I believe every photographer has a special place or situation in which he or she thrives and where the photography is the most enjoyable. Sometimes the best images are taken there, sometimes they are only a place for inspiration and for creating new energy. No matter which, they always have a special place in the heart of the photographer.
Scout events
My favourite photo place is at scout events. The bigger, the better! The reason is the multicultural environment filled with people participating in different activities. There is always something or someone to take photos of.
Taking photos of someone is fabulous. You have to establish rapport with a person to be able to take a successful picture. That picture remains a memory of that relationship as much for a brief encounter as well as a life-long friendship. I often feel that a portrait is more interesting than a photo without someone. I think that is because the human being is a pack related creature that needs interactions with others as much as she needs oxygen to breath.
Home
One of many waterfalls in Iceland. You pass it on the way to Skógafoss.
It’s easy to take nice photos when you’re in a new, inspiring environment, and much harder when in the everyday surroundings of your home. Perhaps that’s why I like doing photography at home?
Sometimes I’m just bored and creates a photo of the closes object. Like the time when there was nothing on the telly and the camera and a Tabasco bottle was standing on the couch table. Out of boredom I started to take do exposures of the bottle using the natural light with the table as background. I managed to get a decent product shot after a few tries.
Another time for photography at home is when I need to illustrate something. It was a bunch of Paracord materials last time. I had bought it new from the shop but lost interest and decided to sell it. Some product shots was needed to make it more attractive for a potential buyer. The light is quite dim in my home, which gave the perfect opportunity to use the Speedlight. I had the fortune of getting a flat with a white ceiling to bounce the light on. It’s not the most artistic genre to do but it’s fun to create photos that gives the viewer a good insight on what she or he is looking at.
Iceland
Iceland is sort of an honourable mention. It’s not a place I go to regularly nor is it a place I’ve come to just because of the place. I’ve only been to the green, windy island twice, both times due to some scout event. However, both times has been fantastic!
The landscape of Iceland is a special one. Think black lava stones/sand covered by a lush, green moss. Or you can go to a place like Landmannalaugar with all possible colours of the bedrock. I was there 2009. Going just about an hour down the hiking trail took us up in the small mountains, giving a great view of the area.
You have most likely already seen some photos of Iceland. There are a lot of famous waterfalls to visit. Skógafoss is one of them. I didn’t have a tripod at the time but bring one if you go there!
I’ve never got the opportunity to visit Iceland during the winter. Iceland is remote, sparsely populated and far up in the north. This means it is a good place for spotting the Northern Light. It’s still on my to-do-list to take a photo of the Milky Way with the Northern Light playing above the Icelandic scenery.
