Connection - De Groote Peel

De Groote Peel is a National Park in the area that I live. It is a place I have always been drawn to. Ever since I photograph basically. So much to see, hear and feel there.

The older I get the more I feel emotionally attached to this piece of land. I have family roots in this area. This area is like a magnet, its pretty much always on my mind and radar.

And when I visit and stroll along the tiny pathways crossing the bogs/wetlands into the distance, passing by forestland I listen to the silence. Get humbled by the clouds passing by, wind on my face, and nature setting the pace of life. It is like seeing with your eyes closed. The silence in this place is special, its louder then anywhere else. Isn't it beautiful how you can connect and ground with a place, a strip of land?

And I envision my forefathers and long gone family living here. Working and simply being part of this area. Their blood, veins, and bones are part of this. I am part of this. I am rooted here. It is my Identity.

Shots taken today, on 2nd Christmas day. On a little stroll with my family. To pay tribute to who I am, and where I come from. To those who shaped and are part of me. And very much to whom I wish to be.

Viðareiði - The Faroe Islands

The Northernmost town in The Faroe Islands - Viðareiði

Viðareiði is the northernmost village on the island of Viðoy of the Faroe Islands. The village is situated on an isthmus between two high mountains: on the north side Mount Villingdalsfjall rises 844 meters high above sea level. This is also the highest mountain in the northern islands and the third highest in the entire Faroe archipelago.

Getting to Viðareiði
Viðareiði is connected to the rest of the islands by a dam and tunnel system that allows easy access to the regional center of Klaksvík on Borðoy. The road to Viðareiði goes largely along the west coast of Viðoy with beautiful views of the fjord, where you can also see the many "fish circles," in which mainly salmon are farmed.

In the 17th century, the old church was destroyed in a storm. It is said that a part of the cemetery was washed away by the sea and that coffins from the cemetery were recovered in Hvannasund and reburied in Viðareiði. The current church was built in 1892. On the northern wall of the church hangs an altar plate, one of the oldest church treasures in the Faroe Islands. Thomas Koppen from Hamburg, who obtained the monopoly on Faroese trade in 1533, donated the altar plate to the church

Viðareiði is known as a good starting point for hikes to Viðoy's northernmost point, Cape Enniberg, which, at 754 meters, is the second highest sea cliff in Europe. The breathtaking view, especially in clear weather, alone makes the trip to Viðareiði worthwhile.

Viðareiði is a true paradise for the landscape photographer. Walk down by the church towards where the ocean waves are crashing on the rocks for some dramatic seascapes. Keep in mind though that the ocean can get very wild and rough here. Often the waves splash all the way up into town. So be sure to judge and respect the weather and conditions the right way.

Check out this drone video that I shot in Viðareiði in February 2022.

The Faroe Islands Photography Workshop and Tour - April 2023

Feeling like visiting and experiencing Viðareiði yourself? You can join my friend Páll Jökull from Iceland and myself in April 2023 on a 7 day workshop. Viðareiði is for sure part of the program, and we spend a decent amount of time here for you to capture this amazing place. Interested in the workshop?
Click the button below, and we look forward to see you in April.

Film Photography - Nikon F601

Hi there folks, it feels like its been ages since I’ve made a new blogpost. And whilst I am saying this I figured out that my last blog dates from May. So its about time I did something about that!

I have been trying out some film photography recently. Something I have never really done before. And it is safe to say that I am a complete noob with zero experience when it comes to all thins analog photography. But just that is what I like about trying out something new. Go in blank, find out how things work. And make plenty of mistakes.

Below you can see a gallery of images that came out of my 2nd ever roll of film. The first one I messed up completely whilst trying to shoot black and white film on an old Olympus Trip 35. This little camera did not want to advance my film correctly, as I found out once “filled up” the roll of film. A complete bust. After this failed attempt it took me a few weeks to try again, and give it a second chance.

I did so this time with a Nikon F601 and 35-70mm lens that I had laying around the house without actually ever knowing having it. Ah well, I guess I got lucky… this camera already felt much more comfortable, and did the trick for me. It was great fun shooting this thing, and thinking about settings and all that a little bit differently compared to what I am used to whilst shooting digitally.

Click the photographs to see them in their full size/ratio!

As you can see from this gallery the images came out quite nice, to look at. None of them are masterpieces. But they don’t need to be. Shooting film for me is just having fun and trying something else.

I also had a go at scanning the negatives at home. Doing it by DSLR scanning. But as you can see I need more practice at that, and perhaps better gear. Specifically a dedicated macro lens to get clearer images and resolution. I now shot these with my 50mm F1.8 and macro extension tubes. Which comes with losing control of aperture and quite the challenge to nail focus. I guess all good things comes with practice, time and patience. I will keep shooting film every now and then and perhaps try different things for scanning my images. Thanks for reading!

This is the camera I have shot above images on. The Nikon F601 and a 35-70mm F3.3-4.5 lens. A camera from the early 90’s.

Saksun (The Faroe Islands) in February

I haven’t been posting a lot of blogs lately, the reason for that? Well I’ve been busy traveling a bit again. As we speak I have now finished 3 trips in the past 2 months. Twice to the Faroe Islands, and a full month in Norway (more on that later)

In this blogpost I’ll be showing you a few shots of the town of Saksun, in the Faroe Islands. These shots were taken mid February during a private workshop I was running.

More about Saksun.

Chances are you've seen a picture of the village of Saksun in the Faroe Islands pass by. In fact, it is one of the most photographed places in the archipelago. The village consists of a handful of cottages with traditional grass roofs and the surrounding landscape is just as iconic. Saksun is nestled between jagged mountain peaks and there is only one winding road connecting it to the outside world. On one side a wide waterfall flows down, on the other you can descend to a black sand beach. Right in the middle is a snow-white church that contrasts beautifully with the dark landscape.

In the village itself there is a drone ban and if you do not comply, you have the chance of being shot out of the sky by an angry farmer. Everywhere there are signs with rules of conduct for tourists and the beautiful waterfall is marred by a path that should prevent all the grass from being trampled.

It doesn't feel very inviting, but on the other hand I can imagine that the inhabitants are going crazy because of all those tourists. Saksun is the only place on the Faroe Islands where they have special parking spaces for touring cars and that while there is essentially almost nothing to see. The village consists of less than 10 houses, so you can imagine that the village is bursting at the seams on the busy days.

If you also want to visit Saksun, you need to know a few things. First, the village is only accessible by private transportation. No buses stop there, so you'll need a rental car or elevator. Parking is available at the church in the center, but the number of spaces is limited. Especially on a nice day in high season you have the chance that there are no parking spaces left.

In addition, I would like to urge you to abide by the rules of conduct. So no drones, no walking outside the hiking trails and no trespassing on private property.