We have had the honor of meeting Christopher Hansby Reis, the person behind the golf magazine PAR, where the content showcases a love for the game.
Quick info:
Name: Christopher Hansby Reis
Lives in: Landskrona (originally from Gothenburg)
Hcp: 7.8 Occupation: Runs a company with my wife, works as a freelance Art Director, and makes the golf magazine PAR when time allows.
Can you tell us a bit about how you first got into golf and photography? What was it that captured your interest?
– If we start with the golf side, I started playing when I was around seven years old, so I've been playing for... many years now. My father was very interested in photography when he was young, so I inherited his old 70s camera (which I still have and use to shoot with now and then), so both parts have been with me from an early age.
But it wasn't until I started making PAR that I actually began combining the two. I had no idea if I could even capture a golf course with a camera once I decided to start PAR. I bought a used Canon and started walking around Landskrona GK, and even went on a few dawn walks at Rya to see if I had anything to contribute. Clearly, I thought I did, since I created my own golf magazine, haha.
Is there any specific person or experience that inspired you to start creating content in golf?
– Oh, there are many. If you look at photographers, there are a host around the world that I look up to: Kohjiro Kinno, Jeff Marsh, Jacob Sjöman, Ryan Gilbert, my friend Calle Hjern, just to name a few. When it comes to PAR, my wife was a huge role model; she has been making her own music magazine on and off for 30 years (which I’ve had the pleasure of designing for the last six years), and without her, I probably wouldn’t have dared to commit to making my own magazine. The other big role model was Göran Zachrisson; I grew up with the European Tour broadcasts every weekend, and the way he always dug deeper and searched that extra bit to have something interesting to fill the hour-long broadcasts is something I am still enormously impressed by. I’m aeons away from his knowledge and storytelling technique, but I still take pride in trying to find an angle or track down information that few others have thought of. I don't always succeed, but the ambition and the striving for something a little extra are always there.
2. Creative Process
How do you go about planning and creating content? Do you have any special routines or rituals?
– As far as photos go, the camera just comes along when I'm out playing now, and if I see something interesting, I take it out. Sometimes I come home with three pictures, other days over a hundred. Since I often play with the same people, it puts a little extra pressure on finding new angles of them, haha. Maybe I should broaden my golf circle a bit!
What do you find most challenging about combining photography and creating content for golf enthusiasts?
– I don't think much about the recipient or my modest follower count, to be honest. I shoot what I find beautiful and interesting, and if anyone else likes what I do, that's just fun. I have no ambition to reach X number of followers on Instagram just to collaborate with this or that brand. The joy lies in taking the photos I want to take and using my account as my personal experimental workshop.
– And, by the way, when I began working on PAR, I made a very conscious decision never to shoot with a drone. I know everyone loves drone shots of golf courses at sunset, but for me, it's the laziest form of golf photography. Anyone can send up a drone, point it at the sunset, snap a few pictures, and people will applaud. So the challenge, in my opinion, is capturing the golf course, and above all the feeling of the golf course, from where 100% of golfers actually experience it: on the ground. I remember before my first round at the Castle Course at Bro Hof over ten years ago, I was seduced by all the photos taken over the course, and when I got there, I wondered if it was even the same course because it looked completely different from the ground. So, in my opinion, the expectations for a course and what it actually delivers in reality shouldn't differ too much. No matter how nice the pictures are from the air.
3. Photography and Technique
What type of camera equipment do you use when photographing golf courses and events?
– I’m probably the least technical person when it comes to photography. When I meet other photographers who start talking technical terms and which lenses are suited for what, numbers here and there—it’s curtains and goodnight; I don't keep up at all. I know enough to create interesting images, and I'm learning all the time. But I finally bought myself a Canon R6 last autumn, and I shoot almost everything with a 70-300mm lens. It allows me to shoot details at quite long distances, which is perfect on a golf course. I would love to delve deeper into the magical world of lenses and buy more, but it’s just so damn expensive for someone who can’t immediately recoup that investment.
Do you have any tips for capturing the perfect golf photo?
Oh, difficult question—what is actually a perfect golf photo? I'd say that’s very subjective. But as always, the best camera is the one you have with you.
4. The Magazine and Content
How do you choose which themes and articles should be in each issue of your magazine?
– At the start of each issue, I've tried to have a theme, but it often ends up being a disaster, so the articles end up leading the way instead. As long as everything holds together graphically and is done with quality and heart, I figure the content can be diverse. What I write about is often dependent on what I personally find interesting and fun. And now, for the next issue, there are a few more of us writing, and the brief to them is the same: write about something that is close to your heart.
Is there any special article or photo series you have done that you are extra proud of? Please tell us why it is special to you.
