A certain outlook

the look | article 1

12.45.2019
Complementary views

Swedish documentary photographer Johan Berglund travels the world’s vineyards, mainly alongside wine critics. He feels a particular attachment to Bordeaux and over the course of three harvests, from 2018 to 2020, he was given a free reign to comb the vineyards of Troplong Mondot, watching the changes at work and daily life on the estate.

He brought a particular insight to the notion of sense of place so dear to Troplong Mondot. With Berglund, we see a whole universe unfurl before us – a state of mind that creates a bond between photography and wine.

Taking photos seems like child’s play. A decent camera or even a phone and all it takes is a click. But if you really think about it, it’s not so straightforward, not only from a technical perspective. It’s all about the way we see the world.

TRAINING THE EYE

What makes a good photo does not boil down to subject matter or fancy equipment. Instead, it is the ability of the photographer to see the subject. It’s all down to the eye and the photographer’s ability to find the best way to capture the subject matter.

When I take a photo, I know exactly what to expect from the developed image – I can see it in my mind’s eye, with a clear idea of the final image. Yet if another photographer were to take the same photo, it would be worlds apart. Simply because we have a very different way of seeing the same subject.

When it comes to composition, most artists tend to respect the Rule of Thirds, where the subject is placed in an area divided into three equal parts. I don’t subscribe to this approach. All my photos, with the odd exception, are centred. Kubrick was the same. For me, it is this graphic style that captures life.

"What makes a good photo
is how we see the subject."

CAPTURING THE MOMENT

We tend to think photographers should be invisible, maybe far in the distance armed with a long lens. For me, it’s the exact opposite. I’m like an elephant in the centre of the room. You can’t miss me. But in the end, you no longer see me at all as I fade into the background. With my photos, I want to reveal life’s moments.

People continue to go about their daily working lives, and all the while I am there, right in the middle of the action. This is how I can take my best photos, those that reveal life’s moments. Each day I take maybe a thousand frames, and I only keep around fifty. Only those that really capture something significant.

I select the images that hold my gaze as I skim through and pass on to the next. I love being captivated and made to think. Looking at a photo is like solving a mystery, searching for life behind the image.

The graphic structure and play on contrast help me pick out the minutiae of detail. When I develop my photos, I play on this accentuation, this emphasis that brings contrast. This is what punctuates the scene and enhances the subject.

“With my photos
I want to reveal
life’s moments”

REVEALING THE INVINCIBLE

When you are like me and free to choose your subject, you need to feel inspired. For years I have seen Chateau Troplong Mondot perched on its hill, and I thought to myself that this really was the perfect place. I even dreamt this was mine! Up here, there are no limits, and an incredible sense of perspective. I am totally free when working on a project; it’s up to me to choose the subject matter, to reveal what makes this place so different. Like a window going back in time.

And if I’m so comfortable in the world of wine it is because photography and wine share the same foundations: we look to the future rather than dwell on the present. When someone tastes the 2018 vintage in fifty years’ time, it’s like going back in time. And it’s the same with my photos; they are part of history. More than just a place, I want to capture a turning point, a moment when things change.

Which is why I work so extensively in black and white. This way colour is no longer a distraction to the eye. We focus on emotion. Like during a tasting, like looking into your soul and a deep dive back in time.

Johan Berglund, Documentary photographer.