Simon Høgsberg is a freelance photographer based in Copenhagen. In 2001, he got his BA in photography from School of Media in London.

How do you see social photography? Do you think it has an effect on people’s sensibilities?
I’m not entirely sure what is meant by the term ‘social photography’. But assuming it means photographs taken as a reaction to or with the intent to change the status quo in a culture or society I think and hope that social photography has the power to make change for the better.

Should a photographer be able to learn from commercial work and then apply it to his personal work?
Probably it would make sense to avoid all “should’s” and “shouldn’ts” in the creative process. If an advertisement inspires a photographer to make an artistic photo project, it’s good. And if a commercial photographer uses elements from art photography in his/her commercial jobs, that’s probably good, too. Something that photographers may want to consider, though, is the question, why is it I choose to take pictures of what I do? Many of us seem reluctant to investigate the motives that urge us to go out and create, and so we risk falling into the trap of making projects out of impure motives. The results are rarely interesting or progressive or useful.

Do you interview your portrait subjects before photographing them?
I’ll say that depends on the type of project I’m working on. In some projects I’ve done, I’ve photographed people/strangers from a long distance, and those people I don’t interview, I just shoot them (). But if I were to do a portrait of a person (for a magazine, say) usually I will spend quite a lot of time talking with this person to get to know him/her and in the hope that an idea for the portrait will present itself during our conversation.

“I love to interact with people and so I think that in the future I want to emphasize the interaction part in the projects I do.”

When you photograph people, do you feel some sort of emotional exchange?
In some projects I’ve done I have taken pictures of people from a distance (with a long lens). In these projects I can see the people I photograph, but they can’t necessarily see me. Doing these projects are emotional adventures for me, but there isn’t really an exchange going on between me and these subjects because we’re not interacting actively. I love to interact with people and so I think that in the future I want to emphasize the interaction part in the projects I do.

Your works have been featured in numerous publications? How does it feel to have achieved so much in life?
I must tell you that it doesn’t interest me much to look back. Life is in front of us and we live successfully, I think, only to the extent that we are able to see and recognize the yet un-manifest potential of the next moment. All’s the time. I live for that, and I fail miserably often. But I live for that.

“Life is in front of us and we live successfully, I think, only to the extent that we are able to see and recognize the yet un-manifest potential of the next moment. All’s the time. I live for that, and I fail miserably often. But I live for that.”

People like to talk about their 'lucky breaks' but I think it's more hard work and passion that leads to a breakthrough to becoming a professional photographer. When was your breakthrough?
I think you’re right that more than luck it is really hard work and passion that leads to breakthroughs. But what is a breakthrough exactly? The way I see it, a breakthrough is not that particular time in your career that everybody is talking about where all the efforts you have made to get to the place where you are is suddenly being rewarded in the form of an increasing demand for your product or person. Rather, I think, a breakthrough is the sudden discovery that you are much freer than you thought you were. Many of us are longing to experience success and to get recognition for being the great persons we think we are. So, much of the time we are waiting – waiting for this recognition to come, waiting for our lucky break, and waiting for a breakthrough. The funny thing is that when and if the breakthrough finally comes it will change nothing. Because we will continue to wait. For a new breakthrough, for more recognition, more more more. So to answer the question: when was your breakthrough, I’ll say that it hasn’t happened yet, and it happens every day.

When did you realize your inclination towards photography and what was the first object you shot?
I realized my inclination towards photography when 12 years ago I discovered that there is an element of physicality to the process of taking pictures that is utterly lacking in the process of writing. I love writing, but I love being physical, too, and I love to interact with people, which is what working professionally with photography allows you to do. The first object I shot was a baby carrier from the inside of which a shotgun was protruding, apparently shooting a person on roller skates.

Your work has led you to travel to many places. Which has been the most challenging till date and how did you overcome the same?
Right now – these days – I’m on a journey that I consider to be the most challenging journey I have ever been on. The journey I’m talking about is getting from a position of being a somewhat lonely, narcissistic individual suffering from an overrated sense of self to becoming a liberated individual in spite of all the fears, doubts and concerns that seem to be a natural part of being a human today. This is a great journey. A fascinating journey, and challenging because I have to be willing to let go of old habits that hold me back and inhibit my further development. A couple of years back I became part of a community – Enlighten Next it’s called – and it is primarily because of my engagement with this spiritually/anthropologically interested community that I get the inspiration and conviction to move on at full speed.

Do you have any suggestions for the young budding photographers of today?
Be authentic, no matter what. Never accept the part of you who is lazy and doesn’t want to evolve. Do things that nobody before you have ever done. Be a hero.

	Quick7: Your Favourite Printer: Epson Your Favourite Shoot: Those where I don’t have to pretend    Your Favourite Location: Where I am Favourite Photographer:  Jacob Holdt Most memorable story: The Wind-up Bird Chronicle by the Japanese writer Haruki Murakami Current photographers you like:  All those visual anthropologists out there who are more interested in why things are the way they are than in how things look. Toughest day at work: Does it matter ☺

More Photos by Simon Høgsberg / Fotosocial

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