PHOTOGRAPHER | AMATEUR CHEF | AGING SKATEBOARDER

Select clients include SKANSKA, FRANKiE4, Gelotte Hommas Drivdahl, TKP Design, Iron-Ridge Capital, KLD Real Estate Group, Driftmier Architects, Zumiez, and Heritage Realty to name a few. Erik’s work has been published both on the outside and inside of print and web publications such as Luxury Home Magazine, Dwell, Architectural Digest, Bridle Trails Life, Zumiez catalogs, etc.

A Conversation with Erik Sven

How did photography find you?
It was always there, honestly. My dad worked in the darkroom and then was a photographer for NASA, so cameras and gear were part of the background noise of my childhood. I didn’t always acknowledge it, but I think a part of me was always paying attention. There were just so many random prints here and there that I didn’t think anything of it. Most of it was family snaps - like our own personal, family documentary I guess.

So it started young?
In high school I took black and white photography classes… Darkroom stuff, film. At the time, I was also skateboarding constantly, which meant I spent a lot of time in front of the lens. Friends were always filming, shooting, editing… it was a culture of documenting everything. That’s where I started noticing how photography can shift how you see a moment, or a person, or even just the geometry of a set of stairs. That’s also where I first heard of the term “hostile architecture”. Things were always being designed to prevent skateboarding.

Where did it go from there?
After getting a photojournalism degree, I found myself assisting John Granen here in Seattle—he’s an architectural photographer with a really clean, editorial style. I learned so much just by watching. He taught me how to act on set, that I need to show up early, how to interact with clients and what was what on set. Around that time I also worked as a commercial studio assistant and later did a stint in the Zumiez e-commerce studio where I got my education in high-volume retouching and corporate culture. It was a time of learning and really getting confident with my imagery. It taught me workflow, discipline, and how to work with light digitally and really manipulate pixels. I got to play with big lighting setups.

Eventually, I moved into photographing luxury real estate, which gave me experience with super fast turnaround times and high expectations. Over time, I wanted more space to be thoughtful. That’s when I started focusing on interior design and architecture. It gave me room to slow down and look more deeply.

What excites you about photographing architecture and interiors?
For me, it’s all about the light. I can photograph a blank wall and still be excited if the light is right. That moment when a shadow falls into place, when the room feels like it’s breathing—that’s when I’m most dialed in. I’ll get stoked on the tiniest little things that nobody will ever notice.

Light is everything. It shapes mood, influences behavior, affects our health. It plays a huge part in how we experience the world, and in photography, it’s the tool we use to translate those experiences for others.

How would you describe your approach today?
I try to stay out of the way. My job is to honor what’s already there—what the designer or architect intended—without overcomplicating it. I tend to keep things pared down, let the space speak. I love texture, subtle moments, corners where something unexpected happens. For me, it’s about those in-between spaces.

Is photography still personal for you?
I think it’s impossible for people to experience the world through someone else’s point of view. In that sense it will always be personal. We can try our best to convey something with visual imagery, but it’s about so much more than what our eyes can see. We all carry so much of the past with us that when we look at the same visuals we can both see something totally different. It’s kind of nuts when you think about it.