Ragnar Th Sigurdsson bio

RAGNAR TH. SIGURDSSON is a professional photographer, educated in Sweden and Iceland. His career began as a news photographer in 1975. He established Arctic-Images, his own studio and graphic-work firm in 1985 pioneering the use of computers and digital equipment in Iceland. Presently shooting all digital images using a Hasselblad H1 / Phase One P45 + and a Canon D1S Mark III. Arctic-Images has a fully equipped photographic studio able to accept a wide variety of projects in house or on location. For post production, Ragnar relies on Intel Macintosh and has a SCITEX/CREO Ever Smart Supreme Scanner, used for his analog collection.  He is well trained in the latest versions of Adobe Photo Shop and Lightroom keeping up with the ever-changing software. Assignment work and stock can be viewed on www.arctic-images.com. Constantly growing to date, arctic-images consist of 70,000 digital files in a searchable database with another 500,000 analog images.

Ragnar masters a broad range of work including studio, advertising, aerial, portraits, travel, corporate and editorial. Local clients include; The Export Council, The Scientific Council, The President of Iceland. He is the official Photographer for The City of Reykjavik, The Tourist Board and The Icelandic Horse. Ragnar has international clients ranging from banks, corporations and travel operators.  His images are widely used in advertising campaigns, billboards, brochures calendars, magazines, newspapers and a variety of books. Some credits include, Time, Newsweek, National Geographic Magazine, Toyota, Esso, Icelandair Digital Photographer, Merian, Kaupthing bank, Trek, Scolastic, Edda Publishing, Istak, Arctic Books, Vilo, Discover the World, and New Scientist

Getty, Corbis and numerous other stock agencies around the globe, represent Ragnar´s works. He specializes in photographing nature and travel in the Arctic. Content varies from people, geological formations, volcanoes, geothermal activity, unusual landforms, waterfalls, glaciers, and wildlife. The Northern Lights, are among his favorite subjects as well as glaciers, super jeep tours, and traveling to the hardest place to reach in Iceland. Ragnar travels with his super modified jeep nicknamed “Big Red”.

In additional to commercial work Ragnar has produced many books. He continues to work with Ari Trausti Gudmundsson, a TV-producer and geophysicist. Together they accept assignments involving, geothermal activity, geological or glaciological phenomena, plus wilderness travel in the Arctic.

Books Published (all images credited by Ragnar Th. Sigurdsson with the exception of a few and historical images):

1995 “Light on Ice”, featuring the Glaciers of Iceland and magical light.
1996 “Vatnajökull; Ice on Fire”. Specializing into the volcanic and sub-glacial activity of Europe’s largest Glacier, Vatnajokull Ice Cap.
2001 “Volcanoes of Iceland”, large coffee table format publication with scientific text.
2000 “Reykjavik Into the New Millennium”. This was in conjunction with the nation's capital being one of the cultural cities in Europe.
2000 “Islenskur Jardfraedilykil”, handbook documenting geographical phenomena used widely by students, professors and hobbyist.
2000 “Northlight”, illustrates the magic of the arctic light, capturing the Aurora Borealis to the Midnight Sun.
2005 “Islande”, Ragnar worked solely with French publisher Vilo producing “Islande”. Cofee table style book hightlights the beauty of Iceland.
2005 “Iceland Today”,  has a wealth of information; history, art, food, industry, evironment, economy, nature and daily life.
2005 “Eldgos 1913-2004” History of Volcanoes, 300-page large coffee table format with informative captions. In addition to his images, Ragnar worked 100% on the production and researching the imagery.
2006 “Listvinahús”, works of well known Icelandic artist, Guðmundur frá Miðdal”. Ragnar photographed over 200 sculptures and worked on all postproduction.
2007 “Living Earth”, an outline of the Geology of Iceland.  This is a reader’s journey through the geological history of Iceland, illustrated with over 185 images. Simplified, scientific text for a broad audience.
2008 “ISTAK”, 35 years of architectural achievements. Gives the viewer new insights into building construction.
   
Exhibitions, Awards, Achievements:
  
Ragnar Th. Sigurdsson has participated in various single and group photographic exhibitions. In 1996 he held a large exhibition in the Kópavogur Art Museum; 1997 exhibited in Nuuk, Greenland, and in the 1999 the Faroe Islands. In 1997 the National Television in Iceland produced a documentary program on his work. Ragnar has received three CLIO awards. He reached the North Pole in 1995 and is a member of the Explorers Club in NY.