Author and photographer Karen Bystedt knows just how to capture an individual’s unique personality on film...

It is rare in the history of Hollywood photography for someone to have been so fortunate in a short period of time to have captured those people who are today bigger than life on the silver screen and in television. Karen Bystedt came to Hollywood having graduated from NYU Film School. In less than five years, Bystedt had photographed everyone from Djimon Hounsou to Josh Berlin to Johnny Depp to Courteney Cox. Someone once said of Bystedt, “She possesses a quality that conjures up images of Hollywood those young stars were striving to achieve .”

She continues to photograph young upcoming stars and is invited to lecture on the importance of your photo image. www.karenbphotography.com

Karen Bystedt is currently working on her new book, WILD AND BEAUTIFUL AFRICA. In 2006, Karen went to Africa with her mother, Charlotte Ballard, inviting everyone through her photography to come experience Africa.

She currently lives in Los Angeles with her Swedish husband Fredrik, who designs Home Theatre Systems www.digitronic.us for the entertainment industry. Their family includes Gunnar, their English Bulldog.

My Take...

I always had a passion for film and photography. While attending NYU Film School, I spent hours on end in the dark room at the photography department, exploring how to convey messages through this art form. I started out using my friends and other students as my photography subjects, focusing on getting them to emote their personalities and capture them on film. As my portfolio grew, I started photographing models professionally.

Because of my love for film, it was a natural transition for me to connect with talent and I eventually moved on to photograph actors. While living in NYC, I spent time with a big circle of A-Listers - and was intrigued to learn what qualities certain actors possessed that eventually led them to achieve successful careers and turn their dreams into reality. I came up with the idea to create a book, by compiling photographs and interviews with unique and charismatic actors, who I felt where honest in their intentions towards their craft. When I came across, saw, or heard about someone I knew had something special, I would contact them or their agents and set up a session.

In the late 80’s, I moved to Los Angeles to finalize the book where I spent most of my time actively going to premieres, screenings and social events - choosing actors who I thought would have longevity in their careers.

At the time that I photographed and interviewed the actors in this book, most of them did not know each other and had never worked together. It’s been amazingly rewarding to watch their careers grow and soar to great levels over the years.

I’ve watched in wonderment as these dedicated talents have been cast opposite each other in movies later on, and how some of them have been propelled into super stardom. A quality they all shared was a distinct vision for where they wanted their careers to go, combined with the will to do the hard work in order to get there.

This book, THEY DARED TO DREAM: Hollywood’s “A-List” Before They Were Stars, is the result of five years of my work. The people in this book serve to inspire all of us on our own life path. I hope you will find their achievements as exciting as I have.

I support all of you in following your dreams. Remember that determination will take you wherever you want to go. With vision and persistence you too can manifest your passion and create the life you want for yourself.