Felix Features dispatches

Looking back at 2011

2012-01-16T10:38:00.003+01:00

If you can't see it properly then click HERE.

Open publication - Free publishing - More media

Same same but different

2011-03-19T12:23:00.004+01:00

A reminder to self (and others) to check white balance settings. Appears two photographers were at the same place at the same time, yet not quite.

October News 2010

2010-10-14T20:36:00.001+02:00

Just sending out our newsletter now. It is in Norwegian only for the moment so there is only a preview here. But the main points are:

* We are delighted to hook up with NOOR agency!
* We welcome Morten Hvaal as a Felix Features photographer!

For all you English speaking fans out there: head over to our main site at www.felixfeatures.com to check out the lates features from our partners. If you read Norwegian and want this newsletter drop me a line at fredrik @ felix features.com

Yeah, I'd be pretty pissed too ....

2010-07-25T23:04:00.004+02:00

.. if I were the president and my country was attacked by my own country!

Conspiracy theory: someone at BBC is trying to make Chavez look loonier than before.

Criminal parent

2010-07-19T10:07:00.007+02:00

Feeling like a criminal, perhaps suspected of being a child molester, my heart rate was increasing. The guard had just passed me on his round, I knew I had a couple of minutes before he would be back. So I did it. I reached for my camera. I quickly shot a few frames. Then some more. I had photographed my own daughter.

Restrictions on photography are nothing new, and there seem to be no limits to the silliness. At Frognerbadet, an outdoor swimming pool set in a park in central Oslo, lifeguards regularly take action to prevent parents photographing their own children. The same entity, Friluftsetaten, also look after public beaches in Oslo, but has no restrictions on photography there. However by putting a fence around Frognerbadet swimming pool, it would seem someone feel they have powers that includes preventing people from doing something that is legal in all other public places. I am not going to ramble on about the legal issues here (though I am pretty sure Friluftsetaten wouldn't have a legal basis for their ban). But as a parent I reserve the right to photograph my own child during key moments in her life.

For further reading, here is a link to a case where British parents won the right to photograph their children at school events.

Berlin glimpses

2010-07-11T22:03:00.009+02:00

At least 38 degrees C in the shade. Too hot to write. So here are a few glimpses of Berlin. More will be in the archive shortly.

Happy Birthday Photoshelter!

2010-06-23T12:04:00.013+02:00

If I ever were in doubt about the value of old photos I got a pretty good reminder the other day when a single pictuer of mine sold for the equivalent of a months salary. This sale was done through my UK partner agency Panos (thanks guys!), but there are quite a few good sales through my own archive on the Felix Features website as well. These are sales that I would not have had it not been for taking the time to properly caption and keyword thousands of my images during my workflow, then making them available online. Like this picture, recently published in Japan, which the client found on the Felix Features website:

Photoshelter is the name of the service that we use to run the Felix Features archive, and recently Photoshelter celebrated five years in business. We've used their services for three and a half years, and they provide a tool and a service that deserves a special mention. I don't usually promote the tools I use everyday. Not my camera, not my computer, nor my phone. I've paid lots of money for them and they just perform as expected, nothing more. And if your try to contact the companies that made them over some problem they're likely to try to worm themselves out of any blame. That's if you even manage to get in touch with them.

Photoshelter is different, and that's why I think they deserve a a plug. The CEO still surfs the user forums and will contribute to discussions. The product gets upgraded/improved every few months, and the folks at Photoshelter seems genuinely passionate about photography so they provide much more than just storage space for pictures.

Go have a look for yourself and by using the referral code FE6FE5R53W you can save a few dollars as well. Disclosure: we get a small credit too, but really don't need it to tell you Photoshelter is a great tool.

The most popular girl

2010-06-11T13:59:00.006+02:00

Extreme sport heroine Karina Hollekim is a popular girl. According to our statisics she is also the most sought after subject in the entire Felix Features archive. Pictures of her have been viewed thousands of times. The only pictures that come close to Karinas are pictures of Ukraine's Asgarda Movement, a group that wish to wants to bring back the Amazon (!) tribes (these images are no longer available).
Here is the story behind the the picture with the most individual views (940 at the time of writing): The picture shows one of the many scars Karina has as a result of undergoing an incredible amount of operations, following a parachute accident. The accident nearly killed her.
She has worked very hard to recover, and this picture was taken during a work out at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences. You can see more of Karina here.
This winter, against all doctors' predictions, she was back in the mountains, skiing! Congratulations Karina!

New Army/media strategy?

2010-05-08T11:56:00.020+02:00

After eight years of being part of a war in Afghanistan, it seems the Norwegian Army has realized it may not be the best strategy to try to keep it a secret. Contradictory to political speaches and the traditional Norwegian obsession with "openness" the Norwegian army has tightly controlled which journalists could visit the troops, and under what circumstances their reporting could be done. Pretending to be secretive special forces, name- and facelss warriors, the Norwegians have shunned media attention. Unless they happened to do "something humanitarian" or shake hands with a minister. Combined with the fact that the Norwegian soldiers have been placed in a reasonably stable region (at least compared to other parts of the country) the resulting reporting has been mostly tranquil postcards from Northern Afghanistan. Interesting mostly to four wheel drive enthusiasts. This strategy has been different from other ISAF countries, who for years have allowed reporters much better access. And their soldiers actually have names and faces (even before their name appeares on a press release as killed in action).

Now the strategy seems to be changing. As their their area of operations has changed for the worse, with enemy "contact" on average every third day, the Norwegian army has done an apparent 167 (sic) degree turn on their media policy. In April 2010 Norwegian TV2's team was the first (as far as I know) who were allowed to do a "proper" embed and follow Norwegian forces into combat. For the first time since troops were deployed to Afghanistan (possibly since since WWII) journalists were able to witness and photograph soldiers in real life and death situations as they fought the Taliban. It only took eight years to pull that rabbit out of the hat: Norwegians kill and get killed.

(Below: wounded soldier being transported. Photo: Lars Kroken/Norwegian Army)

It hasn't exactly opened the floodgates of in depth reporting, or groundbreaking photojournalism. We are still far from seeing emotions or getting under the skin of the soldiers during stressful times, like this story by Erin Trieb, or this by Tim Hetherington. But at least it now seems the Army has realized its ostrich media strategy has backfired. The public has become indifferent to the soldiers and their mission. One, in an interview with Dagsavisen, puts it this way:
"– Here in Norway I don't feel appreciated as a soldier. There is no joy in wearing the uniform in public. (...) I am afraid not to get accepted when I get back - afraid people will have the wrong impression from what they have heard. I am glad the Army now allows the soldiers to speak to the media - so we can make our voices heard. I think it will lead to more support from the society around us."

(There is still residue of the old media strategy in the story, none of the five soldiers interviewed were identified by anything more than their first name.)

I can understand the soldier's concern, and I think he is right. But my main concern has been that the Norwegian Army is representing all of us back home, something they seem to have forgotten at times. We have chosen the politicians that sent them there, so for all practical purposes we sent the soldiers there. For many it is much more personal: they sent their own son or daughter into harms way. So to let everyone back home know what is going on, what our soldiers are doing - right or wrong - shouldn't be treated as such an inconvience for the Army.
After all, the Norwegian public is the employer. WE are your superior officers.

In a democracy free flow of information is an obligation. And media is the vehicle for information to the public. We need information to base our choices on when we elect politicians to act on our behalf. The soldiers deserves it too, how can we appreciate what they are doing if we are not informed about it? And no, a press release from the PIO doesn't qualify as keeping the public informed.

Fredrik in motion

2010-04-30T11:22:00.013+02:00

I've dabbled in video in the past, in addition to my still photography, but always concluded it was too much hassle to be doing two things at once. Certainly when one had to put one camera down and pick up another. Not to mention that there would be a lot of money involved to get broadcast quality equipment. Well, things have changed, as they say. Broadcast quality equipment doesn't cost the same as a car any more. And today "broadcast quality" a lot of times really means "You Tube" quality (there is even a preset for this in the editing program Final Cut Pro). But even more importantly for me: I can use the same camera to shoot video as I use to shoot stills. Cheaper and much less to carry around. I am not the only one to find this, it has spawned a virtual DSLR film revolution.

Though I am less experienced in video I am fairly confident 20 years of still photography will have given me a pretty good visual base to work from. Recently I did a course in editing (using the latest version of Final Cut Studio) at Frontline Club in London. I highly recommend this five day course. This is where editing guru Simon Ruben cuts to the chase, and even someone like me, who hasn't been in a classroom for years, come out with a reasonable understanding of the editing process. There is a lot of information to be digested, so I reccomend going to the pub only every other day while in London.

My first edit since the course was a short piece on freedivers enjoying the waters in an 18 meter deep navy tank. For the camera nerds: it was shot with a Canon 5d MKII in an Ikelite housing. I have done some other work since then, but as it is for a client I can't really show that now. Subscribe on Vimeo or Youtube to see what else I come up with in the future. Now you'll have to excuse me, I have to open the door for that kind gentleman from UPS who keeps coming to my door with gadgets large and small.

Freediving in Navy tank from Fredrik Naumann on Vimeo.

Another Curfewed Night

2010-04-12T14:05:00.015+02:00

One of my pictures from Srinagar, Indian Kashmir, has just come out on the cover of the UK version (right) of Basharat Peer's book Curfewed Night. Some months ago the same picture was used on the cover of the US edition (left).

While it is the same picture, the two covers are somewhat different. And they certainly differ from my original. I am not used to seeing my images manipulated like this, but if they keep ending up on book covers I don't mind. In fact I quite like the UK book cover a lot. If this were to happen in a (photo)journalistic context, obviously it would be a different story.
You can buy the book on Amazon.

Test dive

2010-04-01T20:05:00.011+02:00

I was very much looking forward to another visit to the dive tank at Haakonsvern naval base in Bergen. It is the sort of tank you dive in, not strap on to your back. It is a unique place to go freediving, usually resereved for navy divers and submarine crews. 18 meters deep, nice and warm.

It's also a great place to test dive my new underwater housing (for 5dMKII w/15mm) and do some underwater filming.

My Ikelite housing (w/8" dome) worked well once in the water, but the bayonett attachment of the dome is a right pain compared to past experience I've had with another brand in the past (Subal).

I just did a Final Cut Pro course and will put together a small clip from the days in the tank soon. But first there is some more urgent business to take care of, involving a bunny and some eggs. So for now these two still images are all I can share. Happy Easter!

Just add water

2010-03-20T23:29:00.005+01:00

Last week I took delivery of a new Ikelite underwater housing for my Canon 5d mkII. Including a very impressive 8 inch dome for wide angle shooting. I wish it were simpler to fit in the luggage though.... Nothing like some shopping to counter the financial crisis! Next week I'll be able to put it to the test in Bergen, freediving in a tank. Not only that, I'll be doing my first serious attempt at video filming following a week of training in London. On that note I'll end this blog post: I have to pack, my plane leaves tomorrow.

