Photographer Marcus Eriksson has shot just about everything, from His Royal Airness to an angry grizzly bear. His all-time favourite? Shooting the Sedin twins for Sportsnet magazine.



ATTENTION Rogers and Shaw customers. Already enjoying Sportsnet ONE?

Now get access to digital editions of Sportsnet magazine at no extra cost.

Sportsnet: Who are some of the biggest professional athletes you’ve photographed?

Marcus Eriksson: I would say probably Michael Jordan, Carmelo Anthony and Colin Kaepernick. Those would probably be my top three.

SN: Why?

ME: I mean, MJ is who he is, so that’s pretty exciting. He’s just so professional. I’ve shot Carmelo so many times that I’ve gotten to know him a little bit. He has a very interesting personality. Kaepernick is a lot of fun, and he’s an easy-going guy. I like when superstars are down to earth. You realize that they’re just people.

SN: Are the Sedins your favorite hockey players?

ME: Oh, absolutely. The Sedin shoot for me was bigger than MJ. Bigger than anything.

SN: How did you feel when you found out you’d be shooting them?

ME: Lucky. [laughs] I’m Swedish and I’ve been following those guys for a very long time. It was so fun to shoot them. We spoke Swedish the whole time. Nobody else could understand what we were saying.

SN: How did you prepare for the shoot?

ME: I did a bunch of research on what kind of poses and angles work best for [the Sedins]. I created a mood board. Having those reference photos in the back of my head while I was actually shooting made a big difference. I knew I didn’t have that much time. I think we had an hour. So I needed to be pretty efficient.

SN: Could you tell them apart?

ME: Yes. For me, they look pretty different. Also, when you talk to them, Henrik is more outgoing and Daniel is more reserved.

SN: Which brother is more photogenic?

ME: [laughs] I would say Henrik, though sometimes Daniel. It kind of depends on the photo. But in my experience from that particular shoot, I’d say Henrik was more photogenic.

SN: What ended up being the best shot?

ME: My favourite was the action shot of the two of them on the ice. That one came together at the very last minute. It was a little bit awkward to get both of them [in the frame]. But at the end of it, it came out pretty good.

SN: What did you learn about the Sedins that you didn’t know before the shoot?

ME: That they are really good at math. Maybe that translates into the game and how they’re able to do what they do.

SN: Would you look forward to working with the Sedins again?

ME: Oh, absolutely.

For more great Sportsnet photos and behind-the-scenes action follow us on Instagram.