The Nordic Society of Photography
The purpose of the association, according to its statutes:
The association aims to promote photography as an art form and a form of cultural expression by formalising Nordic cooperation in photography. It also aims to create effective and creative collaboration between the Nordic countries’ national federations and their members through joint membership benefits, including:
- Jointly applying for Nordic cultural grants.
- Creating forms of image exchange between the countries.
- Creating and operating a website with, among other things, a gallery function.
- Arranging international photographic salons.
- Arranging a Nordic Photography Championship, and/or an annual competition between the winning photographs from each country’s National Photography Championship.
- Arranging photo meetings and workshops featuring, among other things, image discussions and image exchange.
- Judging one another’s competitions and exhibitions.
- Strengthening our joint influence in international photography organisations.
- Marketing each other’s Yearbooks.
Membership in the national federation also provides membership in NFFF, enabling members of affiliated photography clubs to participate in the activities of both organisations without paying an additional membership fee.
Members of the NFFF board
From the founding meeting:
On 18 August 2015, the Nordic Photographic Society (NFFF) was formed at a meeting between the national associations in Sweden, Norway and Finland.
The collaboration began in the autumn of 2013. NFFF’s first board consisted of two members from each national federation:
- Nils-Erik Jerlemar: President, RSF
- Pekka Salminen: Vice President, SKsL
- Roald Synnevåg: Secretary, NSFF
- Monica Wennblom: Treasurer, RSF
- Halvor Larsen: Member / Webmaster, NSFF
- Tapio Karjalainen: Member, SKsL
The Society for Danish Photography — SDF — participated for a long time in the preparatory talks, but chose to wait until after their National Meeting in October 2015. Feb 2016: Welcome, Denmark!
NFFF was created to give the members of the clubs that are affiliated with a national association additional added value. The activities will include an international circuit, a Nordic Photo Championship and much more. In the longer term, a large number of additional activities will be presented.
The symbolism found in the NFFF logo
Our logo, created by Roald Synnevåg, draws on imagery and symbolism from the Viking Age and the shared cultural heritage of the Nordic Region.
- The logo takes the form of a shield encircled by the Midgard Serpent.
- At its centre is Lagu, the ancient rune whose name means water. In modern rune symbolism, its associations with flow, intuition, imagination and renewal make it a fitting symbol of artistic creativity and the continuous flow of new ideas.
- The shield is divided into eight sections, echoing the eightfold division of direction and time in Old Norse tradition. The sections also represent the eight parts of the Nordic Region: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland.
- The eight-petalled rose symbolises the four Nordic national federations represented in the organisation. The motif has several traditional associations, including good fortune — something that may also come in handy in competitions.