of longing. Could you tell me more about the process behind creating such captivating narratives within your photographs?

When it comes to my self-portraits, which I tend to think of as my most expressive work, I think I am a bad actress. I could never take a photo of something that I don’t feel. Often my photos are a result of a combination of my own mood and the atmosphere of the place I am in. I will tell you an example to explain a bit better. Last year I was going to shoot a wedding. To check out the wedding place beforehand and plan a bit I got access to the place for three hours all to myself a week before the wedding. It was in an old stone castle. Not so much the pretty fairy tale type of castle but more the gray stone and metal bars in front of the windows and narrow dark stairs. I was so excited to have this place to myself so I decided to take a long exposure, black and white series, in one of the stairs. I started shooting regular portraits, but the dark atmosphere kind of brought out a desperate and frustrated feeling. After having shot that series I felt sad and drained. Even now, looking at that series, my body remembers that feeling. I find it both a bit scary but also fascinating. I feel somehow intrigued being drawn into that bubble. To allow your feelings to come to the surface. At least for me it sometimes feels like a challenge, a dare. Dare to stay in that feeling. I think in those moments I get carried away and I am completely present in that space both physically and mentally. When I look at someone’s photos, or any type of art, and I can see something from the artist in the work, something that shows how the artist was thinking or feeling I always get excited and I often love work like that. When there is something beyond what you can study to learn or beyond technical skills, I want to see the essence or a glimpse or the artist's mind, then I am hooked! I think that is something that I try to strive for in my own work as well. I would much rather make someone feel something when they look at my photos than I would want to impress.

3. As your long-time follower, I sense a deep passion for photography in your work. What initially sparked your love for this art form, and how does that passion continue to inspire and drive you in your creative process?

Oh yes, I absolutely love photography! I struggled with watercolor and ink for so many years, but it was exactly that, a struggle! I often felt frustrated and annoyed that I couldn’t express myself clearly enough or the way I wanted. When I discovered photography it was like finding home. It is a medium that fits me perfectly! I love the creative freedom, I love darkroom work and analogue techniques and one thing that I truly find fantastic is that I will never be fully learned as a photographer! There will always be more things to learn and try, I find that thought exciting! When I received your questions I started thinking more deeply about what actually drives me. Because I don’t have a clear goal. I then realized that what truly drives me to go out with my camera is this anticipation of never knowing what I will photograph. No matter if I walk in my own forest where I have walked a hundred times, there will always be something that I see for the first time! Or, if I go to the darkroom I know I can always improve or learn new things, it is fantastic to know that you will always be able to learn more! Another thing that drives me is this creative itch that is tickling inside my chest, as if I just MUST create something. I often feel I would like to express more, be more raw and honest, another area where I can learn more!

4. The inner beauty and mindfulness reflected in your photography are remarkable. How do you infuse these qualities into your images and convey a sense of introspection and depth?

I feel so grateful if this is something you find in my work! I can’t really tell you any conscious way or method that I use for that. But I think I know what you mean because I can sense myself when I am out taking photos if I manage to get into that feeling myself. I prefer to listen to music when I take photos and I always find it that music helps me to get into a certain mood. I am also a very melancholic person; I think I always have this little core of darkness in me. I don’t dislike it, it is more a source of emotions that I can draw from. A sweet melancholy. I prefer to take photos on my own, I really don’t like to take photos together with other people, I need to have my mind undisturbed somehow. This can sometimes be a problem when I take portraits. To give myself some space in those moments I often tell the person I am photographing that I prefer to have a silent photo shoot. It helps me to focus on my photography and not so much on the conversation. I often also ask them to close their eyes! When I first started doing that I realized that by doing this you can also get a completely relaxed and beautiful expression, many of my portraits are still with people who have closed eyes. It also creates a beautiful moment of trust and mutual respect somehow. I like that.

I find it that seeing beauty through my camera really helps me to sort of reset my mind. I work just next to a botanical garden, and I often take a short walk at lunch with my camera. It is like a treasure hunt! Finding small, beautiful details, color combinations or textures for 20 minutes refreshes my mind and I always feel happy and more energetic after that! It is the closest I come to meditation.

5. Sweden is known for its unique culture and stunning landscapes. How has your Swedish background influenced your artistic vision and the stories you tell through your photography?

I grew up on the countryside with a huge forest just behind the house. This was where we played, where I went whenever I wanted to be alone and where I was trying to take photos of birds when I got my first camera. I also grew up with a family where we picked berries and mushrooms in autumn, harvesting what nature provides. The forest has always been a really important place to me. It is like a huge living room that can be both relaxing and sometimes scary, but in a good way. More exciting than scary maybe. Here in Sweden we have such clear seasons and I think that makes me appreciate and treasure light even more. There is definitely a romantic view on nature in Sweden that I think has colored my photographic language a lot. I love all sorts of folklore stories about the mystical nature and creatures that roam among the shadows in the forest. We also have a fairly rich animal fauna with several species of deer, wolf, lynx, bear and wild boars and many more species! I always feel lucky when I encounter wild animals in the forest. The best thing is if they don’t spot me and I can watch their natural behaviors, I love that! I think my photography would not be the same without the forest so deeply rooted in me. It provides a sense of calm.

