It is not only a new year that give you a chance to think about what you want to do different in your life. Autumn is also a time for reflections, both when it comes to photographing nature dressed in autumn colours mirroring itself in the water and to reflect on your life in general.
Autumn is the time of year when nature turns into a beautiful colour palette. Here in the north the weather can be pretty rough. You learn pretty fast that you have to be careful when you are stepping out of your car, as the wind can make the car door smash into the car that has parked beside you on the parking lot. And unless you are wearing a ponytale, you should never wear lipgloss, unless you want your hair covered in it.
It is not often the sea is calm, but when it happens, it creates some really great photo opportunities.
I took these photos in my neighourhood, on one of these nice, wind-free days in October. I put on a lot of warm clothes before I stepped outside. Gloves are a must if you decide to go photographing in the Arctic in the autumn. When the tide is low, this part of the sea is often covered in mud, so I was really lucky this day.
When I am photographing I am in some kind of zone where it is only room for me, my camera and the photo object, and I before I knew it, I stepped into some horse sh***. I had totally forgotten that horses are grassing in the area in the summer.
I really love living so close to the sea, even though it is too cold to take a swim there. Unless you are really committed.
As I mentioned in the introduction, autumns is also a time for reflecting on a deeper level. Especially here in the Arctic where the sun is setting early. During the darkest days, it is difficult to know whether the sun is setting or rising, as it happens almost simultaneously. Many people are therefore spending a lot of time indoors. And when your are snuggling up in your sofa while drinking hot chocolate, you might as well reflect on both small and bigger things, asking yourself questions such as: What makes you happy? What are your career ambitions? How can you do your part to stop the climate crisis? What is the best way of showing your family and friends that you love them?
Just like the light breaks through these clouds, an opportunity could be visible through your foggy brain.
It is your choice to act as steady as this mountain, or to embrace the new opportunities that are waiting for you just around the corner.
What do you choose to do this year? I am choosing the imaginary road sign in my mind that points to direction of new opportunities.
Ina N. Moe 