Karlstad

Karlstad is such a lovely city. It isn’t massive, some would probably call it a smaller town, but I think it still has everything you need. It’s located right above Sweden’s largest lake Vänern and I don’t know why I’ve never really taken the time to properly explore it through a lens. I suppose you take your surroundings for granted wherever you live. Moving away from Sweden has really helped me appreciate what a beautiful country it is.

When I was editing these photos, I realised that I go through phases regarding the colour scheme I tend to lean towards. Today I went for a bluish/turquoise tint with some warmer details. Mind you, it was freezing cold at the time, but the warm splashes of colour made sense in the photos. I find that if you go for a cold theme, it’s easy for the viewer to subconsciously pick up negativity, loneliness or sadness. But that’s not what I wanted to channel, I wanted the photos to make you feel calm and relaxed, in a positive, content sort of way. Like when you’ve been outdoors snowboarding for hours and finally get to go inside and warm your hands with some hot chocolate…

Oh, and the dressed up statue surprised me as well. Turns out someone decorated it to celebrate the Swedish final show to select a contribution to the Eurovision Song Contest (Melodifestivalen). I don’t think I need to explain how popular that show is in Sweden!