Caterina Bernardi is an award-winning San Francisco based advertising and editorial photographer. The driving forces behind her career are immense talent, a sophisticated eye for beauty, a uniquely passionate vision and a love for photography that has her chasing the light and remarkable settings and landscapes around the world so that we may share her inspiration in the pages of international magazines and in ad campaigns for some of today’s top brands. The passion for creating beautiful images is grounded in a capacity to live and see in such a way that the magic and the mundane co-exist and to transport viewers to this place with both her commercial and personal work.
I first saw Caterina’s work at last year’s APA Something Personal show, a beautiful and somewhat mysterious image of two near-naked young girls on a tiny island in the middle of a Norwegian lake. Carrying the powerful innocence of childhood – they are topless, captivating and charming—when there is still a relationship with the magic of life. They are anchored in a mythological landscape to ensure it doesn’t become a memory. It is this level of talent, the ability to build complex, redemptive images that drew me to her work. Art that is used for commerce in a way that adds beauty and motivates people to participate in life from the place that is real and a little magical and to do it from a place of discovery, power and delight.
I contacted Caterina for an interview and beyond an enthusiastic and immediate yes, she insisted we meet for tea. Six hours, one microwave lasagna and a Swedish folk song later (a song she hadn’t heard since childhood just happened to be playing in the coffee shop where we met), I had a new friend and had gotten to know an incredibly talented and just delightful photographer who is deeply passionate about life and her work. It was a pleasure to get to know her and to interview her for POP.
A big thank you to Caterina for all her time and energy on this interview and for sharing her beautiful work and several amazing childhood pictures with us.
POP: When did you first become interested in photography?
My connection with photography first blossomed in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil where I lived in the very early 1990’s. There, I learned Portuguese, encountered very passionate people and discovered my own passion for photography. A friend had found a producer to make her first CD, and I took pictures of her recording music with the famous Brazilian artists in the studio. It was an incredible experience that compelled me to pursue photography, which eventually led me to San Francisco, a magnificent city to go to live and work.
I got my Bachelors of Fine Arts in San Francisco and assisted various photographers until I ventured out on my own to shoot.
POP: You grew up in Norway, but are Italian and Norwegian. Did you spend time in Italy while growing up? Did this shape your aesthetic in any way?
Italy has a rich art history and I am certainly inspired by the country’s incredible talents, although I would say my childhood experiences are separate from that. It was as a teenager in Norway that I immersed myself into the arts and found it to be what I was most drawn to.
My dad is Italian but I never lived in his native country. The time I spent in Italy was during my childhood summers when we would drive for two days straight from Oslo to Italy and spend a month on the beach somewhere. I remember vividly the part of driving down the Autobahn in Germany at what seemed a million km per hour; coming from Norway’s slow speed limits it was a surreal experience. As a Norwegian there is an incredible longing for warm summer days after an arduous and cold winter, so being able to run around all day bathing in the sun was like heaven.
POP: Clearly the soul and landscape of Norway and your travels have been influential for you. You are also personally very expressive and inspired and seem to find magic in the moments that go unnoticed by most. Where do you think this comes from? Were your parents artists?
My mother was an artist. She was from a little town called Orkanger (where I was born) up north in Norway, and in the 1950’s she moved to Oslo in pursuit of acting and modeling. Working in theatre took her to Copenhagen for a few years and finally to Italy, where she performed on RAI (Radiotelevisione Italiana) and modeled – It was certainly the belle époque of her life. This is also where she met my dad. They later moved back to Norway and settled in Oslo.
I think artists in general have an innate appetite for life, and speaking for myself, I find that curiosity and passion drive me to explore and create, to be mesmerized by life and it’s constant flux of magical encounters, fears and achievements; my vehicle of expression is the art and craft of photography.
POP: Have you always lived in this way or did it come with an artistic maturity?
Ever since I can remember! The world was a mystery I intended to discover thoroughly with much curiosity.
There was not a clear definition of what those things would be, this slowly came with maturity, but the drive to make, create and explore was certainly there. My mother says I was a hard worker as a kid, making and building things all the time from recycled materials. I used go to flea markets and buy textiles to dye and sew my own clothes of, plant a garden in the backyard, draw and write a comic strip book, disappear on adventures in the woods in the summertime and only come back at night. There, I would philosophize and establish a dialog with the mysterious world.
POP: You have masterful conceptual and formal skills and high production values without sacrificing a depth, warmth and relatedness. How do you achieve this while producing complicated shoots, many times in international locations?
Connecting with the talent is very important when shooting in order to capture beautiful moments, and I work hard to make them comfortable and excited so they give their best. This also relates to the importance of having a good rapport with the team working with you; with great collaborations everyone wins and walks away with a sense of achievement. Thorough pre-production facilitates the workflow, and when complex issues and problems arise, the expertise of a talented producer can save the day. Every element of the production needs to flow well, and a producer running a tight show like Jenny Bullock facilitates the job immensely and gives you peace of mind to focus on the shooting and to be creative.
POP: You get such a nice genuine emotion from your models. Have you had to overcome any challenges in getting to this point or did you know intuitively how to work with people?