Headless publishing

2010-03-09T11:10:00.010+01:00

I'm so old I started my journalism career before internet, mobile phones and digital cameras. This makes me an old git, one who regularly will rant about things being better in the good old days. I am sure I am mistaken a lot, but here are two examples of this being true! I think the slower pace of yesteryears would've made sure these two would've been spotted and fixed before being published. But the fast internet publishing into templates ( I assume), without any apparent quality control, makes for some extraordinary visuals.

In the first one an ad with a girls has been perfectly placed on top of a headless woman. The original image was shot that way to make the woman anonymous. The rotation of advertsising means this particular ad can't be found any more , it has now been replaced with others, such as thisfitting ad:

The text reads " Anonymous. Simple.Safe. Anonymous" ... (The ad is for a dating service)

The story is actually about a mother who is concerned for the well being of her daughter, stuck in a Bolivian jail on drug trafficking charges. The intro states she has lost 40 kilo during her time in jail. And is to show exactly how skinny she has become Dagbladet publish this sliiigghtly stretched image:

Lovely!

Peace and no love

2010-03-07T09:25:00.014+01:00

(Update March 11: In my original post I chastised Nobel Peace Center, but to my big surprise the terms has been set by Magnum. I still think it is a silly sign. See addendum at the end of the post for clarification)

From the Nobel Pece Prize spawned The Nobel Peace Center. According to their website the center aims to "spur reflection and debate on issues relating to war, peace and conflict resolution". They do this through "educating, inspiring and entertaining its visitors through exhibitions, activities, lectures and cultural events". It has also become the venue for some of the most important photojournalistic exhibitions in Norway.
From Abbas to Callie Shell, if someone knows how to put on a great photo exhibit, relating to important issues, it is the Nobel Peace Center.

On this background it was with a disbelief I encountered the above sign upon entering their latest exhibition. NO photography allowed??
The NPC is promoting photojournalism and using photography to educate, yet at the same time won't allow photography in their exhibition.What a total and ironic disconnect!

The exhibition From King to Obama portrays the American Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s - and photography played an important role. If no one had photographed Rosa Parks on that bus, or the other events of that time, history may have been different.

© Bruce Davidson /Magnum Photos (via NPC)
USA. Birmingham, Alabama. 1963. Arrest of a demonstrator.

There may not be many history changing events at the NPC, but the organization apparently fails to see that photography isn't just for Magnum photographers in areas of turmoil. Photography is how parents record their children, how friends share their experiences, how individuals keep a peice of their own experiences and their personal history, things that are important to them.

I've tried to think of reasons why NPC has this policy. If is an attempt to protect the copyright of the pictures, then it's a misguieded attempt. The pictures can easily be found elsewhere (some as downloadable pictures on the NPC website). And while all images are protected by copyright, there is nothing legally wrong with photographing pictures in an exhibit as long as one includes some context, such as people looking at the pictures. Perhaps NPC is trying to protect it's commercial interests by making sure the material can only been seen by those paying the 14 dollar (!) entrance fee. If that is the case they may want to weigh that against this scenario: a father who will never return (and pay again) as long as he can't take pictures of his daughter as she sees important pictures of history and learns the value of photojournalism.

This little sign makes a huge differnce in my mind. It gives me associations I didn't expect to get at NPC: London and Kabul to mention a few.

UPDATE (March 11): I recieved some feedback on our Facebook page from Kirsti Svinning of the NPC. I feel it contains some important clarifactions so I share it here as well:

The restrictions are due to regulations from Magnum Photos that is a co-producer of this exhibition, and they only apply to the "From King to Obama"-exhibition. Magnum has a no photography clause for non-media people in all their exhibitions, to protect the copyright of their photograpers and prevent copying/duplication of single photographs. All other exhibitions at the NPC may be photographed and documentet to your hearts content - feel free! If you want to do a professional shoot, please notify us, and we will help fasilitate for your needs.

I'd like to share my reply as well:

I realize now the fire should be directed at Magnum. As a photographer I understand where they are coming from, but still think it is a misguided attempt to protect themselves. It is a a bit like banning all people from driving because some people drive too fast. Anyone wanting to steal an image could simply borrow a book at the library and scan/snap any photograph and get much better quality than trying to make a duplication from a picture on the wall.
It is also sad when a photo agency distrusts the public so much it doesn't think the copyright laws are enough. The very same public Magnum photographers expect to be allowed to photograph at best and worst of times. Trust is a two way street.

Da brothars in da hoods

2010-03-04T10:52:00.007+01:00

Perhaps one of the most rewarding things about being a photojournalist is the access. The possibility to see so many places most people will never get to see in person. Because they are not allowed or perhaps simply becuse tradition - or their own disposition - prevents them from asking. But as a photojournalist it is expected that you are inquisitive, follow people around to see what they do, and photograph it for a living (though the "for a living" part is under pressure). People will also share their intimate and personal moments, and it is a privilege to be part of that. A recent assignment in a monastery is a good example of the things I get to do, that I enjoy. I probaly wouldn't email (it is 2010 after all) a monk in a monastery in a fairly remote part of Norway to see what their daily life is like, was it not for the camera that is my ticket.

Aviation nostalgia

2010-02-09T12:10:00.007+01:00

Aviation nostalgia - Images by Felix Features

In the chaos that is called "moving flat and office" a lot of old pictures has resurfaced from boxes and other unsuitable "archives". Amongst them some pictures from my days as a conscript in the Norwegian Air Force. I was very fortunate to combine two of my passions, photography and aviation. Officially I was a low ranking "photo assistant" but for all practical purposes I worked as a regular, independent photographer at Bardufoss air base. Thanks to a very generous officer passing assignments on to me I also got lots of time in the air. I enjoyed low level flying in helicopters, hanging out of open helicopter doors, back on the ramp of a cargo plane, photographing fast jets, buzzing tree tops in old Cessna Birddogs (from the '50s), and enjoying the fantastic arctic scenery from above. It was great! I could see myself following the footsteps of aviation photographer George Hall. He looked like Magnum PI, but had traded the Ferrari and Hawaii t-shirt for Top Gun jet fighters and a camera! Could you get any cooler than that?
Well, I could never grow that mustache... So I went on to do a different kind photography, my feet mostly on the ground. But those were good times up North. Thanks Lt.Simonsen!

Who is someone else?

2010-02-03T11:11:00.004+01:00

Last year I wrote about the Daily Telegraph who liked my Egyptian freediving pictures soooo much, but didn't quite like to paying for them quite as much. After months of back and forth it turns out another magazine thinks I can survive on falafels alone. I disagree.
It seems to be a common sentiment amongst publishers that "exposure" is a great thing for photographers, it will lead to well paid jobs. So by kindly offering this marvellous and magic "exposure" the publishers see no reason to pay. They have after all provided the photographer with precious exposure. So someone else can hire the snapper, or buy the pictures with real money.

I gotta ask you: Who the hell is this someone else??

If you see him (or her) give me a call right away, I'd like to have a word!

Freediving in Egypt by Fredrik Naumann - Images by Felix Features

Devaluation

2010-01-21T13:54:00.007+01:00

Thinking about the demise of Oeil Public and the reasons photojournalism is in such a squeese I was offered a perfect example by a friend. The Norwegian public broadcaster NRK shows us just how little they care about pictures in a piece about violence in Nigeria. According to a story 460 people were killed in the town of Jos, in clashes between Christians and Muslims.
In the "good ol' days" there would be a picture editor working to find a great picture to go with the story, making sure text and picture(s) were both linked and complementing each other. One would perhaps think the nations biggest news organization (NRK) would have both the resources and professionalism to aim for the same? Apparently not.
NRK is happy to use an old picture, from a different part of the country, showing a totally unrelated event to "illustrate" what is going on in Jos. NRK has taken a great news photo, which won an award in World Press Photo, and reduced it to an "illustration." Of course they don't bother to tell their readers this, the caption reads as part of the story from Jos. Not a single hint that this picture has nothing to do with religion or violence in Jos. I'm thinking someone at NRK said " It's a black man. It's Nigeria. It's dramatic. That'll do!"
NRK has devaluated photojournalism so much they might as well have have used a picture drawn by my three year old daughter!
So it is no wonder photographers are struggling to make a living when even "serious" media is so uninterested in having relevant pictures to go with their stories they just grab anything that resembles what their text is dealing with.
Now, if you wonder about this picture: it was taken by Akintunde Akinleye and this is his own caption:

A Nigerian rinses soot from his face at the scene of a petroleum gas pipeline
explosion near Nigeria's commercial capital Lagos, Tuesday, December 26, 2006.
A ruptured petroleum pipeline burst into flames while scavengers were collecting fuel from the underground pipeline punctured overnight by an armed gang who siphoned fuel into road tankers, leaving behind a stream of stray petroleum gasoline for hundreds of resident scavengers. The Red Cross said the fire killed at least 269 people and injured dozens that were trapped and burnt on the ground next to a ramshackle automobile workshop and a saw-mill in the densely populated district of Abule-Egba, an outskirt of Nigeria’s commercial capital, Lagos.
Nigeria, Africa oil giant, is the eight largest producer of crude oil in the world and its earnings soared by the rise in the world market, allowing it to build up to 40 billion US Dollars by the end of 2006; but it is also one of the world poorest countries with a large number of its 140 million people enduring extreme poverty amid widespread graft that makes a handful of people wealthy.
This inequality motivates those who sabotage oil pipelines and the villagers who pilfer the fuel for sale in the black market where it is sold three-fold.
While the response of the emergency fire service equipped with leaking water hoses
delayed, other villagers assisted in using water collected in buckets, to subdue the fire that lasted four hours.

Akintunde Akinleye
Reuters,
Lagos, Nigeria

R.I.P Oeil Public

2010-01-19T15:59:00.013+01:00

A few days ago came the official announcement that the French agency Oeil Public "closes eyes", as they put it. After 15 years of producing award winning photojournalism Oeil Public no longer finds a market willing to pay for this kind of photography. Sadly they follow a trend: classic italian agency Grazia Neri shut down after 42 years at the end of 2009, others have vanished or cut back to become virtual skeletons of their former glory.

For Felix Features the demise of Oeil Public means we've lost a very interesting partner. In Norwegian media the media picture language is often bland. Oeil Public represented something bolder and more challenging than usually seen in mainstream media here. As a result their material was often a hard sell, but also so much more satisfying to see in print. Oeil Public also represented topics and geographical areas that we don't see much from the anglo-american photojournalists that roam the world. The French history and culture is different than those of our other partnes, and it showed it their pictures. It is also a loss not to represent that perspective any more.

Mega agencies, "citizen journalism", new technology and a recession has led to the culling of so many agencies. Does that spell doom for photojournalism? I predict no - and it is not becuase I am a photojournalist running an agency simply hoping for the best.
I think there are opportunities within photojournalism, and photojournalism will evolve. For example: new technology has made it possible to run an agency from a laptop anywhere, virtually for free. And we can reach markets we never would've dreamt of a few years ago.
This isn't to say it will be easy. Agencies and photographers alike will have to learn some new tricks and hone their old skills.

