Artist Statement
I have been fascinated by photography since my early teens, and I am self-taught. The last ten years this passion has become a way of life, a part of who I am as a human being. I believe that taking photographs derives from a force inside me that makes me want to express myself in this way. I mostly photograph in black and white, even though I have become more interested in color photography the last couple of years.
I tend to work on instinct, rather than having a predetermined idea of what I am going to photograph. When I am out there in the fields things often seem to fall into place. I have many times experienced that the constantly changing weather conditions where I live in Norway, have given me the opportunities to take great photographs. These magic moments disappear as quickly as they present themselves, so I must be fast in order to capture them. These moments will never again appear.
In this lies the true power of photography, the preservation of moments that are unique. For me photography is more about emotions than pure technique – and I like to use as little equipment as possible, usually two lenses. This way I can concentrate more on the creative process. The beauty in nature has always been a great inspiration to me – forests, trees and the ocean in particular. Simply put,this is how I look at the world. I also get inspiration from watching movies, reading books and listening to music.
Process Statement
I used a medium format camera when I made this series. Previously all my black and white photographs were printed in the traditional darkroom. Now I scan the medium format negatives and make the necessary tonal adjustments and sharpening in Photoshop. As little manipulating as possible is carried out, not more than would have been obtained in the darkroom. I now use an Epson Stylus Pro 3800 to print all my artwork on various types of archival fine art paper.