Graduation Party Weather

The weather gods are with us. At least insofar that they’ve promised warmth and mostly cloudless skies during Wednesday’s high school graduation party for Elle.

If everyone shows up, we’ll be a merry 75 folks celebrating our daughter’s last day of secondary education at Borgarskolan here in Malmö. It’ll be the biggest gathering of friends and family since Charlotte and I got married in Mölle by the Sea back in 1998, 21 years ago. One huge difference is that Elle will enjoy much better weather than we did back then. We’re catering most of the food – but I’ll be making a huge batch of guacamole, a large bowl of spicy salsa and some cummin and sesame flavored hummus.

Though the occasion is obviously meant to celebrate Elle’s achievement of graduating high school – and sorry if this comes across as being self-congratulatory – I also see it as something we as parents and her guides/advisors should be permitted to commemorate as well.

Don’t get me wrong here. Raising Elle has been mostly super-smooth sailing. Easier and certainly less dramatic than say, what I experienced and more relaxed/exciting than Charlotte’s upbringing. That said, I ascribe much of Elle’s positive attitude and social competence to us being reasonably good role models – both at home and during all our visits abroad. Not that there hasn’t been a few speed bumps or the occasional hurdle along the road. That kinda goes without saying. Like most parents, we fuck up from time to time. But both Charlotte and I have good reason to stand tall and be proud of both ourselves and our beautiful daughter during the celebrations.

The graduation party indubitably marks the end of an era in all our lives. Even if she’s been 18 for six months already, Elle is somehow more of an adult now. It’s time to let go. Yet as most mothers and fathers know, parenthood is a lifelong commitment (emotionally and, hopefully, to a lesser degree, financially). And even when we later on this year venture off in different directions geographically, we all know that our emotional bond to each other will continue to be close and resilient.

Shot the above view earlier this morning, about an hour after returning from the gym at Kockum Fritid (my first serious workout in about two weeks).


Virtual Disc Jockey

As if Wednesday’s challenge wasn’t enough, I spent much of Friday and Saturday evenings playing soul and funk from spinning virtual turntables down by Vibes on the beach here in Västra Hamnen.

The software I’ve been using for the occasional DJ gig still doesn’t support Apple Music, so it was a bit of a bitch to pick and choose my playlist. My workaround was to alternatively play songs from iTunes and mix them with those in the DJ app’s tunes deck.

From an intellectual property perspective, I totally get why Apple had to use hardcore DRM (digital rights management) software to make playing songs from their huge catalogue through third party applications literally impossible. But I find it strange why there isn’t at least one programmer out there that offers a plugin for iTunes so that I could at least be able to perform som rudimentary DJ stuff within it.

In any case, it was great to reaffirm visavi compliments from a few of Vibes guests that my musical taste still hits home. And that autogenerated playlists from Tidal, Apple Music or Spotify will never, ever be able to outperform what a live DJ can deliver.


Fuckup Nights Malmö

From yesterday’s Fuckup Nights Malmö 2019 where I was one of four fuckupers to speak in front of about 200 people. Fuckup Nights was founded in Mexico and is now organized in 318 cities across 86 countries (and counting) with the goal of sharing every kind of fuckup – from small mishaps to epic mistakes. According to Charlotte and a few others, I nailed it. Which I definitely didn’t think I was going to do after my really, really bad rehearsal. It was a very well-organized event that I feel really happy to have been a part of. Here’s my speach:

Good Evening, Everybody!

Thank you for inviting me to Fuckup Night Malmö.

My name is Joakim Lloyd Raboff and I haven’t had a fuckup in 12 hours. At least not one that I’m aware of….

So, I work as a photographer here in Malmö. You might have come across my work in Västra Hamnen which I’ve documented in absurdum for more than a decade.

If there ever was a profession beleaguered with fuckups, it’s definitely mine. Why else do you think all us photographers take so many darn photos? We actually fuck up so much that the only way we can get away with getting paid is by taking hundreds of photos… so that at least statistically, we’ll end up with a few usable shots.

Sometimes being a photographer can be a challenging way to pay the bills. I’ve gone diving with great white sharks for travel magazine, documented super-tall buildings from ridiculously small planes and have had neurotic portrait clients expect me to perform miracles with my camera and Photoshop – when it’s really a therapist and a dentist they should be seeing.

