It’s these moments, when things just come together, the weather, the colours, the mood and the light. And in this case don’t forget the smell of drying cod in Svolvær, Lofoten, on this evening in May 2011.
For me the appeal of photography is exactly this: finding and capturing moments.
Fishingboat in Svolvær Photo: Jan Hendrik van Koeverden, Statoil Oslo photo club Enlarge >I am not quite sure when I have started to take photographs in addition to only snapshots. I bought my first film-SLR in the mid-nineties and have always taken pictures while travelling and on field trips during my university time. Taking pictures for geology involves both entire landscapes, as well as close-ups of rocks, minerals and fossils; maybe that is where my interest for structures and patterns comes from.
Since I like images with clear lines, some club mates might have expected a black & white photo for the introduction. Well, it is all about the right effect for the right motive and for me that evening scene from the harbour in Svolvær simply needs the colours. Other motives work better in black & white. I like to simplify an image to emphasize what I consider important and removing colour can be a step to achieve just that.
I know that many people are sceptical to photo editing. However, for me it is fine to alter a picture heavily during post-processing, if it helps to create a wanted effect. As in the example of the “Wilson Trent”, this can produce surreal results. It doesn’t matter, if the outcome is not that realistic, because I do this for fun and not for journalism. ;-)
Enjoy!
Jan Hendrik
Statoil Oslo photo club