weddingphotography

This picture pretty much sums up our recent trip to Edmonton. It was full on winter: cold, windy and dark. And the city itself wasn’t all too beautiful.

Speaking of cold. As we got there, Cole and I took a walk from our hotel to a nearby grocery store. A walk of 700 meters or so. During that walk, we had to stop twice – at a liquor store and a bank – to make it. And we actually took a cab back to the hotel. A 700 meter cab ride, most likely the shortest cab ride of all time.

We’re both born and raised in winter climates, so we know cold. But this was something else.

Despite the weather, we really enjoyed the wedding and Ashley and Andrew – the bride and groom – were awesome. As were their families.

So all in all, a nice trip, and I can cross Edmonton off the bucket list. And I got to see mall.

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A tad slow on the updates here. I’m back in Vancouver, trying to lose the jet lag, amongst other things. Getting there.

Tomorrow we fly to Edmonton (brr) for a wedding. I’ll try to take a picture or two. Back with updates on that in a few.

Some call it social media, some call it the internet 2.0, some call it the spawn of the devil.

Like it or not, many people have different sites on the internet where they interact with people in one way or another. I thought I’d share some of the places where you can find me.

My Facebook Business Page - Jonas Peterson Photography.

My goal is to be more active on Facebook, I’m going to treat it as a mini blog of sorts, write more and share things that don’t end up on the blog. Follow me there if you’re interested in what’s going on in my life 2012.

My Twitter account.

I use Twitter for more random interactions with whoever. A oneliner here, a shared album review there. Small things, but things I love.

Formspring.

For the last two years I have answered more than 3300 questions about my photography on Formspring. Sometimes I sound a little frustrated in my answers, but that’s usually because I’ve already answered most questions 30 times. Feel free to ask me anything about my photography there, but please keep the simple gear questions to google. I won’t answer basic questions about lenses, aperture and such, but I’m happy to let you in and answer questions about why I do what I do.

Pinterest.

I haven’t really pinned much yet, but I’m slowly, slowly starting to use it more, so if you’re a pinner, join me there.

Google+

I’m there, I haven’t been very active, but things will change.

I’m also on Instagram, Foursquare and some other places, but I can’t seem to find links to my accounts :)

I’ve been lucky enough to shoot more than 10 weddings in Bali the last three years and there’s something about that island and the people there that touches my inner core. It’s also a place that has to be experienced with all your senses. It’s hot and humid and as soon as you step off the plane you can feel and smell Bali in all its glory, the rich scents of burning incense and palm leaves. I’ve travelled all around the world, but nothing really smells and feels like Bali. I’m shooting four more Bali weddings this year. Tickets from Australia are cheap and if I didn’t work all the time, I think I would be going to Bali more. More than anything I want to do a photography workshop in Bali. I’m never more at ease than when I’m there.

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It’s the 12th day of 2012, and it just started snowing outside. After a couple of dark, non-snowy months, the white winter finally took over.

I’ve been off work for almost two months now. Have barely taken any photos, almost no editing, almost no album design, almost no nothing. It’s been nice, although I look forward to going back to reality again, and the life I’ve gotten used to living and loving.

Tomorrow I fly to Stockholm, and a couple of days later to Vancouver with a short stop in London.

So, farewell, mighty clouds. See you again in May.

(iPhone snap.)

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Cassie and Shaun’s wedding was featured on Once Wed today. Go there for more details.

One more week of this.

I went to business school when I was 19. Graduated at 23.

Four years. That’s a fairly big chunk of my young adulthood.

Four years of classes to get a fancy title on a piece of paper (Masters Degree in Business and Entrepreneurship), but pretty much not one single communication with businesses in the real world. Four years theory and so called real life examples, written by some old dusty professor in some old dusty office.

(I have a feeling my choice of words is giving away where this is going…)

Looking back at business school, I can’t really say I remember much. If anything, really. Sure, what we read and discussed is there somewhere, but off the top of my head, I pretty only remember the basics. The four P’s and such.