But when all is said and done, I really love my job. It allows me to buy cool camera gear, travel the world and meet a bunch of mostly interesting people.

Obviously, over the years, I’ve worked with a lot of different companies. Small and large. Known and unknown. Fun and not so much fun. I’ve worked with the United Nations, Skanska, ICA and IKEA as well as Agda’s ugly poodle Lola.

I think it’s the mix of clients and assignments that has helped keep me on my toes. Yes, I’ve had a great run – without any career-ending fuckups. So far.

Truth be told, when Jacob Lejdström asked me if I would share a major fuckup with you guys tonight, I had to think for a while to remember one that stood out and hovered above the rest.

Then I recalled a gig from a few years back. It was an assignment for a special kind of doctor. The kind that performs photoshop in real life – with a real knife. Yes, a plastic surgeon.

I’d been working on an off with this particular doc for a few years. And no, it’s not the asshole that raped his son’s girlfriend after sedating her. It was a different quack. A decent fellow.

Anyway, my assignments for the doctor would typically include documenting his patients post-op and then working on the before and after images in Photoshop to achieve similar lighting and scale. You get the idea, like aligning noses, ears, throats, hips, thighs and bellies. Of course, my shots were always better lit and composed, so most of my time was spent editing the doctor’s photos at his clinic. For some reason, he never asked me to shoot any of his breast enlargement or reduction patients. Not once.

About a year into my working relationship with the plastic surgeon, he called to ask me if I would come in and photograph a patient that had recently undergone a breast enlargement procedure. He also mentioned that the entire clinic had recently been renovated and suggested I start shooting in his office. With my entrepreneur’s hat on, I thought this was a great opportunity to get more work from him. Especially since the vast majority of his clients were there to get bigger boobies.

The patient, Maria, a women in her early 30s and I arrived a few minutes after each other and the clinic’s secretary introduced us. The doc was in one of the operating rooms and I wouldn’t see him until later that afternoon.

I kindly asked Maria to step in to the doctor’s office and proceeded to explain the objective of the shoot. She looked a little perplexed but nodded and smiled as if everything was perfectly normal. While slowly removing her sweater and bra, she told me that only about a week had passed since her operation and that she was still a little sore and stiff. I told her to relax and that we had plenty of time.

I’d pulled the drapes across the office windows so the nearby office workers wouldn’t be able to look in. So it was kinda dark in the office. Once she was topless, I started shooting.

Like most professional photographers with reasonably high ethical standards, I worked this gig with both a scientific and artistic approach and shot Maria’s new breasts from every possible angle and with every lens I had in my camera bag at the time.

And despite what must have seemed like advanced acrobatics to Maria, she just followed my instructions and moved, shifted and bent her torso to every new angle I came up with.

30 minutes and 200 photos later, we were done. Before she left, Maria asked me if I didn’t want to take any shots of her in the clinic’s waiting room or the small café.

No, no, I replied with a smile. – I think I’ve got all the photos the doctor needs now. Maria smiled, we shook hands and off she went.

I grabbed a coffee, sat down in the café and started looking through my collection of Maria’s breasts and felt exhausted from the fairly intense shoot. Half an hour later, the doctor walked into the café and asked me how things had gone.

Excited about the prospect of getting more work from him, I shared my unbridled enthusiasm.

– It went really, really, well, I said.

– I’m so looking forward to seeing how you photographed our new waiting room and café with one of our patients in it. Isn’t Maria a sweet girl?

Uh…what? I was devastated. How the hell did I not get that the doctor wanted me to shoot Maria as a lifestyle model in his new clinic – and not post-operations photos of her enlarged breasts?

I knew from previous assignments that the doctor could be a bit absent-minded and his briefs were often confusing…but this was still way off the radar screen…but how could I have fucked up so badly?

And what would the doctor think of me once I told him? Was he going to think that despite being a serious photographer and a happily married man, that all I really wanted to do was shoot women’s boobies?

I was caught somewhere between a mind-fuck and a presumed shit storm.

