Johan Bergmark is a tinnitus-injured rock and roll photographer with a penchant for people. He was born in 1969 in Kärrtorp south of Stockholm, grew up in Huddinge and Norrland via shuttle service. And it is right there, in Norrland, that his root system is best suited.

The reason why Johan started working with photography was just a happy coincidence. From the beginning, the passion was exclusively around music. It still does. But due to total tone-deafness, he had to find another way of expressing himself. Photography happened to be a suitable medium. It was easy for him.

Bergmark was named the best rock photographer in the Nordic countries in 1993 and 1994. He has received several awards and scholarships and is mainly active with portraits in music and film. Many icons have passed his lens. Mel Brooks, Roger Moore, David Lynch, Quentin Tarantino and the Chinese, controversial artist Weiwei, to name a few.

He prefers black and white to colour because it is less of a “distraction”. You get to the core of the image faster. The expression, the eyes, the feeling, the shape, says Johan. He does not want to deliver any answers in his pictures. Much rather open to questions. Why is he standing there? Why is she hiding? What does he do with his hand …? etc.… He draws inspiration from music, film, literature, looking at people in everyday life, food, drink, relationships and everything else that makes life worth living.

Johan Bergmark is a tinnitus-injured rock and roll photographer with a penchant for people. He was born in 1969 in Kärrtorp south of Stockholm, grew up in Huddinge and Norrland via shuttle service. And it is right there, in Norrland, that his root system is best suited.

The reason why Johan started working with photography was just a happy coincidence. From the beginning, the passion was exclusively around music. It still does. But due to total tone-deafness, he had to find another way of expressing himself. Photography happened to be a suitable medium. It was easy for him.

Bergmark was named the best rock photographer in the Nordic countries in 1993 and 1994. He has received several awards and scholarships and is mainly active with portraits in music and film. Many icons have passed his lens. Mel Brooks, Roger Moore, David Lynch, Quentin Tarantino and the Chinese, controversial artist Weiwei, to name a few.

He prefers black and white to colour because it is less of a “distraction”. You get to the core of the image faster. The expression, the eyes, the feeling, the shape, says Johan. He does not want to deliver any answers in his pictures. Much rather open to questions. Why is he standing there? Why is she hiding? What does he do with his hand …? etc.… He draws inspiration from music, film, literature, looking at people in everyday life, food, drink, relationships and everything else that makes life worth living.