And – of course – how to write as many words as possible, with as little meaning as possible, to reach to those 80 pages (or whatever) that the thesis had to be.

But that’s it. That’s pretty much all I have from those four years.

Don’t get me wrong though, they were four great years. Lots of new acquaintances and many, many good times. I don’t regret them.

And yes, I know university is also about learning to think in a certain way. To analyze and evaluate knowledge.

But as far as knowledge of business goes, I’ve learnt 500 % more from running one for two years than I did from those four years of school. And from books I’ve read post-school.

If that’s because I’m not the best learner (to my defence, I did have straight A’s throughout the Masters year) or because the school system could be improved is for someone else to decide.

But I’m starting to think those college drop-outs (like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg, to name a few) were on to something.

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music credit: Where I Found You – Future Islands (iTunes)

And here it is, our 2011:

http://nordicaphotography.com/2011-year-two/

Download audio file (kg58j239x7oalefqrfiv.mp3)

“Your favorite music well it just makes you sad”, he sang while staring at me.

How the hell did you know that, I thought to myself.

There I was.

I felt naked.

See-through.

“But you like it cause you feel special that way”, he continued.

Come on, cut it out, don’t do this to me, I thought. Why do you have to tell everyone? The rest of the concert I stood there motionless. My eyes transfixed. Staring. Who the hell are you? How come you know these things about me?

“I can’t teach you to learn to love yourself, but here’s a sad song I wrote for no one else.”

He stared back at me. After every track he looked at me and smiled. Like some kind of singing guardian angel in nerdy glasses. When the others applauded, I just stood there.

Staring.

After the gig I asked someone if I could go backstage. Someone said yes. To this day I don’t know why. The room was dark. He was sitting on an old battered couch, a street light outside lighting up half his face.

“I thought you’d come.”

“What happened back there?”

“I don’t know.”

“You were…singing to me.”

“Ha, ha, well, I didn’t write it for you, but when I saw you standing there, I knew I kind of had. Tonight it’s your song.”

We sat there for a long, long time talking about life. His in Brooklyn. Mine in Gothenburg, Sweden. This is years ago now and my life is different in so many ways, but I often think of that night with Eef Barzelay. My favorite music no longer makes me sad.

Your favorite music

Well it just makes you sad Your favorite music Well it just makes you sad But you like it Cause you feel special that way

You feel special That you’re like no one else You feel special That you’re like no one else But then you’re lonely And you need someone to help

I can’t teach you To learn to love yourself I can’t teach you To learn to love yourself But here’s a sad song That I wrote for no one else

music credit: Your Favorite Music – Clem Snide (iTunes)

It’s late.

I can hear the wildlife going bananas outside my office this tropical night, the music is playing loudly, but I can’t seem to turn it down. It’s been a year of awakenings, a year of growth and shedding skin. It’s quite possible you haven’t seen any of that yet, but it’s obvious to me. I can see what I have to do. And as much as I think my “best of 2011″ post sums things up, it’s obvious that I forgot to thank the people who got me here. I owe so much to the people who hire me. I’m a little allergic to posts about how much wedding photographers love their jobs and their clients, but the truth is I’m the same. I’m a blubbering fool and I wouldn’t be anywhere if it weren’t for the people who let me do what I do.

You’re only as good as your clients allow you to be and my clients want me to move mountains.

So I try.

I believe weddings are fantastic and most weekends I get to experience everything I enjoy about life – passion, purpose and love.

Lauren, Ryan, Cate, Simon, Maia, Andreas, Sarah, Simon, Waverly, David, Alyda, Todd, Lisa, Michael, Michelle, Ezra, Felicity, Mikey, Megan, Michael, Rebecca, Peter, Lauren, Sean, Jess, Brendan, Bronwyn, Steve, Monique, Damian, Courtney, Jacob, Nikki, Alex, Alisha, Pete, Elizabeth, Matt, Danielle, Steve, Lauren, Josh, Melissa, Chris, Claire, Jackson, Mitra, Fabio, Sue-Lyn, Andreas, Teresa, Henrik, Louise, Eric, Emelie, Johan, Nina, Craig, Rachel, Jeff, Lori, Ash, Nadee, Chris, Natalie, Daniel, Madeleine, Anthony, Julie, Sam, Stephanie, Jackie, Chantel, Simon, Erin, Deric, Anna, Thomas, Claire, Nicholas, Felicity, Paul, Christina, Sean, Penny, Gerald, Megan, Mathew, Stephanie, Mark, Cassie, Shaun, Emma, Jon, Anita and Sean.

