Back in Sweden

Swedish summer at my grandparents cottage. There is a calm here I can't seem to find anywhere else. Maybe because of all my childhood memories from this place. I came here every summer as a child, I learned how to swim in this lake. 

This year's summer has been cold in Sweden and I'm happy I missed most of it spending time in France and Spain. Now that I'm here I almost enjoy the cold weather and the crispness in the air. I took a swim in the lake while my puppy stood at the pier watching me, refusing to get in the water. Next summer perhaps. 

Days move slowly and we read or pick blueberries or BBQ.  

Last days in Paris

I've decided to leave Paris, it's just not the right place for us right now. My friend is letting me stay in her amazing apartment in the 16th for my last days and we spend most of our time in Bois de Boulogne. Tomorrow we fly back to Sweden. 

Why I keep shooting

Sometimes I feel fed up by photography. Fed up by shooting, fed up by always searching for the right light and the most appealing subjects in a world that seems to be already captured in every possible way. The thought of continuing when the outturn is almost unnoticeable is tiring and I often think about quitting. Then suddenly a scenery like this appears.

We drove down to the beach at La Marina one night to catch the sunset for a swim and when we were almost ready to turn back home a man and his horse appeared, walking towards us by the shoreline. I walked up to him and with my limited Spanish managed to ask if I could take a few pictures. He was very kind and told me his horse name was Alba. Alba is his only horse and sometimes he walks down to the beach to let her swim when it's empty from tourists. I noticed the strong bond they had and how much he loved her, it was pretty amazing. He went back into the water to let me shoot them swimming together.

Afterwards I felt happy and excited for the moment we shared and I thought about how strange and random it is with photography, that I just happened to be at the right place at the right time. It's moments like this that keeps me want to keep shooting, capturing the moments of good and bad and eternalizing them for the future.

Alicante

We have been down in Alicante now for two weeks where Erik's parents has a house. We spend the days at the beach and the nights drinking wine at the terrace or walking around photographing the quiet neighborhood at dawn. The weather is humid and the sunsets to die for. Sometimes I wish the sun would look like this up north and I imagine the pictures I'd be able to take. But then I remember the fog and the greenness in the woods and that everything and all places has it's own kind of beauty. 

A frosty winter morning

The fog lies thick and the landscape turned bright from all the snow. I barely meet people when I'm out shooting on the country roads. Sometimes a car passes by and the people inside stare at me wondering what I'm doing. I turn my head away to keep a mystery and leave it to their suspicious minds to judge for themselves. 

Kiruna - Swedish Lapland

For a long time now I've been wanting to explore the very north of Sweden. I finally managed to go, in collaboration with Kiruna Lapland and Aurora Sky Station. It really was like being in a fairytale from the North Pole, watching the Nordic Lights from the top of Abisko Mountain and spending time with the reindeer at Nutti Sámi Siida.  

I took the night train from Hudiksvall which took me all the way to Kiruna Train Station where I rented a car. I drove to Kaalasluspa, on to Laukkuluspa and Nikkaluokta where I shot the mountains and the starlit sky. I was completely on my own in the wilderness and the silence was eternal. On my way back to Kiruna the Northern Lights were dancing above me and I stopped to take some pictures in the ice cold night. After that I went to my friends house in Kurravaara where I got to meet their two dogs, Skaja and Rusty. 

I woke up early next morning and drove up to Jukkasjärvi and ICE HOTEL. I went to see the reindeer at Nutti Sámi Siida where you get to feed them with lichen to get close. My hands were freezing afterwards but I heated up inside of the restaurant at ICE HOTEL with a cup of hot chocolate. 

On my third day I drove to Abisko where I stayed at Abisko Fjällstation. I met my guide Niklas Hjort and he showed me the area. On the evening we took the Sky Lift up to Abisko Mountain where we had a 3 course dinner and later on went out to shoot the night sky and the Northern Lights along with the rest of the group. 

I drove back to Kiruna the next morning and took the train back to the mid North, that I realized I shouldn't call the North anymore because it's in the middle of Sweden, but it will always be my North. 

I can truly recommend visiting Kiruna and Abisko at wintertime, the adventure itself watching the Northern Lights is well worth the ride. I would love to go back at summer to hike and to experience the area from a different season.