Oh, I thank you, that is a great compliment! It is what a photographer strives for in an image, to get genuine emotion and expressions from their subjects. Sometimes it happens very naturally, and sometimes it is a real challenge to put a person at ease, to make them feel comfortable and enjoy having a camera pointed at them. Establishing a connection with the talent requires a certain confidence and people skills on the part of the shooter, and I do think that the more experienced you are the easier it is to interact with models and direct them. There is a steep learning curve to become a good photographer, (10,000 hours they say it takes to master a craft) and only by lots and lots of practicing do you manage to go into the deeper layers of photography, which is reflected in your work becoming stronger and more defined.
POP: Your landscape and water work is incredibly beautiful and bathed in gorgeous light. What are your current inspirations for this work? And what inspires you in general when shooting landscapes?
My new favorite location is the Sydney Opera House; it is a stunning architectural marvel, a true masterpiece in every sense of the word. To think of the time it was actually constructed, without the access to modern computers, is incredible, and makes the structure as much of an engineering masterpiece as well as the design. The curved tall shapes of the shells that make up the opera house are truly beautiful and massive, you have to walk around and explore to really grasp how impressive it is. These structural details remind me of sails on a ship, giving an impression of the yearning for exploration or discovery.
Jørn Utzon, a Danish architect, designed the opera house, but actually never got to see the finished work due to a fierce fight for control over the project with the city’s officials. There was a lot of drama behind the development of this icon, which makes it even more enthralling; hopefully someone will make a movie about it one day.
Another one of my favorite locations is Hitra, an island north on the west coast of Norway. My water series emerged from travels up north in Norway where the Norwegian Sea bathes in this unbelievable light in summer. At dusk, in calm waters, there is a silver layer on the surface of the water that becomes like a mirror. It is both incredibly beautiful and surreal. I have not seen this anywhere else.
Photographing landscapes gives you a lot freedom in some ways as you “only” have to focus on the landscape composition and the light. Often I do some “Photoshop” with my imagination while shooting, and wonder what it would look like with certain elements dropped in, thinking of how to expand the scenario in front of me. Sometimes I do use location shots and play with compositing in post, other times the image stays as is and I leave it up to the viewer to imagine a story.
POP: I remember reading a piece in, I think, Harper’s many years ago in which the Prime Minister of Norway spoke openly about his belief in the unseen beings: gnomes and fairies.
Hmmm, from what I know it was the former Icelandic Prime Minister Finnbogadottir who expressed this; “No one has proven the existence [of invisible beings], but no one has proven the existence of God, either.”
Having said that, Norway has a deep tradition in mythical figures like trolls and fairies; it is the root of our fairy tales and legends. Dotted across Norway you will find troll statues along the roads as a witness to the other-worldly creatures that have been a part of our culture since the beginning of Norway’s history, starting with the native Sami people. Although these creatures are usually referred to in past terms, they might lurk in the corners of your house or in the lake.
This image was inspired by moody, troll-filled fairytale paintings from Norwegian painter Theodor Kittelsen.
POP: You draw on a tremendous amount of art history knowledge for your work. You must have loved studying art. Do you regularly go to museum shows, read art magazines, go to galleries?
Going to art school was like therapy to me. I immersed myself in all aspects of the arts, and I still do, with cinema, performances, music, galleries, travel, and a good read. Recently I visited a museum in Sydney where I discovered an amazing Australian turn-of-the-century artist with these immense paintings depicting peasant village life, and I thought about the unbelievable labor-intensive work displayed before me. Moments like these might have an influence in future pieces I create.
An example of work inspired by a painter is the underwater image of Aliona, a nine month pregnant woman submerged in water covered in a white chiffon cloth. Boticelli’s famous painting “Primavera” has an angelic and ethereal feel that heavily inspired the creation of the piece.
POP: You bring so much inspiration to your work. How do you bring this to your commercial work? And have you ever lost touch with it and had to find it again?
I have the same enthusiasm whether it be commercial or personal work because the creative process in itself is what is inspiring. Before shooting I do quite a bit of research and look for inspiration to be prepared. Each assignment presents different needs and when approaching a project I try to bring as much as I can to the table; this way my eyes and ears are wide open and ready to explore the process ahead. As for most things in life the better prepared you are the better the results, so I try to stir my creative juices and tailor-make the best scenario for each job then immerse myself in the project.
We all feel uninspired from time to time, and then I am drawn to get out of the house, go for a walk, do yoga or see a movie. This separates me from what I are trying to achieve and gives me a chance to have a fresh approach. Travel usually inspires me the most, I want to climb every mountain and get to the highest peak to seek out fresh perspective, then go home with stories to tell and new images I aspire to make
POP: What was your process for learning to work with a retoucher?
This was a natural progression for me when technology changed and Photoshop evolved into a more complex process in creating the final image. Retouching became such an important element that collaborating with a dedicated master in this craft just makes sense. I believe a lot of the artistry in an image nowadays is done in post-production, which gives you the opportunity to create layers to further extend the story telling, and manipulate the mood and color palette.