Thank you.

From the bottom of my heart.

I am not worthy, but I thank you for thinking I am.

2011 was pretty crazy, looking back at it.

I worked pretty much every day – including many 15+ hour Saturdays – yet it feels like I had another year of holiday.

The days in my life look nothing like they did a couple years ago. No going to the office, no cursing cause I have to go to work again tomorrow, no hating Monday mornings. I don’t even care if it’s Monday, Friday or Sunday anymore.

But running your own company isn’t all sunshine. There were times throughout the year when I felt a bit exhausted, and wasn’t looking forward to the next weekend’s wedding as much. But that always changed as the next one came, and now, after being off weddings for a few weeks, I miss them. Can’t wait to get started again.

If I’d win the lottery today, I’d still keep shooting weddings. No doubt about it.

We started 2011 with a wedding in Vancouver in January, and ended it with one in Cancun, Mexico, in November (to be blogged soon). In between there were another 40-ish weddings, all over. 2012 is booked up with twice as many weddings as 2011 was in December last year. Which would lead one to think that 2012 will be even more exciting.

Good times ahead.

It may sound like a cliché, but I literally can’t wait to see what 2012 will bring.

In a few days, Cole and I will have a post with all our favourite 2011 photos on the Nordica blog. So stay tuned for that.

In the meantime, here’s one of my personal favourites of the year. A photo of Sabrina and James on a warm night in Stanley Park, Vancouver, BC, Canada.

In a place that is archaic, exceptionally isolated, surrounded by 130,000 people living under plastic tarpaulins, no running water, no electricity, no food, no shops, no money…nothing….  In a place absent of all life pleasures, I found romance.

I found a man who I would want to spend the rest of my life with.

It was the 1^st of February 2007 …Darfur, Sudan.  The largest refugee camp in the world.

There were 20 expatriate humanitarians living there.  I remember an incident happened in camp where many people were injured and laying on the ground.  We all worked so hard to assist these people throughout the darkness with no light and no water.

I turned around and Gerald was standing there. From the darkness where he had stood for hours observing the carnage, he stepped forward holding a box of Belgium Chocolates.  He wanted to share them with me. We had spoken briefly prior to this of our mutual love of chocolate, such a rare and precious thing in a place like this.

But right there, feeling a lifetime away from the rest of the world, a Belgian man oozed of humbleness.

For me the rest was history.

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I was a broken man at the end of 2010. I had an amazing year, but as with so many other people, I got caught up in my own drive to excel. When I finished up that year with a beautiful wedding in NYC, I was emotionally drained. It was my 65th wedding that year. It’s by no means impossible to shoot that many weddings and stay focused, but I found that I was becoming a wedding machine. Giving my everything to my clients left little time to myself. I stopped doing the things *I* enjoyed to do, I never took photos for the joy of it, I hardly read books and I even stopped listening to music. All I did was work.

Jacqui and I decided to cut back a little bit 2011, but once we reached that decision we already had over 35 weddings booked, many of them interstate and international.

I shot some weddings in Australia before we both traveled together to The Bahamas and Waverly and David’s wedding on Harbour Island. In many ways that wedding was perfect for us. We managed to take some time off and recharge our soul batteries and the wedding and the people we met there were fantastic. From the Bahamas we traveled to Las Vegas for WPPI where I met an overwhelming amount of people. I also shot my friends’ wedding/vow renewal out there and when we flew back to Australia I was pumped for the wedding season to come.

