Wooden Lollo

It was my dads birthday last week so I made him a little wooden Lollo.
I saw my calendar in the kitchen and wondered if it was on any other persons wall? I sold quit a few during autumn and I think many of them were gifts. Do I have any calendar followers? Meaning, you were given the calendar before you knew who I was? I'd like it if you could say hi :)
The clock was turned one hour into the future and everyone seems to have gotten a lot more tired... hehe, at least I had trouble staying awake in the workshop today. 

Misty Days

A white mist has put its moist blanket around all of south Sweden for a couple of days now. Usually the sun comes out by the end of the day but today it never left. We went to a beautiful forest (Skäralid) and breathed some fresh air. I'm having a hard time getting my bachelor project out of my head. Maybe not so much the project as the thought of my teachers looking at it stupidly and saying it's worthless. I hate that I care so much, I sometimes convince myself that I don't but then I realize I do anyway. The brain is annoying.

I love these linen screen printed animal cushions by Olivia Streatfeild-James.
And check out this animal fashion collection by Yang Du.

Birdnest

I found out what project I would REALLY like to do, and that is to photograph birdnests. Because... we hardly ever see inside birds nests. If we're lucky we see them high up in the tree. But I mean... the way birds build their nests... and when they fluff the sides with all kinds of things they find, it so beautiful. Now I just have to find out how this would work. How close can I get without the birds abandoning their nest? If I have any bird-fan followers, I'd be superglad if you could tell me some do's and don't regarding this. But I think I'll just go and ask some specialist. They might know the easiest way for me to get up in the trees as well ^_^
Inspired by this thought I made something similar to a nest(more like garbage pile) in our back yard. Look at Lollo acting baby bird... my gosh.

Don't forget about my facebook page, it's 6 likes away from a 1000, crazy! Let's make that number pop :)

Found my way into icelandic fashion photographer Saga Sig. What a colorful inspiration boost!

Lucid Publications has mentioned me.

New workspace

Most bachelor preparations have happened in front of the computer. Sitting on my butt. Or sitting on my butt staring at papers. All in all, very still and frustrating. So when it's finally coming to it's end stage it feels fantastic to be in the wood workshop and actually working with my hands. It might just look like a tiny shelf at the moment, but more things will happen, Lollo is sitting on some clues in the middle photo. It wont actually turn into a dreamspace. But hopefully something else that's nice. Or it's not nice at all but it doesn't really matter because I want to be a photographer anyway... hehehe.
Have a lovely sunday!

Crazy hair

Thanks for all the support regarding my future plans, I love that I have such lovely and supportive followers :) It makes me feel like this panda playing with a pumpkin.

A former student of mine posted a print screen of a game-page that had an advertisement for a make-your-own-gif site where they used my braid gif as their ad photo (former students are always good at informing me about these things). This gif has somehow spread all over internet and I've sort of lost control of it. I sent the gif-site a rather irritated email saying that this gif was NOT made on their site and that they did not have the rights to use it as their ad and that they should take it down immediately.
And they responded with Oh how can we even know this is your gif? It's all over internet. And it's made by a user from our page.
Gosh. Site builders.... so uncreative! If you have a site that helps people build GIFs, then I should hope that you know how to make a GIF and be able to make a nice one to use in your ad.
When did photos spread on the internet become the property of everyone? Reblogging is one thing. Using in an ad, that's so low.
I simply said that I have the raw-folders and that it was most certainly not made by one of their users.

So dear readers, watch out for those page builders out there that don't give smack about copyright! But it's great that people inform each other when they see material spread on the wrong place. 

Making up my mind

Hello all wonderful readers out there!
I'm back home after a lovely week in Lofoten. I met a lot of nice people, some old friends and some new friends. I've always felt that the school in Norway is my own little secret place. It's this place I went away to for two years and it's always been tricky to explain what kind of life I lived there.
It's this funny little bubble with 100 young people where you laugh until you cry every day and every day feels like one wonderful week of fun because things happen all the time. The environment is of course not for everyone, it can especially be tricky if you're not a very social person. Then you can end up feeling lonely instead of being a part of this big grouphang.
I'm however not very good at small talk. If I meet someone who's the friend or the sibling of someone I know I immediately talk to them as if I've known them for a long time. Sometimes this works out... and sometimes it doesn't. Haha, not everyone appreciates my weird sense of humor.

One amazing thing that happened while I was away last week is that I really has time to clear my head and make a really big decision for the future. When people ask me if I'll dig deeper into photography, illustration or design I've always been like ooh you know...I don't know... I can't make up my mind.
But now I know, I have to give photography a chance. So, as from june (when school is over) I'll pour my heart into trying to get my foot into the freelance world. And lucky for you, you'll just be able to sit back and follow me while I'll fail or succeed... haha.

