About Peter Bjerg

Artist bio

Copenhagen, Denmark.

I learned black and white analog photography as a child in the 1970s, attending weekly classes at school - with darkroom and all. Later in life, to pay for college in New York City, I stood on the other side of the camera as a model, working with some of the very best photographers on the planet. From this, I learned what it´s like to be in front of the camera with a photographer in front of me, or rather be in the play and proces of making a good image from together with a photographer, a knowledge and experience I use now, much without thinking about it, when I direct the people I photograph today.

Five years ago, I decided to spend more time with photography and made the decision to change my professional life to become a professional photographer alongside my other professional activities.

I love making portraits, preferably with analog cameras. The analog proces is a tactile experience which requires more work and more time for each image in every step from exposure to development and print, but its is fun to do, and the results are rewarding.

I feel that pictures are not really important (life is, and people are.. there are already too many images out there!) And yet, I am totally engaged in photo making: the human exploration, the psychology and vibe that makes the sitting work, the techniques and the aesthetics. I think its utterly fun to do.

Here in Denmark, I am lucky to be part of a vibrant analog community in my hometown Copenhagen - where we share insights, questions, equipment and time.

I teach "creative photography" to young people and run workshops on analogue photography and eco-friendly development.

Besides photography, I work with participatory democracy, social innovation and Design Thinking, which I have learned and practised with the group of SUPERTANKER, Københavns Projekthus and Københavns Innovationshus. I still work within this field, now at Ungdomsskolen in Høje-Taastrup, mostly engaged with teenagers in collaborative processes that aim to empower their democratic voice and interest. For example, I run a creative project called “Issues” in which teenagers produce their own cultural magazine - taking up issues that are relevant to them, producing there own content in writing, photos and illustrations. (Read more about the latest ISSUES on my blog).

Feel free to reach out!