For Gothenburg, Sweden-based photographer Johan Stephan, capturing the Norwegian countryside was a way of slowing down, of honing in on beautiful moments within a frenzied and face-paced world. He strives to create imagery without diverting elements, composing minimalistic visions that inspire tranquility and reflection.
The landscape of Norway, lined with majestic mountains and twisting roads, lent itself perfectly to Stephan’s meditative aesthetic, and after seeing a friend’s photographs of the area, he immediately planned to accompany him on his next road trip. Dwarfed by the towering mountains of Norway, the artist experienced moments of powerful reverence for the natural world, a feeling that he hopes to pass on through his images. Where most landscape photographs capture sweeping, panoramic views, Stephan prefers to seek out the details of a location that together paint a more nuanced and expressive portrait of place.
Says the artist of his work, “I guess the main reason for me to photograph is to stop the world from turning for a moment. I want to take photos for the viewer to be able to get the ‘be right there’ feeling and see what I see, like it was your eye looking through my viewfinder. I guess this is my way of telling stories.”
All photos featured in this post can be found on Offset, a new curated collection of high-end commercial and editorial photography and illustration from award-winning artists around the world. Offset is an exclusive category channel partner on Feature Shoot.