The Bohuslän Archipelago
Just a few hours drive away from where I live you’ll find home to the beautiful Bohuslän archipelago. Beginning just north of Gothenburg and stretching to the Norwegian border. I´ve visited this region many times before and I always feel a desire of coming back. To capture the idyllic archipelago; the wide rocky landscape and the thousands of lakes that co-exist in the same circulation. Away from the sophisticated cities.
Sunset above Gullholmen island, Bohuslän
During the summer season, the west coast of Sweden is usually heavily populated by tourists. So I traveled as soon as the season ended, which allowed me to see Bohuslän on my own. Hard winds and rapidly changing weather are common in this ever-changing coastal environment. I wanted to capture the water with almost no movement on the surface, and rooftops bare from the snow that touched the ground just a few days earlier. A challenging task that took its time.
Sunset above Åstol Island. Bohuslän
The scenery is remarkable to witness from above. Small islands covered with fishing villages and picturesque huts, home to many people, surrounded by outstanding landscape and nature. The small islands and isles look like an unfinished puzzle from above. With small pieces spread all over the sea, bare rocks of granite stretching to the surface of the North Sea, symmetrical patterns made by nature itself.
There is something very fascinating seeing a settlement populated by humans creating these amazing patterns. Perfectly arranged and colour coordinated from above. Abstract, yet familiar.
A break from the wind in the harbour of Åstol, Swedish West Coast
Although seeing this spectacular scenery, left me with a mix of feelings. I had wanted to visit for a long time, just in the right conditions. And here I was, looking at this vibrant landscape where people from all over Sweden, during normal circumstances, come to relax and have fun. It was calm and quiet, the small isolated islands look similar to our interactions during this pandemic, restrained and guarded against each other. A sign of the times we are in, but also a sign of what is waiting for us.
