Opened up some random folders. Found this… from seven years ago… it’s a strange, sweet feeling to realise how long I’ve been doing this. Nine years of photography. Some more successful than others. Lots of searching for whatever could be my “voice”. Still searching for it. Both by looking back and looking around me in the everyday life. And once in a while I find a photo from way back which seems to connect with me. It’s hard to describe what makes it do that and explain why some photos have that ability, and not others. But that’s the big task for every photographer I guess. To take and find those photos which pops out, communicates and means something to someone. If a photo means something for only the photographer, then it has achieved something. But hopefully by sharing them they will start mean something to other people as well.
Archive work tonight. Looking back. This one is from inside the monument to the battle of the nations in Leipzig.
The light was beautiful during the evening barbecue at a church gathering (CELC) at Lepikko near Vasa.
When the baby is asleep it’s possible to find time for some photography work, which is the case right now. I’m slowly starting to dig into the 2015 archive since it’s soon time for the annual the year in photos. This recent winter view from our kitchen window is one of the current candidates. I think it will be a collection dominated by “silent photos” with reflections and shapes such as this one. I think this year I’ve settled with the style I have. I’ve had to tell myself a photo doesn’t necessarily have to have a person in it to be interesting. And I think it’s when you’re able to settle with the style you have that you will start making good photographs, because they will be interesting to you and you will be motivated to continue. Why am I writing this? Because for some years I’ve searched and struggled with my photography because I took photographs in a certain way and published certain photos on this website because I was trying to please others in order to get work from them. This may have resulted in some good shots for sure, but since the motivation for taking the photographs was all wrong in the first place I didn’t find much joy in my photography. And when the joy disappears I think it will eventually show itself in most of the work. This year I’ve been able to break this trend and feel more free when choosing what and how to take photos. Therefore I’m looking forward to publish my favorites from 2015.
My familiar surroundings have started becoming too familiar for me. Ever since I moved to the village Västra Spöland I’ve been very enthusiastic about photographing the place, but this year I’ve noticed a growing lack of motivation for documenting “my village” even though I get some good shots now and then while at home. And I have a dream project in mind still; a project I started last year but quickly put on pause and which I keep on delaying. Fingers crossed I will press play soon!
On a more positive note: This year travelling has really helped trigger my desire to take photographs. Here’s a photo I took while travelling to the Lutheran Seminary in Leipzig Germany where I studied for a week (yes, theologic studies has occupied a large amount of my time this year). I found myself back to the habit of photographing out of windows…
Finally I got to see the northern lights for myself. The shifting green shapes against the dark backdrop were spectacular. I believe it was God saying “hey, look what I can do!” to us.
As a photographer I often find it hard to really experience an experience, because I’m so eager to photograph it. This was definitely the case here. Since I’ve never experienced northern lights before I had no idea how long it would last and so I was very focused on getting good photos. Next time I’ll try to remember to take a deep breath and just enjoy the sight for a moment inbetween the shooting as well.
Now I’m posting photos simultaneously to my ongoing archive digging. Whenever I find something interesting I’m going to post it here. So, the website will finally serve a purpose which makes sense to me.
I didn’t have to dig far to find this one; only five days back when visiting my hometown Ålgård. Reflections has become something I keep looking for when I’m out shooting. I could write something deep and sophisticated about that, but it’s actually really simple: Reflections look good and they make photos more alive.
Det bästa med Linnévägen mellan Västra Spöland och Jämteböle är de fina grillstugorna.
Jag plockar fram ännu en samling bilder som blev tagna innan den här hemsidan fanns. I likhet med bilderna från Geitungen fyr är det här bilder från en släktträff som är tagna på uppdrag från egen släkt. Samma reflektioner som jag hade om bilderna från ön Geitungen passar också för dessa, nämligen att det är en utmaning att jobba samtidigt som man är en del av evenemanget man fotar. Continue Reading…
Idag ska jag gräva fram några bilder ur arkivet från tiden innan den här hemsidan. Jag fick i uppdrag att fotografera en släktträff på ön Geitungen i Rogaland på norska västkusten. Öns huvudattraktion är fyrtornet Geitungen fyr och har även en stor stuga som går att hyra. Det speciella med släktträffen var att vi skulle fira tre personer (40, 50 och 70 år) som tillsammans fyllde 160 år det här året, 2011. Continue Reading…
Ibland när jag vandrar runt bland dessa vackra landskap i Västra Spöland kan jag inte låta bli att tänka att det är som att gå runt i en Sune Jonsson-värld. När man bor på landet är det en kort väg från det nya till det förflutna. Byn med alla människor, djur, gårdar och hus representerar det nya. De gamla ladorna i landskapen representerar det förflutna. Det viktigaste är att fotografera det nya för att bevara det för framtiden, men när det är så dimmigt och vackert som i förmiddags tar förtjusningen för kulturlandskapen och naturen överhand. Ingen anledning till att kämpa emot. Continue Reading…
Det här är ett projekt jag påbörjade för att ha något vettigt att göra på bussresorna till och från skolan när jag pluggade fotografi. Projektet utvecklades snabbt till att jag även fotade på andra resor med tåg, bil och flyg. Alla bilderna är tagna ut genom fönster på resor och därför heter projektet “Vindauget” (“Fönstret”) (ersätter den gamla projekttiteln “Forlatt øyeblikk”). Continue Reading…
Ibland är naturen vackrare än vad som går att beskriva. Continue Reading…
