Finnish photographer Peter Forsgård: Try new things and have fun

It is important to be so-called “multi-creative” in a way that you are able to take photos, draw illustrations, shoot videos and make them come to life in a creative way.

For over 20 years, Finnish photographer and visual content creator Peter Forsgård has traveled the world, capturing events, people and moments with a focus on portraits. Peter has worked alongside a variety of businesses, from the largest Finnish companies to fast growing startups, and numerous marketing and advertising agencies. In 2008, he expanded his repertoire to include videography.

“My love for photography started back in the 1970’s when I got my first single-lens reflex camera; I then ruined my perfectly nice hobby by becoming a professional photographer in the late 1980’s” says Peter. “Of course that’s not all true! Photography is still my hobby, it’s my passion for photography and the drive to create something new that keeps me inspired. I still don’t feel this is a job for me because I’m having so much fun doing it!”.

Lightroom as a game changer

Adobe’s creative software has always been important part of Forsgård’s workflow, who started out using the very first version of Lightroom and moved onto Creative Cloud when it was introduced in 2012.

“In many ways Creative Cloud, and especially Lightroom, has been a game changer for me. Creative Cloud lowers cost for creative artists like me and provides always up-to-date arsenal of creative tools. When the first version of Lightroom was introduced, it replaced around six others programs that I was using at the time. With the new Lightroom CC and Lightroom for mobile, I am now truly mobile with my work and have been able to further speed up my workflow”.

Peter vividly remembers a recent spring time photo shoot where Creative Cloud, and particularly Lightroom CC’s online and mobile features, really made the difference:

“I did a photo shoot for a young film director and after the shoot, we went for a pizza and few beers. I’d already uploaded the photos to Lightroom Web Gallery which meant that the client was able to pick her favorites in Lightroom mobile, while waiting for our orders to arrive. For me, this was a super effective workflow and when I got back to my office, all the photos (including the client’s favourites) were waiting for me in Creative Cloud for some desktop action”.

Be curious, try new things and have fun!

Over the past couple of decades, Peter has witnessed the fast development of creative industry and community in the Nordics. His advice to young creatives? Don’t be afraid to try new things and challenge the traditional ways of working.

“The world has become more visual than ever. As creatives, we have to be curious and prepared to learn new things. It is important to be a so-called “multi-creative”: able to take photos, draw illustrations, shoot videos and make them come to life in a creative way. Even coding is becoming more and more important to many photographers. Today the whole world has become a marketplace for creative work so it’s important to build your digital footprint across the web. Most importantly, remember to have fun along the way because that is where inspiration springs. Never forget that.”

Reflections of Helsinki, the capital of Finland.

The spray can has done its duty.

Urban moods in Helsinki.

Indian man taking a break.

Busker filling the rainy streets of Helsinki with music.

The header image is an Indian forest blooming, shot by Forsgård.

Follow Peter Forsgård on Twitter: @JPeterF

Peter Forsgård