The collaboration between a photographer and a retoucher takes the artistry of an image to a new level, and helps create consistency in the photographer’s work. It is also a very exciting part of the process to see what the final outcome will be, as the post-production can be taken in to so many different directions. Adam Moore’s retouching company Sugar Digital, have been instrumental in continuously defining a fresh and contemporary look and feel to my images with its sophisticated talent.
POP: Challenges on shoot, surprising situations, things that that made an impression?
I have had many interesting and memorable experiences from productions, but one that had a profound impact on me personally happened months afterwards. It was a campaign for Gilead (for an HIV drug) where all the talent were HIV positive. 3-4 months later the 1099 forms were sent out and one of them came back marked: “returned to sender.” After some research I found out that the address the talent had put on the model release was to a hospice in San Francisco, and that she had passed away… It was so very sad and heartbreaking and reminded me of how fragile life can be. This woman holds a special place in my heart.
POP: Photographers and artists whose work is particularly inspiring to you?
The inspiration for my work comes from both masters of my craft (Photography), and masters in other artistic disciplines. Henri Cartier Bresson is one of my favourite photographers, along with Sebastião Salgado, Gregory Abbott and Edward S. Curtis to name a few. These photographers are a major source inspiration for me, along with painters such as Gustav Klimt, Caravaggio and Theodor Kittelsen. A common goal these artists strive for is what Henri Cartier Bresson called the “The Decisive Moment,” the fraction of a second in which the photographer has to capture and immortalize the essential moment. There is a lot to be learned from these masters, and one of the lessons is to be humble in your craft.
I always attempt to create striking images, and finding new ways of tapping into a creative source where an idea might come from. This way I attempt to stay fresh and challenge myself to exceed the last achievement. Nature is a big part of my life and I never go tired of walking at Fort Funston in San Francisco, (talk about therapy!) that gives me a clean slate to start thinking creatively again.
On a personal level, I often brainstorm with my husband, Guido Muzzarelli, a filmmaker and animator, and to have someone so close to be able to bounce ideas off with is brilliant.
Guido on the set of “Return of the Jedi,” filming with an 8 mm camera at age 12.
POP: Your work is full of rich, saturated colors and dramatic light. This takes a certain uninhibited creativity in which I see in your personality. Did you evolve into this style or did you step into it when you first started shooting?
My creative style has certainly changed and evolved with time, and depending on the direction I am trying to establish in an image, the effects can go from the very subtle to a more dramatic, from a cool palette to a warmer one. The options are infinite. To expand on this and take my work to new levels, I want to collaborate with a matte painter to composite photographic elements and matte paintings into final pieces. This gives me the opportunity to explore new frontiers in image-making and to evolve my portfolio, and hopefully create images more beautiful than my imagination.
POP: What do you most enjoy shooting?
Undoubtedly beautiful, striking, creative images, no matter what the subject matter is.
POP: How much do you preconceive the post-production when you are shooting?
Depending on the complexity of an image I have to take into consideration all the elements that make up the final piece, and shoot accordingly. Sometimes people, backgrounds, skies and other details are all composited in post-production, so photographing the elements in the right angle and light is crucial; otherwise the composition will not have the correct perspective, light, etc.
POP: How did you get the shot of the hiker at Kjeragbolten that was featured in the 2011 Communication Arts Photography and Advertising Annual?
After a 3-hour hike up and along a steep mountain I reached “Kjeragbolten,” a boulder wedged in a mountain crevasse. Kjeragbolten is located on the west coast of Norway at the very beginning of a fjord called “Lysfjorden,” close to Stavanger. Just below the boulder is a nerve-wracking 1000-meter drop straight down into the fjord. The subject of the photograph, a young adventurer from Stavanger, did all sorts of acrobatic moves in the rain, jumping up and down on the boulder as if he was on solid ground. It was a perfect moment to capture the dramatic scenery with his fearless moves, a surreal performance that lasted a fraction of a second. The image was done for an adventurous lifestyle request by Getty Images.
The work on the image with Kjeragbolten reflects a sensory duality, the fragility and danger of a man in the elements coupled with this man’s self-awareness and defiance of this position. Moments like these, which offer a contrast in a moment, are images I feel that can have a strong impact on the viewer.
POP: We talked about a shoot on an eco farm in Norway in which you decided on location to use the farmer’s daughter for the model.
The owners of the farm wanted a beautiful looking image with a Norwegian traditional feel to it, and the animal had to fit the story, so a gorgeous, fairytale looking horse was a must. The farmer’s daughter was a raised with horses and was the ideal model when an animal wrangler was needed. She had the sweetest rosy cheeks and managed to keep the horse at bay for two hours, an extraordinary amount of time for a horse to “pose.”
POP: Do you plan to go back to shooting more fashion again?
My background is actually in fashion, I studied it for four years in Norway and thought at a young age I was going to be a designer, but photography trumped the desire to work with fashion – although I absolutely love to shoot it. The creative collaboration involved in photographing fashion is perhaps unparalleled by any other subject matter. I think the lens loves to capture adorned, glamorized and beautified models. I have been caught up in more lifestyle work for many years now, but it is my intention to pursue more fashion work in the future. It would be such a delight to balance lifestyle and fashion work.
