Meet Our Guides

Welcome to a world filled with passion, experience, and expertise!

We understand inspiration, that powerful force in creativity. The magnificent and fantastic destinations we offer play an important role here. But just as important, of course, is who leads the trip you are going on. We therefore want to give you an opportunity to get to know us who lead the various adventures and present our photographic leaders and guides below.

Mattias Sjölund is a guide and photography leader on several of our trips. He is also the founder of Foto Magica. Mattias became seriously interested in photography in 2013. The connection to nature and landscapes was immediate and obvious, as several of the elements Mattias appreciates can be found there. Mattias categorizes himself primarily as a photographer with a strong attraction to the simple and stripped-down, and prefers to work with a telephoto lens out in the landscape.

In 2017, Mattias started Foto Magica, initially as his own creative platform for his writing and photography, but by 2018 he had already produced his first adventure. He has been published in On-Landscape Magazine (featured photographer 2023) and has written several articles for Kamera & Bild and Fotosidan, among others. He also won the ND-Awards 2022 in the Fine Art Landscape category.

Martin Rak leads our tours to Moravia, Saxony, the Dolomites, Slovenia, and other destinations. Martin was born and raised in Prague, where he still lives today. He takes every opportunity to go hiking. The beauty and diversity of nature inspire him to explore new places and new types of landscapes. He is represented by Kozu Books, which has published his work *Komorebi*, and serves as an ambassador for Hasselblad.

Christian Hoiberg lives on the Lofoten Islands and is the creator of the Capture Landscapes website, which many of you have come across over the years. He is an experienced guide and we collaborate with Christian at several destinations, including Madeira and Asturias. His passion for photography began at the age of 15 when he bought his first camera. For several years, he took pictures for fun, but eventually he felt "stuck." The options were to either quit or devote significantly more time to improving his craft. He chose the latter.

Hans Strand needs no introduction to most people involved in landscape photography. He was born in 1955. After a nine-year career in mechanical engineering, he decided to devote his life to landscape photography. It is a change he has never regretted.

Hans has always felt drawn to the untamed and unmanipulated emotions and expressions he finds in nature. His work takes him to various locations around the world, from polar deserts to steamy rainforests and vast deserts. Hasselblad Master, one of the finest titles you can be awarded, and winner of International Landscape Photographer of the Year. This makes Hans the closest thing to a legend we can get in this industry.

Bengt Ahlberg has had a strong interest in photography since middle school. But it really took off about 10 years ago during a trip to South Africa. After several photography-specific trips and workshops in quick succession, his passion deepened. Since 2020, Bengt has been a regular feature on our trips, including as an assistant guide. In summary, Bengt now has a wealth of experience to share and leads several of our adventures with an emphasis on Sweden.