KEENPRESS is the Denmark based partnership of, Sisse Brimberg & Cotton Coulson, two highly experienced photographers who have also been partners in marriage for 28 years. Veteran National Geographic photographers, today they work together as a team creating books, gallery exhibitions with a focus on cultural and/or historical subjects they can explore in depth.

© Sisse Brimberg & Cotton Coulson, KEENPRESS

Sisse Brimberg, has published more than 30 stories ranging from the Far Eastern corners of Japan's paper industry to Northern Europe's Viking culture. Born and raised in Copenhagen, her work has been exhibited around the world, including in her homeland as well as in Germany, Greece, Brazil, Mexico, at the International Center for photography in New York City, and at the Newseum in Washington, DC.

Cotton Coulson is also an award-winning photojournalist who began his early career shooting for National Geographic at age 21. He also has worked as the Director of Photography at The Baltimore Sun and U.S. News & World Report. Recognized by American Photographer magazine as one of the "New Faces in Photojournalism," his work has also been honored by the White House Press Photographers' Association and the National Press Photographers' Association. His documentary essay on Ireland was exhibited at Nikon House in New York.

They have just published a new book on the Royal Theater in Denmark. Currently they are shooting a book to be published in 2007 on Nemours Mansion and Gardens.

© Sisse Brimberg & Cotton Coulson, KEENPRESS

Royal Theater, Copenhagen, Denmark, 2005.
Silhouette of two performers walking behind the Old Stage. Digital image shot in RAW taken with a Nikon D2x, 17-55mm, 2.8mm Nikkor lens.

It only takes a short conversation with the principals of Denmark-based KEENPRESS to realize that “we” is the key word to understanding the success of the firm.  “We” describes the firm itself, which is a partnership between Sisse Brimberg and Cotton Coulson, two highly experienced photographers who have also been partners in marriage for 28 years.  “We” also describes how these two now work and the origins of the firm. 

© Sisse Brimberg & Cotton Coulson, KEENPRESS

Estonia, 1980.
An Estonian farmworker takes a brief break from filling a silo with grain. Dust and sweat mat his hair and darken his face while chaff coats his clothes with a fine powder. Transparency taken with an Olympus OM-2, Zukio 28mm 2.8mm lens and Kodachrome 64.

“We spent most of our early careers pursuing our individual photographic paths, traveling in different directions around the world on a variety of National Geographic magazine assignments,” explains Cotton Coulson.  “That was then and this is now.  Now that our children are grown, we decided to stop working apart and instead to work together, shooting side by side and using a combined byline, ‘Sisse Brimberg & Cotton Coulson, KEENPRESS’.” 

© Sisse Brimberg & Cotton Coulson, KEENPRESS

 Norway, 2005.
Bubbles rise to the surface along the side of "Endeavor”, a National Geographic Lindblad expedition vessel. Digital image shot in RAW taken with a Nikon D2x, Nikkor 17-55mm, 2.8mm lens.

 “We” also describes how the partnership works.  Not only do they work in tandem on all shoots, but by shooting digital exclusively, Brimberg and Coulson can perfectly synchronize their cameras’ clocks so that by choosing “date created” as their computer’s sort criteria, a seamless sequence of images flow in the computer.  The partners then work together to edit jointly, a process that would have been both cumbersome and awkward with transparencies.  What once would have taken hours—editing the work of two fast shooters--- now can be done in a matter of minutes.

© Sisse Brimberg & Cotton Coulson, KEENPRESS

Iceland, 2002.
Three Italian woman bask in the healing waters of the Blue Lagoon. The silt at the bottom of the man-made pool is rich in minerals, and bathers coat their skin with it to maximize the therapeutic effect of the experience. Transparency taken with a Nikon N90S, Nikkor 28mm lens and Provia 100.

In addition, Coulson, who spent more than 10 years as a photo editor at the Baltimore Sun and at US News and World Report finds that the competition between the twosome brings out the best in both: “there is a strong sense of competition between us; we encourage each other, but we also compete to find the best pictures.  Since we trust each other completely, this is fun and rewarding.  It also gives us strength; when one is low on energy or not happy with an angle, the other offers advice or provides support and we keep working.  Being two and sharing all the experiences together in the field is much more interesting than going it alone.” 

© Sisse Brimberg & Cotton Coulson, KEENPRESS

Royal Theater, Copenhagen, Denmark, 2005. 
A bird’s-eye view of one of the Royal Ballet dancers during a performance of Harald Lander’s, "Etudes". Color negative Fuji 800 Professional film shot taken with a Nikon N100, Nikkor 80-200mm, 2.8 zoom.

“Sometimes people look a bit surprised when they see two DSLRs pop-up in their face along a public street,” according to Brimberg, “but, in fact, having a husband and wife/man and woman team working together on a shoot seems to lead to more trust from strangers.  We are happy working together.  Now shooting on locations has become fun again, and we each know we are contributing to a better package because of this collaboration.” 

© Sisse Brimberg & Cotton Coulson, KEENPRESS

Royal Theater, Copenhagen, Denmark. 
Pictorial scenes from the ballet, Sylfiden, one of Bournonville’s masterpieces. Black and white  Ilford XP2 rated at 400 ASA shot with a Nikon N100, Nikkor 28mm, 2.8 lens.

Much of KEENPRESS’s  work focuses on magazine and book assignments as well as special exhibitions.  According to a current client, “we” describes not only the team’s work style, but also their approach.  “Working with KEENPRESS is proving to be a great experience,” says Grace Gary, executive director of Nemours Mansion and Gardens, the subject of a KEENPRESS book-in-progress.  “They include me and my staff in their decision making, and we feel that a true partnership between photographers and client exists.”  

© Sisse Brimberg & Cotton Coulson, KEENPRESS

Burning Man, Nevada, 2003.
Art installation in the desert. Photographed with a Leica M-6, 35mm Summicron 1.4 lens using Ilford XP2 rated at 400 ASA.

One challenge KEENPRESS still struggles with, however, is how to enter work in photo contests.  In almost every instance, contest rules require a single photographer as entrant.  “This seems strange to us now because often times we really do not know which of us shot the winning image.  Our work is merging in style and approach as we work together,” Coulson says. 

© Sisse Brimberg & Cotton Coulson, KEENPRESS

Royal Theater, Copenhagen, Denmark. 
For the performance of Poul Ruders' Opera, "Proces Kafka", or "Kafka's Trial", one of the performers models the headgear which transforms him into a cockroach. Photo taken with a Nikon N100 using a Nikkor28mm, 2.8 lens and Ilford XP2 film rated at 400 ASA.

© Sisse Brimberg & Cotton Coulson, KEENPRESS

San Francisco, California, 2002.
A face painted on the concrete wave breaker at North Beach. Photographed with a Leica M-6, 35mm Summicron, 1.4 lens using Ilford XP2 rated at 400 ASA.

If you’d like to see how “we” works in photography, visit the firm’s website, www.keenpress.com .