Thomas Gunillasson — juliewang

Following Thomas Gunillasson’s lens is an opening window to a world where every photograph is a fairytale of beauty and wonder. His unparalleled ability to capture the pure essence of nature sets him apart, transforming each frame into an immersive piece of atmospheric artistry.

Recently, I've come to appreciate that in the artistry of photography, the term 'composition' takes on a deeper meaning. For a nature-centric photographer like Thomas, it's not just about composing elements; it's a meticulous act of 'selection.' This selection, guided by knowledge, refined aesthetic discernment, and personal experiences, reflects the essence of the person behind the lens. Through Thomas' lens, we witness not only his skills but the unique person he is.

In Thomas' reflections, he underscores the importance of drawing inspiration from fellow creators within the dynamic Instagram —akin to the essence of these blog interviews, where I delve into the realms of Instagram artists whom I deeply admire. Through these interviews, we don't merely share insights; we craft a shared space for learning, mutual inspiration, and the perpetual kindling of passion in our creative pursuits. Consider today’s interview as one that serves both a mirror reflecting the essence of passionate artistry and a window opening to a realm of inspiration for readers to explore.

1. What inspires your photography, particularly when capturing the pure beauty of nature in moody tones?

Originally what inspired me was actually being out in nature. I come from a background where we spent a lot of time outdoors. In the summertime we used to go on fishing trips and in wintertime we were skiing, both cross country and downhill. I think that serves as a foundation for my interest in nature as a whole. As for the photography side of it, I always had an interest in cameras and photography. As a kid I used to subscribe to photo magazines. I loved reading about the latest tech in cameras as well as seeing all forms of photography presented there. Nowadays I’m not subscribing to any magazines, but I get inspired by going out on Instagram to check what other photographers are doing. I’m mostly looking at the work by street – and portrait photographers. I get inspired by photographers working outside my own niche.

2. Can you share a moment or experience that fueled your passion for photography, and when did you realize it was something you wanted to pursue seriously?

When I was around thirteen one of my best friend’s cousins, who was several years older, showed us his Nikon SLR and some shots he had taken with it. He had been shooting sunsets and he got all the colors and tones just right. He was very proud of the images and told us about how hard it was to expose to get these results. I was blown away with what you could do with the right stuff and knowledge. My images taken with my instamatic looked nothing like that, ha-ha. That was surely a defining moment. I had many moments like that when I was around this cousin. He was also a skilled musician so in the summers we used to play guitar and go fishing together. He taught me a lot about the arts. As for taking my own photography seriously, I really didn’t do it until I got my first full frame camera in 2018.

3. When focusing on nature photography, what elements or aspects do you primarily concentrate on to create your distinct style?

For me creating an atmosphere is central whether I’m shooting flowers or doing more landscape-oriented stuff. I like photographing in overcast or foggy conditions. Fog really helps with creating depth. When there is no fog, I usually shoot with large apertures to create depth and atmosphere.

4. As a musician, how does your background in music contribute to your approach to photography, and do you find any parallels between the two artistic expressions?

That’s an interesting question. The music and image creation comes from the same place in my brain. I feel the same kind of emotional rush and focus when I’m playing and shooting. Once I get “in the zone” it really doesn’t matter if I’m playing music or photographing. I’m just in a floating state of mind beyond time and place. Artistically I think I have the same approach in both music and photography as I’m more into sounds, that really corelates to color, and atmospheres in my music as well. I’m actually for the first time about to put together a project that merges both my music and images. We’ll see where that takes me. I have some musical pieces written and I dabble around with my cameras, trying out new stuff. So far, the music has taken the lead determining where the images will go, but that may change along the way.

5. In post-editing your photos, what aspects do you emphasize to enhance the moody tones and overall aesthetic of your nature-focused images?

For a while I’ve found myself desaturating quite a lot of my images. Sometimes colors distract, but at the same time I love colors. I try to find a balance where the colors are there, but they don’t completely take over the picture. Sometimes I empathize certain colors. I also work a lot with gradients, darkening and brightening up different parts of an image. Lately I’ve been more into more abstract stuff, like ICM. When creating these more impressionistic images I find there’s more room for working with colors in a creative way.

