Picturing the world

Signing off. And on. And, of course reflections regarding said signing.

2007-04-23T23:25:00.000+02:00

This blog hasn't been updated in a while. The explanation for that is simple - I locked myself out from internet and photography to manage school for a while. Basically, I slipped behind five weeks or so due to flu, and had to catch up. It's all right - I'm done.

But this blog still won't be updated anymore.

Yes, that's right. I'm officially abandoning Picturing the World. THIS version.

You heard me. I recently acquired the domain linusbohman.se (.se is the swedish extension) and some web space, and switched Picturing the World to blog.linusbohman.se.

It's on Wordpress now, a lot more powerful platform. There's still some kinks to be worked out, but I'm on my way. I'd be grateful if you updated any eventual bookmarks and links, and gave me any feedback you might have.

After some thinking, I've decided to not port all of the content on this blog over to the new one even though it would be technically possible. The main reason for this is that I've come a long way as a photographer since this blog took it first stumbling steps 11 months ago. I've learned to handle a camera better technically, but I've also become dramatically better at seeing possible pictures, post-production and a lot more. All of the old 136 pictures will be available at this blog though. I'd like to share with you some my personal highlights:

One of the first pictures I uploaded was "If I was a ghost, would I see things differently?" It means a lot to me, since it is my first (and so far best) self-portrait.

Over the year, a series of picture has started to emerge in my collection. On the flip side consists of five photos thus far (1, 2, 3, 4, 5), and is a way for me to show how special the world is. If just a simple rotation can so fundamentally alter our perception of a building, then every day should be a new exploration.

I also enjoyed shooting "Breaking the Barrier" with my younger brother. He was an excellent model - playing with the plastic, suggesting angles and lighting, and most of all having plain fun. You'll probably see him again.

And, to make it quick and sum it up, here's a quick list of some of my other favourites. As said, feel free to scan through the archives for more. A big thanks to all of you for doing this journey with me. I hope I'll see you on the next page as well, where the pictures will be even better. Again, thank you.

Best,
Linus Bohman

Magic
Welcome to my Nightmare
On the Rocks
Freedom
Ahoy, Superman!
Keys
Enter the Matrix
No more. Please.
Trying to catch a glimpse
Foolish machinery
What's it to ya, sharpshooter?

Imortant little bits of plastic.

2007-03-21T22:32:00.000+01:00

We sure put our belief in odd things sometimes.

What's it to ya, sharpshooter?

2007-03-20T23:43:00.000+01:00

I was actually a competing shot when I was younger. This hasn't got anything to do with guns though. It's a streetlamp. (This is one of those pictures you better see in the original version without blogger's resizing. Click it!)

Weakest link.

2007-03-19T14:48:00.000+01:00

We must get rid of the razors we hold against each other and form a single chain. We're all part of the same world.

Lives behind the curtains.

2007-03-10T15:25:00.000+01:00

It's always fun to imagine what kind of lives people live. It could be anything.

Confused.

2007-03-06T23:39:00.000+01:00

I think I've gotten a bit more confused over some important people in my life. I'll see if I can organise my thoughts by writing stuff down.

Mealy-mouthed.

2007-03-05T14:00:00.000+01:00

I find it ironic that those who consider themselves the finder of objective truth, the academics, are often hesitant to express themselves.

Film noir.

2007-02-28T18:48:00.000+01:00

Terribly sorry for the slow updates, but good things are afoot that require a good deal of my spare time. I recently acquired my own domain and am currently constructing my very own site to showcase my creatice work, of which this blog will be part. Exciting!

Bottle'd.

2007-02-18T00:00:00.000+01:00

It's hard to get the last drops of something out.

Streetlamp.

2007-02-13T11:37:00.000+01:00

The mist lies heavy, and rain is in the air. A typical Swedish winter day.

Foolish machinery.

