Au Revoir

We´re back from Paris, a city that rocks the socks off most other cities. Had a great time but now I´m tired, been streetwalking on asphalt about 10 km each day. But have been a lot of places and seen lots of things. Today we went to visit the Picasso museum as well as Pompidoo, the home of most of the contemporary art in Paris. A great place, incredible building.

Pompidoo


View from the top of Pompidoo


While walking around town we came across the most superb bookstore I´ve ever visited. The owner was this supercute old guy that had been collection fashionmagazines and books concerning photography since the early ´60ties. He had an incredible amount of fantastic books, could easily spent a day there. Bought a couple of books and magazines. I suggested that he made his books available on the internet on ebay or amazon or something but then he kindly replied that the internet had way to many potential customers, he was so fond of his books that he actually didn´t like to sell them. ;-)

Bookstore


Conclusion: Visit Paris.

Back to work tomorrow, shooting beautypictures.

Piz

Bonjour

Yes, we are in Paris. The city of romance.
It´s been great so far, my feet hurts after walking on concrete for about 10 hours today. Seen lots of the main attractions but also done some shopping and eating. The hotel room is quite nice and the weather was windy but nice. I´ve been to Paris once before but that was long ago so don´t remember to much, it´s fantastic though. Really nice.

The Eiffel Tower and Sacre Ceur


The view over the city from Sacre Ceur


The Louvre and Trine


The Room


For my fellow Sopranos-fans


While walking around town we came across two high-class fashion shoots being done, that was really cool. And what caught my attention was the fact that both shoots had an entire modified bus with them where they did make-up and such, and both photographers had three assistents. Looked real professional and it probably were.

Shoot #1



Shoot #2

And.....

Also a picture done for Natt & Dag. Not too excited about this one actually, but one can´t be supersatisfied everytime ey?
This guy is called Robert Lie and works at Bagatelle, he knows more than most people about wine.

New Pics.

Yeah.
Made dinner at Kai´s with some friends then went to a reunion party with people from my school.
Going to Paris tomorrow, can´t wait. I know it will be superb.
But thought I should post some pictures first, one of the jobs I did recently is now out. It is done with the ad agency TBWA and the shots were done for Xtra Personell. Here they are, whatcha think?

Thanks Grandma

I really and truly appreciate it. A lot. Thank you.

4 days left

Until I go to sleep (almost) next to the Eiffel Tower. Can´t wait. Been a bit lazy this week, that kind of gives me a bad feeling. I feel that I should work all the time to succeed with this profession.
Will be doing another beautyshoot next thursday, if it turns out great we might try to sell it somewhere. Have to get my fashion-portfolio ready so that I can take it around town to all the magazines.

Will be delivering prints to make my third book tomorrow. Heia Espen Vol. I and Heia Espen Vol. II is already in the book-shelf, it´s time for Vol. III. They only exist in one copy each and they all contain 50 pages, with something like 75 pictures in them. In the future I´ll sell them on ebay for millions, when I´m famous that is.



We´ll be living 250 meters from this tower, which ironically was also my nickname growing up

InZane

Concert, one of the best experinces in quite some time. Nouvelle Vague charmed an entire Rockefeller with their fantastic performances and beautiful songs. Loved it. Truly. Seven dots on the dice, easy.

Weekend In The City

Went to John Dee thursday night for a concert with the huge(in numbers) band I´m From Barcelona, which is actually from Skåne in Sweden. It was actually quite nice, 23 people or so on stage and quite the hallelujah mood on quite a few of them. But they have some very nice melodies and cute lyrics.

Two more fans and two of the greatest guys I know. The supertalented Birger and the pride of Elverum, Mr. Simen.



Had a couple of beers with both of them and quite a few others on friday, yesterday I had some beers with someone completely different. Today it´s time for another concert, Nouvelle Vague, the french group doing bossanova covers of my favourite postpunk/newwave tunes. Really looking forward to this one.

Hellu

Well, todays shoot is over. I feel semisatisfied. Marius the model did a great job, I believe I did what I could but the clothes were a bit too "common" for my taste, a bit too everyday and a little too preppy for me but that´s life. Hopefully the magazine will be happy with it, have to retouch them tomorrow.

I´m not feeling to well, hope it´s better tomorrow and it´s not the flu that has caught up with me as well.

