The Great Escape

It's with mixed feelings that I return to work tomorrow. I have been off now for 2 weeks since the birth of Rhiannon. Although I look forward to the normality of working and seeing my colleagues again, it also feels as if I'm leaving Lorienne behind with two children and a house to look after. She still doesn't get much sleep at night so trying to entertain a three year old and keeping up with Rhiannon's feeding and sleeping pattern is not an easy job.
I'm trying to not make it seem like I'm running away. I'll be home soon, everyday!

Gillis and Vivi-Ann

More village photographs.
Gillis and Vivi-Ann live next door to us and are retired from teaching at the local school (which -by the way- also happens to be very close to our house). They are always kind and helpful in every way and a great source of information about the people and history of the village.

South Africa

Today is windy and overcast and gone are the clear sunny days without a breath of wind. The weather forecast promised snow in the mountains tomorrow which means winter is taking one step closer.
To cheer myself up I went through some photos from our trip to South Africa at the beginning of this year. Hope you enjoy them!

Mörtsjön

After only a couple hours of sleep last night, we decided to go away somewhere instead of staying at home feeling sorry for ourselves (Rhiannon is still a nightperson). On Lorienne's suggestion we drove to a place about 50km from us called "Mörtsjön" where Henrik agreed on joining me in a photograph! Something which doesn't happen everyday.
I will have to go back to this place again when the light is right, lots of potential.

Family Portraits

Henrik wants us all to play with him and has no time for photos, I have two flashes but only one lightstand and the camera is mounted on a tripod. I ask a neighbour to point one of the flash units for me while her little dogs run around barking at us....One day I will have to try including myself in our family portraits.
Rhiannon sleeps through the whole thing. It is still daytime after all.

Autumn

I'm home on parental leave with our new baby daughter, so for the time being most of my photographs will be family related.
Today though I had to throw in a few images of autumn which has arrived in full bloom here now. While out for a walk today I was awestruck by how the red, orange and yellow leaves seem to explode with colour. Autumn is truly an amazing season and great for taking pictures!

Bike/Sister

Do you remember when you were little and you were given something new that you really liked? Even though Henrik has had his bicycle for a while now, it's still his pride and joy and so far much more fun than his little sister who only eats and sleeps all day. Actually, at night she doesn't even sleep...

Attention

It's not easy being three years old and suddenly having the attention shifted from yourself to your new little sister. Well done Henrik for being such a kind and considerate boy! I will play with you as much as I possibly can, I promise.

Rhiannon

It was a big day today and our future family photographs will include one more person!
Our daughter Rhiannon Sara was born at 15h27 this afternoon.

Family Photographs

Tomorrow is the day. The day when a new member of our family is due to arrive and the day our family photographs will look a little different from the one below...

Kyrkås

Since I'm still working on the slideshow of the village I live in, I thought I would post a few random photographs that may or may not be part of it later.


"Green Summer"


"Dairy workers on their way home"


"Follow"


"Kyrkås New Church"

The News

I have been keeping a watchful eye on the news lately. It feels appropriate to be updated on what sort of world my wife and I are bringing another child into. According to most of the news items, our world is rather unstable, so why expose another human to it and why expose the world to another human?
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Because to me the world is still a beautiful place. It is the only place I know and the only place I want to live in. Each and every one of us can help keep it that way and as long as there are children there is hope right? An old cliché that I like very much.
Let's hope our children will know just a little better than ourselves.

Henrik

Since my son Henrik is born the day after his mother Lorienne's birthday, it's time to say a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! to him too!
My favourite little guy in the whole wide world!

Lorienne

Happy Birthday Lorienne! My best friend and soulmate, I love you forever.

Abandoned

There she stands in the forest. Old, alone and forgotten.
When the old man left this world there was no other caretaker. Everything is the way he left it. There is an empty bottle of wine on the table and glasses hazy with dust in the dining room cupboards. Pictures of people long dead hang on the walls. Leaves blow in from the broken entrance and into the old pantry where old rusty tins and cutlery lie scattered on the floor.
There are stories in the walls here and I get a sense of being watched while I am photographing. As I leave I can't help saying "Thank you for your time.."

In the Light of Irony

Isn't it funny how things happen? I have been thinking a lot about light lately. How it changes with the seasons and time of day. I even thought of posting a few photographs from our trip to South Africa just to illustrate how beautiful the late afternoon light can be there on a sunny day. That is what was on my mind when my mother phoned me and asked me to help put her new lamp together (all items of furniture come in neat little DIY kits in Sweden). She had bought it the same day because she didn't have enough light in her living room to be able to read in the evenings. I went over there after work and won't you believe it...Her dog was dressed up as a light too!