The “The Sound of Beauty” story, graced the pages of Graphis Photo Annual.
POP: How has the way you see has evolved? And when do you know it’s time to evolve? It takes a certain trust and courage to leave one style behind for the unknown.
It is a continuous process to keep your vision fresh and sophisticated, and yes, it changes with time (though with a certain consistency). The expansion in my work is influenced by a wide variety of external things besides personal growth; it can be technology, a subject matter or location, an experience that had an impact or perhaps something completely different. Sometimes I consciously make an effort and venture into new places with my work, but most of the time I believe that by staying productive I can naturally evolve and change.
This is a process that never ceases…and, as they say; “you are only as good as your last image…”
POP: How is your work different than it was five years ago? And what’s next?
I think technology has been crucial in the evolution of photography in the past decade, with access to digital equipment and in the advancement of Photoshop, post production has become an ever expanding and integral part in the making of an image. This has very much defined changes in my aesthetic style and continues to add complex layers to explore.
There is usually a natural flow in how an artist grows, and in my own work, technology and experience has triggered the biggest changes. What I shot many years ago might have a different look and feel to it, rendering it often as ”outdated.”
An exciting project for 2012 is a collaboration with my husband on a feature film he is writing a script for. I will shoot stills and create a coffee table book of the project. Filmmaking is so infinitely more complex in scope than photography, and I am very much looking forward to the challenge and learning experience.
The movie “Tree of Life” inspired me to see photography through cinematography, I wanted to live in the lens of the camera that shot the film. So, another project I want to do is to shoot images reflecting the tender emotion expressed drenched in sublime/ethereal light. Images that remind you of a dream state somehow.
Guido and I in Cannes, 2010.
POP: What is most challenging when bidding on jobs and writing treatments in the current market?
As much as the photography market is changing, you just have to change with it, be innovative and reinvent yourself and your work. We have to be really open-minded and think creatively in our approach, despite the difficulties the business is facing. It is an inherent trend in many creative fields these days as they have become saturated with an excess of talent and tighter budgets, and this new fierce competition has shaken a certain hierarchy that used to exist.
This means I try to stay acutely updated and current, as the demand changes fast and technology challenges us. It also pushes me to continue to demand more of myself as the market does of us. If you see it as an opportunity to set the bar higher by creating conceptual, fresh new work, then you might actually be one step ahead.
POP: In addition to a busy commercial career, you shoot a lot of high-end stock. How did you evolve this part of your business evolve?
Shooting stock was a natural expansion of my business, and has given me the opportunity to shoot a wide variety of high-end content with a commercial value. It keeps me constantly producing and shooting, creating new collections of work and eliminating the concept of “downtime.” Shooting libraries has become a popular trend for companies, and I will often hire second and third shooters to create as much diversity as possible for the client on larger productions. The clients vary from pharmaceuticals to hospitality to finance, to technology, etc. Shooting for stock requires that you are fast and can come up with quick changes/concepts on the spot, and have a great talented team – particularly if there are second shooters – and good coordination to make sure all aspects of the shot list is covered.
Having an expansive image library to tap into can be very helpful when bidding on jobs. I can create mood boards and find images related to the art director’s or client’s concept and vision. I find that creatives appreciate visual input for their story telling process, and this way we can bounce ideas back and forth. (It can also sway their decision on whom to award a certain project to.)
Stock productions can be small to large-scale projects abroad, like the one where I cast over 200 people for a couple of shoots in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. These were all styled by Shannon Dunn. For the fist image I casted a gorgeous model who possessed the inherent Brazilian sensuality, and a “Latin lover” looking guy, who had to look great in a pair of speedos. The teenagers in the Ipanema Beach image shows the diversity of the talent one can find in Brazil.
POP: What is your marketing strategy?
There are so many different venues that offer exposure making it hard to dissect sometimes where to invest your money. Currently I am working on a promotional piece I would like to run in a resource magazine and print promos of, but I am still deciding on what approach to take with it.
Speaking of dissecting venues, there seems to be an infinite options for contests too, and I try my very best to stay on top of them. It is an excellent way of getting exposure for a very reasonable amount of money.
POP: What surprised you about your own path?
Ha, many things I guess…what I am more naively surprised by are all the things I have not been able to do in this lifetime, yet. Photography is so incredibly time consuming and labor intensive I often wish there were more hours in the day to do it all. Every detail with photography can be refined and perfected till no end, so when the day is over you are (hopefully) happily tired and just want to have a glass of wine.
My dream is to have a project using photography for some social cause that leaves a mark with people and that does not go unnoticed, having an impact, small or large.
POP: Advice to young photographer?
Following your heart and passion is for me the best rule of thumb. If you feel photography might be your thing, don’t give up on finding your path in this craft until you are happy and can see a way to make a living at it (whether the creative outlet is commercial work, weddings, photojournalism, corporate, or anything else related to photography like retouching, styling, producing, etc). The chances are it is going to take a lot of hard work no matter what, but stay true to your vision and make it work.