Eventually I calmed down and told the doctor that I had totally fucked up and misunderstood his “brief”. He forgave me and we continued to work together for about another five years. I went on to help him create books, film operating procedures and prepare for lectures. I even designed the sign outside his new clinic when he moved across town.

In conclusion, communication is everything and assumptions are the mother of all fuckups. But you still need a significant amount of fuckups to succeed.

When you’re a freelance photographer, unless you have a steady gig for a reoccurring client, you have to keep your eyes and ears open at all times! Not only do you have to recognize an opportunity when it comes along, you also have to seize that sucker! I’ve had a reasonable amount of success over the years and still have a good reputation.

I think the key to being successful as a freelance photographer and entrepreneur is my ability to learn from all my fuckups. But it took a seemingly endless amount of mistakes and bad calls to get to the pivotal moment in my career when there were actually more happy endings than fuckups.

But in all honesty, I kinda miss the fuckups. Why? Because they meant I was likely trying something above my competence level – and living more on the edge.

I still try to challenge myself. But because of all my previous failures, I’ve got a huge library of fuckups to help me recognize and avoid them. Which inevitably makes me a less adventurous (boring) photographer.

As I get older, I really need to keep reminding myself that it’s the fuckups and not the success that move me forward. 

#fuckupmore 

#beforemetoo

Thanks for listening!


Österlens Blooming Canola Fields

Here’s a few short clips of the magnificent yellow canola fields from Österlen in eastern Skåne. This time of year, when the skies are blue, you can totally see where the colors of the Swedish flag come from.

Though the yellow cross against a blue background on the Swedish flag is from when the country was christened in the mid-12th century, there is no doubt in my mind where from the colors emanated. 


Nösund Havshotell

Just back from an intense weekend, most of which was spent working on the island of Orust where I shot interiors, exteriors and four SPA models at coastal hotel Nösund Havshotell. The beautiful Mia above was the first model and she was clearly enjoying the spectacular seaside surroundings during Friday’s shoot. Just as the Christianssons, Richard, Malin and Ida did on Saturday.

Nösund Havshotell itself encompasses everything that I think make this coastal region so wonderfully special and visit-worthy. In addition to the main building where the restaurant and stage is – the hotel attracts some the country’s finest musical acts during the summer months – there’s also a half dozen or so beautiful wooden houses and cottages, rickety piers and cute bathhouses scattered along the picturesque bay. Nösund is like the retreat you don’t want to leave. The vibe is laidback, the food and service is superb and the staff make certain you feel right at home from the get-go. And the there’s the spa…where a triplet of hot tubs, saunas and a generous deck overlooking the ocean – and where a few ladders allow you to sink into it – ensure you’ll be fully relaxed before checking out.

More images from this gig can be found here.


Yoga Vibes by the Sea

In cooperation with the beach side restaurant Vibes, starting on the 9th of June and then every Sunday of the month between 9-10 a.m., the excellent yoga instructor Louise Hedberg will be leading an outdoor yoga class at Scaniabadet here in Västra Hamnen. Included in the nominal fee is a breakfast with sustainable ingredients, served directly after the class.

Here’s a video I produced for the event, most of which was shot when there weren’t Chinese or Polish tourists on the set last Sunday. If you’re a yoga practitioner (these days, who isn’t?) and in the vicintiy, here’s where you can sign up for this great yoga + breakfast combo.


Swedish Pig

Unbeknownst to most Swedes, including yours truly, according to this seemingly reputable site, the amount of imported bacon from Denmark was 880 tons. As a non-meat eater, I can’t wrap my head around how many pigs and piglets were slaughtered to reach that amount. It’s unfathomable. Imet the fellow above a few years ago somewhere in Österlen.


Solveig’s Workbook

While cleaning house in preparation for Elle’s High School graduation party at our place in a couple of weeks, our daughter discovered several of her paternal grandmother’s sixth grade workbooks – all dating from 1945.

My mother, Solveig Ina Andersson, was 14 at the time she finished the book and as there was a page with an Easter theme, I can surmise that it was completed sometime during the spring semester that year – just a few months before World War II ended, on September 2, 1945.

