J.F. von Södergren // Joachim Strandberg
My pen name/pseudonym, Joachim Freiherr, usually abbreviated as J.F., von Södergren, are used in parallel with my actual name, Joachim Strandberg.
However, emails will be signed with the full pseudonym, that for now is Joachim Sargon Xerxes Alexander Gaius Moses Octavius Jesus Victorius Alfred Harald Wilhelm Håkon Eirik Magnus Johan Christian Frederik Napoleon George Franklin Dwight Winston Freiherr von Södergren1. I have named myself after various historical and literary figures, just for the fun of it.
This is of course terribly pompous. It all began when I wanted a new handle when I got my PlayStation 4 a few years back, and from there it just escalated into a pompous, tentatively humorous, thing with no brakes attached. I can live well with such a pseudonym being perceived as pompous, almost so that it raises concern among my close friends and family. Why? Because i believe a pseudonym should be pompous and embarrassing. If it’s not its no point to have it in the first place.
I was almost named Sokrates, not Joachim. I’m born in september 1986, and my pregnant mother fell for the name of the Brazilian star, Sócrates, during that summer’s football World Cup (Mexico). My father on the other hand wasn’t convinced of this, and as a desperate measure he put up a bet during the penalty shootout between Brazil and France in the quarter final match: If Sócrates scored his penalty kick, I would be named Sokrates (if I were a boy, of course), and if he missed it would be something else. He missed it, and as I was a boy, thus I ended up as Joachim.
The stolen German baron title (Freiherr) is also a posthumous tribute to my grandmother, who was a war child from WWII, and still always was unconditionally supportive of me and my adventures.
Services
WordPress and websites
It all began with hardcoding HTML websites all the way back in middle school in the early 2000s. First using complex tables and later the div-tag as design tools I learned the hard way. With a then very liberal view and understanding of the concept of copyright, I nonchalantly put together some websites dedicated to various interests, stealing content wherever I could find it. Unfortunately, I didn’t bother saving stuff for later, so everything is lost.
Since then, significant changes have swept across the web, and the current specialty of mine is WordPress, and it has been that for about 10-15 years. Nevertheless, I can also handle most «website builders» (such as Wix and Squarespace), and notably the builders integrated with WordPress (with the most experience in Elementor).
Advanced development with functionality requiring programming is a bit beyond my knowledge. I have a general understanding of HTML and CSS, enough to customize and do adjustments, but no skills in any real programming languages. So, for the complex features, I can’t help you. But a WordPress site built on free or premium templates, with necessary plug-ins (free or premium) for functionality is what I can offer.
On the other hand, I can help as a project consultant, defining specifications, functionality, and user interface, layout and more, for complex project. But if it requires hard coding, you also need a real programmer. I can help with that too, if just the thought of doing this yourself get your nerves going.
- Unfortunately, there are no live websites to display at the current, except the one you’re visiting now
Photography
I’m based in Norway and are reluctant to air travel due to the climate crisis that is upon us as we speak. So, for most readers of this English presentation it’s a bit excessively to hire me as a photographer, or video dude.2 But it’s worth mentioning that I have a huge interest in, and lifelong dream, to be a photographer.
I consider the camera as a basic tool to capture and harvest the raw material, and the computer the tool to refine it to the wanted product in the end. I just don’t care about old, or new, conventions of how it’s supposed to be done. I do it my way. It’s the combination of these two tools that gives endless creative possibilities. With the emergence of AI tools, happening right now, the artistic possibilities are entering a new era.
I’m mostly self-thought in both shooting and editing, although I’ve had some photography-lessons in high school, and later as an adult in my ongoing studies. The crash course in photography that was part of a media and communications subject i took in the fall of 2022, really restarted this interest. So, in February i upgraded the old Sony SLR-camera I had lying around to a mirrorless Nikon Z50. It’s not a high-end professional camera, but it works for me, for now.
Se more of my photographs on the services below:
Content creation, branding and graphic design
This is what I’m most experienced in. Also, in this field I’m mostly self-thought, but over the years I’ve gained a lot of different experiences. It started when I got a computer for my 12th birthday. And in high school my teacher gave out licenses for Photoshop.3 I’m not in any way a super pro on this, but if you need simple logos and branding material for social medias like Twitch, Youtube, Patreon or similar, I can help you for a fair price. I can also do printed material like pamphlets, stickers, event programs and similar.
