I see so much photography on a daily basis that a lot of it all kind of starts to look the same after a while. But occasionally I am surprised and caught off guard. When the work of Sweden-based Gabriel Isak came onto my screen, I was immediately fascinated. It has a surreal beauty to it with a level of perfection that almost makes his photographs look like illustrations. DIYP got in touch with Gabriel to find out more.

Gabriel told DIYP that he began exploring photography in 2006. At the time, he says that he was suffering from depression and photography became a way for him to express himself and his state of mind. He started with self-portraits, however, he quickly lost his passion for everything as he fell deeper into depression.

It’s a feeling to which I know a lot of photographers I’ve spoken to through the years can relate.

Gabriel told DIYP that on picking up photography again in 2014, he unconsciously began creating surreal and melancholic images. Images that were all related to the times in his life when he was suffering from depression and the struggles he’d been going through.

He says that his work is very inspired by the Scandinavian landscapes around which he grew up. Surrealism, paintings and graphics designs also inspired him and are elements that he has always tried to incorporate into his art.

From a technical standpoint, Gabriel uses a minimal set of equipment. Just a Canon 5D Mark III and a 50mm f/1.4 lens. Most of his images are created solely using natural light, however, he does occasionally use a flash with a softbox.

It’s clear that Gabriel’s work takes a lot of time, effort and planning to achieve. Finding just the right location with the right weather and lighting conditions isn’t easy when you’re reliant on mother nature. But the results are definitely worth the patience.

Without even hearing Gabriel’s explanation, you can immediately see the sadness in Gabriel’s work. It’s a place that most of us will visit at some point in our lives. Perhaps we lose somebody. Maybe we lose ourselves. And we feel that things will never get better. That we are alone. But sometimes, if we’re lucky, we can find our way back.

I asked Gabriel what he hopes his work will say to those who view it. Gabriel plans to keep exhibiting his work in galleries and museums, and to turn the images into a book in the near future.

If you want to find out more about Gabriel, please visit his website. You can also follow Gabriel’s work on Facebook, Instagram and Behance.