När vi fotograferar ute väljer hon alltid en enkel bakgrund.

När means when and introduces a subordinate clause.

So the sentence has two parts:

• När vi fotograferar ute = subordinate clause
• väljer hon alltid en enkel bakgrund = main clause

A subordinate clause gives background information such as when, because, if, etc. Here, it tells us when she chooses a simple background.

This is because of the Swedish V2 rule (verb-second).

In a Swedish main clause, the finite verb must come in the second position. If something other than the subject comes first, the verb still stays second, and the subject moves after it.

Compare:

• Hon väljer alltid en enkel bakgrund.
  = She always chooses a simple background.

But when the sentence begins with När vi fotograferar ute, that whole clause takes the first position, so the main clause must begin:

• När vi fotograferar ute väljer hon alltid en enkel bakgrund.

So:

1. När vi fotograferar ute = first position
2. väljer = second position
3. hon = after the verb

This is one of the most important Swedish word-order patterns.

Because subordinate clauses and main clauses follow different patterns.

In the subordinate clause:

• När vi fotograferar ute

the order is more like normal subject + verb:

• vi = subject
• fotograferar = verb

In the main clause, Swedish uses V2, so after the fronted subordinate clause you get:

• väljer hon alltid ...

So the sentence shows two different word-order systems at once:

• Subordinate clause: När vi fotograferar ute
• Main clause: väljer hon alltid en enkel bakgrund

Ute here means outside or outdoors.

So:

• fotograferar ute = photograph outside / are photographing outdoors

It is a very common Swedish word. It often refers to being outside in general, without needing a preposition.

Examples:

• Vi äter ute. = We are eating outside.
• Barnen leker ute. = The children are playing outside.

In this sentence, ute describes where the photographing happens.

Yes, often you could say utomhus.

• ute = outside, outdoors
• utomhus = outdoors

In many contexts they are very close in meaning. But ute is usually more common and conversational.

So these are both possible:

• När vi fotograferar ute ...
• När vi fotograferar utomhus ...

The version with ute sounds very natural and everyday.

Because fotograferar is the present tense form of the verb fotografera.

• infinitive: fotografera = to photograph
• present tense: fotograferar = photograph / am photographing / are photographing

Swedish present tense is usually made by adding -r to verbs ending in -a:

• tala → talar
• jobba → jobbar
• fotografera → fotograferar

Here, the subject is vi, so the verb is in the present tense:

• vi fotograferar

It can mean either, depending on context.

Swedish present tense often covers both:

• We photograph
• We are photographing

So:

• När vi fotograferar ute can mean:
  • When we photograph outdoors
  • When we are photographing outside

Swedish does not usually make the same clear grammatical distinction that English does between simple present and present progressive.

Alltid is an adverb meaning always.

In a normal main clause, you would say:

• Hon väljer alltid en enkel bakgrund.

When the sentence begins with another element, the finite verb moves before the subject because of V2:

• När vi fotograferar ute väljer hon alltid en enkel bakgrund.

So the order becomes:

• väljer = finite verb
• hon = subject
• alltid = adverb

This placement is very typical in Swedish.

Because bakgrund is a singular countable noun, and here it is indefinite: a simple background.

In Swedish, singular countable nouns usually need an article when they are indefinite:

• en bakgrund = a background

When there is an adjective, the article still stays:

• en enkel bakgrund = a simple background

So you need both:

• en = indefinite article
• enkel = adjective
• bakgrund = noun

Because bakgrund is an en-word (common gender), not an ett-word.

• en bakgrund
• not ett bakgrund

Adjectives must agree with the noun:

• en enkel bakgrund
• ett enkelt rum
• enkla bakgrunder (plural)

So the adjective enkel changes depending on the noun:

• en enkel
• ett enkelt
• flera enkla

Since bakgrund is an en-word, the correct form is:

• en enkel bakgrund

The basic dictionary form is en bakgrund.

In this sentence, bakgrund is:

• singular
• indefinite
• common gender (en-word)

So:

• bakgrund = background
• en bakgrund = a background
• bakgrunden = the background
• bakgrunder = backgrounds
• bakgrunderna = the backgrounds

Here it appears as en enkel bakgrund, which is the singular indefinite form.

Usually, no comma is needed in Swedish here.

So the normal written form is:

• När vi fotograferar ute väljer hon alltid en enkel bakgrund.

Swedish uses commas less often than English in sentences like this. Even when a subordinate clause comes first, a comma is often omitted.

So if you are translating English punctuation habits directly, Swedish may look a little different.

Yes.

You can say:

• Hon väljer alltid en enkel bakgrund när vi fotograferar ute.

This has the same basic meaning.

The difference is mainly focus and rhythm:

• När vi fotograferar ute väljer hon alltid en enkel bakgrund.
  starts by setting the scene: when we photograph outside
• Hon väljer alltid en enkel bakgrund när vi fotograferar ute.
  starts with she always chooses...

Both are natural.

Yes.

• infinitive: välja = to choose
• present tense: väljer = choose / chooses

This is an irregular verb, so it does not follow the very simplest -ar pattern.

Some forms are:

• välja = to choose
• väljer = choose/chooses
• valde = chose
• valt = chosen

In the sentence:

• hon väljer alltid ... = she always chooses ...

In this kind of sentence, när means when in a time sense.

For learners, it is useful to compare:

• när = when
• om = if / whether

So here när is correct because the sentence is talking about a repeated situation in time:

• När vi fotograferar ute ... = When we photograph outdoors ...

You would not use om here unless the meaning changed to something like if we photograph outside.

A helpful breakdown is:

• När vi fotograferar ute = time clause
• väljer = finite verb of the main clause
• hon = subject
• alltid = adverb
• en enkel bakgrund = object

So the structure is:

[Subordinate clause] + [finite verb] + [subject] + [adverb] + [object]

This is a very common Swedish pattern when a sentence begins with a subordinate clause.