Slow Sunday

Another slow Sunday. I'm usually up at the crack of dawn, today is no different. Someone has to wake the rooster up, right? Anywho, after a night of rain the weather Gods are still undecisive whether to let the sun shine through or to let the shroud of clouds remain. While they're making up their minds I'm browsing the image archives, at the moment I'm in the Season's End section.

Return on investment

As always there were some ignorant comments on various social media on the previous post "Signed first press". Are people really that clueless when it comes to value of old things? Why bother browsing through ancient vinyls? Well, here's an example.

On one occasion I found two really early vinyl albums, LP:s, at a second hand shop. One was released 1960 and the other one 1954. For those I paid 40 SEK (4 USD) together and when I got home I went online to check if there was any value in them. One I found at Discogs and the value of that one landed at 200 SEK (21 USD). The other one however I had to go to auction house listings to find as it turned out to be a really rare edition and eventually I found out that the value of this one was a whopping 600 SEK (63 USD).

So the value of just these two items was 800 SEK (83 USD) and I paid 40 SEK (4 USD). The return on my investment would be 2,000 percent for just carrying them home should I have sold them right there and then at list prices. Now you tell me, why bother?

Signed first press

For some reason every seventh day a Saturday arrives and I hit the local thrift stores, second hand shops and flea markets. Today was no different and I extended my vinyl collection further. This time around I even found a couple of first presses out of which one was also signed by the artist.

Age of Reflection

Lars Nygren of Age of Reflection live in Västerås, Sweden, in April 2018.

Cute as a button

Why is it that no matter how old as a guy I get I still go all shy and awkward when around a beautiful woman? It's fantastic though that at a ripe old age of soon 55 I still can become like that when I should have the experience and maturity to not. It's so much easier with nature's beauty

Earlier this week I attended a members luncheon and among the guests there were this woman, cute as a button, that in every way possible did match each and every one of my preferences. Slim, dark and long hair, she even was appropriately aged for me, I'm guessing just a year or two my junior.

She seated herself diagonally across the table from me and I do believe this was the first time in 25 years I have been quiet through an entire meal. I was so mesmerized by a pair of truly beautiful eyes I even forgot to look at the hands to see if there was a pesky ring on her finger indicating she's off limits.

Oh well, I can only hope she'll be attending the next luncheon as well and that I'll be able to muster up some backbone then. Maybe a couple of shots (or maybe an entire bottle) of Tullamore Dew will do the trick?

Requests

Ask and ye shall receive... I'm a friendly guy so when I do get requests I try to fulfill them. A popular request is more sunsets, here's one from way back. Shot in Eslöv, Sweden, back in -07.

Classic Blue

Returning for a moment to the color of the year according to Pantone. Sometimes images doesn't even need adapting, they're already colorized accordingly like this live shot of Anna Savage, the microphone jockey of Vanity BLVD.

Wonderland

Klas Ling of Wonderland live in Kungälv, Sweden, in September 2017.

Eight hours straight

Not only are the skies grey today, for eight hours straight now some white crap have been falling down and there's no sign of it ending anytime soon either. Diving deep into the archives digging out a summer memory in the form of a small tortoiseshell butterfly resting for a moment on a flower.

Color of the Year

Every year Pantone selects which color that is the color of the year which influences purchasing decisions in multiple industries, including fashion, home furnishings and graphic design. As a photographer I have to in some extent follow this when adding images to stock image exchanges to increase sales. Here's an example, a black and white rose adapted to this year's color which is Classic Blue.

Bachelor's Button

Some more archived beauty while waiting for warmer weather, a bachelor's button from last summer.

Confusion

Too darn cold outside today so it'll be another visit in the archives where I found these frozen husks. Talk about confusion when I looked up the English name of these, not quite sure which one to use. It is a physalis according to the scienctific name and the English ones to choose from are bladder cherry, Chinese lantern, Japanese-lantern, strawberry groundcherry, and winter cherry.

