A Swedish photographer has become an online hit for her amazing pictures of a heart-shaped lake in different seasons.
Sophia Bergholm, 29, who comes from the city of Linkoping in the southern Swedish county of Ostergotland, said she does not use any filters or effects when photographing picturesque areas of her homeland.
Swedish photographer, Sophia Bergholm 29, has become an online sensation for her stunning images from her home country. (Sophia Bergholm / Real Press)
Sophia told Real Press in an exclusive interview: “I have photos of a heart shaped lake during every season except spring. I will go in a week or two when it will be greener.
“I do not use any filters or in-camera special effects, I do all my edits in Adobe Lightroom and sometimes I do smaller things in Photoshop. Sometimes I use presets I’ve made for inspiration and do some extra edits on top of that, but mostly I edit my photos from scratch. I think it’s a fun process.
The heart lake in Ostergotland, Sweden photographed by Sophia Bergholm in Winter.
“Often, I see something on my way home from work and I get an idea of how I want to capture it, then I wait for the right conditions to make that idea into a photo.
“Other times I just take my car and drive and hope to find inspiration on the way. I know it when I see it. Another thing I do is check maps, I like to explore my surrounding area for possible aerial shots.”
The heart lake in Ostergotland, Sweden photographed by Sophia Bergholm in Summer.
She added: “I usually don’t drive more than an hour from home. Ostergotland County is a beautiful place with changing scenery and a lot of photo opportunities.”
Sophia told Real Press: “When you say ‘Sweden’, people mostly think of forests. And while that’s true, Ostergotland has a lot of open fields and a great agriculture, but also many forests.”
The heart lake in Ostergotland, Sweden photographed by Sophia Bergholm in Autumn.
The photographer spoke about how she discovered the remote heart-shaped lake surrounded by snow-covered trees: “I first saw it on Instagram. I saw it was located in Ostergotland so I tried to Google it.
“It’s very hard to locate because it’s not written anywhere, but I knew it was outside Linkoping. I actually got in touch with another female photographer who gave me the exact location of the lake. It is hard to reach and is best appreciated from above.”
She added: “I think it is manmade, it’s too perfect not to be, and it’s quite small.”
Sofia said photography is just a hobby for now, but she has hopes she can increase her income and make a living from her passion.
Swedish photographer, Sophia Bergholm 29, has become an online sensation for her stunning images from her home country. (Sophia Bergholm / Real Press)
She said: “I mainly do nature photography. I love portrait photography but it’s a whole other technique and I haven’t been brave enough to get into that. I also like the fact that it’s just me and my camera out in nature, it’s not the same pressure.
“I’ve always been very creative, all my life I’ve been focusing on music, but I also loved photography. A few years ago, I got my bachelor’s degree in classical music, but I decided to focus on other things.
“When I got married 2017, I got my first camera, and took up photography. To be able to capture, create and share my work so easily on the internet gave me a rush of happiness.
“That people actually liked what I do felt amazing, and I wanted to be better, take more photos, edit more, share more.
“I love to watch other photographers on YouTube and Instagram, you can learn so much from other creators. And you’re constantly chasing a better photo, better subject and inspiring compositions, to be a better photographer.”
Swedish photographer, Sophia Bergholm 29, has become an online sensation for her stunning images from her home country. (Sophia Bergholm / Real Press)
With regards to photographing rainbows, Sofia told Real Press: “I would say it’s mostly luck, I’m not actively seeking out rainbows. But if you head out on a rainy day with a chance of sun, there’s a good chance you’ll see a rainbow.
“On a good winter day, you can sometimes see a halo around the sun, it’s truly amazing.”
Sofia has also visited other parts of the world to take photos and she got some great images of Antelope Canyon in US state of Arizona.
She explained: “It’s a slot canyon located in Page, Arizona. It’s actually two separate canyons, Upper and lower Antelope Canyon, and it’s on Navajo land. The rocks are sandstone and were formed by flash floods. I went there as a part of my honeymoon and I visited both canyons.”