Photographer Ola Lager died in late December at the age of 84.
Lager took literally hundreds of ABBA photographs. He shot the sleeves for the ABBA albums Waterloo, ABBA, Arrival, Voulez-Vous, and Greatest Hits Vol. 2, as well as Björn & Benny’s LP Lycka, Frida’s LPs Frida and Frida ensam, and Agnetha’s LPs Elva kvinnor i ett hus and Tio år med Agnetha. He also took photos used on many ABBA single sleeves, the tour programmes in 1977 and 1979, plus sleeves for other Polar artists records.
He took many of the most popular and iconic photographs of ABBA during the 1970s, including the 1976 session that produced the gangster hat photos (one of which was used on the ‘Dancing Queen’ sleeve), and photos of ABBA in white outfits and blue satin outfits, the “nude” session of 1974, ABBA at Gröna lund in 1976, the lounge session in 1977, and the “limelight” session, also in 1977.
Lager originally worked in advertising, where he often collaborated with graphic designer Rune Söderqvist. It was through this connection that Söderqvist came into the ABBA circle, designing the ABBA logo and ABBA’s album sleeves from Greatest Hits in 1975 through to ABBA Live in 1986. Lager and Söderqvist worked together on concepts for sleeves, particularly Arrival and Voulez-Vous.
Lager can actually be seen on the front cover of Arrival. He is reflected in the helicopter canopy, and his shadow is cast across Agnetha and Björn.
ABBA Omnibus blog 