Let the beat take you away

During our trip back home from Austria and Lake Garda, we took some time to explore the lively city of Hamburg. And we learned that the Hamburg Hauptbahnhof clock serves as the city's heartbeat. Sometimes, it's best to go with the flow and let the beat take you away.

Our journey covered a distance of more than 3,100 km before we finally arrived back in Lomma and parked our car. A fair amount of kilometers through Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Austria, and Italy with several charging stops. We didn't encounter any issues or long charging queues besides one. When you drive through the Brenner Pass and cross the border into Italy, you find a shopping center with a garage that has 6 Ionity chargers. Here we had to wait for a few minutes. It was the only time we faced a delay.

One helpful suggestion is to plan ahead by utilizing both your car's navigation system and a tool such as ABRP (https://abetterrouteplanner.com/). This will use the car's navigation system to optimize the battery for the quickest possible charge when you arrive at a charging station. ABRP, on the other hand, will provide information on the availability of chargers, how many are currently free, and if any are out of order. Additionally, it includes information on nearby services or amenities. Choose wisely.

But above all, enjoy the journey and avoid trying to beat the clock! Just go with the flow and you will be fine.

3 years with an electric car

-It would help if you first plugged in the cable and then complete the payment. Then you run three laps backward around the car, do seven equal-footed jumps at the charger to ward off evil charging spirits and pray to higher powers that it will work. Ideally, you should sacrifice part of a fossil car on the charging altar. And of course, you have to hold and lift the charging handle while the charger and the vehicle agree that they want to work together; that's not up to you but up to the parties involved.

-I don't believe in this electric car thing, do you? My charging neighbor asked me in Örebro. I was on my way home from the ski games in Falun with destination Lomma in Skåne, one of many long trips with our EV. I replied that I do and that it has worked quite well during the three years and 75,000 kilometers I have driven with my car so far. And it will be another pure electric car by the summer when it's time to change.

I left the man and went into Circle K. A newly renovated station with large areas, a gate with card payment for toilet visits, SEK 10. After several attempts to pay with no meaningful error messages, no message at all, I figured out that the machine didn't like certain cards and tried another one. Whoops, after a short eternity, almost making an accident on the floor, I was inside. A massage chair, a health check machine, and a cleaning robot that were chasing customers between the candy shelves. The recent renovation and new ways gave a feeling that this is Scandinavia's freshest Circle K toilet. But it turned out that it was just the opposite. I opened four stalls before finding one that was helpfully OK. Stop and paper mixed grief in the first. Someone who left underwear in the second and a customer who had terrible luck with the sight in the third.

Even the hand washing station was high-tech and told you to wash your hands for at least 20 seconds and kindly helped me with the countdown. However, the trash was too full, spilling over the nice installation and onto the floor. I wonder if this whole idea is that the Circle K staff should focus on selling hot dogs instead of cleaning the toilets, a win-win. If customers have to pay to fulfill their needs, they don't behave like pigs. They were somewhat unlucky in their thinking.

Without having my hamstring cut by the cleaning robot, I paid my stuff at one of the two automatic cash registers that the staff didn't trust and the customers didn't understand. This means that instead of selling and talking about the weather, you have staff who now run 1-1 payment training with annoyed customers who think that technology is overrated and that everything was better in the old days.

All this took some time before I headed out to my car, which had charged what I needed for the following stint, Jönköping. On the other hand, my charging neighbor had just started charging and was going to wedge himself into the Circle K toilet with a not-so-happy face. Welcome and good luck with your electric car ownership!

Intensive period

March and the beginning of April have been intense but incredibly fun. It has much to do with sports, specifically cross-country skiing and handball, but also about finishing one job and starting another.

On March 16, I drove north to photograph the World Cup in cross-country skiing for the first time. It was the first time I would photograph cross-country skiing and the first time I would see it live, on the slopes, in reality. I must start with a big shout-out to the organizer, the Swedish Ski Games in Falun. Excellent arrangement and we photographers were exceptionally spoiled with our cabin beside the tracks overlooking the facility. There was more here than I expected: a workplace, internet, coffee, sweets, drinks and a guide who showed us the best places along the tracks.

Photographing cross-country skiing has its challenges, of course. There are a large crowd, trees that make for noisy backgrounds, and TV production with cameras covering every inch of the track that you can't get in the way of. And not least many other photographers, leaders, volunteers and others jostle for good places. It's also easier. Relatively plenty of space compared to an indoor sport and, above all, lots of lovely light.