What thoughts must have been going through my mother’s mind at the time? Especially at her age and during that precarious era. As peace approached in the European and African war theaters, yet was still ongoing in Asia and the South Pacific, I wonder what plans she was making for her future. Her parents, my grandmother Agnes and grandfather Eskil, must have hoped their family would soon be able to enjoy a more peaceful existens. For even if Sweden stayed neutral during the war (through dubiuos political bargaining), the rationing and looming threat of being pulled into the war was certainly impacted daily life.

My mother eventually became a nurse, left Järna, her village in Sweden, and moved first to London, then New York and finally settled down in Los Angeles, where together with my father, she started a family and lived out the rest of her relatively short life. There’s some footage of her a little more than a decade later right here.

Though I have zero positive memories of her from when I was a child and in her care, I do find some kind of solace while looking at stuff from days when my mother was a young and innocent woman full of hopes and dreams of an interesting, adventurous life filled with love and happiness. The same kind of hopes I now have for Elle.

Side note: I’m amazed at how well-preserved my mother’s workbook is after almost 75 years. Imagine picking up an iPhone in 75 years…


Yoga and Divine Accidents

I am a true believer in “divine accidents”, a phrase coined by Orson Wells which means that unforeseen events can bring forth interesting outcomes.

Such was the case yesterday morning during a shoot with the formidable yoga instructor Louise Hedberg. Shortly after I had launched the drone, achieved good height and started filming, a bus load of elderly, colorfully clad but boisterous Chinese tourists arrived on the deck at Scaniabadet. The above angle of Louise was my only option to not include the visitors from the Far East in the shot.

A thought crossed my mind once I landed the drone and stowed it way in my camera bag while waiting for the crowd to leave the scene. Not only was the DJI Mavic made in China, so was likely everything else in my bag, on my back and in my pocket (where my phone was). In fact, the only thing manufactured in Europe was my old wristwatch. And the Polish tourists that arrived about a half an hour after the Chinese had moved on.


Meanwhile, in Venice Beach….

Here’s slew of scenes from Venice Beach that  I’ve edited together in no particular order. My only editing “rule” here was to keep each clip at maximum 1:00 second.

It’s surprising how long a second can be. If you ask me, one of the keys to really good editing is being able to identify and highlight the essential story in each scene. The expression, “kill your darlings” is a mantra I try to be mindful of in all my creative work. Shaving off excess “fat” takes courage and time and you’re either the brutal butcher and do it all at once – or, the slow torturer that takes painfully long time to drill down and cut away stuff that doesn’t add anything visually or drive the story forward.


Climate Change Conundrum

Elle and I took out the trash this morning and while sorting the contents of boxes and bags into relevant recycling bins, I noticed that much of our waste was various forms of paper packaging. It made me feel good that we didn’t have that much made of plastic to throw away.Which is not to say that I in any way, shape or form am a good environmental citizen.

These are confusing times. On the one hand, more people than ever seem aware of the planet’s environmental crisis. Yet the vast majority of us that agree drastic measures are needed to slow down the ensuing catastrophe – stemming from decades of arrogans, neglect and denial – are in essence ignorant about how we as a collective can contribute to make substantial change.

And even if climate science has been politicised and is used as arsenal in the war between conservatives and liberals, the trajectory of Earth’s population growth is compelling enough evidence that there is no way we can sustain our current lifestyle without fucking the planet up to the point of inhabitability.

I mean, once China (1.4 billion), India (1.4 billion), Sub Saharan Africa (1.3 billion) and South America (400 million) catch up with us in Europe (750 million) and in North America (600 million) and yearn for all the material stuff (furniture, cars, clothes), foods (meat, dairy + processed crap) and holiday travel we’ve come to define our quality of life by, we’re basically screwed. And even if overpopulation doesn’t get us, the natural resources needed to support everyone and everything will ineluctably dry up. I’m all for recycling and innovate ways to reduce our addiction to fossil fuels, but when most of what companies like Wall-mart, HM and IKEA sell are heavily dependent on plastics and synthetics, not to mention shipping, we’re still going to need more oil than Mother Earth has stored in her belly.

When all is said and done, I’m still an optimist, albeit a cynical one. Because though I might feel a slight pinch during my lifetime, like the Nobel Prize winning idea of a global carbon tax or an even bigger increase in the frequency of natural disasters and even more smoged cities, I will likely live out my terrestrial life way before the apocalyptic future arrives. Which is probably how most folks my age and older – and much of Gen X reason; “Hell, it ain’t my problem once I’m gone”, or, “I worked hard to get where I’m at, I ain’t makin’ no sacrifices”. #nonissue #whogivesaratsass #colonizemars

The image above is from the Bay of Pigs on Cuba.


