Edward:    Welcome to Connex 247 family Norman. It’s such a great pleasure to have you here in the site. Let’s start up with your personal interests. Tell us about yourself, hometown....

Norman: Well, my family’s history is something that aspire ring novelists' dream about writing about... and could fill several volumes... So I’ll try to see if I can give the READER’S DIGEST version here.

I was born in Bismarck, North Dakota several years after my family came to the US from Norway. I’m the only sibling born here. I had the usual education growing up and was always interested in the arts, especially music ... playing cello, piano (from age 5 onwards) and singing in both church and High School concert choirs. Naturally, I majored in music (theory & composition) while at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota; and graduate studies at the University of Denver and University of Minnesota.

I’ve been to Europe 4 times, up and down both coasts of the US, and to Canada a couple of times too.  Minneapolis has been my home for a quarter of a century now. Although I can complain about it a lot (much laughter), I also love it here. The city is beautiful with all of its lakes and parks; and there is a lot of emphasis on the arts here too.

Edward: How did you become interested in a career as a photographer?

Norman: Actually, I didn’t set out to become a photographer. As I said earlier, I was in music, working towards a career as a composer within a University or music studio setting; but with the political changes within the US in the 1980s, my fields of interest (and the work) vanished … and I started working in my “hobby” of health and nutrition. This led into management of “health food” & nutritional supplement stores (hence my nom de plume of That Nutrition Guy) and my involvement in bodybuilding (both “working out” and watching the competitions).

Backtracking here, I had always been taking “pictures” since about 10 onwards; but it was just that. I remember getting notes in the packages when the photos came back from the developer on how interesting this or that shot was; but there was really no interest at that time. I started taking my camera to the competitions and photographing them (and my friends who were competing in them), more-or-less giving them out to the grateful competitors when they were developed.

Back in the 1990s, I started to self-publish a newsletter/magazine named after myself: THAT NUTRITION GUY in which I started to include my photos from various competitions and of the competitors/friends of mine there. Soon, I started getting more complements on my photos than the articles I wrote; but I still didn’t think much about them. Then came the worst year (so far) in my life.

With all of the promises being heralded for 2000 ... a new century and all of that, all I saw was death and destruction around me. I lost family (father & God-father) & friends (murdered), possessions (due to theft) and pets (2 of my cats) … then the first MuscleMania came to town which turned everything around. I covered the competition (a bit difficult as I was seated in the back row and had to work my way up to the side of the stage); and, as usual, gave my photos, when developed, to the competitors I knew along with the promoter.

Then came the phone call inviting me to Anaheim, California for the 10th Anniversary MuscleMania “Worlds” as a photographer at the competition. Need-less-to-say, I jumped on the opportunity.  Looking back, I believe that this is when I first really became aware that I was a photographer.  Not because I have continued covering competitions; but have expanded into more artistic expressions of photography before and ever since then.

Seeing myself grow as a photographer … and having more and more models wanting to be able to come and work with me because of my “eye” … for my artistic vision … has been an amazing journey. I still think of myself as a composer; but now, instead of sound, pitch, and instrumental “color” , I’m doing it with (human) form, light, and shadow.

Edward:    Do you think that digital era really helped the photographers concerning aspects like quality and tecnology? In your opinion what were the most remarkable achievments in photography in the last decade?

Norman: Interesting question as I started out as a film photographer. I suppose I was even a bit of a purist resisting digital photography at first. I learned my art on film so I stood by it for a very long time; but in the end, had to move to digital due to film and development costs … which have been skyrocketing and even (with film) being discontinued in the US and elsewhere. I don’t think that film is ‘dead” (I still shoot film along with digital at competitions …using the film for close-ups and such). It’s like they still make vinyl (records) and Beta video tape so film won’t disappear. There’ll always be someone working with film.

Edward: What do you look most when selecting models to shoot?

Norman: The eyes are the window to the soul.; Well, I’m a bodybuilding and male physique photographer so a fantastic physique is a major, a great priority; but I’m attracted to beautiful eyes so I’d say, for me, that’s the main thing that I look for ... beautiful, expressive eyes. I think that you can see that in most of my work.

Edward:  You seem to have helped a number of models with their careers. What do you really feel about that?