“I don’t know if I succeeded but I am thrilled with many of them.”

— Me

Besides doing what I was there to do, documenting the competitions, I wanted to capture some images that are more me. Pictures that not every other photographer took. I don't know if I succeeded but I am thrilled with many of them. Mainly the ones before and after the races. I learned a lot and know more about how I would like to work next time. If there will be a next time, which I really hope!

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March and April have also been intense handball months. Both of our elite teams have struggled to stay in the top league. The women's team sorted it out in the end with a nice finish to the season and although they may feel they went on summer break a little too early, I hope they are happy with the finish. That they take it with them into the 2023/2024 season.

Handover to upcoming profiles - Fredrik Olsson, Axel Månsson

For the gentlemen, it's not over yet. It will be exciting all the way to the last game. Our profile players will lead the way in securing a new contract in the top league and make a nice handover to upcoming profiles who have already knocked and stepped through the door.

Hard work

“Everything from all photographers is the same thing, the same image more or less.”

— Me

April offered an opportunity to catch our national handball teams, both ladies and men. I've done it before and the match part itself is harder to do well, and by well I mean creating my shots compared to regular games. During the game, you are locked to your place on the short side behind the extended goal line. You get a named chair as your seat and it is behind an advertising sign. This means you cannot be so agile and find new exciting angles as you would like. Everything from all photographers is the same thing, the same image more or less. Also, the referee stands in front of you regularly and you cannot get around it because you are locked to your seat. However, I really like before, between and after. My fellow photographers and I can create images based on our style and leave our mark there. It is exciting to see what others have created with a little more freedom in their professional practice.

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Design and work by Sara Martinsson

March and April also offer Easter. For most Swedes, this means the long weekend and Easter break for the children. It's also a weekend when families get together and spring arrives. In northern Sweden, it can be fantastic spring and winter days with sun, snow and maybe fishing on the ice or snowmobile tours in the mountains. In Skåne, it is also a weekend for art and exhibitions. In our family, we have been bad at exploring everything offered for several years. We go to the village where we lived before and look at the fantastic art of friends. And with the beautiful sun on our patio, the Easter days end with something suitable to drink.

“And with the beautiful sun on our patio, the Easter days end with something suitable to drink.”

— Me

Evening walk with the dog - what a backdrop!

All well! ☺️

Winter

This year we choose not to travel north to visit relatives and friends, no trip to the mountains, and no snowmobile rides in the spring sun. The only reason for this is the current situation and the advice the authorities give us. We can not claim that these trips are necessary.

Therefore, it feels extra wonderful when we finally got some snow in southern Sweden. In Lund, we have not received much, but we have had a beautiful winter landscape just a little bit further north. There have been hikes in a few different constellations during the week, but the best is, of course, when we are out with the whole family.

There has been no skiing but much mischief in the snow, and one of the things I like most, cooking outdoors when the sun is shining and the snow frames it all is magical. Sometimes cooking can consist of a simple cup of coffee.

Last year we were in Åre in February, and it was the first time Exor really got to feel the snow. He liked it very much even though he is not furry for that climate. Running, jumping, and drilling his nose into the deep snow is the best he knows.

Now it looks like winter will come to an end for this time, but we hope that there will be several weeks of snow before spring takes over and leads us to a, hopefully, more normal summer in terms of our opportunities to travel and visit our family.

Exhibition | Feb 2021

I do not know how many pictures I have taken in my life, several hundreds of thousands, maybe millions. In our eldest son's first year of life alone 17 years ago, I took over 30,000 pictures. It may be uninteresting; what matters is the images that got stuck on the retina. Images that captured a moment, a feeling, or struck a tone in another human being. That number is only a fraction of all the pictures I have taken over the years. I do not strive to take many pictures, rather the opposite. I shoot many analog photographs with film, which has become very expensive in terms of price and not possible to waste exposures. Today I take significantly fewer pictures, and hopefully, the proportion of good pictures is higher now than then. The other night on a photo trip to Rögle Dammar, I took five pictures in one hour.

Exhibit 2021

In February 2021, I will be exhibiting pictures in my hometown, Lund, for the first time.

