a Photographer's blog
New York // Copenhagen
The cool Copenhagen based clothing brand Les Deux made a interview about me and how I work with Spirituality ( you will probably also recognize some of the images)
"THE SPIRITUAL WAY OF DOING BUSINESS"
Check it out here and Thx Andreas, Mathias, Nick og Adam for including me, you Rock 🤘🏻🤠🤘🏻
And of cause check out their cool apparel here https://lesdeux.dk 🙏🏻🤠
Just want to share this book I made a while back. The book is documenting Mr Pistolettos exhibition at Blenheim Palace for Blenheim Art Foundation.
Blenheim Art Foundation was launched on the 1st October 2014, offering visitors the unique opportunity to experience the work of international contemporary artists through a series of exhibitions held within the historic setting of the Palace and its celebrated grounds. The Foundation is a non-profit organisation that aims to challenge convention, breaking away from the “white cube” aesthetic that has become synonymous with the presentation of contemporary art. The Foundation was established by Lord Edward Spencer-Churchill; brother of the 12th Duke of Marlborough.
In this museum and outside in the Park, Blenheim art Foundation is doing a exhibition for 2 month every year, of some of the most important artist of our time. And I have been very fortunate to be involved in documenting some of these amazing exhibitions and working alongside the artist to visualise there artwork showed in this very special surroundings.
Design: Freedom Agency, Thomas Ørum, Jules Vince
Blenheim Art Foundation: Michael Frahm
Exhibition Manager: Antonia Jolles
The book is available here https://blenheimartfoundation.org.uk/publications
Awhile back, Maersk, who I’ve worked with before, sent me down to the Gulf of Mexico to shoot the new deep drilling ship ‘Maersk Valiant’. It is one of the most advanced of its kind in the world and fully automated, which means it comes equipped with cybernetic driller's chairs with joystick controls for key topsides equipment manipulation, and automated pipe handling and automated tripping systems.
The morning of, we flew out early in the morning and spent a whole 24 hours on the ship. Because of the depth they were drilling there was some security aspect we had to apply to. Clean shaven. This is because of H2S toxicity, if it is released and you are unable to get your gas mask on securely in time, it can become deadly. For the last 10 years or so I had a huge beard and I had to shave it all off just for this trip. It was so weird to suddenly see my own chin again! Since I knew I had to do this I thought it would be fun to shave some of it off and have a good ole trucker beard for a few days and yes, it got a lot of attention. So I convinced my client on the way to the hotel that he should shave his beard in the same style and then we could go check out New Orleans out like a couple of cool roughnecks from the offshore oil industry. But things don’t always go as planned... We were met with very nice smiles from everybody but especially other men. And that’s when we realized that The French Quarter in New Orleans is a big gay community. It was hilarious, so sorry Peter...
Below you can see some pictures from the trip. I included a few from behind the scenes, our beautiful beards and of course my clean shaven face.
A few weeks ago I travelled to Iceland with Nilfisk-Advance, a long time client of mine. The company is the world's largest manufacturer of cleaning machinery. As described in an earlier post I am currently helping Nilfisk transform their image style into something more modern; a very graphic look with douche color palettes. We travelled to Iceland to shoot some images for their new design guide.
We shot at the beautiful concert hall Harpa designed by Henning Larsen Arcitects and Olafur Eliasson as well as the ION Luxury Adventure Hotel. We had the architecture in focus on both locations to emphasise the clean Nordic style which the cleaning machinery also have.
During our stay we faced very bad weather and due to the season, we only had 4-5 hours of daylight. The weather was rough; there was heavy wind and lots of snow, some days we were lucky to have a little bit of sunshine - however it was cold, very cold, only 15 degrees Fahrenheit (-10 Celcius).
Below are three of the final images, we did whilst in Iceland.
Below, a little bit of behind the scenes images from Iceland.
The Maersk Group has recently published their Annual Magazine and Sustainability Report 2015. I have been collaborating with the Maersk Group for some time now, and this year has been nothing short of amazing. I have been commissioned to go to so many exciting and beautiful places and many of the photos I took on these trips have been featured in both the report and magazine. I am very impressed with how the Maersk Group uses large scale images in their communication, and especially in the Annual Magazine "Navigating Volatility" for 2015, where Radley Yeldar, a cool London based communications consultancy, is behind the design and layout. They have given the images space, full spreads, that allows the images to communicate the story and incorporated text on the images in a way that looks effortless, clean and inspiring.