Black Marbles

Marica Svensson of The Black Marbles live in Kungälv, Sweden, in September 2017.

Towering

Full day today mostly offline, it's a good thing I went on my little excursion yesterday so I have some new images to share with you. Here's another shot from the church in Flodafors, Sweden, with part of the church towering over the visitors. This is one of the largest village churches in the country and dates in part back to the 12th century.

Vanity BLVD

Pete Ash (Peder Rongvall) of Vanity BLVD live in Katrineholm, Sweden, in April 2015.

Abandoned

Today's been a productive day with shots of birds, flowers, a church and an old abandoned barn. The latter fits in the category of the forgotten room, whenever I find something fitting there I do shoot it to document it while it's still around.

Crocus

One of my two favorite things to photograph is nature, the other is concerts, so spring and summer of course are the seasons when I thrive as there are much more to shoot. Finally spring is about to happen, found some early spring flowers on todays excursion in the countryside.

Why they're my favorites? Because of the challenge, easy shots are no fun.

Church of Greyskull

Old churches do have some interesting design details, skulls like this can be found over the windows of the crypt of the church in Flodafors, Sweden.

Whooper

The migrating birds have begun arriving back for the spring and summer seasons. Went for a ride in the countryaide with a friend today and came across some whooper swans.

Bourbon Boys

Bourbon Boys live in Gothenburg, Sweden, in July 2013.

Windy

A sunny day so I went for a walk, but I cut it short as it was too darn windy and the gusts were so cold they bit my cheeks. I was out long enough though to find some snowdrop buds.

Vinyl

Every Saturday I hit the local thrift stores, second hand shops and flea markets. In addition to looking for items to use for various photo projects I also browse the vinyl records to extend my own "little" collection. Neither CD nor streamed music can even get close to the quality of sound that those chunks of plastic can deliver and I will never stop buying vinyls. These are the latest additions.

Siphon Fuel

Martin Englund of Siphon Fuel live in Gothenburg, Sweden, in July 2013.

Pussy

Something for all you animal lovers. I wasn't the the only one enjoying the sunny weather today, a friends cat went for a stroll as well.

Drops of Snow

Spring is finally happening by the looks of it, found some snowdrops...

Taxing The Bag

In just a week or so there will be a new tax imposed in Sweden on plastic bags, the kind you buy at the local store to carry home your purchases, a tax that supposedly is because of climate issues. However a Danish study shows that a paper bag has a 40 times larger impact on climate, a cotton tote bag 7,000 times larger and an organic cotton tote bag 20,000 times larger.

Swedes, follow the advice of the "wise" government and get your own tote bag...

Organic cotton - Regular cotton

Leftovers

While waiting for spring to arrive there still are last years leftovers...

Italian Sweets

Still a couple of months away is the nation wide touring international food market, something I'm eagerly await every year so I can fill up on foods and sweets I can't find in the local stores. I usually take a lap or two documenting the commerce as well, like this Italian vendor with loads of delicious cannoli, biscotti and more.

The Forgotten Room

One area of photography that's fun to do is the so called forgotten room, ie houses, ruins and other items that have been left behind when we humans have moved on towards new and brighter adventures. These remnants of our past can be found everywhere and is very much worth documenting. Just outside my own living room, I didn't even have to leave the comfort of my home to find it, there is one evidence of us doing things differently in another time when electrical wires and telephone cables weren't dug into the ground in our cities and villages.

Airbourne

Airbourne live at Bråvalla Festival in Norrköping, Sweden, in June 2013.

Striped

Guess what? Yep, that's right. No sun or blue skies today either, so I'm back yet another time digging in the archives and have come up with a little striped fellow that reminds us of the warm season.

The Typist

Morning spent preparing a document for that local historical society I wrote about last week, they did ask for a quote later, accepted it and commissioned me to compose the account of last years activities. Done, done and done, the draft is sent for approval.

