There is something about islands, or rather something about the intersection of land and water that is so personified by islands, that captures the human eye. Post cards from all over the world are full of that special magic that is a beach, a harbour or a cliff leading down to the ocean. And here I am on a ferry from the Croatian mainland sailing towards a far away island, moving leisurely through an archipelago with large islands off to both sides. The perfect moment then to snap that post card picture, or so one would think. In fact, due … Read the rest
I am standing on a small, circular, walled in square among a bunch of other people. Towards the middle of the square is a small group of men standing in a half moon shape. They wear white shirts, black trousers and red girdles and beside them is a sign proclaiming that they sell CD’S. A few moments pass then they start to sing, a traditional Croatian song sung by a five man choir. The sound is deep and resonant, rising along the circular walls towards the perfectly round hole high above us, reverberating with a force and a clearness of … Read the rest
I have been in Split but an hour or so but already I am in full tourist mode, camera in hand snapping pictures of this and that but alas, the view here is one of those that does not lend itself to the art of photography. That’s when it hits me, I have a way to solve this dilema. The scene in front of me is that of the sea side promenade in Split, turquoise waters to one side, a wide pedestrian streak in the middle and fashionable shops and cafes on the other. What makes this sea front special … Read the rest
This is not so much a frozen moment as a frozen stretch of time. Starting off in central Zagreb, our highway bus trundled out of the city towards the rolling hills of the Croatian inland. Dark green in the distance with lighter shades up close, mingled with the yellow of sun burnt grass, dotted with the orange roofs and light colored walls of small villages. As we passed the hills we got closer to the low, forrested mountains and darker skies. Passing through endless tunnels we were finally spit out on the other side, blue skies overhead and a dazzling … Read the rest
The sky overhead is dark with clouds, a thin veil of ragged grey covering pale summer night blue. A heavy cloud cover hangs over the strip of land on the other side of the bay as well, but in the middle is a band of clear sky. The big orange ball of the setting sun hangs over the western horizon, casting its rays beneath the clouds; like God shining his flashlight on a world clad in shadow. It illuminates the tree tops and laces the tall grass and bushes with color. The streaks of vivid color in the midst of … Read the rest
Swedish summer nights are very nearly endless, the light usually not fading until about eleven, but tonight is different. It is still light enough to see by but there is a darkness to the sky that makes it feel as if light is fading from the world altogether. Dark, brooding rain clouds mingle with a thick, light grey soup that blocks out the sun, tinged purple by nonexistent sunset and orange from pointless street lights below. Rain falls heavily on the ground, creating streams and pools on the paths beneath my window. The world is lifeless and empty except for … Read the rest
Camera in hand I’m trying to portray this bizarre place but I keep failing. I either stand too far away which makes the statues look small and insignificant, or get too close so you cannot see the big picture. Then it strikes me, I have an excellent way of portraying something that can’t be captured on camera: these very words. So what is it that I find so hard to take a good photo of? The memorial sculpture park in Cihu is a rather stretched out park in a remote township in northern Taiwan. The green lawns are criss crossed … Read the rest
We are driving our snowmobiles across a large, windswept plateau in between the rounded, forest-clad mountain tops. It’s hard to tell with all the snow, but our guide informs us that it is actually a frozen lake. That explains why it is so flat and lacks trees. The snow is has been packed by the wind and is hard and bumpy but the area is open so it is possible to drive at speed, the soft seat cushioning the bumps. The sensation of speed is strange, there is surprisingly little wind yet anything over 40 kilometers an hour feels like … Read the rest
I glance out the car window as we are going along and spot a band of color floating in the sky, pale green with a tinge of purple at the bottom. It takes a moment for my brain to realize what it is but when I do, I blurt it out in the middle of a conversation: The Northern Lights! We quickly find a place where we can stop by the side of the road and step out of the car to take pictures. Too bad I don’t have a proper camera with me because the one on the phone … Read the rest
Here I go with the sunset images again, but it seems to be the only beauty in an otherwise grey existence. As I cross the river it is not a conventionally beautiful naturescape that serves as a background for the multicoloured sky, but the industrial outline of an old harbour city. A few old-time ships, permanently docked along the riverbank serve as a spice to the area’s main ingredients of old factories, warehouses and newly built office complexes. Above it all rises the big cranes of the wharfs and dry docks as black silhouetts against the blazing orange of the … Read the rest
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