{"id":12886,"date":"2023-10-21T23:08:16","date_gmt":"2023-10-21T22:08:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cyclenorway.com\/?p=12886"},"modified":"2023-10-21T23:08:16","modified_gmt":"2023-10-21T22:08:16","slug":"in-search-of-perfection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cyclenorway.com\/en\/in-search-of-perfection\/","title":{"rendered":"In Search of Perfection"},"content":{"rendered":"

Having cycled all over Norway in the past four years, it’s remarkable how little high-quality photos I have to show for it. Epic drone and GoPro shots are plentiful but at the expense of still photography. It’s never been a priority when YouTube is my main social media channel. However, this all changed in early 2023 when I built and launched Cycle Norway’s website. Currently, many of the high-resolution photos on the site are stock photos. This annoyed me, so this summer, I set out to undertake the biggest cycling photoshoot ever recorded in Norway. I don’t know if that is actually true, but let’s roll with it until stated otherwise!<\/h4>\n

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Is it worth the cost?<\/b><\/p>\n

Unquestionably, booking a photographer and travelling nationwide to capture many great shots would be an expensive ordeal. However, I felt it was an ordeal worth undertaking. I want to put a stamp of approval onto the website, and that starts with original photos, specific to Cycle Norway. But what sort of photos do I require? When I look at the photos on offer at Visit Norway, I shake my head at many of them. A lot seem too staged and unauthentic. They focus on people more than nature and feel this takes something away from the appeal.<\/p>\n

Visitnorway promoting cycling in Finnmark in the far north of Norway.<\/p>\n

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It is well known the number one reason people visit Norway is because of its spectacular nature. Why focus on people? Focus on nature and let the cyclists become part of it.<\/p>\n

Lustrafjorden – Cycle Norway<\/p>\n

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Bike, Human, Road, Nature\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

I wanted to focus on storytelling photos that could capture all four elements that make a bike photo special (bike, person, road, nature).\u00a0Bike photography is a difficult field to shoot in, and many photographers fail to balance the four elements correctly.<\/p>\n

With such high costs involved in this project, I wanted to find someone with the experience and a proven track record that they could deliver. I have been following one Norwegian photographer called Emil Nyeng based in Lillehammer for a few years. He has worked with several international cyclist magazines delivering some fantastic photos.<\/p>\n

A photoshoot for Rouleur Magazine 2021 – Emil Nyeng<\/p>\n

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Emil intuitively has an eye for storytelling shots. He ensures not one element (nature, human, bike, road) overpowers another. I think the photo above is a perfect example of all four elements working together to capture a beautiful moment.\u00a0I felt it was worth the cost to bring Emil on board, as I was confident he would deliver what I required.<\/p>\n

We planned five days in August 2023 to hit many of the famous and iconic cycling locations. Sadly, two days before we left, storm Hans hit Norway – the worst in 25 years. Roads were destroyed, and places flooded; therefore, we had no choice but to postpone it until mid-September.<\/p>\n

Thankfully the weather looked settled for our September dates, but due to time restraints, we cut the photoshoot to 3 days and reduced the distance travelled. I was still confident we’d get enough variation of shots with the time frame we had.<\/p>\n

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Three days of work, work, work<\/strong><\/p>\n

Over those three days, we visited 25 locations and captured over 2000 raw photos. Each day we worked 12 -14 hours to maximise the time and light available. On the second day, Emil suggested we get up at 4:30 am. He was concerned about missing the best light on top of the mountain we planned to drive up. He was right; we captured the best part of the morning with some spectacular shots.<\/p>\n

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On the third and final day, our last location is one of Norway’s most historic roads. Gamle Strynefjellsvegen is a photographer’s dream. But only for those who can see the dream. Emil saw patterns in nature that most people would have disregarded. At one point, he stopped the car abruptly and said I think this could be really good with a drone. I didn’t see what he was referring to, but I pulled the bike out and followed his instructions. In the car afterwards, he showed me the results…I was amazed.<\/p>\n

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You can watch the short blog of the trip here:<\/p>\n