On my way to shoot one of my best friend’s wedding, I received an email from American Photo Magazine. They had named me one of the top ten wedding photographers in the world 2011. In many ways that was actually hard to deal with. What I do, how I approach my weddings and the couples I meet, is so basic, no frills, nothing…special. A “Top Ten In The frrrrrigging WORLD” hat didn’t fit too well with that approach. At least not at first. I soon realised, I had to keep doing what I do and not worry about the hats.

I kept working and shot some truly wonderful weddings around Australia before Jacqui, Noah, Joel and I packed our bags to go to Europe for the summer there. We started in Italy and where me met Mitra and Fabio. Their wedding and the week we spent with them around Italy will always stay in my heart. I shot more weddings in Europe, some I still haven’t had time to share here, before we said goodbye to my family and traveled back to Australia. We shot Craig and Nina’s wedding in Bali (coming soon) before we took some time off in Ubud. As soon as we got back I had to leave again, this time for a workshop in San Fransisco and later a wedding in New Hampshire.

In a way it’s funny. I’ve done a number of workshops and seminars this year and every time I’m done, I see things clearer, I walk away knowing where I want my work to go.

Finally meeting Rachel and Jeff after months and months of communicating was liberating. I was on a mission and as soon as I met them I knew we shared the same ideas.

If you’ve followed me, you already know what shooting their wedding meant to me.

Since then the months have flown past. I’ve had an amazing spring here in Australia and the other day I shot my last wedding of the year – number 48.

I’m tired, but not as emotionally drained as I was last year. I’m already looking forward to 2012. It’s going to be another year of traveling, but that’s something I’ve realised I *need* as much as I enjoy it. Traveling recharges me in so many ways. I’m going to share a wedding or two before the end of the year, but after I’m done with my editing I’m going to enjoy some time off.

My love for weddings and what I do is stronger than ever.

2012, I hope you’re ready for me.

Download audio file (fm2kgzte5mu7109zkyf3.mp3)

Download audio file (7azxmb6m1cx8094ta4gq.mp3)

Ever since I found out I was shooting Jackie and Stephanie’s wedding in Thailand, my Australian family and friends went ga-ga. Jackie’s father, in case you didn’t know, is Jimmy Barnes, one of the most popular and best-selling Australian music artists of all time. Being Swedish, I’ve never really listened to Jimmy or Cold Chisel. Nor had I heard of Jackie or the group he performed in growing up, the Tin Lids.

I met Jackie and Stephanie at Jimmy’s house in Sydney and I think that was the first time I started to realize these people were famous. There were roadies and PR people walking around the house while I chatted to Stephanie about their upcoming wedding.

Forward to October and I arrive in Bangkok. A driver picks me up and drives me two hours south to the coastal town of Hua Hin. It’s hot and humid. Very, very humid. At this stage we didn’t know Thailand would soon be facing catastrophic floods, we only noticed the weather was relatively shitty.

I met up with Stephanie and Jackie and their families and it felt like any other wedding to be honest. Excited family members, friends and relatives all happy to see each other again.

On the day of the wedding I thought about the fact that there were many celebrities around, but nothing was different compared to other weddings. The fact that one of Jackie’s mates used to be the captain of the Australian National Rugby team made no difference at all. In hindsight it’s pretty funny, because again, I had no clue at all who he was. To me he was just a friend of Jackie’s hanging around, having a laugh and a beer. When I got home my family told me who he was.

And I took a few images of Jimmy that day, partly because the magazine who’d bought the rights to the images asked me to, but mainly because he was the father of the groom. Throughout the day you could see the smile on his face, looking at his son and new daughter-in-law with love in his eyes. The same love I saw when I looked at Stephanie’s dad – proud fathers surrounded by friends and family, sharing a very special day with their kids.

Because at the end of the day, at that very moment, that’s all they were.

Proud fathers.

Sharing a glorious occasion with their children.

And that’s what I set out to capture.

Nothing else matters.

Indian weddings are a photographer’s dream, with their colours and liveliness. Daisy and Mali’s was our second full-on three-day Sikh wedding, and it was pretty damn awesome.

One of my favourites of the year.

Daisy & Mali.