E-democracy and transparency equals square portraits?

This weeks story is about something a bit less tangible than bicycle nerds. Sweden has always been proud of it’s transparency when it come to its government affairs. Basically everything that isn’t classified as secret is public. So far so good. This way of affairs came about in the 18th century and is supposed to work as a power check. The citizens shall be able to hold the power accountable for its actions. The only way to do this is to know what they’re doing. Thus transparency. The idea still stands but the technologies are new. And with new technologies new demands on our government arise. One new demand is that the information that is legally unrestricted and open should be handed over to the people in digital form. This is not something that is happening, yet. The law doesn’t state in what form the open information is supposed to be handed over. The government say that the info can be handed over in digital form but cannot force its departments and ministries to do so. The rumor have it that refusing to hand over information in digital form is used in order obstruct inquests into public purchase. Thus rendering it hopelessly impossible to check any potential wrongdoings by public representatives.

So while the U.K and the USA is currently working on opening up their systems to the public Sweden is already there but the question is whether we are moving forward towards an even more open society or are we circumventing the open society? And is this happening now when the digital era has made it possible to actually process great amounts of data more easily thus rendering it possible for us to critically appraise those in power? The jury is still out.







This is how it looked in the magazine. I shot the photos and the eminent
Torbjörn Nilsson penned it all down.

Fixed gear…and shit.

I got this fun assignment for Fokus, it read “Shoot a bike story”. So I did.

Should’ve, would’ve, could’ve

It’s Saturday, I should’ve done plenty of things today but didn’t. This means only one thing. I’ve got to do it tonight or tomorrow. And since I’ve got other things to do tomorrow I’ve got to do it tonight i.e. now.

I’m currently working my way through some shots for a friend and folk music artist Malin Foxdal. We spent a day and night up in our home town Falun and its surroundings to shoot some new images for her upcoming album. On it she’ll be interpreting Gillian Welch’s music in Swedish so check it out when it comes out. Obviously I’ll post on it then. We went looking for the rural Sweden which isn’t that hard in the region of Dalarna. And now I’m editing it all and I think it looks good. More to come on this issue later as I said.

So now I need to sit my ass down and keep on working those pics and also start planning for some interesting assignments for Fokus as well. It looks like I’m going down south next week for a small shoot in Malmö. Hopefully I’ll be able to stay the night there to hook up with some friends as well.

Well, here are some more pages from the last few issues of Fokus:

The party leaders from the coalition government. From the left Fredrik Reinfeldt

(M), prime minister; Göran Hägglund (Kd), minister for health and social affairs;

Maud Olofsson (C), minister for enterprise and energy; and Jan Björklund (Fp),

minister for education.

The Swedish national scene a.k.a. Dramaten is trying to broaden their fan base. Probably

necessary if it wants an audience that is actually alive in a few years. Well, I guess it’s not

that problematic but at least they’re branching out.

This is how my first ever questionnaire turned out. Not the most exhilarating photo assign-

ment ever but definitely a challenge. Shoot portraits of people looking for a job at the un-

employment office. I wanted to do even more stylized portraits, get them in the exact same

spot. Well, that didn’t work out so I started shooting them while being seated at the work-

stations instead. It turned out quite alright in print, I think. Not all pages are included here

but check out all photos at Fokus’ website, click in the right hand corner where it says

bildspel.

Another new beginning.

And a new beginning it is. This week saw me starting as a photo intern at the swedish weekly magazine Fokus. Think Newsweek but Swedish and you got it. After one week at the new place everything feels great and I even managed to get one shot in the magazine. What a feat.

Ok, irony aside, it feels great to be on the go again. And judging from the first week at Fokus I hope to be getting around quite alot. Yesterday saw me traversing the country and I must have clocked up more than 1100 km. The Swedish railway system might not be the best in the world but at times it does the job. The trains weren’t even delayed which is the first time in I think a few years for me. Pure luck perhaps but I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it wasn’t only me who got to a new fresh start this week. Maybe SJ is finally getting its act toghether, one can only hope!

Fredrik Göthe and his brother Henrik Johnsson, students; businessmen;

and WWII re-enactors. Shot for the Swedish weekly Fokus.