What’s Next?

Having completed the field work part of my Moments in the Wilderness project I now stand below another mountain – gazing up at its peak and knowing that to get there will require time and determination. 

I have a film to finish and an edition of print portfolios to produce. My goal is to have everything ready by December so that the film can be enjoyed and the print portfolios shipped out into the world in time for Christmas.

Let’s begin with the film. I’m aiming to create a 45 minute long documentary film with elements of poetry which brings you as a viewer along through my year-long journey in search for the spirit of the wilderness. I currently have a rough edit of the first 30 minutes as well as the ending of the film ready and I’m really excited about how it’s turning out.

During the coming week I will work on the part between winter and spring that I haven’t got to yet. Then it’s all about refinement. Refine, refine and refine. Getting as close to what I have envisioned as possible. Fine-tuning the editing, getting the colors and sound just about right and recording the voice-over to name a few things in the complex world of making a film. I hope to create something personal, beautiful and meaningful. A film from my heart that hopefully will resonate with you.

I have selected ten photographs from the year, these will be appearing in the film and they will also be printed for the print portfolio that I create as part of the project. I have found it so rewarding not only to work on the computer, digitally, but to also bring Moments in the Wilderness into the physical world. There’s something special about holding a fine photographic print in your hand, a feeling that can’t be conveyed through a film.

The print has always been how I intend my photographs to be viewed and the only way I can achieve the level of quality I want is to make the prints myself. There’s so much stuff that goes into making a beautiful print that it’s too much to cover in this post – I’ll save that for later.

After months of testing I have now selected three different papers. One slightly warmer textured matte paper for the sleeve and the end sheet. One pure white smooth matte paper for the title, introduction and anecdote pages. And I will use the same stunning semi-gloss fibre paper that I use for my larger original prints for the photographs in the print portfolio too. I have done some testing and I’m really excited about how they look (and feel!).

The production of the print portfolios goes beyond printing and will involve cutting the prints to custom sizes, folding and gluing the sleeves and customizing the inside of the box to add a personal touch to it.

I have been spending quite some time testing all the materials and coming up with the ideas on how to make these portfolios as good as I possibly can. All portfolios will be made by myself in my studio here in Jämtland. My partner Petra will join me to assist on some sewing work for one of the details and she has also promised to help me with packaging later this year.

This is the first time I produce a ”full-length” film and it’s also the first time I create an edition of print portfolios. The amount of work in front of me does feel somewhat overwhelming – like a mountain. I know from experience that the only way to get there it is put one foot in front of the other. One step at a time. Slowly I’m getting there.

For those of you who might have wondered; I have decided not to share any of the photographs before the project is completed. I want you to experience the work in a cohesive way as a part of the project and I have an idea how to make this experience even more special, more on that later.

During the coming months I’m going to spend a lot of time in the studio refining Moments in the Wilderness into a body of work that I’m deeply proud of. 

You can support my continued work with the project by pre-ordering the film and the limited edition print portfolio. The print portfolios will soon increase in price as the first 50 copies are being sold. All support is very much appreciated!

/ Magnus