It all started for more than 30 years ago when I was standing out in the cold, painting our Reykjavík Mountain called “Esja” to my canvas in oil. As my fingers started to get this bluish frosty color and were ready to drop off, I thought “Why not take a photo of the object and paint it at home, it´s much warmer”. Soon after I bought myself a Pentax film camera and took my first photo – of Mountain Esja. Wooooow, it was a terribly bad shot. Ha ha ha ha , but I finished the painting in my warm cozy room so the photo served its purpose.

I started to use this technique, so slowly I learned through my paintings what kind of light, composition, framing, angel etc. I was looking for. By doing it this way I wanted to find my own style and I think I have found it. Yes it was a struggle and much more struggle then I thought but I learned all that was needed the hard way and on that path I learned much more about the camera than people usually do as I had to read all the manuals from A to Z and test everything while I was reading it to get what I was looking for. It took longer time then, as I was using film.

Later on my official study came from the internet as you can find all the best photographers, good lecture and one can study it all when the time is right. By browsing the internet I also have found out the more I learn, the less I know.

I feel my goal as a native photographer, responsible to leave all I can behind to show others how it looked like, with my documentary, before it’s too late. Iceland is very sensitive due to short summers and long winters, so it takes the vegetation long time to heal. Iceland is changing rapidly fast due to the climate changes and the Glaciers are melting down faster than ever.

People like Ansel Adams and Eliot Porter were central figures in influencing American attitudes toward wilderness and conservation and others have followed. I hope each country has their own environmental documentary photographers and I look at me as one of them, telling the story of how we need to preserve Iceland. I’m both trying to expose the beauty in the landscape and the environmental problems, and for that I’m trying to get people to care.
I may be winning some battles here and there, but sadly it seems to me that I’m losing the war.

I strongly believe that many small things can add up and make a big difference. That is why I will continue to do my best to influence others to care about the beauty which is all around us in Iceland.

Publication

• WILD ICELAND the untouched nature – South
• WILD ICELAND the untouched nature – Southwest
• WILD ICELAND the untouched nature – West
• WILD ICELAND the untouched nature – North
• WILD ICELAND the untouched nature – East
• WILD ICELAND the untouched nature – Westfjords
• WILD ICELAND the untouched nature – Highlands of Iceland
• WILD ICELAND the untouched nature – Reykjavík Capital of Iceland
• Discover Wild Iceland Vol 1