To the ex-Oeil Public photographers: bon courage, bon voyage & au revoir!

Now, I've got to go brush up on my video skills...

Tsunami revisited

2009-12-31T08:13:00.004+01:00

(Khao Lak, Thailand) Around this time five years ago I picked up a rental car at Phuket Airport and headed to the tsunami stricken areas about an hours drive North of the airport. Tourist destination Khao Lak had been severly hit, killing several thousand locals as well as visiting foreigners. I was there to photograph the aftermath.
Five years later I was back in another rental car. Armed with a stack of these pictures on the passenger seat and strange mix of memories in my head I went looking for the same places I had photographed back then. Most places were easy to find. Others man and nature had worked together to disguise. Khao Lak had certainly worked hard to erase many of the physical scars of the tsunami.

The result is a series of before/after pictures I quite like myself. A few others liked them too it would seem: so far published (to my knowledge) in Norway, Sweden and Denmark.

Will the last person turn of the light please

2009-12-14T21:15:00.002+01:00

It is all about the climate, saving precious energy for future generations. Except for the people at Nordea Bank HQ in Copenhagen. There it is still about showing off the design of their all glass office buildings. Oh, irony is still plentiful in Copenhagen. What can I say? Except perhaps: I'm loving it!

Northface convention

2009-12-14T20:56:00.003+01:00

Another day of protests. On goes the uniform for protesters, journalists, photographers and undercover police officers alike: the black Northface jacket with a hood. To tell them apart: the protesters will be the ones yelling "NO FACES!" to the ones holding the cameras - the photographers - (what a silly notion btw), and the undercover police will be the ones with earphones. The writers will be the ones biting their nails as the police dogs come closer.
Considering the hype and the slogans prior to the event, today was a walk in the park. There was no "storming of the ministry". Nor was there a revolution. I am truly disappointed. I've wanted to see a revolution for a long time. Oh well, you can see what is was like right here.

COP15 Frustrations and opportunities

2009-12-13T22:38:00.013+01:00

(Copenhagen, Denmark) The UN Climate Conference, COP15, is huge. It is a place full of opportunities for photographers. But also full of frustrations and pitfalls when pros and amateurs alike compete over the same pictures and protesters, trying to outdo each other, crop each other out of pictures, physically block each other, and get THE picture.
As many photographers I too gravitate towards trouble. I have photographed demonstrations for about 20 years, so this is what I do. But COP15 sets a new and strange standard for me. It is the first time I have felt there are so many people out there with cameras, falling over each other, sometimes outnumbering the protesters, that I wonder what the hell I am doing here. Obviously I am trying to make a living doing something I do reasonably well, but there is less of a feeling of being very useful as journalist here. Every conceivable angle will be covered by classic media, as well as by the citizen selfpublishing generation, CSG. If I were to go home, me or my pictures would probably not be missed. In some instances it is just silly: At one point a single loudmouth was able to attract a sea of cameras (top), not because his actions or words were much to report on, but simply because all the photographers present were so pumped up and ready for action. Before or after COP15, no self respecting photographer would have wasted a single pixel over this.

But it isn't only us photographers who aren't thinking straight. The police suddenly came up with the notion that by having protective gear like helmets and gas masks, journalists could be responsible for escalating the protests. That's a new one! Having covered small protests, armed conflicts and things in the middle, it was the first time I've had my safety gear confiscated and given partly blame for the trouble I've come to report on. After a chance meeting with a Danish reporter on the spot, telephone calls to other media and some twittering, it seems the phones started ringing at the Danish police HQ too. And someone had a think about what they were doing. About an hour after we had our gear taken, it was handed back to us by apologetic low ranking police officers who were, not surprisingly "only doing their job and following orders". Hmmm...where did we hear that clever argument before..?

But let me share more than frustrations with you. COP15 is a great place to enjoy people watching (and people photographing), and see unexpected and ironic things . Like the climate protesters dropping out of the demonstration to buy junk food at the Shell station! Or the the anti capitalists protesters who chain-support the tobacco industry while trying make cunning plans to target the evil multinational corporations.

COP15 continues for another few days. Despite the above frustrations I think I might be able to get some useful shots. Even if I fail, let's at least hope the politicians succeed!

NEECO-tourism

2009-12-03T14:48:00.005+01:00

I've been in confession mode lately. Got a new confession today. Recently, I took part in NEECO-tourism (Not Exactly Eco tourism...). Well, as a photojournalist I have an important job to do, so I guess I am excused, right? Anyway, to check out and document marine life at the Similan Islands, off the Thai coast, I had to (I mean had to, it is a dirty job and all that) get on a speedboat with three 200 horse power engines and race out there at 30 knots. To see .. I mean document... a lone turtle being fed bananas by tourist guides from three different boats, and see .. I mean document..a huge Russian man proudly turn into a swollen version of the Pink Panther.

Elephant in the room

2009-11-28T17:01:00.002+01:00

Khao Lak, Thailand: Returning five years after I covered the tsunami aftermath is a bit odd. It is rather unlikely (knock on wood!) that a tsunami will strike just as I am back, so I sleep quite well at night. But it is like nobody really wants to mention the elephant in the room. But it's hard not to see the signs: "Tsunami evacuation route" , "Tsunami shelter 5 km" etc.. Yet a hotel employee told me that since he returned to Khao Lak 8 months ago, not a single tourist has asked him anything about what happened in 2004, or if it could happen again. And the tourists are coming in ever greater numbers. Warning signs and memorials are there, but most hotels have been rebuilt and there is little evidence of the devastation I saw five years ago. But I can understand why people choose to ignore the elephant. Talking to the survivors is heartbreaking.

White flag II

2009-11-27T05:23:00.012+01:00

Sometimes you just can't win. As you may have read: recently and reluctantly I got 30 pieces o f silver from the government (though they are not in my account yet - perhaps I have been duped?). Anyway, so I find myself in Thailand with some pictures of a certain minister laying down flowers to commemorate those who died in the tsunami five years ago. Next step is to try to sell these pictures. Norway's biggest newspaper (for now) seems very interested for a few hours , then they suddenly decline. Baffled I soon find the answer on the internet: they've been given a picture for free. That's obviously annoying, and I recent VG for going with the handout pictures after expressing an interest in my pictures, but it happens these days. What really made my jaw drop was the byline. The picture came from the MFA, the very same people that gave me a grant to cover this! First they give me money (well, I am still waiting but..) then they knock me out of the competition by handing out freebies.

Up goes another white flag. I throw my cards. I yield. I tear my hear. I open a Singha I had cleverly placed in the hotel fridge earlier. Then another.

Fortunately I didn't spend all the taxpayers money (well, so far only my own money actually..) on photographing the minister and I have a few days left. So I still hope to come home with some material to actually earn some money from this trip. But who knows.

Here is a little "behind the scenes" story. Classic press photography trickery (note: I don't call this photojournalism): In the first scene you you see how the minister is heading out onto the empty beach, to have a solemn moment in the breaks. The second picture perhaps a truer representation of the event, with us photographers (and MFA) nearly falling over ourselves to get pretty much same shot.

As a parting shot I give you the classic politician with baby. It is a well know fact that babies and politicians cannot be expected to stay at opposite ends of a room if there are photographers around. In a Norwegian hospital there may be some red tape when photographing patients, as we have some privacy laws. No such complications in Thailand...

Don't Worry - Be Happy

2009-11-23T11:43:00.003+01:00

It is late autumn. The rain is falling yet again from a dark grey sky. The media is dying. The planet is suffocating from CO2. There is AIDS and starvation. There is Ahmadinejad and Netanyahu. And...and..and... Then, as I walk home in the rain, I am given a message right in front of my nose. Placed perfectly to be seen by grim people walking hunched over in the rain, a smiley painted on the street. The world may still be falling apart, but not without a smile!

White flag

2009-11-17T13:45:00.001+01:00

Some years ago I accepted a grant from NORAD, the Norwegian Development Agency, to make some features in Sierra Leone. (Yes I know, the money in the picture are Nigerian. Don't worry, it's not important to the story that follows...)

The grant was quite open, the only term was that it was to be spent in one of the countries Norway was working with in the region. It is the ideal situation for a reporter, someone saying: " go make some story in West Africa". Yet I felt a bit uneasy, as my attitude is that as journalists should have no links to organizations or people we report directly on. In this case I really don't think we would've done much, if anything differently, if the money come from a newspaper. Still I couldn't rid myself of feeling I had crossed a line. So I decided not to accept such a grant again. Ever.

Well, that was then...Fast forward four years and I applied for a grant from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. And I got it. I took it. I am shortly going to Thailand, partly for Norwegian taxpayers money. So what as changed?

2009 has been an "Annus horribilis" for media, and a lot has changed in our industry. It has left me thinking about the options left in order to do the kind of reporting that interests me and that I think is important journalistically. It is apparent changes needs to be made for journalism to adapt, simply to survive, in this new landscape. So does this mean I have to lower my standards, do we have to "adapt" our morality as well? I wish I could say a firm "NO!" to that. But my conclusion is a resigned "yes".

It seems to me the media as a whole has given up on many of the ethical standards that used to be considered core values in the business. "Content is king" is a worn out catch frase, now replaced by "Free is king". Or better yet "Free content is king". Even the Norwegian union newspaper Journalisten now prefer to use pictures from Flickr, microstock etc, which allow them to use pictures for free (or virtually for free), rather than to give even their own union members priority, follow union tariffs and pay reasonably. This is true for other union magazines as well. When even the unions abandon their values and members, what does that say about the business climate today?
Or when a Norwegian magazine, officially on the left politically, offered me a fraction of the asking price for a story I made in Kashmir because "that is what we would normally be paying a local freelancer in Iraq for such a story"? The same magazine will write about foreign construction workers in Norway being paid less than minimum wage, how they are being exploited as well as how this is undermining the Norwegian workers rights and salaries. And they don't see the irony...

Some of my colleagues have indicated I have been naive about the idealism and ethics in journalism. I am starting to think they may be right: It would seem no one in this industry is giving a shit any more, if you pardon my French.
These days no one is thinking twice about accepting money from the government to afford writing about what the government does. It turns out pretty much all Norwegian media apply for grants, especially if it means getting on a plane to see what the Minister of the Environment and International Development is up to. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is one of the most generous donors around.

I'd like to think I still give a shit. I still believe there are a number of rules that should govern the way we work as journalists. But on this issue I raise the white flag! I give up. So from now on I will apply for grants that I previously would not have considered. However, unlike most of my colleagues, I will make sure all pictures taken with the help of grants will leave my computer with a reference to the funding. (Such as in this example from Sierra Leone.) I don't know if it matters much, or just makes me feel better. Come to think of it, I am not even sure it makes me feel all that much better.

