BALLERINA IN STOCKHOLM CITY SUBWAY NR.9 

The Ballerina Project - Photographer: Max Moden

Max Moden's passion for photography started early when he discovered his father's darkroom in the basement. From that moment he spent most of his time learning everything he possible could about the art of photography. By the age of 12 he knew that this is what he wanted to do with his life and to this day he still feels the same passion and love for his work, which clearly shows in his beautiful photos. Max has worked and lived in NYC and Paris but now resides back in his native Stockholm.

Where do you seek inspiration?

I am night owl who gets most of my ideas during the night and it is also then I feel the most creative. I get an idea, get the vision and then it's a process of making that idea come to life. Nothing feels as rewarding as seeing the result in print and I am a strong believer that you got to love what you do in order to achieve the best results. I find inspiration in sometimes unexpected ways and it's an evolving process. In general, I would say that the light is the most important factor for shooting the best photos and I am always on the hunt for that magic light.

BALLERINA AT STOCKHOLM CITY LIBRARY NR.2

Favourite places for inspiration? 

My absolute favourite place to shoot is the West Coast of the USA. The light is fantastic and it's a place I keep returning to. Another place that is special to me is the island of Gotland (East coast of Sweden). I have some amazing childhood memories from there and the island keeps on inspiring me with its beautiful and dramatic nature and its ever changing seasonal characteristics.

How Ballerina project came to life:

The idea to my Ballerina project started when shooting a music video where a couple of the dancers were ballerinas. Their beautiful movements and grace amazed me. I started to work with one of the ballerinas, Ella (who is part of the Swedish Royal opera ensemble) by shooting her in different environments and settings. From there on the project grew and Max has since they shot several different ballerinas in many different creative settings and the results are some breath taking photos, of some of which you can view in this article.

"What fascinates me the most about ballet and the ballerinas I been fortunate to work with - is their impressive body control, strength and dedication. They are so passionate about their art and put so much time, passion and soul into their work...It is humbling to watch and so very inspiring. It translates much into what I believe in myself and what I am trying to achieve in my photos."

ELLA BALLERINA IN STUDIO

Where can we find you, when you are not travelling around the world photographing?

I have two young kids whom I like to spend most of my free time with but when I get some 'me time' I like to go fishing. I take my boat and head out to the Stockholm archipelago. That’s where I clear my mind and find my peace and quiet. It’s a good way to relax and reset my mind.

The Ballerina Project Stockholm includes a wide selection of photos shot in different settings in Sweden. The Ballerina Hotel Project is a collection of Max’s photos of ballerinas shot at different hotel locations around the world. Buy limited edition photographs from The Ballerina Projects in My Store.