Rosengårds Fastigheter

Of all of last year’s new clients, Rosengårds Fastigheter, a new residential property owner and developer, was by far the most engaging and inspiring.

I shot and edited four short portrait films of key employees, took a bunch of PR photos, navigated a drone to capture the neighborhood from way above and documented more than 30 individual properties. The other day, the company’s annual report arrived with a slew of photos I’d shot in it.

Rosengård is a Malmö neighborhood which has, mostly unfairly, come to represent the bulk of challenges facing the city in regards to integration and related socio-economic concerns.

There are obviously issues that need addressing. But Rosengård is actually relatively peaceful and flush with green and airy spaces. And thanks to being such an eclectic melting pot, I think you have to be really naive to not see that the area has huge potential.

I’ve visited plenty of places around the world that have metamorphosed over time. Nothing stays the same. So I’m convinced the tide will eventually turn for Rosengård. And Rosengårds Fastigheter will certainly play a key role in that transformation.


Early at the Gym + Old Havana

Went to the gym early this morning. At 06:00 am, there were four of us patiently waiting for the janitor to open the entrance’s sliding doors. By the time I was done with my cardio warmup on the treadmill, five or six more people had arrived. I’m guessing here, but I’d say most of us early birds are a few years above fifty, but by the time I’d completed my workout at 07:01 am, a half dozen “old timers” had also arrived. For them, the gym is as much a social venue as a place that helps them get or stay fit. While I go through my program with rigorous focus and a podcast playing through my Airpods, the retirees take it nice and easy, spending plenty of time chatting with each other in between gym machines and stretching exercises.

The above shot is from a rooftop apartment in Havana, Cuba. I don’t remember the circumstances of how I got to this vantage point, but I do remember loving the view. One of the capital’s most famous gyms is located somewhere over to the right in the photo. I don’t know the current state, but last I was there, the workout equipment would easily have qualified for an exhibit at the Smithsonian.

Back to the scene above. There’s something indescribably beautiful and soulful about buildings so old they look like they could be or should be condemned. The dilapidation is surely not as appreciated by those forced to live in them. But for a photographer coming from the diametrically opposite environs – like Västra Hamnen – where every square centimeter is relatively new and shiny, and where there is very little, if any, soul to be seen or felt, places like Havana are nothing less than a visual bonanza. I hope to return one day. In the meantime, I’ve got a collection of images from my two visits here.


Back on Track

As interesting and inspiring as these last couple of trips have been, I have not been taking as much care of myself as I should have. I try to pick hotels that offer yoga classes, or, at the very least, has a sizeable fitness room or balcony where I can practice on my lonesome. It’s not as if I don’t get any exercise at all if I can’t practice. I do. Last week’s visit to Palma was one long walkabout where Timmy and I averaged 10k/day.

This morning was my first proper Qi Gong/Yoga session in over two weeks. For a stiff guy my age, a hiatus that long is, if not devastating, certainly detrimental. The great thing about yoga is that it’s so wonderfully forgiving. There’s plenty of variables within most poses to help ease your body back into a more fluid, flexible state. And where the body goes, the mind ineluctably follows.

The majestic palm tree above is from the Seychelles. More from that trip can be viewed here.


Palma’s Beaches

As much as I feel inspired by the patina that Palma offers, it’s really the close proximity and relatively easy accessibility to several small  and large beaches that intrigues me. I suppose this reminds of other familiar beach communities, like Santa Monica and Venice. I shot this particular beach scene the other day Cas Català, near the fancy Maricel Hotel and recently opened and Swedish owned café, Guapa Food and Coffee.


The Swedish Boom

I’ve spoken to a few locals here, Swedes that have lived and had businesses for several years, decades even. The consensus is that there have never been as many Swedes living on or visiting the island as right now. With all the sun-depraved visitors flying in from Stockholm, Malmö, Göteborg and other cities, I suppose it’s not really surprising that Swedish seems to be the second most spoken language here in Palma. I don’t mean it’s a nascence (though you do have to watch what you say) – it’s just that after Bodrum, where we barely heard anyone from Scandinavia (but plenty from Holland and Turkey), it’s a little strange to hear so much Swedish chatter.

