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Michael Maagaard

@michael.abroad

Photographer based in Denmark

Inspired by a newfound love, Michael transforms the blank pages of his life into a vibrant canvas of nature and exploration. In this article, you can read about the profound lessons learned—from prioritizing living over routine to the art of editing and the magic of impromptu adventures—and witness the evolution of a photographer’s passion amid the breathtaking landscapes of Denmark and Europe.

Michael Maagaard
Michael Maagaard
@michael.abroad_Nomadict 1
VOL. 7
VOL. 7

It all began in late 2019. I had been through a breakup that followed a long-term toxic relationship, leaving me feeling like I’d grown up too fast without truly experiencing life. In my new chapter, I also met a new girl – and she inspired the stories for the empty pages that were about to be written. 

We embarked on spontaneous weekend getaways across Denmark, capturing everything through the lens of my phone. This newfound photography hobby sparked a change in my perspective, allowing me to see frames and beauty in nature that I had previously overlooked.

Just when everything seemed perfect, the pandemic struck, urging everyone to stay home. Initially seen as a setback, it quickly became an opportunity to explore the outdoors safely. Encouraged by my girlfriend, who suggested sharing my photos on Instagram, I navigated the world of social media, learning its ins and outs from scratch. I started following a few people who did photography, and one day I stumbled upon drone shots. Seeing photos from a drone perspective was so intriguing to me that it didn’t take long until I had convinced myself that I needed this piece of machinery. I invested in my first drone—a decision I now consider the “point of no return.”

Exploring Europe

Now that I had a drone that was able to shoot photos in RAW format, I was recommended to start using editing software like Lightroom or Camera Raw. A family who had some experience with these tools showed me the basics. From this point forward, I started using Lightroom for every photo I took and experimented with all its features. Similarly, I began using Adobe Premiere Pro to get creative with videos I had taken. 

With my drone and a whole lot of spare time because of COVID-19, we roamed around Denmark to every place I thought would look cool from a drone’s perspective. 

The more I delved into photography and spent time on Instagram, the more I found inspiration in images from around the globe. Feeling that Denmark was no longer sufficient, we booked a campervan and embarked on a European road trip, marking the beginning of my “travel career.” Over the past two years, alongside my role as a Mechanical Engineer, I’ve made it a mission to explore as many captivating locations as possible, recognizing the immense beauty Europe has to offer.

Four valuable lessons

If there is one thing that I realized over those two years, it is that you’re never too old or too settled to pursue what you love. I never imagined I could travel as much with the life I had and still maintain. Yet, here I am, doing exactly what I once believed wasn’t possible because I now prioritize living over being bound to everyday routines.

The second most valuable lesson I learned involves traveling and creating with like-minded people. Since I started engaging with other photographers and filmmakers, I’ve gained invaluable knowledge and had the chance to share my passion and travels with these incredible individuals. This has significantly boosted my creativity and altered my approach to many things in a positive manner.

The third lesson is to avoid spending your money on expensive gear right away. Find something that fits well within your budget and start with that. Over time, you’ll learn when you’ve reached the maximum potential of your current gear and will know precisely what to invest in as you progress in your passion professionally.

The last lesson I would like to share is not to expect perfection at the beginning; skills develop along the way. Nobody starts perfectly. As you improve, you’ll also develop your style. I’m still refining my skills and personal style, even after editing and shooting well beyond 30,000 photos. And even when you think you are doing a good job, you will learn new things that make you think differently. Back in time, I thought my results were awesome and nicely edited, however looking back, I see so many points I do very differently now, and my photos were overedited even though I said I didn’t want to overedit my photos… 

On editing

I’ve managed to find my current style of editing through my passion for the Earth, landscapes, and nature, my biggest inspirations. This is why most of my used color palettes are in the “natural theme”. This said, I’ve had some people I’ve been looking up to and been inspired by too. People like Jordan Hammond and Daniel Kordan have always been a huge inspiration and together with countless hours of experimenting in Lightroom, I increased my editing skills. YouTube or other platforms can be very helpful, however to me it was the easiest to observe what inspired me and then experiment directly. People learn differently, and for me, this was the way to get to the editing style I currently have.

My absolute best friend when editing is the CLARITY function, serving as my go-to for creating a distinct atmosphere. I love dragging the clarity down to make this hazy/blurred atmosphere in my photos. This technique is a key contributor to the dreamy quality that defines my images, with my drone photography, in particular, benefiting significantly from this approach.

