For over a decade, I worked as a professional photographer — capturing everything from commercial products to architecture and portraiture. But over time, my focus began to shift. I became increasingly drawn to how we present the past in the landscape. Too often, I noticed a disconnect: the stories were fascinating, but the images — especially on informational signs — felt flat, uninspired, even misleading. That dissonance stayed with me. Eventually, I went back to university to study archaeology, hoping to better understand the problem and perhaps contribute to a solution.
What began as a curiosity quickly became a deeper commitment: I wanted to understand not just how we interpret the past, but how we choose to show it. It didn’t take long to realise the issue wasn’t limited to signage. It was everywhere — and most strikingly in the way we photograph artefacts themselves. One thing became painfully clear: while the artefacts are extraordinary, the way we document them… often isn’t.
PHOTARCH began as a student project during my time at Linnaeus University, born out of a desire to improve the way archaeological artefacts are visually documented. What started small has gradually gained attention. Images produced with the method have been published in outlets such as National Geographic, GEO, Antiquity, BBC, the New York Times, Discovery and others. They’ve also been exhibited in Tokyo and presented at conferences in Belfast, Rome and Amsterdam.
The method continues to evolve, and my hope is that it proves valuable to institutions, researchers, and students who care about consistency, clarity, and long-term access to cultural heritage — while also offering something visually engaging to the wider public.
Daniel Lindskog
