JH Engström

In this FotoTV film, Swedish photographer JH Engström, renowned for his unique style of exploratory and expressive life-based photography, discusses his eclectic work and shares insight into his photography, as well as his specific methods when creating his images.

Engström has created some of the most highly sought after photography books, most notably “Trying to Dance”, the first project of his book project trilogy, which is a photojournalistic journal of his life since the 1990’s. It is a wonderful mix of landscapes, self-portraits, and snapshots of friends. At the center of these pictures is a strong feeling of being in an endless present tense. Always looking for presence, Engström largely focuses on his individual experiences as a photographer, juxtaposed against a sensitive and provocative world and the fleeting essence of a moment within a specific time and place.

When listening to Engström describe his work and viewing his images, it is clear that he relates to his subjects in a way that not only document what or who he is photographing, but it is also an expression of his own self and his intimate connection and fascination with his personal surroundings and environment.