– In PAR No. 3, I did a feature on Koberg Golf Club south of Trollhättan. It was my first home club, and when it comes to golf clubs, there is no other that feels more like home to me; it’s a very special place. Getting the chance to write about their history and the challenges they have had to struggle with in recent years was very nice. Also, unfortunately, I have neither the time nor the money to spend several days on a course to capture every corner in the best way, as I would like to do, so it becomes a matter of trying to get as much as possible out of the two or three hours I have to shoot.
When I was going to shoot St. Ibb on Ven, my idea was to capture all the fruit trees at sunrise, but when I woke up around 3:30 AM at the hostel and looked out, there was fog and 50 meters of visibility, and it never cleared. Looking back, I think the pictures turned out very nice, but I was incredibly disappointed because it didn't turn out as I had planned.
5. Personal Golf Game
How often do you play golf yourself? Roughly how many rounds do you play per year?
– Since we moved from Stockholm to Landskrona nine years ago, my golf game has increased dramatically; I had a few years when I was studying, working, meeting my wife, and having kids where golf had to take a smaller place in life. I try to get out on the course at least once a week, and then maybe one or two mornings on the practice area. But as long as the courses in Landskrona and the surrounding area are open, I’m there playing.
Do you have any favorite golf course where you play regularly? What makes it so special to you?
– 95 percent of my golf happens at Landskrona; I am a weekday member, so lunch or morning golf is what I can manage with three kids, a house, and work. That doesn't bother me at all; it's two incredibly nice courses we have (go there, hint hint).
But apart from Landskrona, I love Torekov, although I'm there far too little, and Barsebäck is absolutely magical since the new owners took over a few years ago; I always try to get a round in there every year.
Do you have any particular goals for your own golf game?
– When I was younger, I wanted to get as low in hcp as possible, and that was really my only goal—I also wanted to become a pro, but since we lived just outside Gothenburg and I was a member in Trollhättan, the training opportunities were, to say the least, lacking, so it remained a dream. Nowadays, the goal is to have fun with friends and try to keep a fairly consistent game. I still want to get better, and I’m chasing "that" round of course, because it’s fun to play well, and I play overall better than ever before, but it is by no means the most important driving force anymore.
6. Future Plans and Trends
What trends in golf do you see as most exciting right now? How do you think they will affect your work?
– I experience that more girls are starting to play and take space, and that is damn good; there are enough penises in this sport.
What future plans do you have for your magazine and your career in photography and content creation?
– There are a lot of plans and ideas for the future, but first and foremost to see if it’s even possible to get out more issues; this spring has been incredibly demanding regarding work, so energy levels are at rock bottom. Since there is no money in the magazine yet, paid work and health have to come first. As it is a passion project, it’s important that it doesn't become a stress factor; it has to take the time it takes. But of course, it can’t take too long either; there must be a certain momentum, after all.
– Regarding photography and "content creation," I have neither a devised strategy nor ambition, just to develop and challenge myself personally—if that leads to anything more, it would be incredibly fun. But right now, I am more than busy with my job as an art director.
7. Personal Reflections
What motivates you to continue creating and developing your content within golf?
– When I decided to take a break from PAR during the spring of 2022, I missed shooting golf courses, and after that, my private golf account drifted more and more from following my golf game (who really cares about that?) to becoming more golf photography. In that way, I could keep one of the funner parts of PAR alive.
How do you balance your work with your personal life, especially considering the time and energy required to create high-quality content?
– That is just it; PAR takes an extreme amount of time because I really want it to breathe quality, and that was why I chose to pause the magazine two years ago—it simply wasn't possible to balance my regular job, family, and PAR without crashing.
In some ways, it still doesn't hold up; it’s a bit of a choice between writing and making a golf magazine in your spare time or spending that time actually playing golf—the latter currently gives more energy in stressful periods. It’s also difficult, or rather impossible, to plan far into the future as a freelancer. Suddenly, a period with less work can appear, and then there is space for the magazine, but whether that is next week or in six months, I cannot answer.
8. Tips and Advice
What advice would you give to someone who wants to start creating content within sports, especially golf?
– Whatever you do, do it with heart; read up as much as you can on what you are going to film, write, or photograph before you head out, and if you can’t do it yourself, find someone who can package it nicely. I know many people say content is king - it doesn't matter what it is or what it looks like, as long as it becomes something… but good-looking and well-made content is even more king in my eyes. It is a sign of respect for the recipient; if I am going to invest my time in something as a recipient, I want it to be good all the way through.
How has your experience in golf and photography influenced the way you look at the sport and its community?
– That it really is the ultimate sport; one day you can play with cheerful 85-year-olds who hit the ball 100 meters at a time, and the next day you can play with friends who have the bad taste to hit 50 meters further than you and still have exactly as much fun regardless. The most important thing is the number of laughs you get along the way, the score is less important – as long as I have the lowest number of strokes in the end.