In Norwegian I also like writing, and I’m hoping that this will lead to some income eventually. In English, my skills are somewhat limited. But when I finish the history studies I’m doing now, I am considering doing some real English education at the university. Either a course in the English language itself, or a course where the classes are in English.
- Adobe Behance (portfolio) [More content to be published ASAP]
Resumé highlights
Work and experiences
Media experiences
2023: Video recording dude
Halvøya Festival – Project
Responsible for all the video recording from the two-day two-stage festival 23rd and 24th of june. Most focus on the main stage, with audio-recording and a four-camera setup with smartphones, one action camera and a camcorder working as the main camera. Secondary stage mostly recorded with a single smartphone.
2022: Independent media freelancer
Strandberg von Södergren Produksjon – Media mercenary for hire
Established a personal business to produce various media content, digital and printed, photography, video, and various consultant work. Project based while studying.
2012-2015: Web editor and content creator
Vålerenga Ishockey – Internship
Editor, writer, and video producer for professional ice hockey team, Vålerenga Ishockey. Administrator and developer of the WordPress website, combined with editorial responsibility and content creation such as pre-match and post-match video interviews with players and team staff, promotional content for partners on the website and social media, promotional graphics for social media and occasionally pyrotechnics on home matches.
2007-2014: Editorial staff
Vålerenga på Nett, VPN.no – Volunteer / Hobby basis
Began as a podcaster in 2007, and later wrote on different columns, such as news reports, match reports, pre-match posts and various other articles.
2010-2012: Journalist
Hockeymagasinet – Freelance per game in season
Wrote live commentary of most of Vålerenga Ishockeys home games, and post-match articles.
2010-2012: Web editor and administrator
Klanen.no – Volunteer / Hobby basis
Built a new WordPress website for the independent Vålerenga fan club, Klanen, was editor of the same site and authored articles in various genres to promote away games, home games, and other events.
Other experiences
2010-2013: After-school program assistant
Gamlebyen Skole
Planned and executed various activities for children aged 6-10. Ranging from semi-organized football practice, differen games and sports, helping with homework and to oversee unorganized and organized outdoor activities. Also did cooking, cleaning and other day-to-day tasks. Part time after school hours, and some days in the morning before school hours. From May 2013 to December 2013 i also had daytime tasks as a substitute assistant at school.
2007-2009: Elkjøp Electronics Store, Skøyen
Sales and store, brown goods
Sales of brown goods and computer sections to customers, and daily maintenance of the same. Responsible for the showcase of audio equipment.
Sertifications
2010-2015: Stage pyrotechnician
Sertified stage pyrotechnician with various gigs and responsbilites. Mostly on Vålerenga Ishockey home games, but also Vålerenga Fotball and other projects. (Certification expired in 2015).
Education
2020-Ongoing: University of Agder
Bachelor of history – part time
Studies of general history.
Subjects spanning from archaic age, antiquity, modern European and global history, Norwegian general history, philosophy, and specialized subjects. Equivalent of two years full time studies.
Internal exchange: Media & Communications
Subjects include media history, communication theory, visual culture, text work, genre analysis, social media, video production and photography. Equivalent of one-year full time studies in Media & Communication.
2018: Independent exams
Independent studies in social sciences and History
Took these two subjects, as a privateer, to qualify for university studies together with my previous High School studies.
2004-2005: Midt-Østerdal High School
First year of Media & Communication
Subjects like composition, perception, color, communications, media ethics, digital media, printed media, animation, photography, video production, digital postproduction, and other subjects at entry level.
2003-2004: Koppang High School
First year of General Studies
Math, Norwegian, English, Nature & Science, Social sciences, and History.
Contact me
Dont hesitate to use the form below to contact me, or send me an email; joachim@vons0dergren.no
Footnotes
- It’s mostly Norwegian or English spelling of the names, and some names are translated, by choice there’s no consistency. ↩︎
- I’m not going to call myself a videographer, so i call myself a video dude. ↩︎
- We were offered to bring our personal computers to school, and he then installed it with an Enterprise/Educational license. Highly illegal of course, but when the IT-department asked us to uninstall it ourselves, I didn’t. ↩︎