I've noticed that studying design has only turned me really bitter and all our ecological studies have really made my stomach turn by the thought that I might have to be a part of developing products that help build our garbage piles in the world. But it's not just that, design has never really made me happy. But photography has, for over 10 years! So I'm not gonna throw it away before I at least give it a try.

So I've finally piled it up, a plan for the rest of 2012. Photography will be work. Illustration will be my hobby. Design will be my fall back. I'm excited, I always feel nervous about everything but I don't really feel nervous about this, so I think that means I've made the right choice. 

Movies for dreamers

Movie stills, from the top 
Hugo (2011)
Tuck Everlasting (2002)
Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
A Little Princess (1995)
The Golden Compass (2007)
Marie Antoinette (2006)
The Secret of Moonacre (2008)
Peter Pan (2003)

I wonder what it feels like. When you've never ever seen a movie. And then one day you see one. In my new favorite movie HUGO it's just like that. She's read books all her life but she's never seen a movie. Imagine if someone from the 30's saw a movie from 2012? That would have been a crazy experience. I love that I'm still fascinated by movies. I don't take the dreamworld that the people involved create for granted. I can imagine that it's rather fun building sets for movies like Pan's Labyrinth, Peter Pan and Marie Antoinette.
I've never been able to see horror or splatter movies, not understanding how you could feel entertained by watching something terrible. 

The students work

Photographers, from top 
left Nadia B Haugen, right Oda Tollan Sørensen
Sommit Bunmeephonkit Ueland
Sara Grandin
Emelie Svensson
Thea Rask

I usually don't do this but I thought it might be interesting to see how the students solved my task.
I gave them a folder of 70 dreamy photographs. They were to chose one or a few to get inspired by and then build a dreamy picture of their own. Also they were to create a animated GIF from the shoot. I let some of them borrow my blue dress as you can see :)
However disappointing it is when some chose to ignore the assignment, it is so wonderful when other really put in an effort and make something beautiful. These were some of my favorite.

Fisherman's other daughter

Well look at that, it's 2.00 in the morning and I'm not in my bed. I'm quite the sleepy possum so when I'm awake after midnight it's a little impressive (for me).
For the first time, in a really long time, I went into the studio. Working with artificial light is a tad strange, and I do feel that the studio environment is a little too stiff for my taste. But it was time to do something out of my box perhaps. Although still in my box since I'm dressed as a princess and looking worried. Oh, but you have no idea of how much fun it is to curl your hair and put on a real dress, you really feel like when you were playing when you were little. It's a lovely feeling. I'm so happy I bought this dress, the blue color is vivid on pictures.

During my stay here I think I've figured something out... about the future. And it's a good thing :)

Fisherman's Daughter

Today was very norwegian. The school decided that it was a good idea to barbecue outside. I mean sure, in Norway +1°C might be a warm day, but I was only half way through with my hotdog when I couldn't feel my toes anymore. So I fled inside, took a warm shower until my feet were bright red, and then I went out again and swapped another sausage.
Now I don't feel so good. Sausage meat is what I would call mystery meat.

The students have gotten their task from me, and on friday they'll deliver their results. Tomorrow morning is my last lecture.
I hope all is well with you, wherever you are in the world! 

Arrived

It's super embarrassing but I've actually not really produced any photographs yet. You always think that by coming to a beautiful place you will take beautiful pictures. But no luck, Lofoten is a tricky place. I'm posting two that I took on my way to the store (only to realize that candy cost 1 million norwegian kronor).
I took some analogue photographs from the plane though... I think they might be juicy.
Ok, I'm gonna stop being sorry for not having time to create, I am here to teach and not to play around. Must remind myself.
My first class is tomorrow and until then I should be working on my bachelor rapport... so....boring... must... die...oh ....gosh

I'm heading north

This is my fourth year heading back north to my old school (Lofoten Folkehøgskole) in Norway to hold a workshop. It's in a tiny little village called Kabelvåg(top photo), on one of the little islands spread out into the shape of a genies lamp that is Lofoten.
I will talk about the dreamy theatrical photography, show some photoshop-tricks and try and inspire the best I can. Sometimes I get through and sometimes I don't. I love when students ask a lot of questions and interrupt me, but I know that photography beginners can be rather shy. Or it's just me that's rather unintresting. Hehe. Eh...

The first time I held a workshop I actually made a student cry. But it wasn't because I was mean (I hope), she was late with the photo task I had given them so I helped her edit her photograph and while klicking through photoshop I joked "Why didn't you do it last night, where you with a boooy?" and then she stormed of in tears. And no there was no boy drama, she had simply been offended that I accused her for being late/lazy. I just sat there shocked and the other students looked at me and said she's a little weird. I hope my crying students isn't reading this, but if you are, I'm very sorry but I'm also not quite sure what I did wrong.