100.000 images and counting

2009-11-12T11:40:00.005+01:00

November 10th 2009 marked a special day for the Felix Features archive: we passed 100.000 images in our online archive. The actual picture that made us pass this mark is a portrait of an Afghan Army soldier, made by Alfredo Caliz, in Herat province. In many ways it is typical of the work we represent: the photographer has travelled far, spent time to document an issue and a place that affects many people, and he has made a great feature. Check out the whole series here.

What started as a personal archive of my own pictures in 2007 has turned into our agency's most important tool. The digital evolution has made it possible for us to run an agency, based on software and servers in the US, at a reasonable cost. Kudos to Photoshelter for this great product that our archive is built upon.

The transition from film to digital pictures revolutionized the flow of pictures around the world, but the process also killed off innumerable picture agencies. The financial crisis that rocked the world this and last year certainly didn't help our business. But Felix Features is still here!

Our strategy is to keep doing what we are good at: "proper" photojournalism. Whilst some media gravitate towards the entertainment and celebrity business when times are hard we have decided to be true to our craft. And we will keep working to have a fair trade profile by taking a smaller commission than is the norm in Norway, making sure photographers get a share every time a picture is sold, and working with our main partner Panos Pictures who in turn gives half their profits to development work.

We've always been confident about the quality of the pictures in our archive. We're happy to have increased the quantity as well!

Faith in Ken

2009-11-03T11:24:00.010+01:00

Faith by Ken Opprann - Images by Felix Features

Norwegian photography books are rare. And black and white photojournalism in hard cover about as common as solar eclipses. Or should I say as rare as photojournalism on the artscene. But just the other day my friend Ken Opprann could pour the wine and celebrate his book "Faith" ("Tro" in Norwegian), published on Font Forlag.

For about 15 years Ken has been traveling the world, photographing people as they practice their faith. The result is an impressive 337 page book, all classic black and white photojournalism.

So classic, in a technical sense, that all but a couple of pictures were shot on Tri-X film and developed by hand in his bathroom. But most importantly classic in the sense that Ken has taken the pictures without any directing, fancy technique or fakery. He has used time and his people skills, showing respect to the people he photograph, to get trust and access. The two latter being essential in photojournalism. You can have a good eye, great cameras and technique, but it will do you no good without trust and access.

"Ken" actually means "yes" in Hebrew. I was with him in Jerusalem, it was like Abbott and Costello in "Who's on first?"! Fortunately Ken overcame this and numerous other challenges to take his pictures. If "Fatih" had been a DVD I think the extra material and behind the scenes shots had been as interesting as the main film.

Ken has allowed the people, the settings and the light to be the basis for his pictures. So many photographers are applying some sort of signature effect these days, hoping to stand out in a competitive market. To me it often seems they are putting up a smoke screeen, as if they realize the pictures don't have enough depth (in terms of content) without it. With Kens pictures there is no need for that.

Photojournalism on the artscene

2009-10-24T22:04:00.022+02:00

Saturday Oct 24 saw the opening of an exhibition out of the ordinary here in Norway. At least as far as photojournalism/documentary style photography goes. At a time when the classic photojournalists are about as endangered as Southern Bluefin Tuna, pictures by Magnum photographer Stuart Franklin were selling for $5.000 a piece. And they were selling, not just hanging on the gallery wall with a hefty price tag. Little red dots at the pictures revealed at least six pictures were sold even before the welcoming speach by the Norwegian Foreign Minister was over.

Photojournalists all over the world are struggling to convince their clients their pictures are worth slightly more than the 1$ dime-a-dozen-pictures from some micro stock agency. So how come these pictures are sellable at this price? The short answer is context.

Stuart Franklins pictures are good, but not unique in the sense that no other photojournalist in the world could have done something similar. So what is different? For one, the pictures were sold at a fundriser for a The Voss Foundation, raising money for their work providing water to African communities.

But even involving a Magnum photographer is no guarantee for success for an NGO, nor is it cheap. However The Voss Foundation has some very generous friends and sponsors, making it possible for them to let 100 percent of the sale of prints go towards providing clean water in Africa. The Foundation was also clever in involving Blomquist art dealer/auction house, providing a much more upmarket environment than such pictures normally are displayed in. Photojournalism is usually set well apart from the art marked, at least here in Norway. And art photos would invariably be silver bromide prints. Not so in this case. Welcome to 2009: shot on digital colour, printed in black and white from file. Big no-no amongst black and white buffs. Yet here we are, little red dots appearing under the pictures. That tells me the buyers liked the pictures, regardless of the tools used to make them. I'd say that is a good thing, the image being the decisive factor, it's more about seeing than about the process.

Photojournalism is often valued for the apparent immediate information gained from quickly looking at a picture. By exhibiting at Blomquist The Voss Foundation draws a different crowd. Who also, put bluntly, expect the prices to be high, and are not put off by it. Some may simply want to support the foundation, but I hope and expect many of the buyers will also appreciate Stuart Franklins pictures as great pictures. And that is why they buy a print at $5.000. To have on their wall, perhaps to enjoy, perhaps to contemplate. And to give that picture a much longer life than it would have in a newspaper or magazine. Perhaps an unplanned contribution by The Voss Foundation is the introduction of photojournalism to the art establishment in Norway. One can hope.

To create lasting pictures is a real challenge for photojournalists. To find new markets for them is perhaps even harder. But those who do may survive the culling our business is seeing these days.

Convergence

2009-10-01T11:27:00.012+02:00

A great comic strip on the everyday trials of photographers is What The Duck by Aaron Johnson. Yesterday's strip illustrates in part where this blog post is coming from: it is just me bragging again!

Well, let's call it sharing, that sounds better. I'd like to share the news that one of my images recently was shown in an exhibition in South Korea. I like it when I get that sort of news. More precisely it was shown at the Daelim Museum, Seoul, Korea. And you can see the exhibition at Korean Cultural Centre, in London, UK from 13 October – 28 November 2009, that may be closer to some of you.

This picture serves an as illustration to the sad state of our oceans. But it also illustrates the lifespan of some images, as this one was taken 10 years ago, in Sri Lanka. I don't have a number, but this image has been sold many times since I took it. This time via the fab crew at Panos Pictures. A tip for other photographers: make sure you have your images well captioned and organized. Not doing so is throwing money out the window. And with today's technology there really is no excuse not to have an archive that will earn you a few $ or € or whatever every now and then. And you don't need to be represented by an agency to get your pictures seen. I don't get a single cent (in any currency) for plugging Photoshelter (but I should, do you hear me, Allen & Grover!), but I will still recommend it to anyone asking about an archive system.

Got it covered

2009-09-25T09:45:00.012+02:00

The last few days seem to have been a lot about books and covers. For me, the most fun was going to the post office with Marianne (Felix Features and life partner) to pick up her first book, on travel journalism. It was great to see all her hard work finally translated into a nice 224 page book. Well done, Marianne! And the cover didn't look too shabby either, if I may say so myself.

I also just found out I have the cover of another book, Curfewed Night by Basharat Peer, coming out in the US. The same book is being published in the UK and Commonwealth as well, possibly with the same picture, later. When I first returned from Kashmir last year I was a bit frustrated with the lack of interest in material from that area, but in the end it proved to be a worthwhile trip, with several features and individual pictures printed. And hopefully more to come.

This week the latest magazine from Amnesty Norway also came out. Despite a good relationship with the editor (Marianne), none of my images made it to the cover (but I have some inside). However, Felix Features was able to provide a great picture by George Osodi/Panos Pictures to illustrate the coverstory on Nigeria.

Lastly, two friends also came out with books just now: Helle Aarnes and Sophie Aaserud have both earned themselves a break from their laptops for a while now! Well done and congratulations to both!

Sould I Stay or Should I Go

2009-09-14T21:59:00.006+02:00

It's been a little over a week since the "It's raining men" and other classics faded from the courtyard of the historic Couvent des Minimes. Despite the lack of a champagne sponsor (gasp!) photojournalists and agents from all over the world came together and bonded (got pissed) in the old convent. Forgotten for a few hours were the great and horrific images on the other side of the walls of the courtyard. But perhaps not the uncertain future of this trade? Pure genius or a stroke of luck, I don't know, but I'd say the DJ got it right when he put on the The Clash, Sould I Stay or Should I Go, from their album Combat Rock. What better choice for your average photojournalist today? Photojournalism is a shifty mistress...

Darling you gotta let me know
Should I stay or should I go?
If you say that you are mine
I'll be here til the end of time
So you got to let know
Should I stay or should I go?

Always tease tease tease
You're happy when I'm on my knees
One day is fine, next is black
So if you want me off your back
Well come on and let me know
Should I stay or should I go?

Should I stay or should I go now?
Should I stay or should I go now?
If I go there will be trouble
An if I stay it will be double
So come on and let me know

This indecisions bugging me
If you dont want me, set me free
Exactly whom I'm supposed to be
Don't you know which clothes even fit me?
Come on and let me know
Should I cool it or should I blow?

Should I stay or should I go now?
If I go there will be trouble
And if I stay it will be double
So you gotta let me know
Should I stay or should I go?

Photojournalism resurrection?

2009-09-02T11:02:00.008+02:00

The death of photojournalism has been announced for a long time and this year's Visa pour l'image is marked by the doomsday gloom. With many of the exhibitions being held in old churches it is easy to go overboard with religious anekdotes, and say we are here to worship photojournalism. Or bury it.
I am not sure I am ready to do either. The photo festival in Perpignan is place where I get reminded of some of the flaws in our profession. But let's not waste time on that. Much more important is being reminded how much brilliant work is done around the world. So much inspiration can get had here if you don't need to be the world champion all the time and slag the work of your fellow photojournalists (other rules of the festival an be found at foto8). One can come away from Perpignan with lots of ideas for new projects (unfortunately some come away with other peoples ideas, but that's another blog).
Sadly no one yet knows who's going to pay for any future projects, or who will publish the pictures. The festival itself is sponsored by the Devil. So now we are pondering, shall we too accept 30 pieces of silver? Is that how we contribute to the photojournalism resurrection?

Historic importance

2009-08-31T22:46:00.007+02:00

Norwegian Prime Minister, Jens Stoltenberg, has for several months allowed photographer Daniel Sannum Lauten to follow him around, fly on the wall. To the journalist union's magazine, Journalisten.no, the PM says he allowed Sannum follow him because this kind of pictures "are of historic importance". It is a good thing that the PM allows a photographer to follow him around. BUT: if the PM had a sense of history he could have chosen to allow media some insight into other "historical "matters as well one would think. Some matters slightly more historic than him having another meeting, speech or lunch... Such as the war in Afghanistan. Having Norwegian soldiers in combat for years and years, on another continent, I'd argue that could be called historic. Yet the the media is not allowed anywhere near when Norwegian soldiers fire their guns. If you are really nice you can photograph them shake hands with wrinkly old men. God forbid we ever saw an injured soldier and photographed him, or an Afghan killed by our soldiers... It would be of "historic importance" I'm sure, to document what is going on "over there"? But that wouldn't be good in the upcoming election would it? If Stoltenberg is so concerned with openness and wants things of historic importance photographed, he'd let media follow something slightly less mundane than his days of shaking hands and holding meetings. For one he'd let us see what is going on in Afghanistan, how we are doing in this "war on terror" and how our tax money are being spent.
PS As if to underline how "historic" the pictures of the PM are, Journalisten.no chose to illustrate this very story with a picture from an entirely different photographer...

