On this week’s issue of Portfolio of the Week, we are joined by Johan Jansson, who is based out of Montreal, Canada.

Johan is a Swedish born, Montreal based photographer who captures the true essence of human life. Through his extensive portfolio of up-close and ultra-high definition shots, he really seizes the moment and brings his images to life. Despite starting out his professional life as an international aerobic trainer and web designer, Johan always had a burning passion for photography since a young age. He took this passion and has created something truly special, and has been lucky enough to form his life around photography.

Let’s get to know Johan some more, how he came to operate a successful business and find out why he has chosen Portfoliobox to display his work.

Q: Hello Johan, we are really happy to have you as our Portfolio of the Week. Can you tell me a little bit of yourself?

A: I was born in Sweden but left for Munich, Germany, when I was 23 to pursue a career as an international aerobic trainer. Although I started experimenting with a camera when I was around 12, the real passion for photography started in the late 90s. Parallel to my fitness career, I studied communication design and photography at the university of applied science in Augsburg, Germany. After some years working as a graphic and web designer parallel to teaching and the slowly growing photography business, love brought me to Canada (unfortunately it didn't last). For some years now, I’ve made my living solely from photography. I can't be happier!

Q: What was the first camera that you received or bought?

A: My brother had an old Minolta. It was lying around unused so I "stole" it! Haha. 

Q: The competition in the photography industry is very fierce - how did you break into this industry?

A: It is indeed but tenacity is the key. Never give up. Keep shooting. Refine your work and keep letting people know about your work. Be humble and authentic. Kindness will always take you the furthest.

Q: I saw that in your online portfolio, you are doing different kinds of photography, like fashion, advertising, beauty and so on. If you could only choose one favourite type of photography, what would it be and why?

A: Editorial (fashion) photography because of the storytelling. This is what photography is all about to me. Capture beauty but also tell a story.  

Q: What is your favourite camera & lens combination?

A: Nikon D850 24-70. 

Q: What is your next project?

A: I'll be shooting some store posters for a big retail company here in Montreal with some amazing models! Very excited about that!

Q: I really like your online portfolio. The images are stunning and the portfolio design makes them stand out. Why did you choose Portfoliobox and what do you like about it?

A: Thank you! I needed an online platform that had nice looking design templates and with an intuitive content management system. Also, you let your clients test your site for as long as you want. I kept building and testing until I knew this was the right place to host my work. 

From the team at Portfoliobox to Johan, we would like to express our thanks and appreciation for allowing us to interview him. He has given us a very informative analysis on his works and how he came to base his life around photography after starting his professional life in a completely different industry.

We really hope you enjoyed our interview with Johan today and invite you to check out his online portfolio to find out more!

Don’t forget to tune in to next week’s episode of Portfolio of the Week!

Our special guest on this week’s edition of "Portfolio of the Week" is a Finnish artist, Marianna Raikkala.

As a self-taught artist, Marianna expresses her personality through her work. She has a personal and sentimental connection with each and every piece and is not bound by any limitations. By placing brush to canvas without prior thought or planning, it is Marianna’s mindset that each individual will see her work in a unique way and believes by doing this, her piece will convey the purest of emotions. Nevertheless, every single piece of art produced by Marianna captures her feelings, thoughts and emotions of that particular moment in time and is nothing short of spectacular.

So, without any further ado, let’s find out a little bit more about Marianna, why her work holds a special relationship with her personality and why she has come to love Portfoliobox!

Q: Hi Marianna, first of all, I am so glad to hear that you would like to be our Portfoliobox of the Week. I am truly impressed by your work. First of all, can you tell me more about yourself?

A: Hey, thank you so much and of course! I’m a self-taught artist living in Helsinki, Finland. My regular day is a combination of painting, creating and spending time with my friends and family. My perfect day starts with a long run or walk with my dog Waldo and blasting music in the background, drinking a cup of coffee while I get ready for the day.

Q: There are so many amazing paintings in your portfolio. Which one is your favourite? What were you trying to communicate with this piece of painting?

A: I guess I have a special connection to all my paintings and they all have a personal meaning for me. But I’d say that my current favorite is a piece called ’Heaven on Earth”. The name can be a bit confusing considering the style and color palette of the artwork. Yet the backstory is something that gets me smiling every time. The piece was literally inspired by a piece of rock I found on a secluded beach in a small town called Orivesi, here in Finland. I just couldn’t leave it there so I picked it up and carried the stone in my pocket back to Helsinki. When I came to my studio I was really inspired by the texture and emotion the simple piece of nature held so I decided to paint inspired by this very piece of rock. I loved the end result and so did my followers. I can’t think of a better way to respect the nature than by painting it.