In February 2021, I will be exhibiting pictures in my hometown, Lund, for the first time. It feels almost a little overwhelming to select a limited number of images to display. In my opinion, there needs to be a common thread and a journey through the exhibition as well, not just pretty images. Geographically, it is quite simple, focus on Lund and Skåne. Some choices are about digital or analog images; other choices are about city or nature, maybe both. Color or black/white, with or without people, square or panorama, low, close, aerial, and so on. But the most difficult thing is to choose images that somehow create a feeling in the viewer.

But it's also a fun job, going through pictures. See the development over time, what has been dominant, and within periods overrepresented. I do not mean in a general media perspective, but what I like to photograph.

I hope that as many as possible will have the opportunity to see the exhibition unless a virus limits us too much. That many want to visit it, both those I know and others who like photography like me. More information will come as we approach February. Now it's time to go out and take the next picture, and who knows, maybe it's a picture from today that will be on display in February.

See you! Take care!

Hovs Hallar

Going down to the sea at Hovs Hallar is a bit tricky, especially if it has rained or if the dew has made the stones wet. It is a short distance that is quite steep, so with all the camera equipment and the dog; you have to be careful.

I arrived at Hovs Hallar a little after lunch, so I had time for two trips to see where I would take my pictures. After that, it was to wait for the sunset in the camper while a delicious noodle soup was today's dinner.
I left the camper about an hour before the sunset to have plenty of time if I would regret the location and need to find another place.

Sunset, Sep 2020

Exor is not so fond of waiting well while I take my pictures, and this evening he became no less impatient when a dog with his nude bather to master came and took his evening dip right next to us.

I took a few different pictures with only minor adjustments to the compositions but took the opportunity to shoot with my Canon 30 loaded with Kodak Ektachrome E100 slide film. Unfortunately, I only have two 50mm lenses with EF mount, an f/1.8 from 1987, and a reasonably new f/1.2. This evening it was the latter I used, although its speed was not necessary.

It was a successful evening! A fantastic sunset through some haze with some small clouds in the sky. We fell asleep early to be in place again when the sun would rise the next day.

Morning, Sep 2020

Twilight

It feels like we just thought it was too late to photograph the sunset when it was a work or school day the next day. The sun goes down here in southern Sweden around ten during summer. Further up in the country, it is much later, and above Arctic Circle, it never sets.

Lomma Lighthouse, Sep 2020

Now it becomes rather stressful to manage to eat dinner before you have to leave home. Later in the autumn, you will not have time to get home from work before you have to drive to get to a location before the darkness has completely put the day away—also, there are a lot fewer days with great potential during the autumn and winter. But when you get those beautiful autumn days, they are often more rewarding than most other days.

Last night there was potential for a beautiful sunset, and I even stopped an hour after the sun went down to take some twilight photos, which was a long time since I did. I often return to Lomma harbor and the lighthouse, as I did last night. The sun goes down behind the lighthouse this time of year if you stand in the right place. The only ones there was a lone fisherman and me. No bathers and all the tourists had left. That is on the plus side.

After the sun went down, I turned around and photographed a small part of Lomma as well. I'm impressed with how well my Canon R5 handles low light and thus higher ISO speeds. But I must also say that the dynamic range of the camera is excellent. I do not know exactly how many stops there are, but I like what I see.

Mini-vacation

Gone on little mini-vacation when autumn rolls in and trying to push away the last of summer. It is still quite lovely temperatures around 20 degrees celsius—windy and rainy and in between some sun, and at the moments when the sun manages to get through the cloud cover, it is still nice and warm.

Råå Vallar, September 4th 2020

This weekend we have taken the motorhome to Råå Vallar and got a place right down by the sea. From the motorhome, we can see some of the ocean beyond the wall, which is a perfect place to take shorter walks upon. The wind protection it provides is appreciated in the end, even if the view is not what it could have been.

It did not look promising for a beautiful sunset Friday night, but we got at least a fantastic cloud show with lovely colors that ended the evening before the night took over together with some rain. So we ended this day inside our mobile house with wine, snacks and Yatzy of course while the rain was hitting the roof, only to make it even cozier.

Bua Harbor

We got some summer heat back this week, so Exor and I went on a little trip with the camper. The goal was Bua Hamn, just north of Varberg, where there are motorhome parking spaces. I had heard a lot of good things about this place but also some less positive comments. Everything comes down to what you want, and that is very much individual.