Park you car bomb here

2009-08-29T20:37:00.004+02:00

I always look forward to the photo festival in Perpignan, France. The only thing I dread is the French waiters. Inevitably, the answer to the question "Parlez vous Anglais?" will be a stern look and a firm "Non!" The Norwegian response to such a question would normally be a more gentle "Nei", adding the equivalent of "sorry" or "I am afraid not". Perhaps even a smile and raised eyebrows. That's not how they do it in France...
Well, I guess the French approach leads to less ambiguity, there is no way you'd mistake the French waiter: under no circumstances will he ever speak English. This clear and direct way of communicating is also present on French traffic signs. Entering from Spain, on the way to Perpignan, one of the first things you meet is this parking lot. Where, very clearly, people with car bombs are directed to park their cars to the right.
We kept left.

It's all about the light

2009-08-27T20:51:00.007+02:00

I could give you a bunch of good, professional, reasons to attend the photo festival Visa pour l'Image in Perpignan, France. I won't. Not yet anyway. Perhaps later. If you been in Norway this summer, you only need to look at the forecast to the right to see why Perpignan is the place to be heading to now. After all, photography is all about light isn't it ;-)?

Just say NO!

2009-08-25T07:22:00.006+02:00

Recently I was contacted by someone writing for the Daily Telegraph online. Somehow they had come across my images of the Norwegian freedivers, and now they wanted to do a story on me and my underwater photography. Sounds nice, right? I'll admit it is flattering to be "discoverd" by foreign media like that, wanting to focus on me and my work. But flatter doesn't pay my bills. Getting paid does! So I mention this awkward little thing called "payment". Well, well, well..wouldn't you know: there goes the Daily Telegraph, bye bye! Apparently "no budget" for pictures.

Caramba!? What is this? At least the Daily Telegraph journalist admitted her request was paltry. I agree! So it would seem she knew right from wrong, though she admitted this to us, rather than telling her editor like she should have: It is paltry to expect photographers to fill your newspaper with free content while you expect make money off their work.

As I am writing this I receive this on Twitter: marc_vallee"I’m a Photographer, Not Free Content!", http://bit.ly/43rZD @guardiannews @guardianeco
Marc rightly calls out the Guardian for asking the public" to help document the 2009 Camp for Climate Action" by submitting images to their Flickr group.

Again, what is this? Are photographers and the public is expected to work for free, to sponsor the Scott Trust and the Barclay Brothers (BB's 2007 estimated wealth: £1.8 billion)?

Nancy was right: JUST SAY NO!

Slow jets, fast asleep

2009-08-22T22:15:00.010+02:00

I'd never thought I'd say photographing at an airshow would be boring but today I got a surprise. One would think celebrating 100 years of aviation in Norway would mean a great aerial party, but no. I managed to squeese a few drops out of this lemon, despite a slow moving and unsurprising program, all while some guy actually fell asleep behind the photographers' platform ...Kudos to the organizers for the platform though, that was an improvement since last show.
Despite this being a Norwegian celebration the highlights were provided by Swiss and Belgian jets. Without their lovely afterburners today would've been a great yawn. PS. Anyone got a EF 600mm/4.0 too many, I'd be happy to take it off your hands.

Rewarding non-award picture

2009-08-20T13:00:00.009+02:00

For a third time this year I have picture in Newsweek (again via Panos). It is interesting to keep track of the pictures from the archives that gets published. Often it is not the pictures I think are my best (though I like this one!), or the ones I'd enter to a competition. Sometimes I think pictures has passed their "sell by date", then suddenly gets sold again. This could mean I have no clue what my best images are, I suppose? Seriously, it's pretty much impossible to predict what clients will neeed or want from an archive. So for stock I will keep throwing my net wide, and keep shooting those non-award winning images!
This picture was originally part of a story on an underwater archaeological expedition on the Norwegian coast, in Newsweek used as a generic image of underwater eploration. You can see the original story in the Felix Features archive. This picture never won any awards, but it is rewarding to have people still find it and put it in print.

Walking my shoes off

2009-08-17T08:18:00.006+02:00

Looking to find a new home/office is hard work. We've been at it for a long time now. No luck. So why not make living from flat hunting? Well, "making a living" is perhaps a bit strong, but at least I got this one picture, and sold it, the other day. We didn't get the flat, but I got the picture. That's something.

BASE gone wet

2009-08-13T19:40:00.006+02:00

They say the weather is unpredictable on the Norwegian West coast. I say not. It is very predictable: it usually rains.. For two days I've been photographing the World BASE Race. And for two days I've been trying to keep myself and my camera gear somewhat dry and at the same time get some decent pictures. Not easy. But what can you do? Except climb the bloody mountain, eat some painkillers, curse the weather, take some pictures and walk down that bloody thing again! I had a client for a story from WBR before doing this trip, so it had to be done, rain or shine. And for the same reason I won't be able to show any more pictures for the time being. They'll be published next year, so all I can give you for now is a little teaser, one of the jumpers flying off the mountain. And a picture of the Felix Features office, Innfjorden branch. Fortunately the race was able to get started despite the shifting weather conditions, and everyone landed safely. And I have one more day to get the rest of the pictures. Now, would someone please turn the water off?!!

BASE gone wrong

2009-08-11T17:41:00.007+02:00

For a long time I've been waiting to go back to the mountainous Romsdalen in Western Norway to photograph BASE jumping. I've been looking forward to it. And dreading it! It is exciting to photograph, but you are at the mercy of the weather gods and it involves a lot more hiking in the mountains than my knees like. However none of these things seemed very important as I learned a base jumper had died as I was driving across the mountains from Oslo. As I got to the scene the jumper had been lifted out by helicopter, but two of his freinds had to be rescued from the mountain, after they attempted to help him. It is sad, but it is also a fact one must deal with when one gets involved with BASE jumping: sooner or later, you or someone you know will crash, perhaps even die.

Football from above

2009-07-28T21:36:00.008+02:00

Struggling to get pictures that show the scale of one of the world's largest football tournaments, Norway Cup, I decided to take to the air today. From the right seat in Cessna it was much easier to appreciate the scale of the event. From about 1200 feet the football fields lined up nicely under the right wing, not unlike what I was hoping for. Well, almost. In the viewfinder I was trying to frame the pictures as best as I could, but there wasn't really time to see the details in the pictures. So imagine my disappointment to see half the pictures showing idle players! As it happened we passed over the fields exactly when games were at half time...with players standing around, talking or just kicking a ball in a circle. Fortunately there was the other half of pictures!
To see more pictures from Norway Cup, ground level and aerial photos, have a look at THIS gallery.

Football happiness

2009-07-27T07:26:00.009+02:00

This week I am photographing at Norway Cup, a football tournament with 30.000 children from about 40 nations! The sheer size of the event makes for so many photographic opportuities, but sometimes also the luxury problem of not knowing quite what to choose. Not only is there constant action on the 65 fields, but there is also so much happening on the sidelines and on the fringes of this event. Imagine the logistics of feeding all these children, the amount of ice cream their parents buy them during this week, or how many will have their first crush and subsequent heartbreak! However, as it is impossible to cover everything, I've descided to start off by concentrating on the sport and the action. Everything else will be a bonus. Now, let's just hope it doesn't start to rain...

Newsweek surprise

2009-07-22T16:32:00.007+02:00

The headline sounds a bit like some sort of ice cream, but it's not. This week I had another picture in Newsweek (to read about last time click HERE). I would have to admit it is a surprisingly unremarkable picture this time, one that very nearly wasn't taken and almost didn't made it through the editing process. Showing a string of carpet selling shops, the picture has boring - middle of the day - light and not much is going on...I guess my thinking at the time was something like : "well, you never know.." Today, I am glad I took that picture!
It can serve as an example of how I sometimes shoot for stock, while actaully working on an entirely different story. In this case I was in Kashmir covering the current situation there, a bit of demonstrations and so on. It is easy to get a bit of tunnel vision when working on such projects, but I try to remind myself to look for other pictures that may be useful too. It is not like I am snapping everything around me, that would distract too much from the original project. But with a shrinking market for photojournalism and features, shooting with stock in the back of my mind too is a way of diversifying. It makes projects like going to Kashmir for two weeks more economically viable. And thanks to the picture agency that represent my work outside Norway, Panos Pictures, my images reach a lot more publications.

Underwater Sunday

2009-07-20T11:59:00.006+02:00

Just a quick post to add a tearsheet from the largest newspaper in Norway , VG. They ran a full page this Sunday of one of the swimmers going to the World Championships in Rome. I shudder a bit looking at all the text they've put over this photo (you can see the original HERE). On the other hand it is classic VG style, and I really can't complain when I chose offer them my pictures. I am glad I already got pictures from the pool sessions last week published, hopefully there will be more in the near future.

Underwater Friday

2009-07-18T07:26:00.013+02:00

This Friday was very much an underwater day. In the morning, delivered to our door, was A-magasinet with a six page spread with my freediving pictures. Marianne's text had been cut somewhat, but the pictures got a very nice layout. This feature has been in the making for about a year, and it was great to finally see it in print. I really like those long projects with no deadline. Clik HERE if you want to see the pictures, along with many unpublished ones.

After breakfast I went to shoot the Norwegian national swimming team, who was practicing in an outdoor pool nearby. They were having their last practice sessions before going to the World Championships in Rome next week. They very generously let me share the water with them, allowing me to swim underneath them as they were concentrating on their training. Thank you guys and good luck in Rome!

You can see the full set of underwater pictures by clicking HERE.
Having been freediving a bit the last six months helped, allowing me to stay underwater for a while longer to get the shots. I suppose one could take the same pictures with scuba gear, but it would be a lot more logistics, gear hassle and bubbles.

As usual I was using an Ikelite housing with a Canon 20D inside. I would've loved to upgrade this kit, a Canon 5D MKII would be nice, but unless any of you readers can sponsor me it will have to wait. Some people were looking strangely at me for wearing a wetsuit in the 25 C degree water, but being still a lot in a pool for two hours would make anyone quite cold.

