Winner of a Hasselblad Master Award, Hans Strand was an engineer before turning to landscape photography. Here he reveals what attracted him to landscape photography and why the landscapes of Iceland in particular are so inspiring to him.

After working for nine years as a mechanical engineer, you made a career change. What brought this about?
My back broke down and I could not sit all day long as I was doing as an engineer.  At this time my great hobby was landscape photography so I took a chance and became a professional and it has worked since 1990.

What attracted you to landscape photography in particular?
The complexity and the sense of being a part of nature. After all, all living things have their origin in the wild landscape.

What do you look for in a landscape?
Complexity.

How do you decide whether to shoot a landscape in colour or in black and white?
Today, now that I am shooting digital that is a decision I can make at home, but before when I shot with film I looked for colour versus contrast. You can shoot a perfect colour photograph in low contrast, but for black and white you need contrast. Often you can shoot black and white when the sun is higher on the sky and then shift to colour when the light is getting warmer and softer.

How big a part do weather conditions play when shooting landscapes? 
The right weather is important but not everything. Shooting a rugged landscape like Iceland in sunshine is not what you want.  There you want moody conditions to get the right seriousness of the landscape. On the other hand, you have to work with the light you have at hand and try to make the best of it. You can´t just skip taking pictures because you don´t get what you have anticipated. There are always possibilities in every kind of light. Often landscape photographers regard grey weather as bad weather, but I think it is terrific.

You have photographed landscapes from all over the world. What is your favourite location for landscape photography and why?
Since 2000 I have returned to Iceland every year to take pictures. I find its landscapes the most spectacular in the world. Nowhere else have I seen landscapes with such complexity and colour. I have also practised aerial photography a lot and have found new perspectives to take my landscape photographs.

You recently won the Hasselblad Master Award. How did that feel?
I was surprised and happy. Normally I don’t bother with competitions but this was an extra dimension.

You have some amazing photographs of water bodies. What tips would you give to Fotoflock viewers on how to shoot water bodies?
Look for flow patterns and reflections. The right shutter speed is important. For running water, like rivers, I recommend between 1/2 sec and 1/8 sec to get the right motion feeling.

Please tell us more about your latest book, “Arctic Impressions”.
Unfortunately this book is not out yet as my publisher went bankrupt and I am now trying to find a new one. Hopefully the book will come out next year.

What was the experience like of shooting in the Arctic?
The Arctic landscape is virgin territory. In 1999 I visited the island of Ellef Ringnes in northern Nunavut. Hardly anyone has been there since 1904 when the island was discovered and definitely no one has been photographing there. The silence and the long lasting light are fantastic. It is very minimalistic compared to a rainforest but nevertheless complex. In 2004 I visited Svalbard and was even taking pictures of polar bears. Normally I am not so interested in wildlife photography, but seeing a polar bear in its natural habitat is something special. 

Do you pursue any other types of photography?
To make my living I take images for photo agencies and find no problems doing that. In most cases I can do this kind of photography when I am not busy with my own things. It is very important to make enough money to be able to finance your own projects. For me this money often comes from stock sales. I spend perhaps 10% of my time taking pictures for agencies and the remaining 90% on my own projects.

Shooting landscapes and printing them must be a tough job. How do you accomplish this?
The shooting process and the printing process are two different worlds. You shoot with passion and you print with accuracy. In the printing process you need a lot of computer know how whereas with shooting you can get very far with just talent.

Photos by Hans Strand | Hans' website