Once a week—or every so often—I will display one of my photos captured and/or processed with Instagram over the last week. It’s a way for me to show photography that usually is quite different from my regular work. The pictures are displayed without any comments, hoping they will stand on their own. But I still very much appreciate any comments you may have.
As some of you may have noticed, I am slowly getting myself back into the blog sphere after a longer summer break. Slowly meaning I posted my first “Last Week’s Instagram” here on my blog earlier this week. And from now on I will be back fully and once again committed to writing about photography and creativity.
The break was necessary to gather strength and momentum and inspiration, not only for blogging, but for life in general. I needed some air under my wings, get free from the daily chores—as we all do from time to time.
However, it’s not been anything close to a normal summer break. I have actually worked, but with tasks I have long wanted to do and not found time for. The worldwide corona outbreak certainly limited the usual summer activities I would normally embark on, such as travelling, visiting friends and just get away, anywhere. Instead I have, yes, worked.
That doesn’t sound much like a break, you may object. For me it was. Just changing the daily routine makes a big difference. But work? Yes, that too, when it’s fun. This summer I have built a new online program. Unfortunately, it won’t be something for most of you, since it’s targeting a Norwegian audience and a very specific such. More interesting I hope, is the new eBook about seeing photographically, that I finally have finished this summer.
It’s been years in coming, the text long been ready, but I just haven’t found time to put it all together and layout the pages. Well, this break changed that. I still have a few tweaks to do before I will release the book, but the photo following this post is the front page and a little teaser for what to come.
The eBook goes into details about what it takes a photographer to be able to see and understand what can become a photo. Seeing is where it all starts. If you don’t see anything worth photographing, you won’t be able take captivating photos. Naturally. So “Photographically Seeing—See Better, See Deeper” will teach you how to open up your eyes.
That’s all I will say for now. Of course, I will be back with an announcement soon, when I am ready to launch the book.
On different note: I hope you all have been able to enjoy the summer here on the northern and the winter on the southern hemisphere, even with the limitation imposed by the corona outbreak.
It’s good to be back.
Once a week—or every so often—I will display one of my photos captured and/or processed with Instagram over the last week. It’s a way for me to show photography that usually is quite different from my regular work. The pictures are displayed without any comments, hoping they will stand on their own. But I still very much appreciate any comments you may have.
This post is only to notify that I will take a couple of weeks of summer break. Which means no new posting over the next few weeks. I have decided it’s time to recharge the batteries and let go of all duties. I thank all you who have followed me up until now; it’s been a great ride, lots of good discussions and much encouragement and lovely comments. You have been an encouragement during these special and trying times. I wish you all a very nice summer. See you back in August with new energy, new ideas and hopefully new and wonderful pictures.
Once a week—or every so often—I will display one of my photos captured and/or processed with Instagram over the last week. It’s a way for me to show photography that usually is quite different from my regular work. The pictures are displayed without any comments, hoping they will stand on their own. But I still very much appreciate any comments you may have.
I remember first time I tried white water rafting. It’s maybe the first time I felt totally and completely immersed in “now”. I let myself fall through the cascades of raging waters—or so it felt. There was something magic about being in control, or maybe not at all, of both my own anxiety and the run through the roaring river. Maybe it was in that first white water rafting attempt I experienced my life’s most ecstatic seconds.
Part of the seduction is the intensity and the thrill that chase away anything else. All thoughts of yourself, your life outside of what is happening on the raft, any worries—except those for the forces of the river, whom you are and what you need to do tomorrow; all that is blown out of your mind.
Out of the river I live many lives—as I think we all do. One life at home, another at work, yet another when I am creative, a fourth life out with friends and so on. It can be pretty arduous. All thoughts that go into this can be like a clamp on the head. Thoughts, desires, worries, demons and daydreams behave like hectic sparrows in the fall. In my daily being, I am faced with many demands, many of which I create myself.
Down the roaring river, it was different. There it was just this one. The river and me. The water that squeezed in from all sides. The body that through the paddle fought with the raging water. It’s a reminder that resistance is a sure way to feel that we are alive. Resistance prevents us, but it also provides presence. That is why we are quick to seek it out.
Creativity in many aspects resembles the experience down the river. It’s encompassing—when you enter flow. Then nothing else exists. Just like with white water rafting or any other exhilarating experience. But you need to expose yourself to resistance, get out of the safe zone, out of the box, take chances. Only then will flow come and take over you mind, like when bumping down a boisterous river.
And like any thrill, when you get used to it, the thrill of creativity fades when what was first encompassing, becomes routine. We have to keep raising the bar, keep pushing ourselves out of the box as it widens, keep taking new chances.
Once a week—or every so often—I will display one of my photos captured and/or processed with Instagram over the last week. It’s a way for me to show photography that usually is quite different from my regular work. The pictures are displayed without any comments, hoping they will stand on their own. But I still very much appreciate any comments you may have.
Once a week—or every so often—I will display one of my photos captured and/or processed with Instagram over the last week. It’s a way for me to show photography that usually is quite different from my regular work. The pictures are displayed without any comments, hoping they will stand on their own. But I still very much appreciate any comments you may have.
Some kind of normalcy has returned, if only temporarily—I taught my first photo workshop again since the lockdown of the world. It was nice to feel at least to some extent what life used to be like. Before social distancing. Of course, the workshop participants and I still needed to comply with the requirements of social distancing as well as observe general infection control as prescribed by health authorities. However, we could nevertheless enjoy a weekend of photographing, learning and discussions.
The workshop took place in Bergen, Norway last weekend, starting on the eve of Friday and going through Sunday. The group was very small, only three participants and me—which made it possible to run the workshop without risking the health of neither the workshop participants nor people they photographed on the street during the weekend. As mentioned social distancing was implemented throughout the workshop.
For me in particular, it was good to get back into teaching as we—that is my colleague Sven Creutzmann and I—had to cancel the planned photo workshop in Cuba in the end of April and the beginning of May. Despite the special circumstances I had great fun during last weekend, as I think was the case for all three participants.
As always, when teaching a workshop, I learn and get inspired just as much as the participants do. We all see differently, and it’s really fun to recognize the difference and pick up ideas from each other. It was an powerful weekend with a couple of intense days.
Here are but a few glimpse of the participants in action.
Once a week—or every so often—I will display one of my photos captured and/or processed with Instagram over the last week. It’s a way for me to show photography that usually is quite different from my regular work. The pictures are displayed without any comments, hoping they will stand on their own. But I still very much appreciate any comments you may have.
