Andri Gerðisá
@andrigerdisa
Landscape photographer based in The Faroe Islands
Creativity has alway been a big part of my life. Building, drawing… you name it. My parents encouraged it and I truly enjoyed it. I never really liked being in school and doing homework and all that. So in some way, all through my childhood and teenage years I knew I was going to do something in the creative field. Back in 2009 I started to find interest in photography, when I saw some surreal edited photographs online. I instantly felt the motivation to be able to apply my creativity to photographs and online editing too, and so I bought my first camera – I just went all in. I was taking pictures every day and learning something new all the time.
The next 4 years passed by with work, college and learning photography in my free time. After college I had to figure out what to do with my life. All I knew was that it should be something creative – I considered becoming a photographer, but I chose to become a graphic designer. I loved photography so much and I was afraid that converting it into a job would change or influence my passion for it, I didn’t want to get tired of photography.
Now I have been a graphic designer for a couple of years at a company that offers cruise trips to Iceland, Denmark and the Faroe Islands. A lot of landscape photography and some traveling is part of the job. I go outdoors to take photos for the catalogues we do. Knowing that your work is showcased in a catalogue which thousands of people will see, puts pressure on the final result. But at the same time I thrive under this pressure, I want to improve and learn all ins and outs of photography and I see how I develop over time. When I first started at Smyril Line, I was not that much into landscape photography, and, to be honest, I never thought I would be. Traveling proved wrong – seeing those landscapes inspired me and slowly I developed a deep love for travel and nature photography.
In 2017 my wife and I lost a daughter – there’s almost nothing more devastating than that. It was a tipping point in terms of appreciating life. Nothing can be taken for granted, nothing. Being out in nature helped me a lot. It was my medicine, my therapy. It was just me, my camera, nature and my thoughts. There was space for my emotions to be felt, silence for my thoughts to be heard.
Then, in 2019, I lost my mom, who had helped me so much to find my creative path and who had encouraged me to go out and take pictures. With her loss I started to prioritize photography much more. I went out more often and dedicated more of my energy to photography. For myself, and maybe in some way for her.
"Hardship taught me to deeply appreciate each moment, cherish life in all its splendor, and I am happy to be able to capture and immortalize it."
I feel privileged to be born and to live in such a beautiful country as the Faroe Islands, a paradise for landscape photographers and outdoor enthusiasts. Whether it is sunny, rainy, snowy, foggy, windy, or stormy, the landscape is always beautiful. Getting to live here and experience all that every day is truly amazing, and it’s easy to take it for granted. I feel that, in some way, it is an obligation as a Faroese based photographer to go out in nature and show the world, my world.
I have a couple of dreams regarding traveling in my own country. One of the goals is to visit all the islands that belong to The Faroe Islands. There are 18 islands in total, and so far I have been to 14 of them. This country is so small, yet there is so much to see and explore, and stories to be heard. Switzerland and Norway are also two traveling destinations that are on my list. I am crazy about those places – the mountains there seem so raw and brutal and yet so beautiful. That being said, dreams and goals change all the time, so maybe next week I discover another place that for some reason goes to the top of my list.
"Yet, one thing is certain. I want photography to always be a big part of my life."
There are many lessons I have been taught through the years, but the one I always come back to is just go out and enjoy what you are doing. That lesson came more to life than ever on a relatively easy hiking trip in Funningur, Faroe Islands. It was a beautiful raw snowy morning, and the sun was trying to find its way through the clouds. When it finally broke through, the sight was just breathtaking! It reminded me why I do what I do.
"I have just been fortunate to be surrounded by the Faroese nature. It provides so many opportunities to shoot, try different things, discover the rawness of nature and let yourself be overwhelmed by its power."
That really influenced me in my development and my editing style. When I take the photo I visualize the final image – that is the moment where landscape and emotions come together and where the image is created. I want to stay true to the moment I experienced while giving that little extra with my editing. The result has to be something I am proud of in some way, may it be composition, how and where the light hits the landscape, what it ‘tells’ me, and so on. I know I am finished or satisfied with a photo when I can proudly say that I took that photo, and that I look at it with a smile while feeling the photo.
Nevertheless, what I am mostly proud of, are the people who are essentially part of each of my photographs. My parents, my wife and my colleagues at work, who have all played a huge role in my creative development by believing in me, encouraging me and providing me with opportunities to learn, create and grow.
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