Snaptured is really happy to share this sweet interview of beautiful landscape photographer from a small town 60 km north of Oslo, Norway, He have received 10 Editors Choice Awards on 500px and more on other photographic sites… lets see what he talked to our interviewer…( all images in this post are copyrighted of Ole Henrik Skjelstad)
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Hello and welcome to Snaptured.com, please introduce yourself, where are you from etc etc…
I am a 53 year old math teacher, and photography is a hobby of mine on which I spend a lot of time, I am afraid. I live in a small town 60 km north of Oslo, Norway. I am married and we have two children.
You have amazing talent of landscape photography; can you tell us how you got started in photography?
Thanks for kind words! I began taking pictures with my cell phone around five years ago and found the activity very refreshing and fun. I got my first camera as a birthday present in January 2013 – a Canon EOS 650D which basically is a beginners camera. Back then I didn’t know there was something called raw files so I only shot jpgs. After someone told me I should be shooting in raw I first bought Photomatix and did hdr images. Not very good images, I am afraid. Then I got Lightroom and the next step was Photoshop. It took a while, though, before I learned to master Photoshop on a decent level.
What genre of photography you mostly do? What other genres do you like….
I prefer to shoot landscapes, but have also developed an appetite for night photography, that is, aurora and the milky way.
Which place you like most to do landscaping, among all the places you have visited?
I have always loved visiting the western part of Norway with its mountains, waterfalls and deep fjords. We as a family visited Lofoten and Senja last summer and we found the scenery to be breathtaking. Have also been to Iceland once, and that was magical. Otherwise, most of my images are from the area where I live. I am fortunate to live in a district with plenty of beautiful scenery.
What took you to be at this level? As a successful Landscape photographer?
Always difficult to answer questions like this, but I guess to be often out with the camera helps honing our skills. And I have spent an enormous amount of time in front of the computer learning to edit my images since I early identified this as an important factor in improving my photography.
What difficulties do you face in the field of landscape photography?
Have to admit I haven’t given this much thought…I wish, though, that I had more time to travel around in Norway. And, I wish that the clouds more often would be exactly where I want them, and to be as I prefer them to be 😉
Typical question, which image is your very best till now? We know all of your images are best but we want to know that one best image ☺
LOL 😉 I am incredibly critical to my own work and an image I was happy with two months ago I find wanting now, but there are a few I still find appealing. One of those is this image of a frozen Rjukandefoss in Hemsedal (Norway).
What gears you usually use for landscape photography?
Presently I am using the Pentax K-1 and Pentax 15-30, Pentax 24-70 and Pentax 70-200. Have to say I am thoroughly impressed with the Pentax in terms of image quality, colors and dynamic range – and the K-1 comes with a host of practical and handy solutions. I have a Sirui tripod and I use Nisi filters whenever I feel the need to apply filters. All my stuff is packed in a Lowepro Pro Trekker.
What do you do when you are not photographing?
I have always loved reading, so when I have some time to spare I usually pick up a book.
Which programs do you use for editing purposes?
Lightroom, Photoshop, Nik Color Efex Pro and Topaz DeNoise.
What is the best advice you can give for the young upcoming landscape photographers?
I believe the most important thing is to have fun behind the camera. Other than that; study others’ work, watch tutorials and practice, practice and practice. I don’t believe in shortcuts, and it truly is a sad thing that many resort to bots and spamming in order to become noticed. Hard honest work will always pay off in the long run in my opinion.
Finally, what is your goal for life? As a landscape photographer
The most important thing for me is to have fun behind the camera, to say “wow” when I have captured something out of the ordinary that also may cause me to jump up and down a few times 😉 Other than that, to feel the warmth from the sun, hear the waves splash or hear the deafening roar from a wild waterfall.
Thanks a lot for hearty interview, please check some photos from his portfolio….
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