Have you met Elin?

[Dahlia Ambrose]

This time around we learn a little more about Elin, @elax

• Tell us a little about yourself and your photography journey.


o Where do you live 

I was born and raised in Reykjavik, Iceland, where I currently live after decades of jumping between here, Denmark and Norway because of work. When I grew up there was no one in my close surrounding that had an interest in photography. However, there were several painters – visual artists in the extended family and among family friends that had a great influence on me in childhood. I guess that the impact of visuality had a say in my choice of profession (surgery) within medicine later in life. I got my first camera, a simple Kodak box camera that I do not remember the name of, and I really loved it. Other cheap cameras followed – I was a happy snapper. There were darkroom facilities at my school that I had the chance to learn to use and offers of elementary courses in photography that I took. In my late teens photography was put on hold when life was taken over by flower power and all energy spent on demonstrations against the Vietnam War and the establishment.

Fast-forward to my mid twenties when I moved to Copenhagen and lived together with friends that were interested in photography and had all the gear. There was a lot of shooting, experimenting and fun for a while, we travelled a lot and brought home endless rolls of films that now are presumably lost after moving around countless times. We had an Olympus OM-1 and later a Pentax ME super that I used until digital cameras came on the market. I did not wait long to get one of the first Canon digital – I which make I do not remember. Since then I have owned several of Canons DSLR´s and Nikon´s first Coolpix. The Coolpix was a sturdy little thing that I always had in my pocket when horse riding. Once, I rode with a group that unexpectedly had to swim-ride through a deep and heavy saltwater current where we ended up drenched up to our necks. Afterwards all the mobile phones were declared dead but the Coolpix survived.
Currently I own Canon 5d4 and a mirrorless R5, both cameras I love. The last ten years or so I have become more serious about photography and find time spent shooting and post processing increasingly rewarding.

Taking the professional route never entered my mind for some reason and I am very grateful for that. I have the feeling that being professional would have destroyed the pleasure that photography gives me.

o Hobbies & interests?

Apart from photography the list is almost endless, which can both be a blessing and a curse: Tango, people, nature, hiking, fly-fishing, books, wines, food, music… etc etc.

o How long you have had an interest in photography

Since I got my first camera.

• What is the best advice you have received so far regarding photography?

To play around and break the rules.

I tend to get obsessively serious about things, a sure killer of creativity and enjoyment, so for me it is best to relax and have fun.

• How do you maintain inspiration?

Accept the fact that inspiration comes and goes. Travel with my gear, alone or with photographer friends, loose myself in the surroundings and the mood of the places I go to. Studying other people’s work of art, photography and films.

• What is your favourite subject to shoot & why?

Landscapes, animals, flowers, trees – nature in general, because of the endless beauty the natural world has to offer.


• Do you have a favourite type of photography?

No not really, I am omnivorous.

• How would you describe your photographic journey to date?


I have no formal training in photography. What I have learned is mostly from reading and mistakes (so called), mine and others. Five years ago I took a course in gum bichromate that is one of many alternative (historic) photographic processes. It is a cumbersome and unreliable process that I fell in love with, maybe because of its unpredictability. In general it can be said about working with alternative processes is that it is ”slow photography” in contrast to the mass flow of images that characterizes modern photography with mobile cameras and internet sharing. One chooses an image to work with and the complexity and thereby the slowness of the process changes the relationship with that image. Another thing is that composition is of paramount importance for the image to be suited for these processes. So all in all – this road has had an impact on me as photographer.

Later I have taken courses in other alternative processes and have been working with them since then. Currently I am doing gum bichromate, cyanotype and photopolymer gravure. A course in platinum/palladium was planned in London last summer but Covid-19 put that on hold. Alternative processes involve working with a variety of poisonous materials, art papers, presses and light boxes, not so lightly accommodated in a kitchen, so I rented a place in a shared printmaking studio for a period. After a while I found out that I needed my own place if I was to continue to work and develop doing alternative photography, so I converted my garage into a studio and that has been very rewarding.

• Are you currently involved with any photography projects? If so, what?

I have several ongoing long-term projects, all of them with the aim of making images with alternative processes. One of the projects is of rams and sheep and I am getting close to having enough material in polymer gravure and gum bichromate for an exhibition, maybe next winter.

• If you could only use one camera/lens combination for a year, which would you choose?

Canon 5d mark 4 and Tamron 24 -70 mm.


• What is your favorite image right now?

This is one of the images that always stays with me. It was taken in the old barn where lambs and sheep are kept after they have bonded and before they can be let out. The morning light in there is otherworldly. The situation is typical: The lambs play around until exhausted, take a nap, wake up, have a sip of mothers milk and then continue playing. They are the sweetest beings in this world.