2007-02-08T10:26:00.000+01:00

I am a fool, caught in a machinery of misery. I am a nice guy, but I'm starting to realise something many people have before me: when you put everyone else first, you end up last. I don't want to end up last anymore. I think it is time to start controlling the machinery instead of letting the machinery control me.

Hold on tight.

2007-01-29T10:48:00.000+01:00

We all need things to hold on to. Especially when we're down a slippery slope.

W.

2007-01-22T21:28:00.000+01:00

Trying to catch a glimpse.

2007-01-21T14:26:00.000+01:00

I'd like to find someone special now. A difficult task, of course.

An open cage frees the mind.

2007-01-18T17:33:00.000+01:00

Happy birthday, mom!

On the highway, going where?

2007-01-17T21:55:00.000+01:00

Sometimes it feels like you're going nowhere. You do your best, but it gets you nowhere. You try to help people, but it gets them nowhere. How do you know that you're not standing still if you cannot see any signs of improvement?

A spaceship this way cometh.

2007-01-15T17:04:00.000+01:00

I wonder how long it is before we're able to fly regularly in space?

Walking the night without a tripod.

2007-01-14T10:19:00.000+01:00

A so-so nightshot taken without a tripod. Forgot it at home - durr.

I seem to have been messing up a bit lately. I don't feel good at all today.

Missy Elliott.

2007-01-11T11:03:00.000+01:00

On music. I've learned to appreciate music more and more lately. Not a fan of the hippety-hop Missy plays, but I can understand why some like her.

Carlsberg.

2007-01-08T12:54:00.000+01:00

The best beer in the world?

No biking.

2007-01-04T14:49:00.000+01:00

No biking. No matter - I have a flat tire anyway.

Tunneling out.

2007-01-01T23:13:00.000+01:00

Good or bad, there is an end to everything. Everything fades away.

Flying carpet.

2006-12-31T15:55:00.000+01:00

Happy new year! May it be filled with magic!

From: ikea to:me.

2006-12-22T12:40:00.000+01:00

Ikea again. What, you think there'd be another accepted furnisher for Swedes?

I'd also like to take the time to wish everyone reading this a very merry christmas! I'm heading home for the holidays myself, to be with my family. We always write christmas rhymes (with clues on what is inside) on our presents, and you're not "allowed" to open the gift until you have guessed correctly. A lot of fun and a great tradition - try it, if you haven't already!

Extreme perspective.

2006-12-17T01:07:00.000+01:00

During the holidays you are supposed to kick back, relax and get a new perspective on things. I just don't feel up to celebrating christmas this year, though. It was so much better when I was a kid.

Ceedee!

2006-12-16T20:13:00.000+01:00

I remember when tape recorders where new. Man.

(Also, I'm sorry that I haven't updated in a few days. Handing in my final projects for school before semester. It's actually even more embarrasing that I haven't put this picture on picturing the world before - I uploaded it to flickr four days ago. Silly me.)

Phone home!

2006-12-09T14:48:00.000+01:00

Remember to call your parents every now and then, lest they be worried.

4. My ideal self.

2006-12-06T12:26:00.000+01:00

"This is hardly my ideal self. Please, forgive me. You will always be my light."

3. But it only hurt myself.

2006-12-04T10:33:00.000+01:00

"I thought it would be the best thing. Best thing for who? She is gone now, and so am I. There is no going back now. She is dead. I am dead."

2. Flying daggers.

2006-12-03T18:39:00.000+01:00

"I loved her. She was writhing in pain, lying on the floor. The knife was there - of course I wanted to help her. Oh, her eyes. Her eyes when I kneeled over her, caressing her cheek. She was in so much pain."

1. Is there no limit?

2006-12-02T13:43:00.000+01:00

"Standing in the shower. What have I done? Why did I do it? I thought I could take away the pain, and now it turns out no one can. Is there no limit to the agony?"

Communicating in black.

2006-11-30T09:51:00.000+01:00

There are so many different forms of communication between humans, all of them almost equally important.

Reaching out for my friends.