Please see below where I have included some screenshots of the magazine and report with my images.
Located in the most beautiful nature setting in the country side of the the island Langeland in Denmark, you will find the spectacular Tranekær Slot, a castle dating back to the 13th century. Residence of the count and countess Christian & Mette Ahlefeldt-Laurvig, Christian is the 13th generation of Ahlefeldt on Tranekær Castle.
Tranekær Castle is known for its hunting stays and a few months ago I was commissioned to capture some images to advertise this.
A little video I made the other day to give you an idea of how I get from start to finished image.
As you can see there are many steps, including incorporating elements from other images.
Enjoy!
A little look inside my camera bag / bag pack. Displayed are the items that I will usually take with me when I am going out to shoot my landscape photography. Besides the cameras and lenses, my most important items to bring with is my iPhone and my headphones. Sometimes I can sit and wait for 5-6 hours, waiting for the weather to change, the sun to go down or the tide to rise... and with a little music in the ears, the time just go much quicker. Besides hosting my music, my iPhone becomes handy if I want to have an idea of how the image will turn out. I simply take a photo with my phone of the desired motif, edit it in Snapseed on my phone, and decide whether or not the angle, etc, has potential... if it does I carry on with setting up my gear for the big shot.
Gore-tex boots will not sustain standing in a river for numerous hours... but my Le Chameau rubber boots do. A rain poncho and umbrella are also a definite must since I mostly usually shoot in the rain. However, sometimes, the sun does show itself and so having sunscreen in my bag is just as important. Of course I also always make sure to bring carabiner hooks and straps with me - they especially come in handy when I need to stabilise my tripod, for example. Also, by hanging stones from the tripod, I add weight to it which further makes it steady, which is pivotal for a long exposure shot.
Here is the full list of items:
Want to see how I use all this gear in action? Tune in next Wednesday where I will post behind the scenes images.
Happy Wednesday all,
Best
Tom
Besides CSR, portrait, industrial and landscape photography I also do product and advertising photography. One of my oldest clients is Nilfisk-Advance, an old company that was founded in 1906 and who most people will know for their iconic vacuum which many now make into fashionable lampshades, like here. Although known for their vacuums, Nilfisk-Advance supplies professional cleaning equipment in both industrial, commercial and consumer markets and is actually the world's largest manufacturer of cleaning machinery.
Currently I am helping Nilfisk transform their image style into something more modern; a very graphic look with douche color palettes. Below are examples of my latest work.
As I mentioned in the previous post, the growing export of cocoa enabled the farm village I visited to build a school out of mud. They want to invest in their children's future by building better schools, hoping to eventually build a school of cement blocks.
I visited this school they had recently build of mud, and it was a very rewarding experience.
During our time in Nigeria, my team and I visited the Olora Community, a farming collective in rural Nigeria. The community mainly lives off of their striving cocoa export, which has contributed to a great growth amongst the community. Their most important agenda is increasing this cocoa export, so that they can get better schooling for the children, an antenna for improved network and a good hospital.
In the end of June 2014 I travelled to Nigeria for 10 days, to create a story for a large Danish company. A new harbour terminal has had a great impact on the country’s businesses and its citizens. Today it is possible to easily and effectively get goods in and out of the country, whereas there were many issues before. For example it only takes 48 hours to get a container through the harbour now, whereas it used to take up to a month. Furthermore, with new initiatives, such as changing the system; from paperwork to digital, they have come to grips with corruption. Obviously this exciting new change has had a huge impact on the businesses who are dependent on importation and exportation. During our time in Nigeria, my team and I visited several local businesses, e.g. a small village coco farm, motorcycle factory – who import motorcycles, assemble them and sell throughout Nigeria, a big production company and a local village school, the latter which I have shared a story about here. It was an incredibly inspiring trip, and we got some amazing stories and photos to bring home with us.
Today I would like to share photos from the motorcycle factory. They import parts from motorcycles and assemble them to make motorcycles that are sold as taxis.
And here is a iphone snap that I quite like...
I find that there is something rather enchanting and compelling about waterfalls. In the midst of the dramatic, it beholds an inner stillness that enables my soul to wander, and deep reflection to occur. It exudes life. It inspires. It heals. It speaks. It speaks many stories, which is the purpose of this photograph.
