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Ida Festersen
@idafestersen
Photographer based in Denmark
Growing up I never really had any hobbies, or something I was passionate about like my friends did. I have always loved being creative in some way, whether it was painting or drawing, but I was never really good at it. It wasn’t until 4 years ago, when I was 15, that I found my passion for photography – when my sister persuaded me into buying an analog camera. She was already a bit into photography, so she thought it would be fun if I tried it out too. It was a point and shoot, so it was very easy to use. After I had shot my first roll of film and got the pictures back from being developed, there was no way back. There’s something about freezing a moment in time that captivated me.
The camera was definitely not the best and the pictures I had taken weren’t either. But I still thought that it was a lot of fun, so I kept taking photos. After a while I got bored with the camera, so I upgraded to a SLR. It was more difficult to use, but that just made it more fun. I started to think more about compositions rather than just point and shoot.
Nevertheless, photography was still something I did every now and then, until I bought my first digital camera. I spent all my money, but it was worth every penny. It opened a whole new world for me and changed everything. I started taking more photos, I improved my work and above all, I found what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Photography is fulfilling for me because I can take pictures of whatever I want to.
"Taking long walks while looking for something to photograph is something that makes me feel immensely happy and free."
I have never liked when people tell me what to do and how to do it. Often I would feel irritated and sad and with time I really began to understand the source of that feeling. There was no room for creativity, I felt very restrained and that was very draining for me. That is also one of the reasons why I chose to drop out of highschool when I was 17. I started working and currently I work at an amusement park, which I really enjoy. However, the plan is to go back to school banks in August and honestly, I am excited about what that will bring.
My goal for the future with photography is to hopefully make a living and have my own photography business. And maybe travel to take photos; one of my dream destinations is Alaska. I have always wanted to go there, even long before I started photography. It’s the Alaskan wildlife, especially bears and moose, that I can’t wait to observe and portray.
To be able to capture wildlife, I will need to learn how to be more patient when it comes to photography. Right now I am mainly taking photos of farm animals, but I would love to include wildlife in my portfolio. The patience needed for that is something that I am lacking today; sitting around and waiting for hours for a deer or a fox to stop by is really hard and I have to find a way to not give up. I grew up on an old farm surrounded by nature in the middle of Jutland and a lot of different kinds of farm animals (sheep and horses being my favorite) that were always there, ready to be photographed.
"So ultimately, photographing wildlife is a learning process for me and with every shot I will get as a reward for my patience I am sure that motivation and dedication will get stronger and win over impatience."
Animals have always been a big part of my life, and my happiness. I have always felt very lucky to have animals around me growing up. They bring me a lot of joy, so whenever I had a bad day it was always resolved by spending time with them. Growing up on a farm is a lot of fun but it can also be hard. It’s wonderful in spring when most of the animals have babies; I love watching the lambs run around and play, seeing them grow up and taking care of all the animals on the farm. Having such a bond with the animals though also comes with hardship. It always affects me a lot when an animal passes away that I’ve been close to, especially when I didn’t see it coming.
"It might be difficult for some others to imagine the connection you can develop with a farm animal as opposed to more common pets like cats or dogs but to me, it’s very much the same."
One photo I really like at the moment is a photo of a calf I took during an evening in April. I was just out for a walk looking for something to photograph (as I often am). The sun was just about to go down so the lighting was really good. Luckily the calf was very curious and looked right at the camera. When I photograph animals I try to capture their personalities and funny moments, they express themselves as well and trying to capture that specific moment can be difficult. The way to do it is spending a lot of time with the animals.
I also find a lot of inspiration in the nature around where I grew up. There is a lake close to where I live that I often go to when it is foggy. The lake is surrounded by trees so you can get some pretty cool photos. One of my favourite things about Denmark is that the weather is often moody and rainy. I love shooting when it’s overcast or really foggy. The most photogenic place I have been to in Denmark is called Bovbjerg Klint. It is located on the west coast and the last time I was there was summer 2020. It is a big cliff by the ocean, and when you are standing on the top, there is an amazing view over the ocean. It’s great for photography because the lighting is good and you can find many different compositions.
Instagram is where I find a lot of inspiration as well. I follow many Danish accounts so it is mainly from them I get inspiration. For example, @sarahinthegreen shares mainly bright and colorful photos taken in Denmark, and I enjoy following her work. Using Instagram for me personally has caused a rollercoaster of emotions. When I just started photography I created an account, but I quickly deleted it when people I knew started following it. The fear of being judged was strong, I was scared of what people might think and I was a little insecure about myself and my photography. A while after I decided to make a new one, and now I don’t really care about what other people think.
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