Erik Almas Photography

In the past 18months I have done a lot of images for American Airlines. 5 shoots building interiors of planes in different studios, one shoot at LAX and another 2 days shooting a brand new 777-200 while flying over California…

Out of this body of work came a series of studied images with a cool, modern color palette used for branding the new look of American.

Through this effort I shot a library consisting of thousands of images. Some of the photographs captured were truly random and somewhat unexpected for my style of image making.
I started looking at these off topic images and posting them on instagram whenever I got on a flight. Through posting on Instagram I got compelled to look at my own captures a bit differently.

The moment between the moment is a well know term in photography. It’s a strange saying as the moment between then becomes THE moment and a moment surely cant be between itself. (Now this lofty topic might be better pondered over a glass of vino…)
These between, off scope, images was shot as intuitive responses to what I saw. As I revisit these photographs they have grown on me and I’m really intrigued by what they contain versus the edited and retouched images for the branding.
There’s for sure a spontaneity and intimacy to these that are lost a bit on the classic view. Maybe a bit of honesty as well..

As I keep looking for that elusive “moment” in image making I’ll leave you with the below to check out. Me, I’m seeing a more random side to making that perfect image and grateful for another experience and opportunity to grow as a photographer.

Cheers,

E.

I often get asked what my favorite place is and “What’s the best place I have visited?”

As every experience is different it is truly hard to answer which one is better…
My answer is often that my favorite place is the one I have not yet been to.
There are a few places though that has touched me in a special way where I, on the day I left, told myself I will come back.

One of these was Namibia.

When in big cities like New York or London I inevitably feel contained. I can’t see further than the next street corner and after a few weeks the buildings start caving in on me. When this happens I know it’s time for me to get some air and go to a place that’s open. Open to see the horizon and the sun rise and set…

A vast open space always gives me a sense of belonging. Of being part of something way bigger than myself.
All small issues, insecurities and ambitions just falls away and are being replaced with a sense of gratitude for all things that is.

Namibia was a place like this.
In the vastness of the desert planes one feel both small and big at the same time. Small and insignificant in the massiveness of the space, and big as in being connected to it all…

It’s been 7 months since I was there. I still think of it…

I have slowly started looking through the massive amounts of images shot while there. Most of it will be it’s separate body of work drawing from the polar and slightly ambiguous feeling described above.

This first personal image from my trip to Namibia is both a success and a failure to me.
Success in it’s beauty and a failure in describing how I felt when there.
It has too much of Erik Almas, the photographer in it. This in the sense of me having to control it. To relate it to me and put the human element in control. I love mountain biking and the feeling it gives me of flying through the landscape. It’s honest in that it relates to me but I didn’t bike when there.
When there I felt free and numb and lost and found at the same time…

So, when finishing the biker and living with it and the other images for a while I realize it’s both a success and a failure.

What I’m grateful for is that in the process I recognize this duality and can let the rest of the images be what they are.
Be what they are and speak to the bigness of Namibia, a place I can’t wait to go back to…

Here’s a behind the scene of the Bike image and my thinking at the time and how the composite came together. Check it out and let me know: Sucess or failure? And can it be both at the same time…

I’m very honored to, again, be included in Luerzer’s Archive’s 200 Best Advertising Photographers Worldwide. This time for the latest 2014/15 listing.

This is the 5th time I have been included in this great company of exceptional photographers, and just as honored every time…