Morten Bjarnhof creates room of presence. His photos are invitations to step inside, take part or lose oneself. There are no empty postulates, and in a world of purchased and paid for, it makes all the difference.

“I always try to keep the light as it is. If I must use artificial light, I will make it look as if it fell through a door or a window. It is an old and journalistic habit of a kind, to add nothing and make a loyal account. Let your motive breathe, and give reality a change to shine through.”

“But you should never forget that your picture has a job to do. Fashion or advertising, there is always someone in the wings with very precise and rational ambition. I have had clients that nearly fainted when they realized that my gear fits into two trunks, and that no grip trucks or field kitchens are in their way.”

“The trick is to avoid the obvious and predictable. Never attempt to arrange a scenery or squeeze an entire plot into a single photograph. With catalogues, a sequence of images will allow you to build up a story, but even if you do not have that luxury, you will be better off with a less assuming approach.”

“More often than not, I find myself making portraits, even if I am shooting fashion. Luckily, most clients accept that the closer you get, the more you will see.”

– Michael Hermann

Morten Bjarnhof
Born 1951 norh of Copenhagen into a family of Danish and Norwegian writers, painters and sculptors.

Portraits 1 | Portraits 2 | Gant | Campaigns