A piece of rock that she found on a secluded beach in Orivesi, Finland inspired her to create her recent favourite painting, "Heaven on Earth".

"Heaven on Earth"

Q: What are your thoughts about learning how to paint in an art school vs. self-learning? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each way?

A: I think educating yourself in any way is always valuable, respectful and worth the time. When it comes to art I have only experience in learning myself by searching and trying out different materials and techniques over time. For me the advantage is that I have the freedom to create what I want and how I want, with only inspiration as my guidance. Would an art school education limit me more than inspire me? That’s a question I have asked myself many times. Regardless of what your background is I recommend everyone to do what they love.

Q: Have you ever experienced “artist block”, a period that you seemed to have no inspiration? If yes, how did you overcome it?

A: I have noticed that stress or the lack of natural light has an immediate effect on my inspiration. Therefore the long and dark Finnish winter is always a challenging time for me. I think the key is to not get too stressed about it and just keep going, maybe keep a day off and spend it doing other things you love and try again later. You can’t really force inspiration.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I’m working on a new collection of medium and mini sized paintings I will release on the opening of my web shop.

Q: What is / are your goal(s) in 2020?

A: My main goals for the year is to open my own web shop and challenging myself to step out of my comfort zone more often artistically speaking. Trying out new methods is scary and exciting at the same time.

Q: I really like your website, by the way. It is so minimalistic. It makes your artworks stand out. Why do you choose Portfoliobox to build your portfolio website?

A: Thank you! My friend who is a photographer recommended Portfoliobox to me after I was frustrated with my previous website. It didn’t take long to notice that Porfoliobox is the best fit for me since it’s so quick and easy to use. Updating my site takes only a second and I get the simplistic look I want.

We would like to thank Marianna for taking the time to answer our questions, and we do hope that you gained an incredible insight in to her work. Not to mention the unique methodology she uses to produce some simply stunning work. If you would like to know more about Marianna, or check out some of her work, head to her online portfolio!

We will see you next week with another Portfolio of the Week. Who will it be?  

Portfoliobox and Imagenation have worked together for over a year to produce photography exhibitions in Europe. Our footprints can be found in Paris as well as Arles in France. This year, for the very first time, we exhibited in the United States, at Los Angeles’s largest and longest running art fair - the LA Art Show (Feb 5 - 9).

In 2020, the LA Art Show marks a significant milestone in its history, the 25th Anniversary. It has attracted a lot of art lovers, art dealers, artists and so on, to the art fair.

Peyman Nadari, a successful fine art photographer from Iran and a Portfoliobox user was selected to participate in the exhibition. His photo, The Maid of Orleans was showcased in our Portfoliobox x Imagenation booth.

We were lucky to have the chance to interview Peyman about his photo that was showcased at the art fair and his future plan.

Q: Why would you like to join the LA Art Show this year?

A: The first time I heard the name of the exhibition, I was amazed at the fact that this great exhibition hosts thousands of art fans every year. I am honored to be able to be a good representative of my country this year at this amazing exhibition. I liked having one of my works at the exhibition this year to share my insights with the fans and to make the artists more in tune with the Fine Art style.

"The Maid of Orleans"

"The Maid of Orleans" at the LA Art Show 2020

Q: Can you tell me more about the photo exhibited in the art fair - what is the story behind it?

A: First of all, I have to say that this photo was taken of the French champion Joan of Arc and I did my best to pay tribute to her. The life of this French champion was very interesting to me and it made for a very interesting subject for my photos. In these photos I have tried to show bondage and captivity, captivity has different aspects, from body bondage to mind and soul bondage. I have been involved with these types of bondage for many years and I have tried to look at this frame with “Fine Art” approach thus leave a constant image behind and show my point of view to the audience. I have tried to show different aspects, I have chosen metal and flower so not only I can show the hardness of this barrier but to show the softness release that comes after the bondage of this pain.

Q: Being a professional photographer is not easy, let alone a successful one. Your work has been featured in Harper's Bazaar and Vogue to name a few - what is your secret?

