We are excited to introduce Sindre to the AOV community! He has shared his photography advice along with his stunning editing tools to help bring us all to the next level.
My name is Sindre Stølen and I’m a 19-year-old Norwegian photographer. I have always loved the idea of capturing time. It has been a passion of mine since I was 8 years old. ] I got a waterproof disposable camera when my family and I went to Egypt. I practically used up all the film in the first hours of getting it.
What provides your inspiration?
Music is a key element for my inspiration. Certain vibes in a song usually comes out in the way I edit. Most of my photos are very bright which comes from the positive vibe I almost always get from the songs I listen to. The songs I listen to while editing are usually very soft and chill songs, not necessarily the kind that makes you sleep, more music that makes you happy. Most of them are love songs.
What challenges do you face in your creative process and how do you work through them?
Sometimes I find it hard to edit a photo I don’t really see potential in from the start. An example of that is the previewed photo of my “Venezia” preset. I just couldn’t see how that shot could be something I would like. I literally sat for days trying to edit that shot. I finally put on a song that just made the creative process in me work. The final version of that photo is still my favorite to this day.
What is your favorite thing about photography?
My favorite thing about photography has to be the moments when I stop taking pictures and stand there in awe of what I’m looking at.
What is your favorite recent image and what went into creating it?
This was shot in my hometown Haugesund, Norway. I had driven by this place so many mornings and looked at that specific island in so many different weather conditions and just thought: “once I get a drone, I have to capture that”. The bonus part about this picture is the two swans that were calmly floating beside the island. It gives this shot that extra feeling to it.
Do you have tips & tricks you have used in your creative pursuits that you would like to share with the AOV photography community?
On the shooting front my best advice would be:
Don’t think that you need the biggest camera or biggest lens to capture something beautiful. Sure it definitely helps a lot, but every “standing” shot I’ve posted (that are mine) have been shot with the Sony RX100 Mark 1. That’s a compact camera, that’s right. In my opinion it all comes to how you interpret the environment and edit it as a whole.
Always try to look behind you (the opposite side of where your motive is located), you might be surprised of what lies there.
On the editing front there are a few things that I consistently do:
I always start in Lightroom to create a base of what the image is going to look like at the end. Personally my final products are made in Photoshop, where I get those extra bright colors from (selective color).
What gear do you use?
Why did you create this set of presets?
I created this set of presets because those are the main ones that represent my style and I hope that they can help those buying them to get creative and find their own style.
What do we get with your preset pack?
Caribbean Sunset – This is a special one, which makes the blue hues in the photo look like its shot during a peach-looking sunset.
Puerto Rico – Brings out a summery vibe, also makes the beach get a peach-looking “character”.
Venezia – Brings out those turquoise hues you would love the water to have, making it look fresh.
Norway – Makes your landscape shots pop. Also works great on sunset shots.
Miami – Bright, “retro-looking” vibe.