Krogsta 2020

When I look for a place to stay, it's not just about the place where you park your motorhome. Nor how toilets, showers, the ability to empty the tanks, and refill water or access to electricity. All this is, of course, good, and if the place has it, it should work and be clean and tidy. For my part, I use the facilities in our car and am not so dependent on what the motorhome parking offer. If it exists, it is great but not decisive in any way. In several places, I do not even check what it looks like in the common areas provided. But that is me and certainly do not suit everyone.

Something important to me is the surrounding area and what is within a walking circle of around 10 km. I would say this is crucial. And through some Googling and studying satellite images, I had a feeling that Bua Hamn could be an excellent destination to meet my needs.

Other things I take the opportunity to do when the whole family is not with me are to see if the place would be the right place for all of us on an upcoming trip. And on that point, there is no doubt, Bua Hamn is a top candidate for our family trips coming up. We are a family with two adults, three boys aged 11 to 17, and an active dog. So we have relatively high and broad demands.

The parking space is a rather sad story if you think that you just pull out the awning and hang by the motorhome your whole stay. The sun this time of year also means that you need to sit with your back to the sea and look out over a large paved parking lot and on the horizon villas of various kinds. If you want the sun in your face, that is. I had parked with my nose out towards the harbor like most guests, and I can genuinely appreciate that view as a background when I sit and work inside the motorhome.

Dobforsport Exor

For the family, there are most things you need. A football pitch right next to the parking to run off some energy. A jetty with tables and also barbecue areas. If you take a short walk, you will come to both a sandy beach and a pier with a jetty from which you can jump. And perhaps most important of all, a good 4G connection for our mobile devices.

For me, Exor and my cameras, the place is also perfect. Many nice loops to hike on and many lovely motives to try to catch. I have to recommend Bua Hamn motorhome parking with a high rating, even if there are better places by the sea if you want to hang by your car and enjoy a stunning view. But if you have the motorhome as an anchor to make excursions from, this is a top candidate.

My tree

It was a long time since I photographed at home, but yesterday the sky was magical, so "My" tree had to be a model. I have shot this tree many times in all seasons of the year. Yesterday it was a good quick stop on the way when I was out on an errand. But there was time for some pictures with a long and short lens and some flybys with a drone. A peaceful moment in everyday life!

Canon EOS R5
RF70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM
1/5 sec @ f / 14, ISO 100
135 mm

Canon EOS R5
RF15-35mm F2.8 L IS USM
1/40 sec @ f / 14, ISO 100
35 mm

DJI Mavic Air 2
1/100 sec @ f / 2.8, ISO 100
4.5 mm (24 mm)

Tripod and low ISO?

To succeed with landscape photos, in addition to a camera, you need a tripod. Generally, shooting at low ISO speeds to reduce noise in the images is also a good thumb rule.

It's definitely true when you make several different exposures to then join together when you get home. Sometimes the scene is too wide when it comes to light. The camera's dynamic range is not enough, so multiple exposures are a must to capture the image you experience with your own eyes. Sometimes you want to create a sharp image throughout the whole picture and need to focus the camera at different distances, from very close to infinity, and then create a sharp image in Photoshop by creating one image of many. Often I shoot when the light is not enough to take pictures handheld and also avoid blur due to that I am moving the camera a bit.

Straw at the beach, 2020

But it brings a lot of disadvantages as well. Apart from the fact that you have to carry the tripod and its extra weight with you, you do not become agile in your photography. You may miss a picture because you do not have time to set up the tripod or do not get the space you need.

This weekend we drove our motorhome on a trip. We stayed one night at a marina and one at a sandy beach. The weather was fantastic, and even though the sky was not so dramatic, the sunsets were magical. This was an excellent opportunity to test the camera's performance when it comes to built-in stabilization in conjunction with lens stabilization. Also, some pictures with high ISO numbers to see how the camera handles noise. I tried it after the sun went down, and I am delighted with the results. I definitely think those images can be used.

What do you think?

Emil, Summer 2020

Shutter speeds ranged from 1/400 down to 1/50 and ISO from 100 all the way up to 10,000. It should be said that it was basically no wind.

New gear

I got two new lenses for my camera the other week. So yesterday was the first time I tried out my Canon RF 15-35/f2.8 doing landscape photography. I shoot a couple of regular ones at both ends, 15mm, and 35mm. Also, a long exposure. So far, very happy with the result.