2006-11-28T22:07:00.000+01:00

It seems I've been addicted lately. Not by a physical drug, but by my friends; I stretch out for them and pull them towards me as much as I can. So, to my friends I say: I love you all. Thank you for being there. You rock my world!

The whole world's furnisher.

2006-11-26T11:11:00.000+01:00

This is from Designcentrum in Lund, Sweden, which was sponsored by Ingvar Kamprad. Ingvar Kamprad is the founder of IKEA, which is short for "Ingvar Kamprads Ekonomiska Aktiebolag. That roughly translates to "Ingvar Kamprad's Economical Stockholding Company".

Correction: Okay, after getting corrected by my dear friend and looking into the matter, it seems I have been misled. IKEA stands for "Ingvar Kamprad Elmtaryd Agunaryd", where the last two words are the names of the village and farm he was born in and on, respectively.

Red Bull?

2006-11-24T17:35:00.000+01:00

Remember that I am a tea person? Well, a few weeks ago, I finished my first ever cup of coffee. I might actually be able to learn to drink the stuff. Of course, this isn't me or coffee. This is my good friend with a beer.

Full moon rising!

2006-11-23T18:09:00.000+01:00

I really enjoy looking at the moon. This is just a lamp, though.

If I have nothing, where do I go?

2006-11-21T18:36:00.000+01:00

While I'm not inclined to do it myself, I do understand those that feel there is only one way out.

Chinese Lantern.

2006-11-20T11:44:00.000+01:00

This is a Chinese Lantern, or Cape Gooseberry, or Physalis in Swedish. It is officially my 100th post here. I'm sorry for the sporadic updates lately - I'm just getting my life together :-)

Drive-In!

2006-11-14T22:31:00.000+01:00

Not out.

Loudspeakers?

2006-11-13T14:48:00.000+01:00

I'm all for music. Music makes me happy. When I get to choose what to listen to. Some people on buses and trains are a bit too eager to share their music. Earphones are not loudspeakers, people.

Root down!

2006-11-01T19:38:00.000+01:00

I put my foot down!

Let it shine your way.

2006-11-01T00:21:00.000+01:00

The clock is now 00:23 AM. The 31:st of October has just ended. I had a good day - a friend of mine woke me up with tea and breakfast on the bed, and I got presents. Yes, it was my birthday. I went to school, and when I came home I was planning on eating dinner with that very friend. When we arrive at the restaurant all of my best friends are sitting there. A very nice surprise. We dined and had a great time.

Which put me into conflict. I don't know why, but I don't really care for my birthday. Generally they have been nothing special, and I'm accustomed to feel that way. I felt the same today, which is really sad since these fantastic people really showed that they care for me and wanted to celebrate me. And, well, I didn't know how to react. I still don't. I try to be happy, but it is just a strange conflict within me. Which is sad, since I had a fantastic time. I'm semi-afraid that the people that do these fantastic things for me think I don't appreciate it. Which couldn't be more erronous.

B'squared.

2006-10-28T21:26:00.000+02:00

Squarity!

Lonely day.

2006-10-25T23:13:00.000+02:00

I began to discuss patterns - how we often follow our own patterns and routines unconciously - with a good friend of mine. Scared me a bit.

Trapped.

2006-10-21T20:54:00.000+02:00

Sometimes it's hard to get away. You just feel trapped. (Another shot from this session.)

Selling out.

2006-10-19T16:00:00.000+02:00

Sometimes it's fun to try a more commercial-type shot.

Diagonality.

2006-10-17T22:28:00.000+02:00

Apparently, according to some photogroup discussion on flickr, a diagonal line is one of the more "upsetting" lines one can use in a composition. If it is true, I suspect it has something to do with the fact that the horizontal lines are less common than horizontal and vertical lines in our daily life. What do you think?

Rope.

2006-10-15T17:41:00.000+02:00

A rope. Simple as that.

Bootylicious.