Making use of colors also greatly contributes to the overall atmosphere. Let’s take green as an example; The greens in some of my photos are desaturated and made with a hue towards the darker green. I feel that this type of green is not as dominant as a very saturated light green, which can sometimes be very distracting and feel like too much in some situations. 

The before/after image below can help to illustrate how I use green in my images. I used the hue sliders to make the greens and yellows more towards the darker hue and simply dragged down the saturation sliders to desaturate the two colors. I made sure not to clip the colors; it needs to be done carefully to make it look as “natural” as possible. Then I used the masking tools to highlight or darken certain areas to gain more depth. This is also a key part of my editing style. I love playing around with the light.

Perfect light conditions can turn any boring composition into a masterpiece. I tend to never go shoot when the weather is extremely gray or the sun is high in the skies with zero clouds. With this said, most of my trips are quite impulsive, and for some reason, I’ve always been incredibly lucky with the weather conditions whenever I’ve been on a trip somewhere. 

Clouds are my number one key when doing photography, they split the light from the sun and give you depth and emotion with its shadows. Clouds never look the same, and therefore you can create unique motives each time, even though you might have visited the same place many times before.

Michael Maagaard
Michael Maagaard

The photo above, as an example, was not very well planned but we arrived at the Skogafoss waterfall in Iceland just a few hours before sunset. Just as we pulled up we saw the sun lighting up just the hills around the waterfall even though it was pretty cloudy. We managed to pull over and get ready with our cameras, but just as we were ready to push the trigger the sunrays disappeared.

We could just hope for the sun to burst through the clouds once again to illuminate the landscape surrounding the waterfall – and as you see from the photo, the sun did indeed return! 

I’ve also been very lucky while shooting in Slovenia. Specifically, the lovely Lake Bled in Slovenia is a dream place for photographers and I took quite some photographs at this location.  

The great thing about this place is that no matter where you stand around the lake you’ll get a new composition or a new backdrop that takes the same main subject (the church) and frames it in a whole new way so it stands out again. 

This can easily be done with many other places too though, you just have to move around and try to frame the subject from different angles. This is very easy when using the drone because they can reach viewpoints we as humans cannot reach. 

On drone photography

I remember doing a lot of Top-Down shots at the beginning of my drone career (still love doing it), It’s like a natural thing to do when you start flying drones because it is that exact viewpoint you are visualizing when thinking of a drone. 

I found a small passion for making these beach top downs because I find the contrast between the blue water and the golden sand incredibly satisfying. It’s like you get something from two different worlds, only split by this fine hairline across the photo. You can do some minimalistic artwork when experimenting with these compositions. 

One tip for achieving similar photos would be to shoot at sunrise or sunset you will get these long shadows to play with which gives this flat top-down image style some depth.  Another tip would be to use a high shutter speed to freeze waves and incorporate them into your shot without the washout effect of long exposure.

Surely I’ll learn more tips as I continue, and especially, as I meet fellow photographers. Recently, I completed my first real travel adventure to Jordan with people I’d never met before. Exploring a new country with like-minded creators was a fantastic experience, and I spent the entire time capturing the beauty of this unique place. I’ve discovered that meeting new people and embracing spontaneous adventures kickstart creativity and create lasting memories.

Balancing a 7-to-4 job with a growing passion for photography is a challenge, but I dream of transitioning into full-time photo and video work. Progressing from hobby to profession while working full-time requires taking things one day at a time and seizing every opportunity that enhances creativity and business.

Looking ahead, I aspire to teach and travel with those eager to expand their knowledge in photography and filmmaking. This goal will evolve with time, dedication, and networking. Beyond that, my focus remains on continuous learning, skill development, and the sheer joy of doing what I love.

Michael Maagaard

@michael.abroad_Nomadict 10
Michael Maagaard
Michael Maagaard
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Michael Maagaard
@michael.abroad
Photographer based in Denmark

Inspired by a newfound love, Michael transforms the blank pages of his life into a vibrant canvas of nature and exploration. In this article, you can read about the profound lessons learned—from prioritizing living over routine to the art of editing and the magic of impromptu adventures—and witness the evolution of a photographer’s passion amid the breathtaking landscapes of Denmark and Europe.

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