Sleep

o Someone else’s?

• Alfred Stieglitz: Reflections: Night – New York
• Edward Steichen: The Pond – Moonrise
• Robert Demachy: The crowd


• Is there a photographer that inspires you?

The list is very long so I will name past and current photographers that worked/work with historical methods:

• Robert Demachy
• Alfred Stieglitz
• Edvard Steichen
• Diana Bloomfield
• Christina Z Anderson
• Peter Moseley
• Constanza Isaza Martinez
• Stan Klimek

• What is your biggest challenge when it comes to photography?

Composition.

• Is there anything specific you intend to learn or improve in your photography?

Composition.


• If people want to follow more of your work where should they go?


o Flickr

o Instagram

o Website – Under construction


• Provide links to 3 or 4 of your favourite images that can be displayed with the interview

Vestrahorn

Háifoss

Vespers

Black Beach

cc: @admin

Here is a list of our members who were featured in the past if you would love to read. I have attached a link to their profile and their interview.

Diane Wehr   @albirder : Introducing Diane Wehr

Tobie   @tobiepsg : Introducing Tobie

Rob Eyers  @reyers   : Introducing Rob Eyers

Duncan Stewart  @falxy : Introducing the Falx

John Thompson  @nikon-nut : Introducing Nikon nut 

Valery  @valeryp  : Introducing Valery

Tom Dinning  @tomdinning : Introducing Tom Dinning

Christina Brown  @Chrissiebee : Introducing Chrissie Bee

Bobbie  @bobbie : Introducing Bobbie

Gordon James  @gordonjames : Introducing Gordon James

Chris Pook  @chrispook  : Have you met Chris Pook?

Erik Fransman  @erik-fransman : Have you met Erik Fransman?

Gary Zerbst  @garyzerbst  : Have you met Gary Zerbst?

Allen Furst  @3pco : Have you met Allen Furst?

Jim  @Mistyisle : Have you met Jim?

Frogdaily  @frogdaily : Have you met Frogdaily?

Robert Apple  @robertapple : Have you met Robert Apple?

Steve Matten  @stevematten : Have you met Steve Matten?

Cornelia Acorn  @corneliaacorn : Have you met Cornelia Acorn?

Gray B  @grayb : Have you met Gray B?

Dahlia Ambrose  @dahliaambrose : Have you met Dahlia Ambrose?

Patrick @patrickw : Have you met Patrick?

Dave  @pentaxfan : Have you met Dave?

Peter  @peternowak : Have you met Peter?

Beaky @ozride : Have you met Beaky?

Graham Hart @diripics : Have you met Graham?

Daniel Krueger @drkrueger22: Have you met Daniel?

Jasenka @jasenkag : Have you met Jasenka?

Astaroth @astaroth : Have you met Astaroth?

Joanne Van Praag @vanpraag : Have you met Joanne?

Leanne Cleaveley @leannecleaveley : Have you met Leanne?

David Chesterfield @dchester1001 : Have you met David?

Patricia Garrett @PAToGraphy : Have you met Pat?

Beth @loki : Have you met Beth?

[Patrick]

Thank you very much Dahlia i really enjoyed reading once again 🙂

So nice to read about your life experience’s Elin i especially liked the Flower Power part of your life 🙂  , your photography journey sounds very rich and varied so lovely to read .. the long-term projects sound excellent as well and i wish you well with them , Thanks for sharing your story and beautiful photos with us i love the Vespers photo very much Lovely work 🙂

[ElinL]

Thank you Patrick 🙂 Regarding Flower Power – you are the same generation are you not ?

[Patrick]

1971 here lol

[Dahlia Ambrose]

You’re welcome Patrick 🙂

[LeanneC]

It is great to get to know you a little more Elin. I am always blown away by your images – you have a real eye of for light and shadow in your photographs and how to utilize them to enhance your subjects. I love hearing about your journey and how you are still learning and passionate about photography. And the images you shared – outstanding! I can’t wait to see what you do next.

[ElinL]

Thank you so much Leanne – heartwarming words – very much appreciated <3

[Wendy P]

Nice to know more about you, Elin. Your Vestrahorn photo is particularly stunning!

[ElinL]

Thank you Wendy 🙂

[Erik Fransman]

Hi Elin,

Your images Rock so does your story.
Flower Power and demonstrations against the Viet Nam War, I assume that was in Kopenhagen. I might just have been there at the same time and we might just have met and didn’t know it. (Not very likely of course, just a fun thought) We stayed at a “sleep-in” called Green Camp. (Large army tents that slept 10 or 12)  We earned our stay by helping out and cleaning the tents in the morning. The favorite (almost only) food served was Browm Rice with salted Soya sauce. Obviously, we frequented Christiania that just had been founded a few years before).
Your gum bichromate, cyanotype and photopolymer gravure project sound amazing.
Looking forward to seeing the results.