2006-10-13T11:48:00.000+02:00

People were looking at me funny when I lied down on the floor of the train to take this. I'm okay with that.

Lucky number seven.

2006-10-12T08:27:00.000+02:00

Powerful number, seven. For religious ones and gamblers alike.

Breaking the barrier

2006-10-10T22:34:00.000+02:00

Sometimes you just have to push on through.

Green door

2006-10-10T10:31:00.000+02:00

Green is another nice colour. Yellow too.

Pen and paper

2006-10-09T17:11:00.000+02:00

This morning North Korea tested nuclear weapons. A bad thing, yes, but remember that there are better weapons out there. (This is my first experiment with a square format. Okay for a first try, I think.)

Heavenly office

2006-10-07T16:30:00.000+02:00

If heaven had an office this would be it.

Red stuff

2006-10-05T20:48:00.000+02:00

Red stuff on wire. Is it some kind of isolation? Perhaps someone brighter than me knows?

Wired up and good to go, though not quite where I left it.

2006-10-04T20:41:00.000+02:00

Hey again. I'm overwhelmed by the responses I have gotten this month or so I have been away. I'm sorry I haven't updated, but life has been a bit rough on me. Here is the quick thing:

1. Linus and Cecilia has to move from their apartment since their landlord is selling.
2. They find a new apartment and book it.
3. Linus and Cecilia decides that they should really separate.
4. Linus and Cecilia still has to move to the new apartment since they have no place else to live otherwise.
5. Linus and Cecilia then has to find separate places to live.
6. They do, and thus move again for the second time in one month.

I'm pretty much near the end of step 6. It has been a pretty rough ride, on all levels, but I can see the end of it now. I will get back to the regular updates from now on. Thanks for bearing with me!

Butterfly.

2006-09-07T17:01:00.000+02:00

Found this little fellow sitting on my balcony.

No more. Please.

2006-09-07T00:14:00.000+02:00

Things have been a mess lately. I just moved last weekend, and things have been out of control since then - nothing is working the way it should, and I'm pretty much getting fed up. I'm terribly sorry that I haven't updated in a few days - my internet provider just isn't accepting the fact that I have moved to another apartment. Until I get everything sorted out I'm afraid I won't be able to access and update Picturing the World every day, but I promise to get everything back on track as soon as possible. Here's to hoping. Sigh.

TV-time?

2006-09-02T21:26:00.000+02:00

I've never been a big fan of TV. I don't know why, it's just not my thing.

Cube-ism.

2006-08-31T15:57:00.000+02:00

Art is difficult to comprehend. It is even difficult to know what it is. A question I've come in contact with recently is "What works are considered art?". I'm not sure of the question myself, but believe something can be called art (instead of artsy, which is essentially what I would consider my best pictures) when enough people think of it as such. It is an eternal question, but what do you think? When does a piece of work reach a new (higher?) level and become "art"?

Road to perdition?

2006-08-30T21:16:00.000+02:00

I was watching a fish. (Two fishes actually, but this particular story only relates to the depicted one.) Her name was Constance. I had taken care of her for quite some time - a month, perhaps two. Everything was going well; we chatted daily, tried to figure out the meaning of life, I fed her. The usual things.

One day, however, things did not seem right. Thunderous moanings bellowed outside, while the skies showered us with tears. I hurried home, afraid of what I might find. Once inside I ran to Constance's bowl - but I was too late. She didn't move.

I was in shock. With tears in my eyes I rung up my friend, Constance's owner and care-taker, and forwarded the sad news. He came by, and we had a beautiful ceremony. It was difficult, but we pulled through. We take solace in knowing that Constance have finally found rest with the merciful porcelain god.

Fare thee well, Constance. You will be missed.

Stealing the light.

2006-08-29T18:28:00.000+02:00

Might need it later.

Mobile lifestyle.

2006-08-27T20:14:00.000+02:00

Perhaps the mobile lifestyle isn't as mobile as one thinks.

Curing cancer.