Aside from an absolutely terrible fish dish last night at an unnamed Swedish owned restaurant (but not La Perla), the food experience has been really good here.

Though much smaller, I could argue that the number of decent corner restaurants here in Palma is pretty much on par with what I’ve experienced in Barcelona. Like the ancient eatery El Puente, a new favorite place where we’ve already eaten a few times. Might even end up there tonight again. More images from Mallorca/Majorca here.


Perfect Timing

I think this could be my 20th visit to Majorca and I feel reasonably at home in Palma. At least as long as I stick to the center, that is. As soon I venture beyond Cala Major, things tend to get a bit hazy and everything looks more or less the same to me. Kinda like 50 shades of beige. I’ve been doing a lot of walking since arriving and today was no exception with more than 12k. This is absolutely the best time of year to visit Palma. It’s warm but not balmy, sunny but cool in the shade and nowhere nearly as crowded as it will inevitably be in about a month.

Above is a shot from a few years ago of a church in Soller.


Palma de Majorca

Just arrived in Palma de Majorca. It’s been less than a year since my last visit, but it’s always great to return to the island. Especially since when it’s sunny like today and about 10 degrees warmer than when I left Scandinvia at 06:05 am this morning.

The flight down with Norwegian was fairly smooth but I am experiencing a lot of less than smooth landings recently. Super impressed by how fast I got in to town. It’s Sunday morning, so there’s very little traffic. Still, 11 minutes flat is definitely the quickest I’ve ever covered the distance between the airport and Paseo Maritimo in a cab.

Shot the above image one evening during last year’s visit.


Vintrie by Hyllie

From earlier today over Vintrie, a small village adjacent to Malmö’s popular shopping Emporia and the region’s latest neighborhood, Hyllie. I was flying over the area capturing images for a client with several ongoing construction projects in the area. Tomorrow by this time of day, I’ll be in a climate much warmer than what we’ve got here.


Memory of an Old Tractor

I find it increasingly interesting how my memory works – especially so when it fails me. With my humungous computer archive (4TBs and counting), I obviously have the advantage of being able to recollect by looking through my images, videos and rereading articles I’ve penned.

I wonder if a day will come when I don’t recognize photos I’ve taken, videos I’ve shot or stories I have written.  Probably.

In an entirely different part of my memory, I recently find myself making these really interesting associations. Like for example, this old tractor we came across during our bike ride in rural Kos the other day.

As soon as I saw it parked on the edge of the field, I felt compelled to get off my bike and photograph it. But why? Perhaps because my maternal grandfather Eskil had a similar tractor back in the 1970s. I know I rode in the cabin with him a few times. And he might even have let me steer it, too. Don’t remember that level of detail, though. Heck, I don’t even recall what type of stuff he grew on the fields outside of Trollhättan. Wheat? Probably.

I wonder what a loaf of bread tasted like back then. Would it be more flavorful, healthier to eat and would the methods for growing the grain be better for the planet than what’s used today? Everything seemed less sinister in the 1960s and 1970s. Maybe I’m just naive. Probably.

My maternal grandmother, Eskil’s wife Agnes (which prepensely is Elle’s middle name) used to make a fluffy, yet wonderfully chewy flatbread that when eaten straight out of the oven and topped with home-churned butter and a generously thick slice of creamy cheese, put me in a state of calm that I’ve since never experienced.

Some mornings when I stayed with Agnes and Eskil, breakfast would consist of a slice of grandma’s delicious bread and a large cup of really sweet hot chocolate. I remember exactly where I sat at the small kitchen table with its wax tablecloth and window overlooking the road to the barn. To my left was grandpa, holding up the local paper and mumbling now and again about something he had just read. Rarely did Agnes take a load off and sit with me for breakfast.

There seemed to always be a ton of stuff to do in the kitchen, around the house or on the farm. Like making sure gramps had his lunch with him before he took the tractor parked out back and headed out in to the fields.

More photos from Bodrum and Kos are now available here.