Tina Signesdottir is a Norwegian fine art portrait photographer and Hasselblad Master, known for natural light portraits with rare emotional intimacy. In her first ever podcast appearance, Tina speaks candidly about the origins of her work, the role photography played in survival and self-expression, and what it actually takes to build images that feel real in a world flooded with content. 

We go deep on photographing with honesty, why relationship and trust are the invisible foundations of portraiture, and how Tina thinks about awards, rejection, and the pressure that follows recognition. Tina also shares how she directs people into stillness, why she avoids performance in front of the camera, and what she believes photographers must protect if they want a lasting voice. 

Other topics we discussed:

• Hasselblad Masters 2018 and what winning changed (and did not change)
• Natural light portrait photography and “tracing” window light
• Finding your photographic voice versus chasing style
• Competitions, judging, and what makes an image stop a panel
• Rejection, resilience, and the “it factor” in a saturated industry
• Medium format cameras and why gear is never the starting point
• Social media, authenticity, and the danger of creating for likes
• Commercial photography, client comfort, and building trust fast
• Photography as escape, healing, and creative obsession
• Tina's upcoming project: Colliding Walls (Iceland collaboration + book) 

Find Tina on her website and Instagram:
https://www.tinasignesdottir.com
https://www.instagram.com/tinasignesdottir/
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