All the emails I get from recent graduates or emerging photographers initially display great enthusiasm and interest in pursuing photography, but eventually the difficulty in establishing oneself puts the person to the test and their pervasiveness will decide whether they are actually fit for it or not. It might feel like Somme and Verdun at times; progress may be slow, incremental and challenging, so a positive attitude, tenacity and innovative-forward thinking is a must.
I first saw Caterina’s work at last year’s APA Something Personal show, a beautiful and somewhat mysterious image of two near-naked young girls on a tiny island in the middle of a Norwegian lake. Carrying the powerful innocence of childhood – they are topless, captivating and charming—when there is still a relationship with the magic of life. They are anchored in a mythological landscape to ensure it doesn’t become a memory. It is this level of talent, the ability to build complex, redemptive images that drew me to her work. Art that is used for commerce in a way that adds beauty and motivates people to participate in life from the place that is real and a little magical and to do it from a place of discovery, power and delight.
I contacted Caterina for an interview and beyond an enthusiastic and immediate yes, she insisted we meet for tea. Six hours, one microwave lasagna and a Swedish folk song later (a song she hadn’t heard since childhood just happened to be playing in the coffee shop where we met), I had a new friend and had gotten to know an incredibly talented and just delightful photographer who is deeply passionate about life and her work. It was a pleasure to get to know her and to interview her for POP.
A big thank you to Caterina for all her time and energy on this interview and for sharing her beautiful work and several amazing childhood pictures with us.
POP: When did you first become interested in photography?
My connection with photography first blossomed in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil where I lived in the very early 1990’s. There, I learned Portuguese, encountered very passionate people and discovered my own passion for photography. A friend had found a producer to make her first CD, and I took pictures of her recording music with the famous Brazilian artists in the studio. It was an incredible experience that compelled me to pursue photography, which eventually led me to San Francisco, a magnificent city to go to live and work.
I got my Bachelors of Fine Arts in San Francisco and assisted various photographers until I ventured out on my own to shoot.
POP: You grew up in Norway, but are Italian and Norwegian. Did you spend time in Italy while growing up? Did this shape your aesthetic in any way?
Italy has a rich art history and I am certainly inspired by the country’s incredible talents, although I would say my childhood experiences are separate from that. It was as a teenager in Norway that I immersed myself into the arts and found it to be what I was most drawn to.
My dad is Italian but I never lived in his native country. The time I spent in Italy was during my childhood summers when we would drive for two days straight from Oslo to Italy and spend a month on the beach somewhere. I remember vividly the part of driving down the Autobahn in Germany at what seemed a million km per hour; coming from Norway’s slow speed limits it was a surreal experience. As a Norwegian there is an incredible longing for warm summer days after an arduous and cold winter, so being able to run around all day bathing in the sun was like heaven.
Me and my mother on the coast of Italy
POP: Clearly the soul and landscape of Norway and your travels have been influential for you. You are also personally very expressive and inspired and seem to find magic in the moments that go unnoticed by most. Where do you think this comes from? Were your parents artists?
My mother was an artist. She was from a little town called Orkanger (where I was born) up north in Norway, and in the 1950’s she moved to Oslo in pursuit of acting and modeling. Working in theatre took her to Copenhagen for a few years and finally to Italy, where she performed on RAI (Radiotelevisione Italiana) and modeled – It was certainly the belle époque of her life. This is also where she met my dad. They later moved back to Norway and settled in Oslo.
I think artists in general have an innate appetite for life, and speaking for myself, I find that curiosity and passion drive me to explore and create, to be mesmerized by life and it’s constant flux of magical encounters, fears and achievements; my vehicle of expression is the art and craft of photography.
POP: Have you always lived in this way or did it come with an artistic maturity?
Ever since I can remember! The world was a mystery I intended to discover thoroughly with much curiosity.
There was not a clear definition of what those things would be, this slowly came with maturity, but the drive to make, create and explore was certainly there. My mother says I was a hard worker as a kid, making and building things all the time from recycled materials. I used go to flea markets and buy textiles to dye and sew my own clothes of, plant a garden in the backyard, draw and write a comic strip book, disappear on adventures in the woods in the summertime and only come back at night. There, I would philosophize and establish a dialog with the mysterious world.
POP: You have masterful conceptual and formal skills and high production values without sacrificing a depth, warmth and relatedness. How do you achieve this while producing complicated shoots, many times in international locations?
Connecting with the talent is very important when shooting in order to capture beautiful moments, and I work hard to make them comfortable and excited so they give their best. This also relates to the importance of having a good rapport with the team working with you; with great collaborations everyone wins and walks away with a sense of achievement. Thorough pre-production facilitates the workflow, and when complex issues and problems arise, the expertise of a talented producer can save the day. Every element of the production needs to flow well, and a producer running a tight show like Jenny Bullock facilitates the job immensely and gives you peace of mind to focus on the shooting and to be creative.
POP: You get such a nice genuine emotion from your models. Have you had to overcome any challenges in getting to this point or did you know intuitively how to work with people?
