I’m Eskil Bjerkestrand, 20 years old and live the country known for its wonderful fjords, mountains and midnight sun, namely Norway. I have always been obsessed with being out in nature, climbing mountains, snowboarding and exploring what’s to be discovered. I have had, for as long as I can remember, this unclear feeling of inspiration and imagination inside me when watching great movies, listening to music, etc. And I didn’t know how to express those emotions. One of my friends from childhood was studying media and was getting into photography and filmmaking. This enchanted me, and in January 2018 I decided to buy a decent camera for filming and photographing. I knew just as little about photography, as I did about what this would lead to and how much joy I would find in creating art in my own way. Since then my passion skyrocketed. It’s still not totally clear to me what my “goal, vision or dream” within photography and filmmaking is, but I am sure the future will provide me with answers.
Earlier I did some small freelance jobs, and I am planning to do more. Since I just finished the compulsory military service here in Norway, I have decided to aim a little higher with photo and videography in 2020. I want to start my own business to see if I am able to make some extra money from doing something I love. Who knows, maybe someday it’s what I’ll end up doing for a living! At this point in my life, that doesn’t seem too hard to envision.
It has taught me to appreciate and see the value in every moment. Just as one can take a photo of a moment to create something meaningful for either one self or someone else, there is something to learn from every situation, feeling, and moment occurring in life. It has also taught me that following a path chosen by freedom, purpose, passion and joy is the way to live a meaningful life, opposed to pursuing what is expedient or desirable by others. Photography, filmmaking and adventuring is something I consider meaningful.
To create and convey this feeling of freedom, curiosity and inspiration, so that someone seeing the photo feels inspired to venture out and appreciate the beauty of this world. Because it is indeed very beautiful! At the same time photography is a way for me to stimulate people to appreciate the environment more, cause it’s our responsibility and duty to take care of what we might lose if not treated with respect.
It’s not just the act of photographing that provides me with a certain energy. It’s also by watching other people’s work that I feel energized and inspired, creating added value to my life. Inspiration and motivation does not emerge that easy at all times; sometimes I feel totally unmotivated and procrastinate on certain things, and sometimes it’s the opposite. Inspiration is not just a feeling, I perceive it more like a type of energy with potential value. When I decided to make my recent YouTube video “The year I bought a camera”, I had the intention that I wanted to inspire people.
I have still a lot to learn about photography, and I am discovering editing styles, landscapes, weather conditions, and how to edit accordingly while taking into account the feeling I had when shooting.
It’s hard to imagine where I can get with my photography and what my future will look like, but after a few years I really hope to have established a sustainable business around what I am passionate about. If that turns out to be a full time photographer and filmmaker, I hope I am able to evolve it into something more than just taking nice photos, to build or join a community of people with similar goals, and being able to use photography and film to create a better world in some way. It’s hard to specify it in exactly what way today, but time will show.
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