Man vs Nature
This very morning I had been open water swimming along the rocky coastal line of our mediterranean vacation spot. About half a kilometer from my starting point I was stung by jellyfish. Oh the fucking itch.
So it was with some hesitance I got ready for my planned post dawn shoot in the tiny secluded bay. Wind had picked up. Water was a little bit murky. And there was no sun to help me spot those gelatinous medusa monsters as I swam out disrobed and defenseless (bare-skinned and barren).
This is one of the first photographs in a series where I’m exploring the juxtaposition between the human body and nature's innate structures. An artistic exploration of exposing my own body to the elements as well as geology and topography. An artistic ambition to play with form, structure and composition. Simply put - selfies in different types of environments.
Even without threat from burning ocean tentacles, there are logistical challenges to these shoots. I work on my own. I can’t really get to terms with the idea af a photography assistant. Part of being in a creative process is to allow a sense of flow. To be totally caught up in artistic expression. To be the one solely responsible for the result. (Yes - I guess you can call me a control freak). Having another person in that practice seems counter intuitive. Having another person to direct is just sometimes harder than to do everything myself.
So to make these shots work I’m dependent on being well prepared. Ideally I like to scout the location, trying out different compositions and being set on a shot in beforehand.
Obviously I need a decent tripod. And rather than to use a remote shutter, I use an intervall timer. That way I don’t have to worry about reach or have anything in my hands as I pose.
One thing I’ve learned since doing my first shots during mediterranean summer and further on doing shots during Swedish winter, is that a robe and a pair of easy slip-on sneakers are gold.
Back to this particular shot.
The sun had set. There were only traces of light reaching into the narrow bay. I got the tripod setup at about eight meters above the water surface. I embraced the longer exposure that would turn the wavy waters into swirly softness. That same exposure would also force me to hold my breath as the light imposed it’s image onto the sensor.
Taking a deep breath. Closing my eyes. Trying to maintain my calm as the waves rolled in. Carefully squinting into the dark ocean to spot any mischievous jellyfish. But nothing. I stayed afloat.
From the the top of the cliff I could heard the distant timer beeping as I took a breath and got ready for the next shot. And the next. And the next.
Editing in Lightroom is very much a catalyzing process of expanding the emotions felt at the scene. Working with tones and color as away of communicating mood and sentiment.
For this shot I even moved to Photoshop to compose two shots into one. Combining the best water texture with a shot where I managed a reasonably relaxed pose - in spite of the gelatinous threat from below.
On carlmikaelbjork.se you can see this photo in hi-resolution. If you wanna continuously peek into my creative output - Instagram is the place to turn to.