Norman: Hmmmm? I suppose I “feel” a bit like a proud parent watching their child become happy and successful in their chosen field of interest & work. What I “think” is that a model should work with as many photographers as possible, … not thinking of monetary gains as the main motive; but to get the experience and feel for the various styles that this photographer or that photographer has. A model should be thinking of getting as much exposure (no pun intended) as possible to get his face & physique out there.

Edward: What advice would you give to models and to the aspiring ones?

Norman:  Like I said before, get as much exposure as possible. BUT, be sure of what you’re getting into. Do some research into the photographer to make sure that you’re not getting into something that will come back and bite you.  (I’ve had two guys that went to work with “supposedly” good photographers that contacted them … only to have their photos appear on porn and/or escort sites).

I’m thankful for having a very wide circle of friends and acquaintances in this biz that I can recommend  my guys to in order to try to prevent thinks like this happening. But, there’s always that model that gets swept off of his feet with promises of grandeur that go to his head ... and leads into a bad situation.

Edward: There must be special moments when you feel that you have captured a perfect picture... Share this passion with us. How does this special moment happen?

Norman: Wow! How to answer this one? It just sort-of happens when both the model and I “click’ at the same time during a shoot.  I have this phrase that I use “mental orgasm” when I get this high from the creative process and the model is right their experiencing the same thing from the shoot. It’s like we’re having great sex together ... the same feeling … only from the creative process of the shoot. We both know that we’re doing better than average stuff and feeding off of each other’s energies creating a sum that’s greater than the whole. Both of our creative juices are spurting at the same moment; and from out of that come one or more fantastic shots.  That does sound like good sex, doesn’t it?

Edward:  If you could select 5 fantastic places around the world for a shooting, which ones you´d choose and why?

Norman:  Hmm, this sounds like you want me to become a landscape photographer instead of a physique photographer. The model would become part of the landscape in a shoot of this sort.  What would be more fantastical, the model or location?

Well, one of the places in Minneapolis that I like to shoot at is the Walker Art Center’s Sculpture Garden/Park. There are a couple of sculptures that remind me of ancient Greek & Roman architecture that I love to shoot around/on. So I think that a shoot at the Acropolis in Greece would be one place. The islands in the Aegean would also be nice.

Because of my family background, it would be fun to grab a few models and fly off to Norway and shoot in the mountains and fjords there along the coast.  Sorry, no “land of the midnight sun” shoot.   I worked with one of my guys (Jeffrey Beck) at Minnehaha Falls in Minneapolis (taking one of my most beautiful photos of him) so I suppose that Niagara Falls or Victoria Falls in Africa would be a fantastic backdrop for a photo shoot.

Anywhere warm with low humidity I like, so possibly Hawaii. I’ve never been there so it would be a discovery for both me and the models on locations there. (Inside an active volcano is out of the question).

Does cyberspace or outer space count as a location “around the world”? I suppose that photo editing on a computer already counts as cyberspace; but to shoot on the space station, the weightlessness plane that NASA has ... the vomit comet … would be an experience for both me and the model to shoot in. So I guess that that would have to be included as a fantastic place to shoot.

Edward:  How was 2006 for you and what are your expectations for 2007?

Norman:  2006 was my busiest and most productive year-to-date. In fact, I’m still trying to finish up all of my shoots that I did. I discovered several new guys and worked with some of my favorite bodybuilder/models. I got a studio space to work in (which I share with 2 painters of local and national renown)… which has expanded my abilities; and discovered another outdoor location in which to work at. I now have exposure on MODEL MAYHEM which has bringing a lot of responses for guys wanting to work with me; and Mike Downs (of Z productions / AllAmericanGuys.com) got a photography “showcase’ webpage started up on me (something that had been promised for over 4 years now).

For 2007, I hope to be working with several of my new discoveries (from around the world) that I met at the FITNESS HOLLYWOOD last November and through MODEL MAYHEM; and to have, at least, three of my guys finally make it to Minneapolis for work in the studio space (which I’ve worked previously with only in outdoor locations or in other cities in the US. I’m also hoping to see more of my works published, set up in an art show or two; and, naturally, see a little bit more of the “green stuff” come my way to continue various projects and work.

Edward:  If a model wants to work with you, how do they get in touch?

Norman: The best way to contact me is by E-mail at: This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

I can also be contacted through my page on MODEL MAYHEM
http://modelmayhem.com/member.php?id=56773