I think too many words destroys this image hence this time I won't be too disappointed if you tell me you did not read the text. On the other hand, I have a good reason to write about this one so in case anyone interested, please read on.
Title: Neverland, Camera: Hasselblad H1, Lens: 80mm, Filters: No
In fact, I have not recorded lots of praise for this week's photo from my photography fellows. Even my wife has not bothered to pretend any excitement when she saw it. Despite (or rather because of?) I'm choosing it for display here. For a simple reason: I am biased and I like it. Agree with all what has been said about it - it is definitely not a grand landscape vista to admire to death. It does not possess any killing colors nor a striking light. I knew all this when I had released the shutter but here I felt I had connected with a subject after long hours of looking around and trying various things. The shore of Lofoten at its best. There was no light, there were no colors, there was no vista. There was a lonely frozen beach surrounded by more than a total quiteness. And most importantly, this is the image I visualised and hoped for. The one I knew exactly about how it's gonna look like. The one I can tell of that I saw in muted Velvia colors before the frame was exposed. After years of shooting film, I was suddenly absolutely sure about what I am doing. Been with myself only, fully dived into the scene and technique I decided to record it the way shown. Okay, having said that, I can't be more excited about the result but I discovered THE PROCESS. Finally! (Time to buy a large format camera. :-))
When we came to this beach I was amazed. The sand was coated by a thin ice skin with little wrinkles here and there. Rocks lying all around could have provided for endless options of obvious foreground-to-background compositions. The lighting was not great but I could live with it as I found it typical for Norway. I shot one roll with different views of rocks, water pools, sands in the foreground and mountains in the back as everybody would do. But the little stream of the creek attracted me as the far best subject to explore. Only when I replaced the wide angle lens with 80mm I found what I was looking for. Lofoten sea side.