The other new lens is the Canon RF 70-200/f2.8. The conditions and location weren't optimal for trying that for real. Just snapped some birds after sunset at high ISO before leaving for home.

And one guy having fun!

Maiden trip

There is a lot to learn, and it will take some time before we have the routines in place. But I think our premiere weekend with the motorhome has gone very well.

This weekend has also been a fantastic summer, almost too warm. But when we found a place by the sea where the breeze cooled nicely, it was only enjoyable. To find locations can be a bit tricky but are the whole purpose of a motorhome, I think. If you are looking for a site. Preferably with facilities such as electricity, emptying tanks, and refilling water, it is extra difficult when the summer is still rolling on at full steam. So Lundåkrahamnen was packed so dinner was by the road close to Järavallen. Tacos with at stunning sunset.

I had a backup idea to park at the beach car park in Lomma. Not the most charming place, but we would only sleep a short night and then drive home to Lund to leave Lukas. Worked fine, and while we finished breakfast, the bathing bastards started rolling into the parking lot. Shortly after that, we turned towards Vallkärra.

At home, we filled the water tank and then cruised up to Svanshall guest harbor, which I heard a lot about. There are only 5-6 places there, so when we arrived at lunch, it was full. We managed to squeeze in to an extra place, just to cook lunch and swim in the harbor for a few hours.

With food in the stomach, the energy could be used to find a good place for the night. I had read about Persköps Ställplats outside Örkelljunga. They have a live updated site with status regarding occupied and vacancies. When we drove, there were two places available, but when we arrived, both were already taken.

We were met by the same information in a friendly way by one of the people who run the place, but we were offered a special extra place they had. Without electricity and 100 meters from the service station. Lush and beautiful located by the lake. Could not get better in our eyes. The children played in the lake before we had a barbecue, drank some great wine, and rounded off the evening with a Gin and Tonic over a game of Yatzy on our mobile patio. 3 - 0 to me by the way!

On Sunday, we took a long and easy morning. Anna and the children swam in the lake after breakfast and I editied some images. Then we drove on speculation down to Svanshall again. This time there was a place for us. We got the first parquet with the sea as our view with a lovely breeze. To lie down on the bed after lunch. To take a short afternoon nap, it is so nice to have the bed with you. That is a big part of driving around with a motor home.

Yesterday

We have been away for some weeks and done a lot of traveling to different places in Sweden. So it has been quite a while since I went out to do some landscape images close to home.
Yesterday I and my youngest visited Lomma, as we have done many times before. To have the moment!

Capturing cars is the hardest thing!

Many years ago, another photographer told me that she liked my style. You would think I took it as a nice compliment. But I felt the opposite; I don't want a style. I want to continue exploring this area, continue to develop as a photographer, and I do this best by exposing myself to challenges. Test different genres and styles, let me be inspired by all the amazingly talented creators out there.

My photography has mainly moved around landscapes in different forms, magnificent views, and intimate details. But I have also photographed sports, people, macro, animals, architecture, street and everything else in between. But the hardest thing I know is to photograph cars and have their lines and expressions felt through one image. Almost everything else is relatively easy when you get a grip on it, not because all my pictures are fantastic or even useful, but still. Car photography is a whole other thing!

I think the problem is that there are so many things that you have to take into account, so many lines, so many details, so many separate parts in the same subject. At the same time, for me, it should be more of a documentary touch. My creative freedom and to describe more of the feeling I had there and then is somewhat limited. Although, of course, I know many photographers who are fully creative with their car pictures. They have my biggest respect! When it comes to creativity, I am incredibly non-judgmental.

So when I got a new car now, I thought it was an excellent opportunity to practice. I wanted to capture the vehicle in different environments, combined with what I often photograph, landscape, and sunset. But I also wanted to test some techniques I caught on the net. Among other things, to photograph details separately and merge them into one in Photoshop. For example, it is difficult to expose the car and its powerful headlights to be good directly in the camera, so there should be at least two pictures.
Another thing is to light paint the car with a flashlight. I can already say that it failed utterly. I have to practice more on that.

Overall, I am satisfied with these beginner images, and the desire to continue training in this genre has grown. Maybe next time I drive off on a hiking trip. Then perhaps I can catch several things in the same composition, stuff I like—landscape, family, hike feeling with my tent and coffee pan. And Exor, our Dobermann, of course!

Have a great day, take advantage of it to learn new things, and see opportunities! :)