Rikard Österlund's blog

Freelance photographer based in Rochester, UK. www.rikard.co.uk Working on my first photobook; a modern love story about love and invisible illness.

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Recently Received: Look, I’m wearing all the colors by Rikard Österlund

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Kickstarter video for my photobook ‘Look, I’m wearing all the colours’

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LOOK, I’M WEARING ALL THE COLOURS 

Kickstarter campaign launched yesterday! 

I am trying to raise the funds needed to publish my photobook - a modern love story about life with chronic illness, pain and depression.

Check out the campaign here: http://kck.st/2jkVY5y I would really appreciate your help and if you would share it with anyone you think might be interested.

Thank you! x

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‘Substrate’ – photographs by Rikard Österlund

February 4 - March 3, 11:00 am -  4:00 pm

Exhibition open Tuesday – Friday 11am-4pm & Sat 10am-3pm. The exhibition is closed Mondays & Sundays.

Rikard Österlund’s combination of wet plate photographs and black & white portraits and scenes from around the Medway Towns reveal the underlying substance of his subjects.  Using an Edwardian camera he has developed a specialism in the 19th-century wet plate photographic process, which with its need for long exposures and careful chemistry, is the antithesis of digital image making.

Rikard will give a special talk and demonstration of the Wet Plate collodion Photographic process on the first Saturday (4th Feb – 11am-2pm) of his month-long exhibition at No.34. He has been fascinated by the wet collodion process for years, researching and practicing his methods to perfection. It is one of the earliest photographic processes, invented in 1851.  Instead of clicking lots of digital shots onto a memory card or using 20th Century rolls of film Rikard prepares a glass or sheet metal plate, by hand for each one-off image, using Silver Nitrate & other chemicals. The image is then exposed in his antique camera and developed immediately.  The results capture an intense and ethereal beauty in all of his subjects.

For more information on Rikard and his work visit www.rikardosterlund.com

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CTMF - LIVE AT THE LEXINGTON

I am very exited to announce the release of CTMF - live at the lexington; a photography book of my photographs from Billy Childish’s first UK concert in 6 years. 

It comes in a screen printed heavy card box and includes a flexi disc and a DVD with performances from the gig. The book opens to A2 size (!) and is printed on a gorgeous white eggshell paper.  The special A-Z edition includes a print signed by Billy and myself. Click here to see more pictures and to order it.

Photographs by Rikard Österlund Layout and design by William Loveday and Rikard Österlund Published by L-13 Light Industrial Workshop

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Talk at London Institute of Photography - tonight!

Tonight (Wednesday 14th Dec) I will discuss my photographic practise at the Truman Brewery, London. I will show images from my public commissions to my very private personal work, incl new images from an ongoing project about my wife’s life with chronic pain. Get your ticket here.

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‘Self Portraits & Other Scenes’ in Sweden 

I have been exhibiting a series of photographs at NP33 in Norrköping this autumn alongside photographers like Pieter Ten Hoopen, Lu Kowski, Johan Bergmark and Alison DeMars. 

Me and Zara visited for a week during Spegla - a new Swedish photography festival highlighting the importance discussing the power of the photographic image and it’s influence on society through advertising, newspapers and social media. Three days packed with exhibitions, lectures and workshops (I ran a 2 day wet plate collodion workshop). 

The exhibition opened during Kulturnatten, 24th September 2016.

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William Eggleston’s legs at a book signing. 

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Midsummer 2016

This week I've been in Sweden to attend a workshop in visual storytelling. I met some great people and shared some really touching moments under the wing of our tutor Anna Clarén. When I woke up to Brexit yesterday I really wanted to clear my head, so I grabbed my camera and went to the midsummer celebration in Folkparken in Norrköping, my home town. These are some of the people I met and talked to.

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Three images from my current exhibition ‘Self Portraits & Other Scenes’ at Sun Pier House Gallery, Chatham. It is there until the 4th June 2016. Open 10.00-16.00, Tuesday-Sunday.

Sun Pier House Gallery, Medway Street, Chatham, ME4 4HF

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On Friday 6th May it’s the private view of my new exhibition at Sun Pier House Gallery. It’s been 5 years since my last solo exhibition and this one is quite a departure from what I have shown in the past. Come along if you can!  

Self Portraits & Other Scenes

Selected Photographs by Rikard Österlund / Curated by Billy Childish

6th May - 4th June 2016 Sun Pier House Gallery, 2nd Floor, Medway Street, Chatham, ME4 4HE Preview Friday 6th May 18:00-21:00

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“I hadn’t any idea that art could be made by simple telling the story of your own life, your own experience.”

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The River Medway seen from a boat whilst heading out the estuary. 

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Ralph Steadman in his studio, January 2014.

These images of Ralph were shot on a wet and cloudy January morning accompanied by a hot cup of tea. He needed some images for IMDB and press so I spent an hour shooting whilst he worked on one of his 'boids' after which we just wandered around his studio getting some extra angles. He is one of the loveliest people I have met in a long time, incredibly generous with his time and sharing his process. It's difficult to not get distracted as the studio is packed by his drawings, everything from images of Hunter to recent commissions. 

Don't miss For No Good Reason, a feature length documentary featuring Johnny Depp, Terry Gilliam etc when it airs on Sky Atlantic tonight at 9.00pm (Wednesday 4th June 2014). Don't miss it!

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CALL YOURSELF A GOTH?

Are you into gothic music, aesthetics and/or gothic fashion? 

(I am open to your individual interpretation of what constitutes 'Goth'; today it encompasses such a large number of different styles from trad-goth, victorian-goth, goth-rock, perky-goth etc - all of these extended sub-genres are welcome to take part in the project!) 

Then this workshop is for you! Click here to register: https://blackno1.eventbrite.co.uk/

Photography Workshop

This workshop will introduce you to studio lighting and the way it can change the mood of photographs. We will try several different setups and everyone will get hands on experience taking pictures and you will get to keep copies of all the images you take. Equipment will be provided along with props, backgrounds and cool locations. At the end of the workshop we will look at Photoshop and the way this is used to enhance images. 

This workshop does not require any special skills and you don't need to bring any special equipment or fancy cameras!

Only open to individuals aged 16-21, living in Medway/Swale and with an active interest in all things Gothic.

There are two dates to choose from; the first session is on a Saturday (21st September) starting at 13.00 whilst the second one is on a Thursday evening (10th October) starting 18:00. 

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Bill Cunningham New York

Watch this film - his enthusiasm is contagious!