Oh, I thank you, that is a great compliment! It is what a photographer strives for in an image, to get genuine emotion and expressions from their subjects. Sometimes it happens very naturally, and sometimes it is a real challenge to put a person at ease, to make them feel comfortable and enjoy having a camera pointed at them. Establishing a connection with the talent requires a certain confidence and people skills on the part of the shooter, and I do think that the more experienced you are the easier it is to interact with models and direct them. There is a steep learning curve to become a good photographer, (10,000 hours they say it takes to master a craft) and only by lots and lots of practicing do you manage to go into the deeper layers of photography, which is reflected in your work becoming stronger and more defined.
POP: Your landscape and water work is incredibly beautiful and bathed in gorgeous light. What are your current inspirations for this work? And what inspires you in general when shooting landscapes?
My new favorite location is the Sydney Opera House; it is a stunning architectural marvel, a true masterpiece in every sense of the word. To think of the time it was actually constructed, without the access to modern computers, is incredible, and makes the structure as much of an engineering masterpiece as well as the design. The curved tall shapes of the shells that make up the opera house are truly beautiful and massive, you have to walk around and explore to really grasp how impressive it is. These structural details remind me of sails on a ship, giving an impression of the yearning for exploration or discovery.
Jørn Utzon, a Danish architect, designed the opera house, but actually never got to see the finished work due to a fierce fight for control over the project with the city’s officials. There was a lot of drama behind the development of this icon, which makes it even more enthralling; hopefully someone will make a movie about it one day.
Another one of my favorite locations is Hitra, an island north on the west coast of Norway. My water series emerged from travels up north in Norway where the Norwegian Sea bathes in this unbelievable light in summer. At dusk, in calm waters, there is a silver layer on the surface of the water that becomes like a mirror. It is both incredibly beautiful and surreal. I have not seen this anywhere else.
Photographing landscapes gives you a lot freedom in some ways as you “only” have to focus on the landscape composition and the light. Often I do some “Photoshop” with my imagination while shooting, and wonder what it would look like with certain elements dropped in, thinking of how to expand the scenario in front of me. Sometimes I do use location shots and play with compositing in post, other times the image stays as is and I leave it up to the viewer to imagine a story.
POP: I remember reading a piece in, I think, Harper’s many years ago in which the Prime Minister of Norway spoke openly about his belief in the unseen beings: gnomes and fairies.
Hmmm, from what I know it was the former Icelandic Prime Minister Finnbogadottir who expressed this; “No one has proven the existence [of invisible beings], but no one has proven the existence of God, either.”
Having said that, Norway has a deep tradition in mythical figures like trolls and fairies; it is the root of our fairy tales and legends. Dotted across Norway you will find troll statues along the roads as a witness to the other-worldly creatures that have been a part of our culture since the beginning of Norway’s history, starting with the native Sami people. Although these creatures are usually referred to in past terms, they might lurk in the corners of your house or in the lake.
This image was inspired by moody, troll-filled fairytale paintings from Norwegian painter Theodor Kittelsen.
POP: You draw on a tremendous amount of art history knowledge for your work. You must have loved studying art. Do you regularly go to museum shows, read art magazines, go to galleries?
Going to art school was like therapy to me. I immersed myself in all aspects of the arts, and I still do, with cinema, performances, music, galleries, travel, and a good read. Recently I visited a museum in Sydney where I discovered an amazing Australian turn-of-the-century artist with these immense paintings depicting peasant village life, and I thought about the unbelievable labor-intensive work displayed before me. Moments like these might have an influence in future pieces I create.
An example of work inspired by a painter is the underwater image of Aliona, a nine month pregnant woman submerged in water covered in a white chiffon cloth. Boticelli’s famous painting “Primavera” has an angelic and ethereal feel that heavily inspired the creation of the piece.
POP: You bring so much inspiration to your work. How do you bring this to your commercial work? And have you ever lost touch with it and had to find it again?
I have the same enthusiasm whether it be commercial or personal work because the creative process in itself is what is inspiring. Before shooting I do quite a bit of research and look for inspiration to be prepared. Each assignment presents different needs and when approaching a project I try to bring as much as I can to the table; this way my eyes and ears are wide open and ready to explore the process ahead. As for most things in life the better prepared you are the better the results, so I try to stir my creative juices and tailor-make the best scenario for each job then immerse myself in the project.
We all feel uninspired from time to time, and then I am drawn to get out of the house, go for a walk, do yoga or see a movie. This separates me from what I are trying to achieve and gives me a chance to have a fresh approach. Travel usually inspires me the most, I want to climb every mountain and get to the highest peak to seek out fresh perspective, then go home with stories to tell and new images I aspire to make
POP: What was your process for learning to work with a retoucher?
This was a natural progression for me when technology changed and Photoshop evolved into a more complex process in creating the final image. Retouching became such an important element that collaborating with a dedicated master in this craft just makes sense. I believe a lot of the artistry in an image nowadays is done in post-production, which gives you the opportunity to create layers to further extend the story telling, and manipulate the mood and color palette.
The collaboration between a photographer and a retoucher takes the artistry of an image to a new level, and helps create consistency in the photographer’s work. It is also a very exciting part of the process to see what the final outcome will be, as the post-production can be taken in to so many different directions. Adam Moore’s retouching company Sugar Digital, have been instrumental in continuously defining a fresh and contemporary look and feel to my images with its sophisticated talent.
