Photo vs Video

The camera or the camera? I know it's not a dilemma most people face but I do. I often struggle with the choice of camera. Mostly weather to take pictures or to film. They both have their benefits and definitivily appeal to somewhat different sides of me.

The downside of using the video camera is that is usually takes a lot of time and footage to make something decent and even more time and planning to make something great. At least with a normal camera (in my case a Nikon D700) one can usually just pay attention and wait for those good moments to pop up.

I'd really like to get better at both Photography and Film but it just takes to much time to do both at the same time. Well at least without taking pictures and filming being the main focus. After all for me the primary thing is usually doing something else and just having the opportunity to snap a few shots. Now if those shots happen to be good that's totally a nice bonus.

Come to think of it, I've only ever been on a pure photographic mission. It was the Jungles of Sumatra and we where trying to get a few good clicks on some orangutans. Other than that there's been a few times I've been out purely to grab a few shots but not really as a real mission so to say.

This weekend was the last sailing trip with the long-ship Helgaholm and I figured I'd give just snapping a few frames the primary seat. I did bring a video camera but only pickled it up once. Not wanting to bring a lot of lenses due to my weight and size limiting mind set for adventure I went with a zoom lens. Something I think is fine these days. Yeah sure fixed lenses do get better Images, but not that much better warranting hauling around a lot of extra weight and the time changing lenses and/or cameras.

It was a short two day trip. But two days was enough to give me a cold. Coming back from the tropics less than 24h before departure, rain, wind, jet-lagged and sleep deprivation KOed my immune system. Still if was a real nice trip with a mix of all kinds of weather. Sun, Rain, Wind, in other words a typical Swedish summer. The crayfish where amazing and it was a good thing everyone brought lots and lots of extras as I did not have time to go procure food after arrival. In fact "bosö båtklubb" (or Bosö Boat Club) had gotten a whole lot of extra craw fish making the crawdads more than plentiful. Me likey very much =D

Same same but different

Walking up and down the allies of Kuta in Bali is like walking up and down the posh streets of Sweden, in a way.  At lest in the way of everything being the same. Same same but different as they say in this region. A friend of mine a young britt once found it to be such an amusing and endearing saying when his Thai "girlfriend" said it. He quickly realized that it was not something unique but something wide spread in the region. And it's all very true. Every shop, every business is same same, and not so different.
I recently had a conversation with Mark, the traveling film maker. As he was asked to do a piece on this guy who wanted to start a business in Ubud the natural question was what see him apart from everyone else. Why was his business special. There was no clear answer..

And this is the spirit of this same same mentality. There is nothing wrong about copying a successful concept but then again it won't be "successful" if you can't offer anything unique. Well unless you are the low cost (read lowest cost) provider. Every day I see so many things that could be improved, so many business ideas that will never see the day of light because of more same same businesses and Ideas here.

Then again. Checking out the concept of the tweet sized travel video I'd love to do a version of my own. With a twist ofc, but still. Maybe I'm just another same same...

The Visa Experience

Carrying a Swedish passport I'm used to having an easy time through customs and immigration, in most countries. As one of the most financially stable countries out there the western world usually have no problems excepting us and being a socialist nation helps when dealing with the previous communist nations. One country that one think would encourage Swedish and other tourist to spend money in their developing country is Indonesia.
Indonesia is a vast archipelago and possibly the absolute destination of divers and nature enthusiast. More beaches and better water than one can imagine it's heavily under touristed except for the obvious destination of Bali.
One way of extending the 30 day visa of arrival, 25$ visa with another 30 days is to extend it at the immigrations office.

An important note is that you don't have to wait with extending it as it adds 30 days from the expiration date of your current visa and not from the date you apply. I was uncertain about this and ended up waiting until way to late for it to be comfortable. Specially since the government suddenly declared my intended day of application a national bridge holiday (a non-holiday made holiday because of it being preceded and succeeded by holidays)

It's definitely the cheapest way to get it done and this was my experience.

1. get to the immigrations office
2. the reception
3. go 2 floors up to the 4th floor
4. figure out where to go (no english signs)
5. buy a folder of papers 5k rp
6. get a photocopy of your passport 1k rp
7. get your picture taken 10k
8. fill in the forms and have your sponsor do the same
9. got counter 1
10. wait
11. go to counter 2
12. wait
13. go to counter 3
14. wait
15. go back to counter 1
16. wait
17. go downstairs and wait at the casheers, pay
18. go back up to counter 1 and turn in your papers
19. wait
20. go back to counter 1 and get your stuff
21. go to counter 0 and get a photocopy of your passport again, now with the visa extension
22. go back to counter 1
23. wait
24. counter 1 and retrieve your visa extension
25. Yay, all done!
26. go celebrate or go home

This all seems to be simple enough... It takes one full working day with travel time to and from the office. Peering into the counters and the offices behind them reviled a vast landscape of minions processing passports. I'm quite sure there must have been about 5 people working for every 1 person on business at the office.

I've made a simple visualization of the process so that you might get a better understanding of it.

Oh and this is my very first attempt to play around with 2d animation software so please forgive the simple work. Oh and I would appreciate any tips of free 2d animation tools and tutorials for future attempts.

Having to extend an Indonesian Visa on arrival I figured I'd give you some insight on the process.

Missing the Snow

Coming from a nation plunged into darkness and cold for most parts of the year, spending time in the Tropical regions of the world seems like a great vacation. It does replenish ones energies and I can't say I miss the snow too much. That's what I told myself at least. I am starting to realize that I do miss some parts of the frozen world. This being mainly Snowboarding and what comes with it.
Snowboarding is a passion of mine I discovered not too many years ago. I'm mainly self though and like most people I had my part of bloodied noses and bruises. This being said I still love the sport and would recommend anyone to try it.
I specially remember this one night in Andorra where my buddy Simon Wagemyr and I decided to play around in the fresh snow after a beer or two.

This is some footage of us playing around in Soldeu after we left our "go to" bar, The Harp.

A night on the town from Filip Marzuki on Vimeo.