A: I always try to do my best. “Concept” is one of the most important parts of my photography projects, and I try to spend enough time and energy on finding the right concept. To create and discover the right idea I usually listen to classical music during my free time or at nights. Such high-quality music can inspire me and help me to concentrate on finding ways to present the world in ways that I see. Besides, the colors that I use in my photos create the illusion of a painting, and, hence, most people usually mistake my works as paintings. It is important for me to do what I do best and get the attention of reputable magazines like Harper’s Bazaar and ND Magazine. Another great option for me is my strong team who are always sympathetic and very diligent and work hard to develop their art.

"Take the time to think about the idea.

Never be disappointed or discouraged."

- Peyman Naderi

Q: If you could only give one piece of advice to your fellow photographers - what would it be?

A: Take the time to think about the idea. Never be disappointed or discouraged. From the very beginning, the path cannot be the best one must build. You're your best critic. Listen to your inner voice If you're made for photography you'll find the way. Don't forget that every professional photographer you see nowadays was an amateur photographer.

Q: What is your plan or goal for 2020?

A: I have some interesting projects about the history of my country that I want to do and it is very important to me because it is about the Ancient Persia and it is for the first time that a photographer deals with it. Of course, I have some important exhibitions in London and Paris, and I'm very interested in attending them. This year is very important year for my artistic life so I have to work hard to showcase eternal artworks. I also participated in many International competitions which are finalists due to the referees' selections and I am waiting for the results of the competitions. I am also a referee of several International (competitions) and we are exchanging opinions with other referees to choose the best photo.

Peyman Nadari is a Portfoliobox user since 2018, you can check out his work on his website: peymannaderi.com. If you would like to know more about our upcoming exhibitions, don't forget to follow us on our social media.

Who are you?

My name is Peyman Naderi, and I am a contemporary Persian fine art and portrait photographer. I am a self-taught photographer who started his first professional projects in the year 2013. As I began my career as a professional photographer, my first moto was to create original and creative photos through which my own perceptions of the world and art could be understood. Also, I am eager to represent a unique way of looking to various concepts in the world.

My first experience as a subject of portrait photography was quite funny though. I remember that I was only six years old, and I was terrified by seeing various equipment and cameras. Trying to make me calmer, the photographer gave me a toy camera to play with while sitting on the chair. This memory, somehow, triggered my curiosity and interest in this art. I bought my first camera years later, in 2010, and started to take photos of my friends and family members. The more I got engaged in this art, the more I found out about my artistic talents and the passion I have for photography. I remember that I used to go to a burnt cotton factory located on the outskirt of Tehran, my hometown. Although the fire had ruined almost everything in the factory, a small hall with a high ceiling and golden walls was left intact. When I first entered this building, seeing this magnificent scenery inside a totally destroyed and abandoned building took my breath away and provoked my first fine art ideas inside me. As I started my first project, I used to go to this place every day to try different photography techniques and become master in them.

Then, I started studio photography to learn about various lighting techniques. I tried to include my own ideas and perceptions here, and manipulate the lighting based on my perceptions and concepts. Winning the silver medal in the Victor Polynsky competition for one of my photos called Oblivion, further increased my self-confidence and my persistence in photography. In the years after that, I won several awards in many competitions like Moscow International Foto Awards, Chromatic Awards, ND Awards, Tokyo International Foto Awards, PX3 and IPA, and I had my works published in various international magazines like Harper’s Bazaar.

“Concept” is one of the most important parts of my photography projects, and I try to spend enough time and energy on finding the right concept. To create and discover the right idea I usually listen to classical music during my free time or at nights. Such high-quality music can inspire me and help me to concentrate on finding ways to present the world in ways that I see. Besides, the colors that I use in my photos create the illusion of a painting, and, hence, most people usually mistake my works as paintings. 

What are you working on at the moment?

Right now, I'm working on two editorial conceptual projects; one takes place in rococo's age, a short period of baroque, presenting "the fight with that luxury-oriented time" and the other one is about “Misogyny". By referring to very old paintings and searching for helpful elements in museums, I tried to be as accurate as I could. We built masks to use as muzzles that were uncommonly used against women to show how misogyny was like, in those days. Personally, this project was very different for me than my other works, yet so precious.

How would you describe your work in 2 words?

Originative, Artistic.

Who are your biggest influences in the industry?

Jan Saudek, he is considered a leading Czech photographer, best known for his depictions of nudes and youthful figures arranged in dreamlike spaces. His compositions evoke the dramatic tableaus of early photography, with subjects artificially posed in front of the viewer.