Thank you for your story.

 

[ElinL]

Thank you Erik. CPH was a lot of fun in those days – I moved there a bit after the Green Camp days – but it was Christania – Roskilde – Kvinnekampen – the communes and all that jazz. Would not mind living it all again….

[Erik Fransman]

Elin, Yeah, Amsterdam was much like CPH.
We had RUIGOORD (1972) but I did not go there much.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruigoord

You write: Would not mind living it all again….
I agree, well at least in my memory. Not sure how I would fit in these days. (I stopped smoking marijuana and doing LSD in 1975….

In those days, still possible to “climb” the Little Mermaid:

Next to the Brown rice, we needed to eat something heatlty:

Yeah, good memories.

 

[ElinL]

Oh – great shots Erik – thanks for sharing !!!!! Love the photo of you and the Little Mermaid – I presume that you were not involved in any of her decapitations …. ?  Yes, quitting the pot and the lsd – it was good to discover that life was much more fun without it 🙂  But, and there is always a but, the shrinks are insisting on that micro-amounts of lsd may be good for the declining serotonin levels of ageing brains – so maybe a rendez-vous with CPH in that condition would not be so bad.

[Rob Wood (Admin)]

Great to know more about you Elin. You have been a huge part of pushing me to get better. Your images always send me back to researching and trying to figure things out again. And your value to our little community is immense!

[Patrick]

I Could not agree more Rob with your words *value to our little community is immense , Elin will not know this but when i first joined Ls and not long after getting involved in photo making Elin commented on a photo i posted ( words of encouragement ) and due to those words i have stuck with it and have always felt encouraged and motivated from that day to this day .. So officially i would like to say thank you to You Elin.

[ElinL]

Thank you Patrick for kind words – appreciated 🙂 I love your work and it has been a huge pleasure to follow and I am glad if I in any way have been able to have positive impact on your process. Your own presence here on LS is so heartwarmingly positive and encouraging that I sometimes find myself thinking that if any member deserves to be chosen the “member of the year” then it would be you …..

[Patrick]

Thank you so much for your very kind comments , i already feel lucky just to be part of this community i have always felt welcome here and have learned so much from you all and continue to do so , i have never even looked to find another site or forum to join because this place has for me everything anyone could ever wish to have 🙂 Thank you Elin

[ElinL]

Thank you Rob. It is taking me a while to catch my breath after reading your compliments – they are really, really appreciated although I have some difficulty seeing how I deserve them.

It is a long time since I last expressed my gratitude for the work you and your crew put into building up and running LS as well as you do. Good things can so easily be taken for granted, especially by users like me. The fact that you manage to attract and keep so many talented, sympathetic and interesting members and keep the tone so consistently civil and friendly is a feat that I believe is mainly yours. Added to that is the fact that the site is a treasure chest of well written, concise and entertaining stuff about photography. One cannot imagine that there are any photo sites out there that can come close to LS. So kudos to you 🙂

[Pat Garrett]

@ElinL I so enjoyed reading your story. I’m struck by the commonalities in the photo journeys of so many of us and the various occupations we represent. I really enjoy your Sheep images!

[ElinL]

Thank you Pat 🙂  Agree with you on that the variety of LS members background, nationality and age is an important part of making this community so interesting.

[Lynne Guenther]

Always blown away by the amazing caliber of photographers on LS… wow

[ElinL]

Thank you Lynne – I could not agree with you more 🙂

[Graham Hart]

Hi Elin, just caught up with your fascinating photography story and I would like to add my deep admiration of your work and also the encouraging words you offer to others. Your images are always immaculately captured and composed and through you I almost feel like I’ve been to Iceland. On the other hand, it’s because of superb images like yours that I feel I have a long way to go yet. More than once I’ve said to myself…”I wish I could take pictures like Elin”. Thank you for being here for the rest of us to learn from.

[ElinL]

Thank you so much for your kind words, they are very much appreciated. I believe that learning through visual communication, constructive criticism and reciprocal admiration is such a valuable part of being a member of this forum. In this case it goes both ways Graham – it is so good to have you back – you have been missed 🙂

[Graham Hart]

Thank you so much Elin. It’s good to be back because I’ve missed everyone too. It feels like I’ve been through a rite of passage. At least I can now cross “loss of motivation and creativity” off the list of things a photographer has to go through to come out the other side a newer improved version (well, time will tell in that regard) 🙂

[Author]

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