Hans Gunnar Aslaksen – Portrait of a Photographer

Blending concepts of design into nature photography

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By Matt Payne | March 12, 2023

Matt Payne

Matt Payne is a landscape photographer and mountain climber from Durango, Colorado. He’s the host of the weekly landscape photography podcast, “F-Stop Collaborate and Listen,” co-founder of the Nature First Photography Alliance, and co-founder of the Natural Landscape Photography Awards. He lives with his wife, Angela, his son Quinn, and his four cats, Juju, Chara, Arrow, and Vestal.

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I recently spent some time watching a bartender care for her patrons who were ordering fancy drinks that incorporated four or five ingredients that didn’t seem like they should go together. The bartender was taking care to use just the right amount of her chosen ingredients, utilising artful techniques that playfully blended each of them into a tasty and beautiful concoction. I admired how she was able to skillfully combine a shot of high-end bourbon, a splash of bitters, a small amount of simple syrup, a few ice cubes, and a dehydrated orange wheel into a glass that had been placed over a smoking pile of wood chips to create a “Smoked Old Fashion.” It reminded me of the way in which some photographers are able to craft their images using disparate elements that wouldn’t necessarily go together to create an image that is greater than the sum of its parts. It reminded me of the work of Hans Gunnar Aslaksen.

I first became aware of Hans’ work because he submitted it to the Natural Landscape Photography Awards last year, where he earned a top 10 finish for his overall portfolio. There was something about his work that drew me in, wanting to more closely understand why it stood out so prominently amongst thousands of other photographers’ images.

When I learned that Hans had a graphic design background, it made me instantly realise why his photography works so well – he has formally studied the techniques necessary for creating appealing designs in his day-to-day life as an art director.

When I learned that Hans had a graphic design background, it made me instantly realise why his photography works so well – he has formally studied the techniques necessary for creating appealing designs in his day-to-day life as an art director. This includes composition, colour theory, the use of patterns and shapes, and using images to communicate ideas.

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