POP: Challenges on shoot, surprising situations, things that that made an impression?
I have had many interesting and memorable experiences from productions, but one that had a profound impact on me personally happened months afterwards. It was a campaign for Gilead (for an HIV drug) where all the talent were HIV positive. 3-4 months later the 1099 forms were sent out and one of them came back marked: “returned to sender.” After some research I found out that the address the talent had put on the model release was to a hospice in San Francisco, and that she had passed away… It was so very sad and heartbreaking and reminded me of how fragile life can be. This woman holds a special place in my heart.
POP: Photographers and artists whose work is particularly inspiring to you?
The inspiration for my work comes from both masters of my craft (Photography), and masters in other artistic disciplines. Henri Cartier Bresson is one of my favourite photographers, along with Sebastião Salgado, Gregory Abbott and Edward S. Curtis to name a few. These photographers are a major source inspiration for me, along with painters such as Gustav Klimt, Caravaggio and Theodor Kittelsen. A common goal these artists strive for is what Henri Cartier Bresson called the “The Decisive Moment,” the fraction of a second in which the photographer has to capture and immortalize the essential moment. There is a lot to be learned from these masters, and one of the lessons is to be humble in your craft.
I always attempt to create striking images, and finding new ways of tapping into a creative source where an idea might come from. This way I attempt to stay fresh and challenge myself to exceed the last achievement. Nature is a big part of my life and I never go tired of walking at Fort Funston in San Francisco, (talk about therapy!) that gives me a clean slate to start thinking creatively again.
On a personal level, I often brainstorm with my husband, Guido Muzzarelli, a filmmaker and animator, and to have someone so close to be able to bounce ideas off with is brilliant.
Guido on the set of “Return of the Jedi,” filming with an 8 mm camera at age 12.
POP: Your work is full of rich, saturated colors and dramatic light. This takes a certain uninhibited creativity in which I see in your personality. Did you evolve into this style or did you step into it when you first started shooting?
My creative style has certainly changed and evolved with time, and depending on the direction I am trying to establish in an image, the effects can go from the very subtle to a more dramatic, from a cool palette to a warmer one. The options are infinite. To expand on this and take my work to new levels, I want to collaborate with a matte painter to composite photographic elements and matte paintings into final pieces. This gives me the opportunity to explore new frontiers in image-making and to evolve my portfolio, and hopefully create images more beautiful than my imagination.
POP: What do you most enjoy shooting?
Undoubtedly beautiful, striking, creative images, no matter what the subject matter is.
POP: How much do you preconceive the post-production when you are shooting?
Depending on the complexity of an image I have to take into consideration all the elements that make up the final piece, and shoot accordingly. Sometimes people, backgrounds, skies and other details are all composited in post-production, so photographing the elements in the right angle and light is crucial; otherwise the composition will not have the correct perspective, light, etc.
POP: How did you get the shot of the hiker at Kjeragbolten that was featured in the 2011 Communication Arts Photography and Advertising Annual?
After a 3-hour hike up and along a steep mountain I reached “Kjeragbolten,” a boulder wedged in a mountain crevasse. Kjeragbolten is located on the west coast of Norway at the very beginning of a fjord called “Lysfjorden,” close to Stavanger. Just below the boulder is a nerve-wracking 1000-meter drop straight down into the fjord. The subject of the photograph, a young adventurer from Stavanger, did all sorts of acrobatic moves in the rain, jumping up and down on the boulder as if he was on solid ground. It was a perfect moment to capture the dramatic scenery with his fearless moves, a surreal performance that lasted a fraction of a second. The image was done for an adventurous lifestyle request by Getty Images.
The work on the image with Kjeragbolten reflects a sensory duality, the fragility and danger of a man in the elements coupled with this man’s self-awareness and defiance of this position. Moments like these, which offer a contrast in a moment, are images I feel that can have a strong impact on the viewer.
POP: We talked about a shoot on an eco farm in Norway in which you decided on location to use the farmer’s daughter for the model.
The owners of the farm wanted a beautiful looking image with a Norwegian traditional feel to it, and the animal had to fit the story, so a gorgeous, fairytale looking horse was a must. The farmer’s daughter was a raised with horses and was the ideal model when an animal wrangler was needed. She had the sweetest rosy cheeks and managed to keep the horse at bay for two hours, an extraordinary amount of time for a horse to “pose.”
POP: Do you plan to go back to shooting more fashion again?
My background is actually in fashion, I studied it for four years in Norway and thought at a young age I was going to be a designer, but photography trumped the desire to work with fashion – although I absolutely love to shoot it. The creative collaboration involved in photographing fashion is perhaps unparalleled by any other subject matter. I think the lens loves to capture adorned, glamorized and beautified models. I have been caught up in more lifestyle work for many years now, but it is my intention to pursue more fashion work in the future. It would be such a delight to balance lifestyle and fashion work.
The “The Sound of Beauty” story, graced the pages of Graphis Photo Annual.
POP: How has the way you see has evolved? And when do you know it’s time to evolve? It takes a certain trust and courage to leave one style behind for the unknown.
