Even though I spent much of my professional life working behind a microphone, as a morning radio host in Talk Radio, when I wasn’t pressing a camera shutter as a Commercial photographer, and have interviewed thousands of guests from all walks of life, I have never written an online blog in my life…until now.
Frankly, part of the reason is simply because I did not grow up in the era of computers and the internet, unlike my 4 year old grandson, who navigates the web like a pro (under mom and dad’s watchful eye).
With the launch of my new website, thanks to the pros at ROI Media Works in Kamloops, it gives me the opportunity to share a little more about myself and get you to know me better.
Frankly, I struggled with what to write about for my inaugural post. I had planned to talk about the challenges of living through another summer of choking wildfire smoke in this region or perhaps sharing a memorable day back in late June on a Commercial photo shoot for Air Canada Rouge and the Kamloops Airport. Both worthy candidates, but the subject of a future posting….which brings me to today’s blog.
My journey from Germany to Canada.
I was born in Munich, West Germany and emigrated to rural BC with my sister and Mom when I was 7. Coming to the wilds of Canada from a congested European city was a real eye-opener, but not enough of one where I didn’t run into numerous trees in wild abandon and subsequently broke a bushel of eye glasses. After pair number 6 was snapped in half, mom decided to equip me with a pair that came with a steel bar embedded across the bridge. Needless to say, I was teased relentlessly at school and by my 4 older siblings.
Introduction to photography
Being immersed in the beauty of nature, I was drawn to photography at an early age. There was something spellbinding about capturing a moment in time through the lens of a camera, only to relive that special moment, time and time again, when glancing at that grainy Polaroid print. By the time I hit high-school, I was actively involved in the Photo Club and Annual. I remember spending endless hours in the school’s photo lab, hovering over trays of sub-zero degree solutions, dimly lit be one single red bulb. Even though my fingers smelled like Developer and Fixer for days, there was something ethereal about watching your artistic creation come to life in front of your eyes.
Those early days with film cameras and rolls of Kodak film set the stage for my photo career much later in life. Like most photographers, I initially picked up a camera to capture the beauty of nature; however, I have discovered there is beauty beyond a spectacular Full moon on the rise.
Photography has taught me to truly “see” the world around me instead of just “looking” at things. For anyone who embraces the medium, they know what I’m talking about. As a result, I see beauty in man-made structures, everything from buildings to bridges and it’s not surprising.
The architects, who design these structures, are artists in their own right. They have a vision and more often than not, their man-made creations mirror the lines, textures and colours of what we find in nature. One example is the undulating roof-line of Old Main on the Campus of Thompson Rivers University (TRU) in Kamloops. It’s meant to mirror the skyline of Mount Peter and Paul. I had a great privilege to do a commercial photography shoot on campus.
My new website (www.olsenimaging.ca) focuses on several genres of photography, including Architectural, Commercial, Lifestyle and Special Event photography. Of course, I still love to get out in nature and capture images of our natural environment. Those photos can be found on my other website. (www.olsenphotography.ca).
Please feel free to contact me with your thoughts and here’s hoping we can connect soon, over a coffee.