These two photographs were made almost a month apart, right near a place I called home for many years.
In my early years there, Maridalsvannet was an open landscape. You could walk all the way down to the water’s edge, tracing the perimeter of Oslo’s primary drinking water source. But as the city grew, so did the need for infrastructure. When the water treatment plant expanded it was decided to lock down the area around the water as it was classified as critical infrastructure.
Today, large fences and locked gates – particularly on the Akerselva side of the water – have severed that connection. To stand where I made these pictures would now likely involve breaking the law.
Looking back at our archives often reveals these changes. Environments, cultures, and infrastructure change constantly. These images are no longer just landscapes; they are proof of what once was, providing a historical context that can no longer be seen with the naked eye.
It’s good to be back to writing for the blog. Going forward, I’ll likely focus more on the content itself – both archival work and new projects – and less on the technical side of things. I’ll still do camera and lens tests and reviews when it feels right, but I’m no longer chasing the “tech” side of photography.
I’m currently using a Ricoh GR IV as my daily camera and a Sony A7V with a few small and light Zeiss Loxia primes and Sony FE primes as they fulfill my current needs the best. I’ll be posting my experience with these setups after using them for 6+ months in the near future.
See you soon.
— Børge
2 Comments
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Børge, I’ve missed you. I remember the “old” days when you used an M with your new 50mm 0.95 Noctilux for some really great pix. Nice to find you again. You have a great eye for subjects and composition.
Thanks Stuart! No M here yet, I will be making most of my photographs going forward on combined mountain trips lasting for upto several weeks, and weekend and week-long offroad motorcycle trips, all of which the M is really not suitable for. The microvibrations from a motorcycle and gravelroads would cause the optical calibration of the M to go out of spec very quickly, and I also need something which can survive a fall and moisture decently well, and not cost too much to replace in case of a drop or accident – which does happen quite frequently. I’m also doing more video clips in the future, which the M doesn’t do. So while I love the M platform and lenses, and have experience with using most of the lenses and bodies up to the M10P, they don’t fullfill my needs. Leica’s other cameras and lenses are far too big and heavy as well, and is not suitable for week long hikes or motorcycle trips where every gram of weight and material volume is important.