6. What message or emotions do you aim to convey through your photography, especially when capturing the inherent beauty of nature in a moody setting?

Firstly, I aim to create images that I like to look at myself. The pictures I like the most are the ones that makes me feel calm and peaceful, like a long sigh of relief. Secondly, I like space. I want my pictures to be able to breath. There’s often lots of negative space in the pictures and I’m a fan of that. I actually think it should be called “positive space”, because that’s the impact it has on me.

7. How does the art of photography serve as a canvas for your innermost expressions, allowing you to weave the intricate threads of nature's beauty and moody tones into a visual symphony?

Photography is another outlet for me, besides music, that lets me reach a certain mindset. In a way it’s like a drug. Once you’ve been in the zone you always want to go back into that meditative mode where you really don’t know what you’re doing. I’ve written lots of music that I can’t remember how I created. If someone would ask me how I did it, I wouldn’t be able to explain. It’s like someone else did it. It’s a chain of events, each one leading to the other and it happens so fast that the brain doesn’t take note of the details. As I stated earlier, photography is the same. It draws from the same source. Images and sounds are so closely related to me so it’s like I hear images and see sounds.

8. Who has been the most significant influence on your photography, and how has that influence shaped your artistic vision?

I’ve never had a role model in photography, instead there are several ones that have inspired me in very different ways. When I started taking photos of flowers, Anna Aromin was a huge inspiration. I love how she works with the focus in her images. As for my more landscape shots I would mention Todd Hiro, though he’s not really shooting landscapes. I’m more inspired by the mood and atmosphere in his work. I enjoy the work of Wendy Bagnall and Sally Mason a lot. There are also a couple of Swedish photographers with a more documentary style that I enjoy the work of, Gustav Gräll and Lars Tunbjörk.

9. How do you balance the technical aspects of photography with the emotional or atmospheric elements to create a cohesive and compelling visual narrative?

I never thought about being cohesive, that would be to paint myself into a corner. I don't want to become trapped in one style and I’m always searching for new things to explore. With that said, the technical aspects are important to me. I'm picky about my apertures and shutter speeds because they have a key role in how my images will come out. That’s the first step, getting my settings right. I always shoot in manual or aperture priority mode depending on the situation. Sometimes I use a tripod if I’m shooting in low light and want my images to be somewhat sharp. I’m not a pixel peeper though. Absolute sharpness is not interesting to me. I’m more interested in the contrast between what’s perceived as sharp and what’s blurry.

10. Could you share a specific project or photo that holds particular meaning for you, and elaborate on the story or inspiration behind it?

Well, I have this shot that includes so many components. It has become one of my favorite shots not only because I enjoy the image, but also because of the situation around it. It’s from a winter’s morning a couple of years ago. I woke up to this beautiful frosty world that sometimes occurs when the temperatures are low, and the air has been damp. I decided to hop in the car and drive down to the big lake where I often find myself shooting. Getting down there, the frost was all gone. I live a couple of kilometers north of the lake and there’s always a temperature difference between my home and the lake. So, a totally different feel there than at home. I decided to drive home instead to get some shots of frosty trees as my home is right by the forest. In the car I got an idea. Instead of turning left to go home, I turned right and headed to the small pond where my kids used to swim in the summertime. I was totally lucky. Getting there the sun was just rising above the treetops to cast some light over the mist covered pond. There on the other side I saw these frost covered trees also getting hit by the soft light. A totally magical scene. Of course, I began shooting as mad. At the same time an older couple entered the pond. The man began to undress, and he jumped in to get an icy bath, I looked to the right and there he was in the water all surrounded by this mist. What a shot, I thought. But I wasn’t fast enough. In a second the man was out of the water again and I missed the shot because of the frosty trees. That’s the takeaway from a great image. It’s more than a just an image, it’s a story that contains memories and emotions from a fraction of a moment.

Thanks Thomas Gunillasson and please find more his works @thomasgunillasson

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