Dear friend,
Welcome to this week’s issue of the Spilled Milk Newsletter.
This week’s issue is going to be a light read, but with the option to dive deeper into a new photo collection of mine by clicking through to my website.
A brief update on my week is that I’m now in the early stages of a couple of new photo projects. I recently noticed how uncomfortable I was with the idea of asking a stranger for their portrait, so I set out to come up with a few different ideas for daily portrait series that would help me overcome that weakness. I had a few really specific ideas, but quickly realized that those would not get me the practice I’m after since I could go days if not weeks between seeing people that would fit the description - so I went with a few lighthearted, simple ideas that I hope to share more about later.
For now, I’ll share my biggest inspiration when it comes to photographing strangers, Joel Sternfeld and his work Strangers Passing.
One of the people I managed to get a few portraits of this week was Stan. He didn’t quite fit the description for any of the portrait series I’m working on, but I found him sitting on a bench enjoying the early spring sunlight as I was biking home and I immediately knew I wanted to photograph him. Luckily, he agreed.
One last thing I want to share before diving into the meat of this week’s newsletter is the Pictures for Purpose organization
This is not something that I’m personally involved with, but have found the initiative to be simple and beautiful - not to mention that is an exciting opportunity to buy work from some of the best photographers out there, all while contributing to help those affected by the war in Ukraine. Hopefully you’ll take the time to check it out and if you have the means and the desire to do so, get yourself a printed work of art.
One day last week, I visited the Dead Sea. What I found was still and soft, yet unsettling. It was off-season and the haze had settled in over the vast, still body of water.
A unique landscape drenched in sunlight, surrounded by landmarks of unmatched historical significance - this place had an eerie feel that I was immediately captivated by and felt the need to photograph.
What you’ll see here are the early stages of a project that will hopefully find its way into the physical world as a featured series in the first issue of my printed quarterly to be released in April 2022 - consider this a sneak peek. And if you find yourself with thoughts, feelings, or anything to say about this work - please do get in touch.
Link to the work can be found here.
To end this week’s newsletter, I’ll leave you with the beautiful text by Christina Rossetti, from which the title of the series, No Sad Songs, is borrowed.
When I am dead, my dearest,
Sing no sad songs for me;
Plant thou no roses at my head,
Nor shady cypress tree:
Be the green grass above me
With showers and dewdrops wet;
And if thou wilt, remember,
And if thou wilt, forget.I shall not see the shadows,
I shall not feel the rain;
I shall not hear the nightingale
Sing on, as if in pain:
And dreaming through the twilight
That doth not rise nor set,
Haply I may remember,
And haply may forget.
Your continued feedback and support means the world to me. The best way to support my work and the newsletter is to subscribe and share the word with a friend or two.
All the best to all of you. Have a good week ahead and take care of each other
Anders