A waterfall has an immense force, and when freezing this movement with my camera, small stories amidst the water appear. By mirroring the photograph I have put emphasis on the mystical which I believe waterfalls to encompass. You might notice that faces form in the water as you examine the photos. You might find that your imagination takes you on many different journeys as you take in all of the little elements that make up this photograph. And most probably, we will not experience the same stories, and that is why each encounter with this photograph, for those who take the time to really absorb it, will be completely unique.
A little ray of sunshine and the waves. Had a lovely evening trip with Jakob & Therese. Surfing in Northern Zealand.
I would let you in on a secret… The person in this photo, which you might have come across if you have followed my work in the past, is in fact myself.
Now, how did the photo come to be?
The photo was shot after I had visited the The Summit Of Mauna Kea, Onizuka Centre for International Astronomy - Hawaii. A big storm was heading our way and we was told to leave the center and travel back down the mountain. However, on the way down, I decided to stop at a parking lot and set up my gear and capture the mesmerising night scape. I went into my car, got a jumper with a vibrant colour and my head torch, set my camera and self timer and ran across to the other side and faced the sky with the head torch in place.
Some details…
Shot at an aperture 4000 meters... with Nikon d810 and Carl Zeiss 18mm. Exif: f/3.5 - 15,00 s - ISO 1600.
HumanHuman is a communication bureau by Thea Mikkelsen and Mikkel Braginsky. A while back Thea & Mikkel came by the studio to shoot some portraits, and this is the result.
“Our name reflects our understanding of strong and clear communication. Communication is basically about the authentic conversation between people. For it is ultimately that which creates real value for all. Therefore Human Human.”
As you may have noticed, I recently travelled around Yosemite National Park, and now I have finally found the time to edit some of my photos from my trip.
I would like to share these three photos. Yosemite holds the most mesmerising and serene scenery which I have tried to capture in these three photos.
A little while ago I got a wonderful email, and it said:
"Dear Tom,
CONGRATULATIONS on being a Winner at the 8th Annual International Color Awards with:
Honorable Mention in Advertising | MTB-Spain
Nominee in Advertising | MHI Vestas Offshore
Nominee in Advertising | RainClouds
Nominee in Nature | Isle of Skye Mist7,358 entries were received from 79 countries and your work received a high percentage of votes overall. Certainly an achievement, well done!
The Jury represented the industry's biggest names and tastemakers including Christie's, Frieze, Whitechapel Gallery, Eyestorm, Edinburgh Film Festival, DB Agency, Gup Magazine and Art Beatus Gallery who reviewed the entries online before making their nominations and honoring 541 title awards and 750 nominees in 33 categories. The awards could not have wished for a better group of professionals to work with.
Congratulations once again, we wish you a most successful photography year. "
INTERNATIONAL COLOR AWARDS is the leading international award honoring excellence in color photography. This celebrated event shines a spotlight on the best professional and amateur photographers worldwide and honors the finest images with the highest achievements in color photography. www.colorawards.com
Of course I am extremely grateful for this honor!
Here follows the winning photos:
Honorable Mention in Advertising | MTB-Spain
Nominee in Advertising | MHI Vestas Offshore
Nominee in Advertising | RainClouds
Nominee in Nature | Isle of Skye Mist
Earlier this year I participated in the competition I Shot It - Black and White Photo Competition 2015, and was honoured to be given the award: Mark Of Excellence for portrait.
I participated with two photos of which both of them archieved the award . One was the a portrait of Danish actor Esben Dalgaard, which I shot in Copenhagen with the Leica S and Summicron-S 100 that Leica so kindly had lent to me for a week so I could test it. About this portrait the judges said: "Beautiful portrait, technically perfect and captures the mood of an interesting person".
The second photo was one from the Olora, farming community in rural Nigeria (which you can read more about here). The photo is from the village school, taken with the Nikon d800e. Of this photo the judges said: "Lovely atmosphere and clean, sharp composition".
Earlier this year I made this film with Thomas Ørum and Danny Santana from Greyworks. The film is for a collaboration between Barbara i Gongini and Volvo for Copenhagen Fashion week 2015.
"During Cph Fashion Week in February this year Volvo teamed up with renowned fashion designer BARBARA I GONGINI to create a short film around her show at Copenhagen’s City Hall. The filming and production took place during Fashion Week and created a lot of buzz as both local and international fashionistas witnessed eight brand new all-black Volvos take to the streets of late night Copenhagen. The high-end vehicles functioned as VIP shuttles to both press, models and industry professionals and made quite a statement to the already present BMW shuttle service. Volvo is taking a new road in 2015 and teaming up with edgy artists is part of the strategy." Quote from here.
