Artist (2/22/10): Olivia Frolich

all images
© Olivia Frolich

Olivia Frolich is a 25 year old Danish photographer. She became interested in photography when, after high school, she traveled to Switzerland to act in a movie and became fascinated by the set photographer. She then moved to New York where she enrolled in a few photography classes while working as an au pair. After acceptance into the Danish School of Photography: Fatamorgana, she returned to Denmark. After a year of school she decided to e-mail her favorite photographer, Signe Vilstrup - a fellow female Dane, and ask if she could assist her. The answer was yes and Olivia spent a year working as Vilstrup's assistant, from whom she said she learned a lot and was very happy assisting. She then received an offer to work for The Lab, a full production photography studio in central Copenhagen. There she says she received great experience but missed doing her own projects. Olivia then moved back to New York City, attending classes at the International Center for Photography while assisting local photographers. She was unhappy with the classes at ICP so after 3 months she relocated back to Copenhagen, where she currently resides, doing freelance work for The Lab and shooting for herself and growing list of clients, which includes shooting a campaign for the Danish label Ganni.
(- All this information was found in a great interview with Olivia on the fashion blog Wunderbuzz.)

I was immediately drawn to Olivia's images and was stunned to find out that she is 25. To me her images seem to capture a carefree, free-spirited beauty. They have a light, airy feel to them, even when somewhat darker, as in the two black and white images at the top of the page. She captures moments that seem very unplanned, which I like very much. The composition of her images also have a sort of unplanned feel, although I'm sure they are very thoroughly considered as they work beautifully. I believe that there is great skill in finding that perfect "unplanned" moment within a seemingly nonchalant composition. At times I feel as if I try too hard to get that "perfect image" that I don't allow for the spontaneous magic that can happen when you let the moment direct your shutter.

"If it’s a personal project it often comes from an idea, but then I actually try not to plan everything, because I don’t like to be tied up to one exact photo, instead working with the expressions and feelings which arise between the person I shoot and me."
-Olivia Frolich