Travel edit

2009-07-09T19:36:00.000+02:00

Today we reached the final edit of pictures for Marianne's (my better half and business partner) book on travel journalism. Marianne's text was ready last week. It has been a challenge to find pictures to go with the more academic and technical aspects of travel writing, as opposed to go with an actual story, but I think we got a good mix in the end. The pictures will be printed in black and white, one for each chapter. This was another challenge, as many of these pictures were originally taken and later printed precisely for the light and colours that are now lost. Different light and colours are part of what makes many places unique. And as such useful tools for travel photography. But again, I think we managed to find pictures that works well despite this limitation. And of course Marianne's book isn't about photography, it's about travel journalism. And then there is a budget to keep... The book will be the first of its' kind in Norway, it has been a long journey to get to this point. Now the rest is up to the printer and publisher, can't wait to see the finished product! Congratulations Marianne!

Haystack dreamin'

2009-07-09T10:55:00.004+02:00

In a blog titled "Is editing a lost art?" Jonathan of EatMedia complain of not finding the pictures he needs after searching on iStockphoto and Flickr. Lamenting the photographers lack of editing skills he seems to forget many of the contributors are not photographers at all. At least not professional photographers. I felt compelled to write Jonathan a reply:

This is what happens when the market expect pictures for pennies, and reward the amateur/citizen/crowd-sourcing websites by buying from them rather than the traditional picture agencies.

Even pro photographers often need a second opinion on their editing, which is done at the (ever fewer) “old fashioned” picture agencies, where they still have editors. However the extra time and employees will of course lead to extra costs, so the pictures become more expensive from such agencies.

But as you choose not to spend the extra money, YOU will have to spend the extra time wading through heaps of unusable material. I don’t know your hourly rate, but perhaps it is worth doing the calculation for the time you spend doing this research, versus asking an “old fashioned” agency – with pro photographers and editors – to find what you are looking for, then pay their rate. It may actually be cheaper in the in end. And apart from price, you’re likely to get better quality. That could benefit the product you are making too, right?

You can choose to buy a needle in a shop, or hope to find a free one in a haystack. The choice is yours..

Today is Close

2009-07-08T11:13:00.006+02:00

Sifting through old pictures can be good fun, and yesterday I found this little gem. Perhaps the monks who put up this sign outside their tempel in Luang Prabang, Laos, didn't quite intend for this sign to be so full of every day philosophy. But I am happy to interpret this sign as a reminder for us busy Western folks not only to focus on tomorrow and all we want to achive by then. But to remember to live today. Because Today is Close. Very Close Indeed.

Wet dream

2009-07-02T00:13:00.007+02:00

I had to stop on my way back to Oslo from Voss, to take a picture. This one. I don't care what you say, I like it. It's taken right about here: latitude: 60° 51' 15" longitude : 6° 45' 16" Or was it the other way around? Get your GPS out, see where it gets you.

Polecam set up

2009-07-01T23:34:00.007+02:00

Just a little technical entry to show how I shot some of the kayak pictures at the Extreme Sport Week. The pole is an extendable one, bought in a hardware shop (originally for painting ceilings), with a Manfrotto Superclamp (I failed utterly attempting to put a 1/4" screw directly at the end - no chance I'll get to work in the Mythbusters worskhop anytime soon...) and a small tilt head. The camera - a Canon 5D with 15 mm - was hard wired (i.e. using a cable release), and the flash (sitting on the rock) was trigger with a Pocket Wizard radio remote. Then it was simply a matter of sticking the whole kit into the river, aiming it at incoming kayakers. Yet at the same time trying not to gouge anybody's eyes out. Note for next time: bring plastic to cover camera etc..

Getting down

2009-06-26T20:42:00.004+02:00

Day five. Just a quick word and a picture to show what I've been up to today. Downhill longboarding. Quite exciting to watch and photograph. I struggeled today to find a spot I was happy with. The most likely place for good action turned out to be a turn where the riders had the sun directly in their back. You'll never hear me complain about sun in Norway, but this angle was difficult to work with. So I tried a few different things. You'll have to wait to see them later though.No time to work on those pictures now, I am off to photograph more.

Remote controlled

2009-06-26T09:48:00.004+02:00

Day four of the Extreme Sport Week was mainly spent by the river Brandsetelva, photographing a downhill kayak race. It isn't a very long stretch that of the river that is being used for the race and I've photographed there at least four times before, so the challenge was to get something different.
It is very tempting to just sit by the dramatic waterfall, a 7 meter drop for the kayakers, but I talked myself into trying something further downriver. Putting my camera on a pole with a cable release I was able to reach in over the river, almost into the kayaks. Depending on the sun (constantly changing where there was shadow and where there was sun), I set up a small flash on the side. This was triggered by radio remote from the camera. I think it worked out pretty good if I may say so myself!

Day 3 swoooshing by!

2009-06-24T22:11:00.009+02:00

This third day of The Extreme Sport Week has been fairly laid back, yet frustrating at the same time. Lots of people dropping out of the sky in various ways today (in a controlled manner, more or less). Unfortunately they seemed to land wherever I was not! If I moved, they simply landed where I had just been... The above shoot may seem OK at 500 pixels but it is not as sharp as it should be, so I wouldn't hang it on my wall unfortunately :-( They are damn hard to nail, those swoopers, really quick buggers! However, this is a place skydivers enjoy swooping down so I think I might head back there another day to give it another shot. At least now I know what to aim for now. I have a plan!
Oh, it was nice to get my pictures featured on the front page of Sportsshooters.com by the way (with the link to my members page)! In the last 24 hours over 500 visitors had a look at my page. Of course the rest of the images are online in the Felix Features archive which I'll update throughout the week.

River action

2009-06-23T21:45:00.006+02:00

It is the second day of Ekstremsportveko (The Extreme sport week) for me and thing are picking up. Today I photographed rafting and "slopestyle" (downhill bicycle course with jumps etc). The rafting in particular was entertaining as quite a few of the boats flipped over or ejected the crew. In the picture above one of those ejected floats downriver, followed by another directly behind him. If you want to see more images you can have a look at the gallery on www.felixfeatures.com
I still find myself going for "straight" sports photography, rather than trying completely new things. It is hard to break the habit! Well, four more days left...

The fun begins!

2009-06-22T19:13:00.004+02:00

Ekstremsportveko ( The Ekstreme Sport Week) has started in Voss, Norway. The first day I always feel a bit rusty, and not quite happy with my pictures. Fortunately the action continues and will only intensify the next few days, so I hope I'll come back with a good selection as the week progress. Today I shot mountainbikers, skydivers, paragliders (above) and a couple some kayakers. It's great to be back at Voss, certainly when one risks getting a sun burn!

Go West!

2009-06-19T14:23:00.014+02:00

Again I am off to the annual Ekstremsportveko (The Extreme Sport week) at Voss. I am packing gear and gadgets, filling up the car with hard cases and softboxes. Dry suit and rain gear. I think you can never have too much gear or too many gadgets. Which has to be balanced with how much I can carry (bad knees!) and operate at one time (two hands only!). I wish I had an assistant. Or a mule!
Ekstremesportveko is usually a great, action packed week. Unless it rains... I have had my share of shitty West coast weather, so I am pleased the forecast is looking good this year. Knock on wood!
The sheer amount of activities at Ekstremsportveko makes it a great place for photographers, there is alway something going on. The only drawback the last couple of years has been the arrival of NRK, the national TV company, who ususally overwhelms one arena each day, making life misearable for anyone else wanting to photograph there. Cables and cranes everwhere, with photographers who doesn't seem to care if they step right in front of other photographers to get their shot. Fortunately they can't be everywhere, so I usually shy away from events they cover.
The variation of sports is great, and it is a great oppurtunity to try new things. I enjoy using the full range of lenses I have, remotes, pole camera, trying new angles and techniques. It is tempting to go for certain "sure shots", so the challenge is to step back, think a little, then do something different. I feel I didn't quite succeed last year, I tell myself it was the rain's fault...
Wish me luck for 2009!

Ban Army photos

2009-06-05T12:00:00.009+02:00

In a previous entry I ranted about the Norwegian Army's odd, or should we say non-existent, media strategy. Today we got another report of Norwegians fighting in Afghanistan, apparently killing a bunch of Taliban fighters. In the Norwegian online newspaper VGnett the only illustration provided is a map. I often find maps to be useful and even interesting. But for a story on Norwegian soldiers in battle it should not be the only picture. Perhaps VGnett has become as bored with hand out jeep pictures as I have? Perhaps they see those pictures are poor substitutes for the nonexisting pictures of Norwegian soldiers in battle that the story is actually about? I wish/hope it was a concious policy decision not to use the Norwegian Army's material. Ever again! As long as the Army continues to prevent journalists and photographers from seeing what they are up to, in other words not allowing media access to combat operations, the Army should not be given space in the newspapers for their PR campaign.

Life of Freelance 2009

2009-05-27T23:25:00.003+02:00

Every stinking day.

20 years in a few frames

2009-05-26T14:21:00.005+02:00

As follow up to my post on Black Star Rising I have now posted all the images that were the basis for the blog. The images were part of a presentation I did at an informal get-together with photogrpahers here in Oslo. The intention was to show the various sort of protests I have covered the last 20 years, and talk about what I have learned during that time. Subsequently it is not a "best-of" collection, but also includes mistakes and pictures to illustrate situations one might encounter. You'll find them all all in the Felix Features archive.

Revenge of the nerds

2009-05-19T22:01:00.010+02:00

Outside of Norway I usually find out my pictures has been used somewhere by looking at the sales report sent to me every few months by Panos Pictures (the agency that represents me). Unfortunately, by then it is usually too late to see the actual publication, and too much hassle to get it from whoever published it. But every now and then an email informs me one of my pictures can be found in a publication right now . That is nice (thanks guys!). Like today, when I could pick up this week's Newsweek and find a picture of mine inside (it is in the printed edition only, so go buy that!). Alas, it wasn't a double page, but all the same it is nice to see pictures have a life beyond my reach and beyond the time they were taken.
This particular picture was taken at the annual computer fest "The Gathering" at the Vikingship arena in Hamar, just two hours drive from where I live. It's a reminder that you don't need to travel half way round the world to find stories worth photographing. In fact the last time I had something in Newsweek it too was photographed in my own neighbourhood!
While an evening at The Gathering may not quite match the excitement of two weeks in Kashmir, it is however more likely to pay the bills. So I think I will keep my eyes open for local events in the future as well!

Twitter twit

2009-05-18T18:08:00.012+02:00

Along with innumerable people around the world I am exploring the possibilities of social networking as a tool for my work. Like many I find Twitter to be quite useful to stay updated on issues that interest me, and I follow a number of people, media, NGOs and other organizations I think are relevant for me as a photojournalist. Recently I became a follower of UNHCR (UN's agency for refugees), thinking it would be a good source for factual tweets on what is going on during various refugee crisis', something I've been working with from time to time. This is how UNHCR describes their twitter service: "Follow our field staff as they provide vital aid and protection to the forcibly displaced around the world."

Based on this, I was rather surprised to get this tweet from "Helene" using the UNHCR username "Refugees":

HELENE IN PAKISTAN- I'm so so hot in my Shalwar Kameez suit, which consists of large pants, a long tunic and a scarf to cover my hair.