2006-08-26T12:30:00.000+02:00

Some diseases are worse than others. Once you think you've gotten rid of them, they are there again - spreading like vines. I've lost a few to cancer, and it is a bitch. You'll pull through, llamas.

The different personality of animals.

2006-08-25T11:40:00.000+02:00

Some say that animals doesn't have personalities. I am of a different opinion.

Spiralling out of control

2006-08-24T15:41:00.000+02:00

Sometimes things seems to be caught in a spiral that keeps on spinning faster and faster. You want to stop, but can't - while you are afraid of the end station, you are also afraid of what might happen if you jump the wagon. A horrible feeling.

Got the blue-s.

2006-08-23T15:12:00.000+02:00

What is it that makes different people to like different colours? One theory could be top-down processing - due to previous experiences we connect certain feelings to certain things. Is it that I have experienced something positive involving the colour blue that makes me like it?

An eye for wine.

2006-08-21T17:11:00.000+02:00

Have you got an eye for wine?

Reflecting on time.

2006-08-21T00:33:00.000+02:00

Four years before now, I was eighteen. I thought I was all grown up and knew everything. Oh, how wrong I was.

This particular clock is quite interesting. It has accurately displayed the correct date, day and time for the past 250 years or so - and the writing on it goes until 2000-far-away. Makes my head dizzy.

Money makes the world go 'round!

2006-08-19T19:25:00.000+02:00

It's scary what many people do for little bits of metal, or sometimes even virtual numbers. It's even scarier to think that I'm pretty obsessed by them too. How can you get away from that? Should you?

(Thanks for the inspiration, Richard!)

In a slump.

2006-08-18T19:27:00.000+02:00

I don't know why, but I've been feeling a bit down and uninspired lately. I'll get back at it eventually.

Climbing higher.

2006-08-17T19:23:00.000+02:00

Ladder. Sometimes you need help to get to a certain point - no shame in that. Still, I know I don't always want to ask. Probably because I don't want to look weak or unable to do things by myself.

Just chillin'.

2006-08-16T16:45:00.000+02:00

Remember: relax time is as important as work time.

Taking things for granted.

2006-08-15T19:04:00.000+02:00

Some things are esay to take for granted. Your life, your health, your family. Or even water. And yet the truth is that it all can be erased within a short time span. Perhaps we should cherish what we got more often. (This is written with ~dkbb~ in mind. I hope that you'll be able to get back to normal soon.)

All the small things.

2006-08-13T18:57:00.000+02:00

It's the small things that makes life worth living. Small things also makes life that much easier.

Sensing a pattern.

2006-08-12T13:52:00.000+02:00

Is it true that everything is controlled by patterns? I recall reading or hearing about a matematician that tried to find a pattern in how pidgeons walk about when searching for food - did he find anything, I wonder?

Play ball.

2006-08-11T12:00:00.000+02:00

I've never tried or taken tennis seriously, but after looking at it in person it seems like a sport I could learn to not dislike.

Enter the Matrix.

2006-08-10T11:45:00.000+02:00

If you were told that you lived in an illusion, and was given the opportunity to learn the truth - would you do it? Or would you prefer to live the illusion, as ignorance can be bliss?

It all comes down to something that has been debated by philosophers a long time: is there a definite reality, the same for everyone, or is what we experience (or believe we experience) the truth?

Keys.

2006-08-09T17:08:00.000+02:00

Useful things, these. To think such small things can guard something as big as a house.

Tear along the dotted line.

2006-08-08T11:11:00.000+02:00

Continuing to explore minimal composition. I really like this one.

Caught in a window.

2006-08-07T12:29:00.000+02:00

It is time to reflect upon my photography today. Lately I've had a bit of crisis - I noticed that I tended to go through a lot of minimal composition shots. I considered most of them pretty but boring, and tried to fight it. The resulting pictures were most often not that good. So, instead, I'll try to embrace that side of me. It is obviously something I've got an incling towards. It'll learn me something, if nothing else.