Misc.

Had a great weekend up north.

Been rather busy since getting home, landed at Gardemoen late sunday night and was up there again early monday morning to take a picture for Norwegian. Took my parents out for dinner later that evening at Agra, a fantastic Indian restaurant down by the docks.
Today I started out photographing a chef for Hyttemagasinet, retouched it and delivered the shots, then went off to shoot a picture for Natt & Dag. Retouched it and then spent quite some time setting up the lights for tomorrows shoot, but now I´m fairly satisfied. 5 lights are up and running, a couple of screens both white and black has been positioned and the floor is painted. Yeah.

I wanna buy an apartment. And I´m stealing my parents car. Doubleyeah.


P.s. My website is fairly screwed, it bugs me, and it´s not even my fault. Hopefully the guys hosting my site will fix it.

I hate to come up with titles for every post

After being raised in a photoalbumcrazy family I have finally started to make my own personal photoalbum. Even though I´m actually taking pictures for living I tend to suck when it comes to photograph private happenings, but that will of course now change. And I did buy my girlfriend a very nice camera for christmas so she better start to use it as well. I love photoalbums, and thanks mom and dad for documenting my whole life up until a couple of years ago.

Got a couple of shoots lined up next week, will be doing a picture for Norwegian on monday, then a couple of shoots for Hyttemagasinet tuesday and a fashionspread for Mann wednesday. Thursday and friday will be spent retouching and poff, another week has flown by.

Will be flying to Trondheim tomorrow.

Tip of the day

Make sure you don´t wash sweaters made of 100% wool with your other clothing.




Paid bills worth over 40.000 kr within 5 minutes today and I´m only about halfway through the pile. That´s a new record for me, and it sucks.

100

This is my post number 100 at this blog. yeah.
Forgot to put out the pictures of my most known fan, the swedish hipitohop artist.




Bought a trip to Paris for me and my girlfriend, it was supposed to be a Valentinespresent but I didn´t manage to wait that long before giving it to her. Been to France and Paris once before but that was many years ago so really looking forward to the trip. Heading to Trondheim this weekend, although not as exotic I´m really excited for this trip as well.

Bad blogging

I know I´ve been bad at updating this blog for the last couple of weeks. I blame it on being busy and that´s a good thing right?
Shot another ad.campaign last monday and tuesday and retouched them on wednesday. Delivered them thursday and everybody seems happy, myself included. Bought myself a new cellphone, a Sony Ericsson K800i. It seems great and it has quite a good camera on it as well; 3,2 megapixel, autofocus and a blitz.
Been working all weekend at the resort where I work during the weekends, am trying to be permitted from that job until the summer since the business is going rather well I hope to manage without working during the weekends as well.
Will be shooting a mens fashion series within the next couple of weeks, hopefully also a new beautytestshoot. Have to start printing and make my fashionportfolio.
And of course, my blogging will pick up again.

Another fan; Kristoffer at TBWA. The baddest badboy in the bizniz.

No Cell

Headed out thursday night, my good friend Pål had put me on the list and I looked forward to the debut-concert of Monteè. Lots of friends were there and I must admit I might have had a drink or two too much. My cellphone got lost and that sucks, had it in the concealed pocket of my jacket but somehow it found a way out, bastard. Being in the middle of a big production without my cell is not that handy but I guess it will work out.

Went to Rockefeller last night, Serena Maneesh and 120 Days were both playing and even before they entered the stage Apple Falls did a couple of songs. All the gigs were great but the highlight of the night happened during the last song of the night when some extreme nudity suddenly entered stage. Dancing nude in front of a 1000 people has got to create a hangover.

Will be doing three pictures tomorrow and two on tuesday. I really hope everything will run smoothly and that the pictures will be great.

Have a nice week.

´night

Timbuktu

Yeah, that was the supermegafamous celebrity that I shot a couple of weeks back. It´s for the magazine Spirit, I think it is supposed to be out on the streets right about now so then I guess I can publish it.
He was such a nice guy, very humble and positive, even though the pictures were taken a sunday morning. It is for a column that´s always in the magazine so I had no choice about background etc. But I think he looks quite cool indeed.




The shoot for next week is coming together now, all the models are booked and locations have been found. Will be shooting monday and tuesday, as always I´m quite nervous but I hope and think it will have a happy ending.