What was the last thing that inspired you?

listening to music and looking at paintings have always helped me to show a different and better point of view via taking pictures. just awhile ago, I saw some surrealistic paintings which became my muse. after finding my muse, I try to nurture my ideas into ,somehow, more completed version of themselves, then I try to improve my mood-board and statement using my imagination and I work with the most completed version of my idea to achieve my goals in the project.

What do you like about Portfoliobox?

Portfoliobox is the best platform I have ever seen. You can create your own website with an amazing object and so many different things. And also I really like the friendly customer care that immediately respond to your question, I recommend Portfoliobox to everyone that loves to create your own website.

Who are you?

My name Is Cate Pepper and I am a Freelance Graphic Designer & Illustrator from Australia but am currently based in the USA. I have been working as a freelance artist for the past 10 years working predominantly in the music industry (doing posters, tour art and band merchandise) and specialising in detailed illustrative work. 

What are you working on at the moment?

This week I’m working on tour art and merch for bands; The John Butler Trio and The Butterfly Effect and a couple of branding jobs, one for a music production company and another for a new music festival in Australia.

Who are your biggest influences in the industry?

Shepard Fairey has always been a huge influence of mine.

What was the last thing that inspired you?

The Beyond the Streets exhibition in LA. It was full of so many amazing and diverse artists. All with quite interesting back stories of where they’ve been and how they began. 

What do you like about Portfoliobox?

What I like most about Portfoliobox is that I felt it really is made for artists/creatives of all kinds, giving them the perfect platform to showcase their work in the best way possible.

Besides On-site optimisation & Off-site optimisation, you can use tools like Google Search Console to improve the indexation of your site. Start by creating a Google Search Console account and follow the steps below: 

1. VERIFY YOUR WEBSITE 

1. Go to your Google Search Console account. 2. Click Add property. 3. You will be asked to select a property type, from two options - Domain or URL Prefix. Choose URL prefix. 4. Enter your website's domain URL i.e https://www.delphinelinder.com. 5. Click Continue. 6. Choose the HTML tag method. Copy the meta tag provided — it looks like this:  <meta name="google-site-verification" content="rs_HqdF17XT0e01f6L1yYH-g4OC14_XetyVVagSuRY8" /> 7. Paste this code in your admin panel under Settings → General → Website → Meta verification snippet.  8. Once the code has been added, after around 30 minutes, click on the Verify button in Google Search Console. 9. If the code has been added correctly, Google will then complete the verification of your website. NB! If the verification via HTML tag fails, please choose the verification via DNS record and send the TXT record to our support team, if you ordered the domain name via us. When your site is verified, you may have to wait a few days before being able to use the Search Console. The delay depends on Google not Portfoliobox.

As Google explains it:  "When you add your site to Search Console, it may take some time before diagnostic and other data is available. This is normal; it can take some time for Search Console to gather and process data for your site. In general, if you see a "No data yet" message, check back later. Once Google starts crawling your site more often, you'll notice that Search Console will begin to show more detailed data, and that this data is updated more often."

2. SUBMIT YOUR SITEMAP

A sitemap is a file where you can list the web pages of your site to tell search engines about the organization of your site content. Search engine web crawlers like Googlebot read this file to more intelligently crawl your site. Also, your sitemap can provide valuable metadata associated with the pages you list in that sitemap: Metadata is information about a web page, such as when the page was last updated, how often the page is changed, and the importance of the page relative to other URLs in the site.  

1. Expand the Index menu on the left menu. 2. Click Sitemaps. 3. Enter sitemap.xml in the field Add a new sitemap, after your verified domain name. 4. Press Submit.

Google will now place your sitemap in its queue and when you reach the top its Googlebot will visit the sitemap and index your pages. Once it has done so you'll be able to see how many pages are appearing in the index and whether it found any problems while crawling the site. We recommend that each time you make changes to your website in Create and publish, that you also re-submit your sitemap in Google Search Console too.

Google's advice: "Using a sitemap doesn't guarantee that all the items in your sitemap will be crawled and indexed, as Google processes rely on complex algorithms to schedule crawling. However, in most cases, your site will benefit from having a sitemap, and you'll never be penalized for having one."​

For over a year, we've been collaborating with Martin Vegas, founder of Atlas of Humanity and ImageNation, to organise exhibitions and promote the work of photographers all over the world. We are thrilled to announce our next exhibition, ImageNation Paris. It will take place at Gallery Joseph, in the heart of Paris during Paris Photo, Nov. 8-10, 2019. See you soon in Paris! 