It is a continuous process to keep your vision fresh and sophisticated, and yes, it changes with time (though with a certain consistency). The expansion in my work is influenced by a wide variety of external things besides personal growth; it can be technology, a subject matter or location, an experience that had an impact or perhaps something completely different. Sometimes I consciously make an effort and venture into new places with my work, but most of the time I believe that by staying productive I can naturally evolve and change.
This is a process that never ceases…and, as they say; “you are only as good as your last image…”
POP: How is your work different than it was five years ago? And what’s next?
I think technology has been crucial in the evolution of photography in the past decade, with access to digital equipment and in the advancement of Photoshop, post production has become an ever expanding and integral part in the making of an image. This has very much defined changes in my aesthetic style and continues to add complex layers to explore.
There is usually a natural flow in how an artist grows, and in my own work, technology and experience has triggered the biggest changes. What I shot many years ago might have a different look and feel to it, rendering it often as ”outdated.”
An exciting project for 2012 is a collaboration with my husband on a feature film he is writing a script for. I will shoot stills and create a coffee table book of the project. Filmmaking is so infinitely more complex in scope than photography, and I am very much looking forward to the challenge and learning experience.
The movie “Tree of Life” inspired me to see photography through cinematography, I wanted to live in the lens of the camera that shot the film. So, another project I want to do is to shoot images reflecting the tender emotion expressed drenched in sublime/ethereal light. Images that remind you of a dream state somehow.
Guido and I in Cannes, 2010.
Guido and Caterina at Cannes 2010
As much as the photography market is changing, you just have to change with it, be innovative and reinvent yourself and your work. We have to be really open-minded and think creatively in our approach, despite the difficulties the business is facing. It is an inherent trend in many creative fields these days as they have become saturated with an excess of talent and tighter budgets, and this new fierce competition has shaken a certain hierarchy that used to exist.
This means I try to stay acutely updated and current, as the demand changes fast and technology challenges us. It also pushes me to continue to demand more of myself as the market does of us. If you see it as an opportunity to set the bar higher by creating conceptual, fresh new work, then you might actually be one step ahead.
POP: In addition to a busy commercial career, you shoot a lot of high-end stock. How did you evolve this part of your business evolve?
Shooting stock was a natural expansion of my business, and has given me the opportunity to shoot a wide variety of high-end content with a commercial value. It keeps me constantly producing and shooting, creating new collections of work and eliminating the concept of “downtime.” Shooting libraries has become a popular trend for companies, and I will often hire second and third shooters to create as much diversity as possible for the client on larger productions. The clients vary from pharmaceuticals to hospitality to finance, to technology, etc. Shooting for stock requires that you are fast and can come up with quick changes/concepts on the spot, and have a great talented team – particularly if there are second shooters – and good coordination to make sure all aspects of the shot list is covered.
Having an expansive image library to tap into can be very helpful when bidding on jobs. I can create mood boards and find images related to the art director’s or client’s concept and vision. I find that creatives appreciate visual input for their story telling process, and this way we can bounce ideas back and forth. (It can also sway their decision on whom to award a certain project to.)
Stock productions can be small to large-scale projects abroad, like the one where I cast over 200 people for a couple of shoots in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. These were all styled by Shannon Dunn. For the fist image I casted a gorgeous model who possessed the inherent Brazilian sensuality, and a “Latin lover” looking guy, who had to look great in a pair of speedos. The teenagers in the Ipanema Beach image shows the diversity of the talent one can find in Brazil.
With stylist Shannon Dunn at the Hotel La Suite
There are so many different venues that offer exposure making it hard to dissect sometimes where to invest your money. Currently I am working on a promotional piece I would like to run in a resource magazine and print promos of, but I am still deciding on what approach to take with it.
Speaking of dissecting venues, there seems to be an infinite options for contests too, and I try my very best to stay on top of them. It is an excellent way of getting exposure for a very reasonable amount of money.
POP: What surprised you about your own path?
Ha, many things I guess…what I am more naively surprised by are all the things I have not been able to do in this lifetime, yet. Photography is so incredibly time consuming and labor intensive I often wish there were more hours in the day to do it all. Every detail with photography can be refined and perfected till no end, so when the day is over you are (hopefully) happily tired and just want to have a glass of wine.
My dream is to have a project using photography for some social cause that leaves a mark with people and that does not go unnoticed, having an impact, small or large.
POP: Advice to young photographer?
Following your heart and passion is for me the best rule of thumb. If you feel photography might be your thing, don’t give up on finding your path in this craft until you are happy and can see a way to make a living at it (whether the creative outlet is commercial work, weddings, photojournalism, corporate, or anything else related to photography like retouching, styling, producing, etc). The chances are it is going to take a lot of hard work no matter what, but stay true to your vision and make it work.
All the emails I get from recent graduates or emerging photographers initially display great enthusiasm and interest in pursuing photography, but eventually the difficulty in establishing oneself puts the person to the test and their pervasiveness will decide whether they are actually fit for it or not. It might feel like Somme and Verdun at times; progress may be slow, incremental and challenging, so a positive attitude, tenacity and innovative-forward thinking is a must.