I´m considering buying a car.

Entourage

The new must-see series has just started on norwegian television, but the first two seasons are available on DVD. I truly recommend it. It´s about Vince, a prettyboy doing sudden success in Hollywood, and his mates that joins the ride. The show is based upon the life Mark Wahlberg lived when he broke the moviescene. Even though there are loads of highlights in the Entourage it´s the role Jeremy Piven plays as the mad agent Ari Gold that truly takes it over the top. The ingredients are sexy women, cool cars, crazy workaholics and four totally different dudes hanging out with way to much money to spend. It´s a show that gives us insight to a life lots of guys dream of and even though it´s quite shallow it also reveals that money and success ain´t everything. Isn´t it? Hmmm.

More work

Well, got a new job on friday. It´s rather big so in addition to the three jobs that needs to be retouched I have a bit too much work to get done this week. But I´ll never complain about too much work, I love it. I love feeling a bit stressed out because the feeling I get once I´ve finished each job is fantastic. Will probably shoot the pictures thursday and friday, and have to find/get permission to shoot in five different locations including an airport, a hospital and the university. Five models need to be booked and stuff to be included in the shots need to be found. But they pay me good money to get this done so I have to and really want to do a great job.

Train Station

Reeeeeed

My new portfolio arrived from the great city London yesterdat. It´s red, dark red. I really like it, will be using it for my fashion/beauty pictures. Hopefully a red book will give me even more jobs then a black book would.
Got a call about a new job today, will be attending a meeting tomorrow about it. Don´t know what it is but hopefully it´s nice and that they wanna give it to me. Finished a retouching job today and will finish my own pictures tomorrow.

Heia Espen

A good year?

Shot the last photos of the campaign yesterday and it all went great. Very pleased with the result and both the client and ad.agency seems satisfied and that feels great.
Also got three new retouchjobs and will be documenting a commercial stunt taking place friday and sunday. It has really been a superb month, I went into this year rather nervous about the future but now most of the dark clouds has drifted away. The future actually looks rather bright.
I´m also beeing considered for another rather large job, I just hope that they have faith in me even though I do not have the experience that many others do. Not the greatest blogger as of lately but that will change.
Can´t wait to post this job I just did, but since it won´t be published until the start of march I guess I have to wait.

The Test

Tomorrow is the first of hopefully many tests that will show if I can suceed as a commercial photographer. I´m nervous as hell but still pretty confident, have put lots of hours into the preproduction of this shoot. All the snow that has come was not part of the plan but unfortunately I´m not God so I guess it just have to be included in the pictures.

Good night and good luck to myself.

Stressed out !!!

Way to many things to think about at the moment. This job is killing me, so much production. Within a couple of days I´ve had to find a superb apartment, a familyfriendly car, 6 models from 25-70 years old, lots of props, a couple of other locations and some other stuff. Will be shooting monday and tuesday and I have to create something good. Jeezeeez.

Up in all this I assisted the photographer Guri Dahl today, shooting the people running this country. Will be assisting her next thursday as well and then we´ll shoot the prime minister. That´s cool.

This is the view from his office by the way.

Yeah

The whining really paid off. Got assigned to a rather big commercial shoot this past friday. I will be shooting the pictures monday and tuesday next week but have a lot to take care of before that so I will be busy the entire two next weeks with this job. And if I manage to keep my expenses down it´s a pretty well paid job as well.

I have also got a retouching job, will be finishing all the pictures taken by Knut Bry for a book about apples.

We´re going out to dinner today with some friends of ours, Eirik and Stine. Mother India is the place as always.

By the way, if you´re between 65-70 years old and still looking good I got a job for you, bring your misses and you can make a couple of thousand in a heartbeat.

Crazed fans

Both shoots went rather well. And both have been retouched and sent to the clients.

(And now it´s time for some whining!)
I sent out 20 letters for about one and a half weeks ago, containing new pictures I have taken along with a short handwritten letter. Only heard from two of the recipients. Guess it´s a long and hard way to the top in this business, actually it´s a f***ing struggle just to get the ends to meet sometimes. And at the same time all these guys in their midforties are taking the same pictures they took 10 years ago and making great money of it. Damn it.

But I´m the only one with my own official fanclub, yeah. Two new fans, the superb but mad photographer Knut Bry and my good friend, the always superbly-dressed hunk, Marius.





