Peaceful day by the fjord

November 17, 2022 in photographs

Norway, November 2022.

Why I don't consume a lot of photography

November 17, 2022 in journal

The sheer amount of amazing images being made nowadays can be overwhelming. “Comparison is the thieve of joy”; and today, there’s no shortage of photographs to compare ours to. This can make us feel miserable.

This is why I don’t consume a lot of photography. I follow a handful of photographers whose work I admire, enough to get some inspiration every once in a while, and focus all my energy on developing my own vision and approach to the medium.

Simply copying someone else’s work won’t lead us anywhere, but constantly trying to stand out among the crowd can be even worse. Our work shouldn’t be based on what others have or haven’t done. We need to stop trying to be unique, because we already are.

Waterfall by the side of the road

November 16, 2022 in photographs

Norway, October 2022.

Photography is about not giving up

November 16, 2022 in journal

“The prize never goes to the fastest guy. It goes to the guy who slows down the least.” ~ Finding Ultra

Photography is not a marathon. It’s a million marathons, one after the other.

You can find some success with a lucky image, but a body of work is done and built over decades of dedication to the craft. Day after day.

This means taking new photos as often as possible, but also working on the ones we’ve already taken. Reflecting on them. Putting them in books, publishing them online, sharing our experiences. Day after day.

Photography is relatively easy, there’s no secret to it: no magic setting we are yet to discover, no better camera we should buy, no missing preset we should get, no discontinued film stock we should miss.

Everyone wants a shortcut because the truth is boring: it’s about putting the work, the hours, about never giving up. And the prize is that we get to do it again tomorrow.

Urnes stavkyrkje, I

November 15, 2022 in photographs

Norway, November 2022.

On resetting yourself

November 15, 2022 in journal

A stable and repetitive life is probably bad for photography, and art in general. If we believe our photography is a reflection of our lives -as I do-, then doing interesting stuff should lead to compelling images.

On the other hand, being on the move the whole time won't leave us any time to actually process what we've done. We need to take a moment to look at the map to check where we are, and to appreciate what we've done.

There's a time to be moving, and there's a time to reflect.

As you know, I'm a big fan of local photography, but I also love to shake things up with the occasional road trip. It's in the combination of the routine, the boring, the repetitive... and the new, the exciting, the chaos... that I thrive the most.

I credit our nomadic lifestyle and the balance between chaos and routine it creates, as one the reasons why I am so committed to my photography.

Every time we move (and that might happen a few times a year), our physical location is just one of the things that change in our lives: diet, habits, language we speak at the grocery store, people we interact with on a daily basis... but eventually, one adapts to the new reality. Routine always finds a way.

Have you tried turning it off and on again?

As annoying as this question might be, there's a reason why it's the first one customer support asks -- it usually fixes the problem.

Perhaps, we need to perform a little reset on ourselves every once in a while, too.

Morning Sun

November 14, 2022 in photographs

Norway, October 2022.

Dock by the fjord

November 13, 2022 in photographs

Norway, October 2022.

Why I shoot a lot ~ A whole day of photography in Norway

November 13, 2022 in journal

I shoot a lot. Like a lot. Everyday. And I have very good reasons to do so. Come with me as I explore yet another beautiful location here in Norway, and I show you every single shot I take.