Who are you?

I believe in a world full of magic, full of fantasy. I believe in seeing the world as it is not, as it is not for everyone but it is for me. I believe that the impossible does not exist, that the real is only the basis of what really comes into existence through our mind. That the imagination is the interpretation of the soul. I believe that dreams are a refuge from reality, that gives us strength to live in this cold and hard land. I believe that goodness exists in those who live it from within. I believe that love is freedom, I believe that happiness is a decision, I believe that life is short and that the most important moment of our lives is the present.

I'm a multimedia artist who dreams a lot and loves to share my art and thoughts. I use my social media to share it and to interact with the world around me. I consider myself a surrealist, who loves fantasy artworks and experimental shortfilms.

What is your next creative project?

I'm writing my first script of a movie. As always, the theme surrounds fantasy and the world as it is not seen with the eyes, but with the heart. I have the medium-term project to begin to heal my work to create a print publication about photographic surrealism. I try to outdo myself every day.

What do you like about Portfoliobox?

What I like the most is the intuitiveness of its interface, it's almost a visual translation of what you want to modify or create for your web page. The tools of social integration are fabulous. And above all, the Portfoliobox has unparalleled good taste in the design of its templates that are so elegant and versatile. Portfoliobox is undoubtedly the best tool for any visual artist interested in sharing his work with the world.

Who are you?

I am from Virginia Beach, Virginia and have grown up heavily influenced by performing and visual arts. Currently, I am going into my final year in the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) program at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. During my time at SAIC, I have taken courses in the photography, sculpture, print media, fibers, and art history departments. My practice revolves around the idea of creating a sense of community by connecting seemingly unrelated people through a common experience. My inflatable sculptural work is mostly interactive as I create the work itself and then allow the audience to choose how it should be perceived. I believe that examining how viewers physically engage with my sculptures is the most beneficial part of the process because their actions give a specific type of unspoken feedback that is most effective to me. The way in which people feed off of the energies of each other and how the actions of one influence how another understands the work is a notion I place great importance on.

What are you working on at the moment?

In the spring of 2020, I will exhibit my largest interactive inflatable piece for the Bachelor of Fine Arts Spring Exhibition at the Sullivan Gallery in Chicago. It requires a lot of preparation and installation instructions, so I have begun that process almost a year in advance. 

Who are your biggest influences in the industry?

My art hero and biggest influence is Claire Ashley, who coincidentally happens to also be one of my teachers and mentors. She creates colorful, bigger than life inflatables that resemble the human body and vessels which sustain life. Claire is amazing!

What was the last thing that inspired you?

A lot of my sculptural work is strongly connected to installations and the elements of production designs, so the last thing that inspired me was David Korins' set for the new broadway musical "Beetlejuice". Its essence is incredible whimsical and otherworldly, yet so tangible. Some of the pieces, especially one black and white striped chair, even look inflatable-esque and embody a new design I have never seen before on a broadway set.

What do you like about Portfoliobox?

I love the freedom that Portfoliobox gives to artists or other creators when it comes to show casing their work or products. It is very reliable and every representative I have communicated with over the site has been both friendly and helpful.

Who are you?

“Spikkik” is my artist name. I’m a graphic designer and illustrator who enjoy traveling and writing some poetry. I’m based in Bangkok, Thailand. I used to work with an agency and magazines in Thailand. Now I work in a retail business as a section manager of content strategist team as well as a freelance illustrator. 

Even though I do graphics and other kind of arts, but I love painting the most because painting can keep me calm, stay focused and live in the moment. My works mostly inspired from words, poetry, people, nature and everything around me or what I felt at that moment. But I like to come up with concept by playing with words and illustrate the concept through my paintings. I believe a simple word can have more than one true meaning.

What are you working on at the moment?

I’m working on my own experimental project call “a ticket to mars”, trying to use my illustrations to apply on different materials, use many kinds of techniques like painting, printmaking, embroidery with great concept and unique, fun ideas. If it works, I will move on to build my own brand. 

Who are your biggest influences in the industry?

I’m impressed by Vincent Van Gogh, Salvador Dali and David Hockney’s techniques and styles. Their works inspire me so much. 

What was the last thing that inspired you?

Lately, I’m inspired by stars, universe and passionate to travel to some where I’ve never been to. Especially strange places that look like we live in another world.

What do you like about Portfoliobox?

The platforms are so nice and clean. Easy to use. Various layouts to choose so that you can match with your works and your style.