Dual concentration

Trees are always a fascination. But when you are 4 years old, you just don't reach up. But there is always some help around. I think that father and son already found out that the moon is not reachable, but a branch from an old tree is definately a second best. And for me behind the camera it was certainly a family moment to capture.

Picture #1 Exposure Program - Action Program
F-stop f/4.5
Exposure time 1/800
ISO-400
Focal length 120
Date: April 25, 2010

Erik was a very proud young boy when holding tightly around the branch with both hands. Maybe not so tough when his father took a few steps away, but he did reach the ground safely again.

Erik, 4 years

In 1969 I used to run around the house. I can't quite remember why, but at that age I probably had a very good reason to. 40 years later, there was suddenly a new kid running around our house. I didn't ask why. As a grownup I didn't really care. What I did, was run into the house, bring out the camera, and see if there were any magic moments to capture.

Picture #1 Exposure Program | Action Program
F-stop f/5.6
Exposure time 1/400sec
ISO-400
Focal Length 240mm

Thank you Per, for not having enough energy to keep up with your son, using our backyard for a pitstop. But the coke in good company is always a pleasure.

Piazza San Marco in Venice

I like the emptiness, with the modern round tables in their plain form and the chairs with their steel support dominating the bottom half of the picture, while the top is filled with culture and history that we can only imagine through tourist brochures and books. Just standing there alone on the otherwise crowded square was an experience worth waiting for.

Picture #1 Exposure Program Manual
F-stop f/16
Exposure time 10sec
ISO-400
Focal length 21mm
Date September 13th 2007

Our Northern Italy trip was our honeymoon. We only had one tripod, so we decided that the night shots would be mine, while my wife took the early morning shots. On the left hand side we see part of the Campanile and the Clock Tower. In the middle, St. Mark's Basilica and the Doge's Palace on the right hand side. For those, very familiar with Venize, I can mention that I am standing at the Piazzetta, with a view towards the Piazza San Marco.

Here is a link to the Piazza San Marco in Venice.

Cruiseship in Flåm

This picture was taken on July 13th 2009 on our way from Bergen. We had just passed Flåm on highway E16 when we saw this cruiseship. It was so unreal, because when we first saw her, I was not aware that we were driving next to a fjord. So for me, it was like seing this huge ship standing stranded on a farmers field between huge mountains.

Taking the picture with the old red boathouse on the lefthand side gave the picture a good contrast between old and new which I liked. It was also raining, and in afterthought, I wish I had been able to somehow hold the camera nearer the waters edge while taking the picture.

Picture #1 Automatic
F-stop f/9
Exposure time 1/200
ISO-400
Focal length 18mm

This picture has on April 15th 2010, been entered into the National Geographic Channel Photo Competition with a theme over Norwegian Nature.

Martin, 4 years

We were at our cabin in Snillfjorden together with some friends and their child this Easter.  I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to take some pictures of the four year old. The camera was in "Landscape Mode", which I forgot to turn off. This gave me many pictures with a long shutter speed and with a "Trashcan" destination.

Picture #1 Exposure Program - Landscape Mode

F-stop f/9

Exposure time 1/100

ISO-100

Focal length 35mm

Picture #2 Exposure Program - Landscape Mode
F-stop f/5.6
Exposure time 1/100
ISO-100
Focal length 70mm

Bryggen

These pictures were taken on July 11th 2009. I was at the time participating in the Norwegian Chess Championship in Bergen, and had ample time to photograph these fascinating buildings. Bryggen (Norwegian for the Wharf), also known as Tyskebryggen (the German Wharf) is a series of Hanseatic commercial buildings lining the eastern side of the fjord coming into Bergen, Norway. Bryggen has since 1979 been on the UNESCO list for World Cultural Heritage sites.

Picture #1 Automatic

F-stop f/10

Exposure time 1/500

ISO-400

Focal length 35

Picture #2 Automatic

F-stop f/11

Exposure time 1/500
ISO-400
Focal length 35

These two pictures are almost identical. Picture 2 is cropped a little. On the left of the buildings you could see the old city fortress. From this angle I found the combination of the two disturbing.

Here is a link to Bryggen.

Statsraad Lehmkuhl

These pictures of The Statsraad Lehmkuhl were taken on July 12th 2009.  She is about to dock at her home port in Bergen. She is a three-masted barque rigged sail training vessel. I have seen her a few times before, but never while holding a camera.

I liked the generation gap between the two ships, the identical white paint and the windows which almost look like some kind of perforation going through the picture. Usually I would prefer a blue sky, since I am never around when there is one, but in this particular picture, I think a blue sky would distract to much away from the ships and what I want others to see.

Picture #1 Automatic

F-stop f/6.3

Exposure time 1/320

ISO-800

Focal length 300

Picture #2 Automatic

F-stop f/6.3

Exposure time 1/160

ISO-800

Focal length 70

Here is the link to the homepage for The Statsraad Lehmkuhl. You can choose between the languages Norwegian and English.

 And here is what Wikipedia has to say. You can choose a preferred language further down on the page.