Part of their activities were an open day at their stoneage village and at that event a local brewer, Sköldinge Ölkultur, attended brewing beer over open fire and also presented four craft beers made specifically for the historical society, Föreningen Vråfolket.

Ghost

Nameless Ghoul of Ghost live at Bråvalla Festival in Norrköping, Sweden, in June 2013.

When it rains it pours

They say that accidents come in groups of three, right now I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop so the third one will hit me. It's true that when it rains it pours. First the aftermath from Saturdays activities with every bone in my body aching and now the camera and lens used there and for all other live events the last couple of years will have to be serviced and I will have to go back to an older camera in the meantime. Luckily both came with a 10 year warranty, they're not exactly cheap. While having used the exact same settings as before with great succes Saturday's images are a bust, I might possibly be able to salvage a few, so something ain't right with the equipment.

Black Veins

After almost two days last week with clear skies we are back to the gloomy and grey weather which brings me back to the image archives where I've dug up a black-veined white butterfly from last summer to remind myself and everyone else that there will be another warm season soon. I for one can't wait for it to arrive, this lousy weather we're having is getting old.

Kalle Moraeus

Kalle Moraeus (giving the finger) live in Borås, Sweden, in August 2012.

Long road ahead

It is clear that I have a long road ahead of me getting back into full capacity following Saturday's adventures when I for the first time since the surgery, two herniated discs in my lower back, did a longer assignment. To cut a long story short, yesterday was spent resting because of pain.

Problem with hernia is that even though the actual discs have been taken care of there are damaged nerves and they will take a long time to heal, especially if the hernia have been there for a longer time which will give more extensive damage. In my case I had to wait for almost two years for surgery, that's how "good" health care is in Sweden.

On top of this I also have problems with my hands and wrists, probably a bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, causing my hands and forearms to not be really cooperative. For this problem I have already been waiting for 18 months for something to happen, the health care systems of Sweden are a joke these days.

Anywho, another slow day will be required to get back on track. Thank you all for your patience waiting for new images to be posted, rest assured they will be coming.

Blue Orchid

Robin Lassila of Blue Orchid live in Borås, Sweden, in August 2012.

Hectic

A hectic day lies ahead. First up is hitting the second hand shops and thrift stores like I always do on Saturdays, then I'm off to the first music event of the year to cover and shoot, the local installment of The Live Carousel (Livekarusellen), which will be held in an old engine roundhouse that have been partly turned into a youth center.

Arteria

Arteria live in Borås, Sweden, in August 2012.

50% bara idag!

Available in Sweden only, I'm afraid...

Passa på att skaffa lite nytt att hänga på väggarna hemma. Endast idag ger Printler dig 50% rabatt, det är alltså halva priset.

Shoppa loss

Ange rabattkoden LOVE i kassan.

Pushing Up Daisies

Someone's apparently pushing up daisies, it's February and these are already blossoming...

Look To The Sky

Fantastic, second day in a row with clear, blue skies and sunshine. It's going in the right direction and spring may still happen this year too.

Blessed

I am truly blessed with so many talented friends in rock and metal bands. One band that have been with me for a long time now is Ammotrack and I'm happy to say that they have forcefully returned after being disbanded some years ago. Just last night they released a new single and video, you can find at the end of the post.

First time I met the guys was back in 2011 after having been working with them at a distance for their participation in my book "Metal Munchers" when I attended a release party for an album. At that time I got to be featured with them in a local newspaper, the article (in Swedish) can be found here.

Mikael de Bruin of Ammotrack live in Skövde, Sweden in October 2011.

The band and I

Happy V-day

Metal Allstars

Metal Allstars live in Borås, Sweden, in July 2012.

It's Coming!

Amazing, an entire day of sunshine and clear, blue skies! Took a walk with the Alpha and I do believe that spring might be just around the corner now, buds are beginning to pop all over the place.