Life in colours

Fotovideo is one of the better photography shops in Norway. Among maybe having the largest selection of photography accessories, they also arrange workshops and training in everything photography. On Thursday they arranged a quick intro to macro photography with one of their instructors, Roger Brendhagen. I was lucky enough to get one of the spots available. We started with a quick intro and tips and tricks before we went to Oslo Reptilpark (a small zoo specializing in  snakes, lizards and other slightly scary creatures.

As usual I mainly add photos to this blog, so below you will find some of my attempts at nature photography.

Life in colours

Life in colours

Redbeard

Redbeard

Tasting the world

Tasting the world

Climbing the glass window

Climbing the glass window

Not that big, but big enough

Not that big, but big enough

Not a tiger

Not a tiger

Textured colours

Textured colours

Slick texture

Slick texture

Textured in brown

Textured in brown



Posted from Oslo, Oslo, Norway.

Documenting Oslo

A few weeks ago I posted an entry on a few attempts at doing street photography. Today we had lovely weather in Oslo, and I walked around playing around with my camera. Close to the Norwegian castle there were a farmers market where they were showing off Norwegian special products. Some of the salespeople were a bit more flamboyant than others.

This pink/lilac lady was selling goods at a farmers market in Oslo.

This pink/lilac lady was selling goods at a farmers market in Oslo.

Her lilac clothes lit up her white stall. I took two other pictures of her as well, but they where not as sharp as this one. Her bright colours were interesting enough to include her in this blog though.

There were a lot of interesting people visiting or displaying their wares. This man sold meat, but when I saw him I thought he would be selling fish.

He made me think of a sailor and not a farmer, but looks can lie.

He made me think of a sailor and not a farmer, but looks can lie.

Street performers are always an interesting motive. This golden statue had just taken a brake, and was counting his earnings. I liked the way the ashes of his cigarette was getting very long, and how his golden costume was getting very old. The zipper on his jacket was broken and he used safety pins to keep it closed.

He was making his living as a live statue. But even a statue needs a pause sometimes.

He was making his living as a live statue. But even a statue needs a pause sometimes.

His scruffy looks made for a very interesting picture. He had obviously been doing a lot of different things in his life, and his face had been marked by this. His fingers was dirty and his hair graying.

The golden statue looked very scruffy without his mask on.

The golden statue looked very scruffy without his mask on.

A few days earlier I had walked around with a little Canon G12 and two of the pictures from that day are below. This street performer was overdoing it by a fair amount. His way of playing made him look like this.

He is a not so typical street performer. He was REALLY into himself playing. So much so that it made me take this picture.

He is a not so typical street performer. He was REALLY into himself playing. So much so that it made me take this picture.

After 22 of july I think most Norwegians appreciate and like that we are a multicultural society. (At least I do) The Freia Chocolate commercial on the main street of Oslo have gotten a double meaning. (Mitt lille stykke Norge = My little piece of Norway). So while I was there thinking about how to catch that image, two beautiful young women, that probably were not born in Norway, came walking past. I hurriedly changed my camera settings to blur them slightly out and grabbed this image.
Norway is multicutural

Norway is multicutural

Some of these images have been published earlier on my Google+ and Picasa streams.

 

Posted from Drøbak, Akershus, Norway.

Photography workshops rule!

I am an avid amateur photographer always trying to improve. Last weekend a friend of mine and I participated in a photography workshop at Venabu Fjellhotell in Norway. Olav Storm, a well-known Norwegian photographer was giving lectures and instructions in becoming a better photographer, but the most useful part was the assignments and the evaluation of them. By explaining what we should try to do, and afterwards by explaining what we did well, and what we might do better, I think most of us found several things to improve.

We were 10 eager students ready to enjoy 2 intense days of photography and instructions, and intense was what we got. Actually that was OK with us, we would like our moneys worth and we got that. The food was very good at the hotel and the management friendly. We found that both the hotel manager and his wife were very skilled photographers as well, and while driving us himself the manager participated in the assignments with great enthusiasm and skill. Some of the photographs we took are available in this photo gallery.

I have included some of the photos I took myself below, and if it is one thing I want to tell all you people out there to do, join a photography workshop – have a great time.

The assignments, the evaluation and the social community kindled my enthusiasm for photography to new levels.

In the woods

In the woods

Mountain view

Mountain view

Mountain circle

Mountain circle

Red

Red

Fenced

Fenced

Fenced again

Fenced again

Harmless teeth

Harmless teeth

Rock & Roll oldie

Rock & Roll oldie

Water under the bridge

Water under the bridge

Hooked

Hooked

Hunger

Hunger

Foggy flow

Foggy flow

Arty waterfall

Arty waterfall

Almost Vitruvian

Almost Vitruvian (If you do not get it, google Vitruvian Man)



Posted from Drøbak, Akershus, Norway.

Summer on the west coast of Norway

Earlier this summer NRK had one of the most talked about live shows ever in Norway. They had a Minute by Minute live stream while a ship sailed from Bergen to Kirkenes (5 days of sailing). The stream is available here.
Some of the areas that had a lot of interest was Geiranger and the fjords of Norway. We recently drove trough that area and I got a few nice pictures.

Geiranger in summer sun

Geiranger in summer sun


Waterfall in Geiranger

Waterfall in Geiranger


Geiranger

Geiranger

Rindal is part of Trollheimen (one of several mountain areas in Norway)

Summer in Rindal

Summer in Rindal

In addition to this I have been playing around with my macro lens and capturing some of the wildlife in Rindalen.

Spying spider

Spying spider


Bumble bee

Bumble bee


Bumble bee 2

Bumble bee 2



Posted from Møre og Romsdal, Norway.