Tip Of The Day
You have to go and see the movie Shortbus. It´s way more than upclose and personal sex-scenes and singing the national anthem in your homeboy´s ass. I loved it at least, and so did my girl. And so should you.

Shortbus

I´m pleased with yesterdays shoot, it all went well and even though my shirt was slightly too large for him it looked perfect. Will post the pictures at the end of the month.
Will be shooting two pictures tomorrow for Vice Magazine, gotta thank Mona for that one. Thanks Mona.
On wednesday I´ll shoot some images of a cabin about half and hour outside Oslo for Hyttemagasinet.

Ordered a new portfolio book today, it´s identical with my last one except that this one is made of Red Leather. Hopefully it will look superb, it´s for my fashion/beauty pictures.

Heading to the movies later on to see Shortbus. Check out the trailer below.

Good Weekend

This have been a really good weekend. Started out friday night when Trine and myself visited some friends of mine, playing Risk and drinking wine. Saturday I played a basketball match which we won 97-60 and later that evening I made a fantastic pizza after my moms recipe, it´s not quite as good as moms yet but I will get there.
And today I´ve been shooting this rather famous swedish artist. I bet you´re wondering who but that I won´t tell until the pictures are published.
Now it´s time for Grandiosa, Coke Zero and The Untouchables on DVD.

Should I Stay Or Should I Go

Had two very good meetings today, and with my rollercoaster selfesteem it is very nice to hear qualified people give me good feedback. I tend to ask myself..............



.............. and find something else to do. Always wanted to be a teacher.

2007

Well, that was it for 2006. It´s only a couple of days into the new year now and I´ve just started working again. I have big hopes for this year careerwise. Scheduled a couple of meetings tomorrow and I´ll be shooting someone famous this weekend. I really look forward to it and I hope he is a nice guy. Maybe if I´m lucky I´ll get a shot of him with my Heia Espen shirt on as well.

I always thought that naked women would gather lots of comments both pros and cons but obviously not. Maybe those pictures I posted earlier just suck ass so noone would even bother to look at them. I try again with some nudity, my apologies to all of you feminists and naked-women-haters out there. Anyway I can guarantee that there won´t be much more nudity in the future, I just had to try it out. I´m a bit above mediocre happy with both these and the earlier ones. A bit boring maybe. Better luck next time I suppose.

Top 15

Aiaiai, headache from last night.
But what better way to cure it then with egg and bacon for breakfast, a couple of episodes of The Sopranos and listening to some quality music. By the way, bought a re-issue of Can - Ege Bamyasi on green vinyl the other day, what a gem.
Anyway, as a self-proclaimed musiclover I feel obliged to give you my favourite records from this past year and so here it goes.

Espen´s Official Top 15 Records of 2006

1. Tv On The Radio - Return To The Cookie Mountain
2. Band Of Horses - Everything All The Time
3. The Knife - Silent Shout
4. Tapes´n Tapes - The Loon
5. The Decemberists - Crane Wife
6. Belle And Sebastian - The Life Pursuit
7. The Pipettes - We Are The Pipettes
8. The Kooks - Inside In Inside Out
9. Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say That´s What I´m Not
10. Bonny `Prince` Billy - The Letting Go
11. Grizzly Bear - Yellow House
12. Cold War Kids - Robbers & Cowards
13. Broken Social Scene - Broken Social Scene
14. Razorlight - Razorlight
15. The Hold Steady - Boys And Girls In America

Mr. Nielsen

It´s about 5 am and I´m quite drunk but that doesn´t stop me from writing a post. The reason that I´m writing is this; me and trine are walking home from tonights party and suddenly it starts to rain like hell, we seek shelter underneath some roof at Vår Frelses Gravlund. And before we even get there we are joined by two other people, one of them being a hero of mine; Mr. Christopher Nielsen, the artist, the creator of both Slipp Jimmy Fri and To Trøtte Typer. Even though he was most interested in discussing groupsex and aliens with my girlfriend we had quite a few interesting discussions. He is weird. That´s what I found out, but also fascinating, and even though he seemed quite interested in Trine I love the fact that I spent about 30 minutes with Mr. Nielsen, in the rain, at a graveyard, four hours past midnight at new years eve.

Happy New Year everyone.

Piz & Løve.