Feeling blue.

2006-08-06T17:43:00.000+02:00

I like the colour blue. To me, it has a soothing quality.

Ahoy, Superman!

2006-08-05T15:35:00.000+02:00

Is it a cloud? A plane? No! It is Superman! (Being able to fly would be so fun.)

Visiting family.

2006-08-03T21:47:00.000+02:00

On my way back to my town after visiting my family. It is always nice to see them, but it's almost even better to get home again. Still, I wouldn't be want to be without them.

Water glass and shadow, part 2.

2006-08-02T18:18:00.000+02:00

Do you remember to drink enough water each and every hot day? Got to stay hydrated.

I see the light!

2006-08-01T16:22:00.000+02:00

What do you know - I'm basically healthy again. Oh, the things I want to do! I've got so many projects I want to deal with. Lots of fun.

Boxing ourselves in?

2006-07-30T14:46:00.000+02:00

These boxes contain various equipment for an old book printer. Mankind's resourcefulness becomes apparent again - this is certainly not how it looks today. Regardless of how our advancement is for good or for bad, it is nevertheless fascinating.

Shadowing.

2006-07-29T11:53:00.000+02:00

I guess some shots every wannabe-photographer has to take. On another note, I'm feeling a bit better. In a few days I might actually be able to go outside again!

Remember to chair.

2006-07-27T17:12:00.000+02:00

We are many. Before throwing stuff out, it is always a good idea to see if it is still usable to others. Second hand-stores often accept old things in decent condition. Better to re-use than producing new, considering this planet's limited resources.

"You look like how I feel."

2006-07-26T18:27:00.000+02:00

I've caught something. No energy, some random coughing, head aching, body hurting. I don't dig it one bit, but I suppose it could be worse.

Everyday, something new.

2006-07-25T22:01:00.000+02:00

It just amazes me how much patterns and interesting objects there are all around us. Every day there is something new to see. It'll take awhile before I get tired of life.

Your ad here.

2006-07-24T20:48:00.000+02:00

Advertising space, a precious thing. It is all about getting seen. I would give a lot to see a city free from posters - imagine the difference. Question is, would it be a more pleasant or a more boring cityscape?

Putting things into perspective.

2006-07-23T21:03:00.000+02:00

Sometimes, putting things in perspective makes them easier to grasp. Sometimes it makes them harder.

Essential: food.

2006-07-22T10:21:00.000+02:00

Good thing cooking is pretty fun.

Are we there yet?

2006-07-20T17:14:00.000+02:00

The building is a hospital. I wonder how many that has lived here before arriving at their final destination.

Dust to dust.

2006-07-19T16:05:00.000+02:00

I know it is a classic, but it just boggles my mind trying to comprehend how old the earth is. And then my mind gets even bogglier thinking about the universe. Infinity is a mighty concept.

On the right track?

2006-07-18T15:41:00.000+02:00

Some make a callous claim
trying to disregard responsibility.
Just to carry on the same,
polluting to the best of ability.
Not caring, nor wanting to see,
that one do not get away.
When to late, it is useless to flee.
(But then, perhaps, they care what we say.)

Killing cats.

2006-07-17T18:26:00.000+02:00

We don't like to go to certain places, afraid of things that might happen. Perhaps we are attacked by strange people? But what if we are not attacked, but rewarded instead? Curiosity might have killed a cat, but it probably have enrichened several other cats lives.

Freedom.

2006-07-16T17:42:00.000+02:00

Freedom: a vague word that many consider one of the most important things in life. What does the concept mean? Could we, the general public, really handle freedom if we had it?

"Losing my religion".

2006-07-15T14:23:00.000+02:00

Churches make me uncomfortable. I'm not quite sure why, but I suspect it is due to the fact that they are powerful religious symbols - and religion is something I do not consider myself part of. I am an atheist, like many people in Sweden. People are leaving church in a constant stream here.