I had to re-read it. Was the UNHCR representative's post from Pakistan really about how she was dressed and that she was hot?? As the BBC reports 80.000 refugees living in camps (quoting UNHCR numbers) and 1.4 million internally displaced within Pakistan over the past 12 months, Helene apparently finds it prudent to first and foremost report on her own situation. While perhaps Helenes friends may find her dressing up in shalwar kameez and being hot to be exotic and interesting, I simply wonder, what the hell is she thinking? Being in the midst of a refugee crisis with suffering left, right and center she chose to focus on herself?

Well, her own situation covered, perhaps she can get on with her work, which I presume is to tweet about the refugee situation No, it is still mostly about Helene:

HELENE IN PAKISTAN- I am crawling into a UNHCR tent to meet with some women, away from the men’s eyes.

Jeez....

Simplicity

2009-05-08T09:58:00.004+02:00

Dahab,Egypt: My Egyptian marketing guru says: Keep it simple, stupid!

My 10 favourite shots

2009-05-05T12:59:00.004+02:00

Freediving in Egypt by Fredrik Naumann - Images by Felix Features

I had a very good time in Egypt, and like the results. Here are my ten favourite pictures from that week. Hope you like them too! If you want to see the LARGE gallery (115 images) follow this link to Freediving in Egypt.

Equalizing

2009-04-27T15:18:00.013+02:00

Dahab, Egypt: The Norwegian freedivers I am photographing did very well in their first day of competition. All had personal bests in one discipline or another, and three Norwegian records were broken. Me? I just broke my camera..The combination of Red Sea salt water and Sinai desert sand is a deadly mix for electronic equipment. And not even the extra protection of camera armor could save my Canon 5D (No, I did NOT use it under water! That's what my old 20D is for.). Freedivers go on and on about equalizing in their ears (and lung volume and "packing" and oxygen saturation and...), but now I am thinking more about equalizing the cost of coming here!
I still have both cameras and days in Dahab left. That equalizes something I have to say. Still great to be in the water.
And, at least Dagbladet printed two pictures on a nice clean page. I am happy it was possible to penetrate the wall of football normally seen in the Monday papers. I would think it is wise for the newspaper too to have these kind of stories. By the time the newspaper is out the football results are old news, while this sort of story gives the readers something they haven't seen much before.

Bizzy in Dahab

2009-04-25T22:03:00.006+02:00

Dahab, Egypt: I have been lucky to dive quite a lot in the Red Sea in past years. This is the first time I leave the scuba gear on land and go down on only one breath of air. This week sees the annual "Bizzy Blue Hole" freediving competition, and I have come to follow some of the best Norwegian freedivers. The day before the official competition a group of divers went on a more relaxed trip to Ras Mohammed, considered to be one of the worlds top diving destinations. As such is also a great place to photograph. I went with Elisabeth Kristoffersen who is a great diver and now also underwater model! Over the course of the day we spent several hours in the water and I am very happy with the results. On the left is just a teaser, more will come later. A 12" Mac book isn't ideal to edit on, especially when the colours are a bit challengening, so I look forward to see this on the big 24" screen. Note to self: remember sunscreen on forehead when freediving...

UPDATE: first few images online, click this link.

From the attic: photographing protests

2009-04-18T21:56:00.018+02:00

I was recently asked to show some pictures at an informal get-together with photojournalists here in Oslo. We had some fairly rowdy demonstrations here (by Norwegian standards anyway) some time ago, protesters clashing with police as they protested against the war in Gaza. Having covered unrest on and off for over 20 years I thought it'd be interesting to dig out some of my old pictures for this screening to see how my photography had changed. I got great feedback from the people at the screening, but doing the research and putting the pictures together also became a learning experience for me. And I found a few skeletons in my closet! Well, the "skeletons" weren't all in one closet it turned out. In fact, simply finding some of my old negatives turned out to be a challenge. So before I could even begin to dust off the negs and put together a show I had to go searching in unlabeled boxes in the basement and in the attic. Eventually I found most of what I was looking for. And some pictures I had forgotten all about.
One picture I hadn't forgotten is the first one that was published internationally. I still have the fading original print that went over the wires credited to "Fredrik Naumann / REUTER". You don't get momentos like that sending pictures pictures over FTP or as email attatchments!

Sifting through the pictures I found black and white negatives and color chromes from the same events, reminding me how I used to have one camera for each. From most events I'd only find a few rolls, perhaps two B/Ws and one color film. Working as a freelancer I couldn't afford endless amounts of film. I wonder if young photographers today realize what a gift the digital revolution has given them? I wonder how they'd feel if they were asked to cover a demonstration with the added challenge of using no more than 72 pictures for the full day? I have no nostalgic feelings for film or darkroom, I am very happy for whatever tools that can to the job easier.

But there is a lot more to photographing demonstrations than having enough frames to shoot. There are issues with logistics and safety. Looking at my pictures I could see that fortunately I have improved my skills with both over the years. I plan to write a bit more on that in a later post. Now it is time to pack and get ready for another underwater adventure. In a few days I am off to Dahab in Egypt to photograph freediving. It is a dirty job, but someone's gotta to do it!

Felix Features featured

2009-04-10T19:28:00.008+02:00

The back bone for the Felix Features archive is a system called Photoshelter. Handling both my personal files and over 80.000 high resolution images from our partner agencies, it really is a potent archive system, and quite affordable. Designed primarily for individual photographers it has gradually developed to be great tool for small agencies like Felix Features as well. I've been very impressed with the system and their customer service, and just like happy clients should do I have spread the word about it. And now I am happy to have one of my images part of their featured images on their site. The image is one I took last November, depicting police firing tear gas at protesters in Kashmir. And the Felix Features site is used as an example on the sort of designs that are available, as well as the different kind of photographers who use the system.

In depht photography

2009-04-07T09:18:00.030+02:00

Some time ago I photographed freediver Elisabeth Kristoffersen. That feature led me to pay more attention to this tiny community of people who likes to hold their breath as long as they can, under water. In the end it has become more than a story, I have taken up freediving myself. Recently a small group from Oslo Freediving Club was invited to dive in the Norwegian Navy's deep tank, where navy divers and submarine crews are trained. It was a great opportunity, both to dive and to take some unusual pictures. My greatest problem was being a novice, unable to go very deep or stay down for very long. So I had more or less accepted that most of the pictures had to be taken around 5-7 meters, while the experienced divers Steinar Schjager, Bjarte Nygaard, and Trond Klimek cruised down to the bottom at 18 meters, relaxed there for a while before returning to the surface. It wasn't until the end I started thinking less about photography and more about taking the opportunity to practice my freediving skills as well. Well, to make a long story short: suddenly I too found myself at 18 meters! Not only that, I had the time to take some pictures as well. This was great, not only had I thoroughly busted my personal best at freediving, I got better pictures too. Check out the rest of the freediving in a tank pictures on the Felix Features website. I only wish we had more time in the tank, but all good comes to an end. With most things I photograph there is no need to participate to get good pictures, indeed it is often impossible. But with freediving there is no doubt, to get better shots I have to become a better freediver. We also went freediving in the sea (approx 5 degrees Celcius, compared to 33C in the tank). That's me next to Georgios Vourtsianis in his cool tiger shark suit. As a bonus the weather was great as we flew home giving us a nice view of the snow covered mountains between Bergen and Oslo. I hope I get a chance to go back there again, this was a great experience! If you found this post on freediving interesting you may also want to read this post on Oslo Ice Challenge. UPDATE: Steinar has posted a nice video on Facebook, and I manage to sneak into the shot a few times as well. For you techies: yes, it is an Ikelite housing.

Wooly outtake

2009-03-28T08:19:00.012+01:00

I recently did an assignment for a financial paper, photographing a marketing executive of a mobile phone company. The also brief stated that the company was using a sheep in their marketing, and the company actually had Frank the sheep depicted in an oil painting at company headquarters. However the public weren't really into their campaign, basically it is failing, so this had to be a somber picture. As ususal in such business shots, I had but a couple of minutes to shoot Christian the marketing exec and Frank the sheep. So what can you do? Well, I for one think there are far too many male execs staring back at me from the the pink pages. And I don't know if the readers really care what all these men in suits look like. So I concentrated on Frank the sheep. And included the exec as wooly shadow in the foreground. I think it worked out nicely! However, knowing my client I wasn't sure they would agree, so I took a few more traditional portraits too. Sadly I was right, they opted for the boring solution... But here it is, the wooly outtake, only for you!

Walking on water

2009-03-09T20:33:00.020+01:00

This weekend I had the chance to photograph something really out of the ordinary: a freediving competition under ice! Possibly the worlds first such event, Oslo Ice Challenge turned out to be quite a challenge, not just for the divers but for photographers too. An underwater event is natural to shoot under water, but the logistics could've been easier here. The diving site was 1,5 km from any road so all gear had to be transported on foot.With scuba gear, underwater housing and 14 kg of lead weights it quickly adds up, so I was glad Marianne could help out!

I have done something like 300 dives under various conditions but this would be my first time photographing under ice, so I was slightly nervous. Safety is of course an issue, but I was mostly nervous about getting the shots. As with most other things practice makes perfect, and frankly I need more practice shooting under ice! The weather was awful, the light was low, so there was no help to be had from nature. In the end I got some usable pictures, though not quite what I had hoped for. In addition to more experience I have some new gear on my wish list. My Canon 20D (in an Ikelite housing) isn't quite up there with the best, but it rarely shows in print during better conditions. However under these conditions I really see the 20D's limitations. A full frame camera with high ISO capabilities, such as new Canon 5D MKII, would've made quite a difference I think. (I am still waiting for your call Canon!)

The pictures from below was fairly essential for the mix, but I think my best pictures from this event was taken just below the surface while standing on the ice. The ice provided a nice platform to watch and photograph the competition. I could simply sit down and put my camera into the water. And the relaxed atmosphere meant no one was upset about cameras in the competition area. It is so nice to work with people who are seeing solutions rather than problems! To see more pictures check out the gallery at the Felix Features archive.

So, after two days of work, exposing myself and some fairly expensive equipment to the elements, I get an email from Norwegian dive magazine Dykking. They want my images. Do they want to pay for them? No. Did they get any pictures? No way, Jose! Obviously they haven't seen Harlan Ellison on YouTube.

If you want to read more on freediving, you can follow the blog of Norwegian talent Elisabeth Kristoffersen.

Then comes the punishment

2009-02-28T10:25:00.001+01:00

Odd policing

2009-02-27T12:34:00.005+01:00

This nice poster is part of the English police's war on terrorism. I have yet to figure out what has gotten them to target photographers. How come people with cameras are being singled out? What about people with backpacks, suppose one of them seems odd? Or people on bicycles? Or people with funny hats? What if they seem odd? Do you make a poster and harass them on a daily basis? Do you make silly laws that won't prevent terrorists from anything?