6. Can you share any particular moments or experiences that have had a profound impact on your creative journey and shaped your photographic style?

The first thing that comes to my mind is when I took part in an exhibition for the first time. It was together with other analogue photographers from my local photo club. I had just joined the club and we were about 10 photographers that had a common exhibition with about three photos each, all analogue and printed in the darkroom. I remember I had three portraits. I was really nervous! In that exhibition a retired professional photographer, Johan, an honorary member of the club, came down to see the exhibition. He was so extremely kind and said very nice things about my work. I felt very surprised and humble! I hadn’t expected that kind of positive feedback at all! I think he was the first adult that really saw my work and believed in my work. So incredibly important and for me it truly meant the world! I think he planted a grain of confidence in me, and I have often reflected back on his kind words and how much they meant to me. A second event that truly meant so much to me was when I had my first solo exhibition in a gallery abroad. In May 2022 I had a solo exhibition in Gallery Poltred in Lyon, France. That was truly a dream come true and a memory for life. So incredibly grateful for that!

7. The atmosphere in your photos often feels nostalgic and a beautiful blurry like a breeze highlighting your work. How do you develop this style so effectively and consistently in your compositions?

I am so happy you describe my work with these words, but I have to admit I have no idea how I got there! I wish I could formulate it myself because I believe that you can evolve and progress in your own work if you are also able to describe it well. I always find it extremely useful when I talk about my work because by writing things down or saying them out loud often makes you realize new aspects of your work. I also think it helps you to give good feedback to other artists. I think I have always been a bit of a storyteller maybe. As a child I would write books and draw illustrations to them. I love singing and writing. However, I have never been able to educate myself in the arts. I wanted to apply to art school as a young adult but for various reasons I couldn’t. I think that has given me a kind of low confidence in my artistic expression. That I was advised not to think I was good enough for the arts. But finding photography, collaborating with other artists, having exhibitions and reaching out with my work today fills me with such energy and joy that I feel I am partly getting a small revenge, showing myself respect in a way. By doing what I truly love and feel so strongly about.

8. Your compositions often feature intriguing elements, such as the use of windows, body parts like feet and hands, and the emphasis on the left side of the face. Could you tell me more about the inspiration behind these choices and how they contribute to the overall visual impact and storytelling in your photographs?

When it comes to hands, I just find that there are so many emotions, there is such a delicate sense of touch in fingertips. So much can be expressed with hands. Also feet, somehow, I think there is more power in feet, desperation and drama. I love to play with shadow and light and hands and feets, telling stories with small means. The face, I am not sure how to describe it in a good way. From your questions I sense you have really done such a great job! I want to respect that and also answer in a truthful way. It goes back to femininity. I never considered myself pretty. I know it is such a cliché and I get really annoyed with myself for being so shallow and not being more confident! I am working on it and getting better at it! But you know, it is one of these things that many of us struggle with. I know I said I seldom put up goals with my photography but I think that is one goal. To dare. To embrace and to be kinder to myself. A professional photographer once told me “The face is not for you!” when he tried to take a portrait of me. That comment cut straight to my heart. Today I use it as a motivation to prove him wrong.

9. Where do you draw your inspiration from the most? Are there any particular photographers or artists whose work has had a significant impact on your own artistic journey and style?

I think in my own photographic language I am more inspired by writers than other photographers. I feel very inspired by for example Sylvia Plath, Virginia Woolf and Anaïs Nin. They all have a darkness and strength that I feel resonates with me. When it comes to photographers I really like Julia Margaret Cameron. I think her portrait work is astonishing and her way of using light is just incredible, Edward Weston for his way of capturing textures to make them look almost three dimensional, but I also really like his portraits! Finally, Francesca Woodman for her courage and creativity! When it comes to more contemporary artists I am fascinated by Marina Abramovic. The intensity, the courage and the total commitment is truly inspirational! 

10. I noticed that you have collaborated with several talented artists on Instagram. Could you tell me more about your decision-making process when choosing to collaborate with others? What factors do you consider, and what draws you to collaborate with specific artists?

I am so happy you included this question! My collaborations are truly close to my heart! I see Instagram as a fantastic tool for meeting and for facilitating connections between people. Over the last years I have collaborated with other photographers, painters and a music composer. I always get such positive creative energy and so much joy from my collaborations. It is so rewarding to put yourself in someone else’s creative world and find a connection between that and your own. The collaborations always start with either me reaching out, or as in the case with Richard Laurence, the music composer behind Gifts from Crows, him reaching out to me asking for a collaboration. With Richard the collaboration resulted in an album, Etudes of the Crow, where each of the eight music compositions have a photo made by me to accompany the music. This was truly such a fun collaboration where in some cases Richard wrote the music to one of my photos and in other cases, he would send me a piece and I created an image to that. Another of my treasured collaborations is the one I do each month together with Dutch photographer Marïette Aernoudts. We send each other a photo each month and then the other person creates something with that photo. We are now in our second year of doing this and each month it is really like you get a gift when she sends me a photo to work with. I think a key to a successful collaboration is mutual respect and to always give the correct photo credit and be clear with how the collaboration should be presented. I feel very honored and grateful for the trust and creative energy my collaborations give me!

Thanks Johanna Ronn and please find more her works on @mintcolibri

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