Photographic winter

2009-02-25T09:51:00.005+01:00

New York Times is reporting that Annie Leibovitz basically has had to take her work to the pawnshop. When one of the worlds best paid photographers has trouble making ends meet it could simlply mean she doesn't know how to handle her personal finances. But as the NYT article points out she is not the only one, the financial crisis is affecting art on all levels. Dark clouds hang over the photography business. Good thing we got Zack Ariaz to put us straight this winter.

Micro ethics

2009-02-18T11:30:00.006+01:00

Promoting the Felix Features archive in the middle of a financial crisis has been interesting. And I have learned a few things about some of our potential clients that has surprised me. I would expect price to be very important these days. But I am surprised to find it is the only criteria, even for organisations and publications who you'd expect to find in the "fair trade" side of the table. Even the Norwegian journalist union's own newspaper "Journalisten" uses microstock images, so as not to have to pay anything close to union tariffs for the material they use!

A breif introduction to microstock : Picture agencies who largely rely on selling large volumes of pictures for a very low price, sometimes as low as 1 - one - US dollar. I think it is safe to assume vast majority of contributors are white middle class western men, with time and pictures to spare. They have photography as a hobby and the digital revolution has given them the opportunity to share their work with the world. While some hope to earn some money ( and there are examples of those who make a lot of money) , most are not likely to earn more than a few dollars and a byline.

Picture buyers love it. However, it doesn't take a degree in economics to understand what this sort of pricing does to the market, and subsequently to photographers trying to make a living from photography.

One source Journalisten uses for such images is Crestock, where contributors make a whooping 25 cents (US) for an image sold to a client with subscription. That said, to get any money whatsoever the photographer has to make a minimum of 50 USD first ( or up to 200 downloads) before he or she can request any payment. So about 20 percent of money from sales go to some white guy with photography as a hobby. The remaining 80 percent ends up at Crestock (in the worlds 4th richest country). Would you believe this unfair trade project got financial support from the Norwegian government?

I am sure there are some that would argue that is is a the result of the free market, such business practices will benefit the consumer and society in general. Well, see where the free market got us...

One client complained about our price, saying an Iraqi (!) freelancer would charge less. Are you serious? Of course he would, he doesn't live in the world's most expensive country does he?
This from the editor of a magazine that regularly focuses on "social dumping" and union busting tactics in other trades.

In a financial crisis it would seem your ethics follow your wallet whereever it takes you, Mr. Editor.

Hilltop propaganda

2009-02-15T13:29:00.019+01:00

Today there was another report on Norwegian ISAF soldiers being in a firefight in Afghanistan. As usual the story was illustrated with handout pictures from the Army. Not pictures of the actual incident mind you, but rather what has become their standard pictures, showing a few vehicles on some hilltop.
Despite a number of casualties and a growing number of encounters with the Taliban in their area of operations, the Norwegian public has yet to see any pictures (as far as I know) that would suggest this was anyhting more than an exercise. If anything, the pictures often remind more of a jeep safari. Mostly soldiers in the pictures are so far away they can't be recognized, or they are pixelated to hide their identity. Any action is only from exercises or posed.

At a recent conference former press officer Bengt Eidem suggested Norwegian media wasn't interested in reporting on the Norwegian forces in Afghanistan. Well, duh! Could it be that media isn't interested in being a tool for the Norwegian Army, and only report about smiling soldiers shaking hands with Afghans, and take even more pictures of jeeps at sunset? What is the point of sending photographers to Afghanistan when one is only allowed take the same photographs that are handed out for free by the military? Even the military's own publication F (Norwegian only) seems puzzled over the policy and the increased fear soldiers are having about revealing their identity. They can face the Taliban, but not the public at home?

When Danish soldiers openly can show what they are doing in an much tougher enviornment, what reasons could the Norwegians have for their obvious propaganda? The Americans have alo practiced a much more open policy, even when if it means showing uncomfortable truths.
The Norwegian secrecy seems odd, it is difficult to understand what they are trying to hide or why. Are they afraid it would be difficult to recruit personell if anyone actually saw dead,wounded, afraid, dirty, sweaty soldiers, or anything that has to do with war at all?

Snowfall

2009-02-08T12:39:00.008+01:00

We've been blessed and cursed at the same time: massive amounts of snow has fallen over the Norwegian capital the last few days. It can make for some interesting photographic outings, I have some ideas. I just have to find my car first! While you wait in suspense for the results of my winter expeditions I'll share a picture I took last night. It is very unlike me, and dedicated to Bachelor Chow. ;-)

Kashmir story

2009-02-06T14:01:00.006+01:00

Here is a preview of my story from Srinagar. Now go buy Aftenposten Innsikt. And see the rest of the pictures here.

Nailed 'em!

2009-02-06T12:44:00.005+01:00

I wish I could say "only in America"..but sadly I can't.. The continued threat of terror-photography:

The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Nailed 'Em - Amtrak Photographer

Colbert Report Full Episodes
Paul McCartney Appearance

Funny Political Videos
More Funny Videos

Hysteria in the UK

2009-02-04T06:29:00.011+01:00

The British government has introduced another law supposedly aimed at potential terrorists. One risks up to ten years for photographing police officers, if the photographs are "likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism."
Well, as Bruce Schneider pointed out some time ago, you'd be hard pressed to find any evidence of photography being a part of a terrorism act. It is much easier to find evidence of police brutality caught on camera...

The right to photograph pretty much anything in a public place, including the police, is part of living in a modern free world. And a free media is commonly thought of as one of the pillars of democracy. Western governments are quick to point out shortcomings elsewhere in the world. But even before this new law photographers have unlawfully been targeted by the British police. This law will give them further excuses to carry on with this misdirected campaign against photographers.

Instead of protecting rights we'd expect to have in a democracy, the British government joins a paranoid club of nations driven by some strange fear of pictures.

Ironically, after the 2005 London bombings, the UK police asked the public for pictures to help them in their investigation.

Justice for James Miller

2009-02-03T20:24:00.008+01:00

At the same time I was on a flight headed to Israel in May 2003 cameraman James Miller was shot and killed by an Israeli soldier in the southern part of Gaza. A week later I stayed in Rafah just a stonethrow from where James was killed. And for no apparent reason Israeli soldiers open fired on the house as the family I stayed with was going to bed. Noone was hurt but I certainly felt I got a more intimate understanding of the environment that caused James death. It was an environment where you could get away with murder. And still is.

The targeting of journalists and photographers isn't anything new in this conflict. And as most of the journalist victims are Palestinian (as are the civilian casulties) they don't get the same attention. Or compensation.

Now, after more than five years, the Israeli government has finally agreed to pay compensation to James family: £1.5m. After lying, covering up, dragging their feet, ignoring proven facts, not admitting to any wrongdoing, despite the whole incident being caught on camera, the Israeli government has at least been made to pay a symbolic price for killing a photographer in cold blood.

James was killed by the IDF, the same army who kept journalists out of Gaza during their last offensive, saying they wanted to make sure the media was safe from harm. Oh, isn't that sweet?

Working on it

2009-01-29T12:30:00.005+01:00

It is still a challenge. Practice makes perfect. Not yet though. But we're having fun!

Winter challenges

2009-01-22T11:48:00.013+01:00

I've been photographing children ski jumping in Oslo for some time, and it offers many opportunities for some good pictures. It also offers some frustrations as it can be cold, dark, and sometimes wet and foggy. Throw in different colour temperature for every one of the few light sources that are available, and the fact that this is a sport with some speed, and you got yourself a challenge. But the challenge starts at home: digging the car out from under a heap of snow...
Then a short hike into a snow covered forrest (very nice!) to find the ski jumping arena called Schrøderbakken. I wanted to keep working on a certain kind of shot I took last year . Unfortunately it calls for a bit of gear that has to be lugged through the forrest. I have a light kit which would be ideal for this, except for the wheight. Too much to carry. So this time I opted to use my regular flash. As ususal I regreted not making the effort of bringing the big kit. :-(
I had to position the flash much closer than I'd like, with light spilling over into the frame, in part due to fog. The flaring from the lights didn't improve as each jumper left some snow on top of the lens after each jump. In this arena I had to be much closer to the jumpers than last year, as this is a smaller slope. The lens became harder and harder to clean and keep dry with each jump. Then of course one have to focus. Shooting wide angle helps a little, but aiming straight into the void means setting a fixed focus, guessing where a jumper might fly by. I used a cable release for the camera, the flash triggered by radio remote. That too means a bit of guess work, as I am not looking throught the viewfinder while taking the pictures, but rather at the jumper, trying to anticipate when he or she might be directly over the camera.
In he end I had a few workable frames, but not quite what I was hoping for.
But now I learned a few things, and hoping next time will yeild some better results. For now, here is the result of last evenings shoot:

Embedded gallery

2009-01-21T15:33:00.012+01:00

Here is a little something the good people at Photoshelter as made, as one of many options to show pictures in an archive. I have chosen not to use these galleries on our online archive, but rather single images there. But it may work on a blog like this, I assume people are happy to have the pictures go in a loop as they read the text here. Whereas in an archive, one simply (again I assume) wants to find the desired pictures as quickly as possible, without waiting for a page to load. Agree?
As for this particular set of pictures, it is a collection of published material, mainly (but not exclusivly) with my pictures and text by Marianne. Not only can you see this gallery here but you can grab the embed code (lower right corner) and put it on your own blog. Preferably next to a text where you rave about the best little picture agency in Oslo!

79881 and counting

2009-01-16T14:56:00.003+01:00

The last month I have been spending less time behind the camera and more time in front of the computer. The result is a product I am very happy with: our online archive. At the time of writing we have 79881 images online, and new material is coming in every day. All high resolution, all downloadable. The number in it self may not be the biggest in the business, but when I think of the quality of the material we have I am rather proud. Quality over quantity any day!

Today is the deadline for the World Press Photo contest. Many of last years winning photographers are represented by us, including Tim Hetherington who won Picture Of The Year with an image from Afghanistan. With the photographers we represent I wouldn't be surprised if we'd have a number of new prize winners on file shortly too.

Gaza fallout

2009-01-15T13:54:00.004+01:00

Since the Israelis decided to make another iron fist attempt at creating a safe environment to live in - for Israelis - protesters has been out on the streets of Oslo. As have we, the photographers. According to the police these have been the most violent protests in Norway for decades. I am old enough to remember the demonstrations in the late 80's and early 90's, and I would have to agree. As many of my colleagues have never experienced riots here or elsewhere I find it interesting to see how different photographers approach situations. Being old, experienced and wise ;-) I can allow myself to reflect on the adrenaline pumped snappers to my left and right. There is a fine balance between being safety minded and being plain silly. One also has to strike a balance between staying cool and becoming blasé. Even doing things right there is no guarantee you won't get hurt.

Or getting anything published. I was feeling fairly confident about my results after the last round, especially after seeing an ocean of blurry camera phone pictures in the online newspapers. Still no luck. I'd like to blame the economic downturn for the editors not choosing my pictures over their own reporters stuff. Have a look, see what you think.