#71. Turning a Year Older: Reflections on Frost and Change

Online Masterclass, The Healing Nature Photography

Last month(s), I was fully immersed in my first online masterclass, The Healing Power of Nature Photography.

It was intense but rewarding. The heartfelt responses reminded me why I do this work:

“Beautiful and inspiring masterclass.”
“Lovely and educational.”
“Inspiring and brave to share your story.”

And one message touched me deeply:

“Thank you for the very engaging webinar. Where my rational self often skips over my emotions, your method helps me reconnect with them. I will definitely take this with me.”

Those words mean a lot to me.

Friendship, Laughter, and Shared Wonder

In September, I travelled with Norwegian nature photography friends to the KANT Nature Photography Festival in Denmark.
We laughed until we cried, took many photos, and soaked in every moment.
I also met inspiring new people and reconnected with old friends.

Earlier that month, my friend Helga visited. Years ago, we travelled together through the wide, open landscapes of Mongolia.

Exploring the Raw Side of Nature and Grief

This autumn, I began a photography mentorship with Diana Bokje, exploring how to express the raw, unpolished side of nature and grief: the stillness, the loss, the transformation.

Around the anniversary of my father’s passing: frosty mornings, muted light, still air.
Very photogenic. Nature holding space, as she always does.

Creative Milestones and Reflections

This season brought meaningful milestones:

• an article on natuurfotografie.nl
• a feature in a Norwegian nature photography magazine, coming later this month
• ongoing work for the Nature Talks Photo Festival and NPOTY on Saturday, November 15
• a contribution to a book about nature photography as therapy, to be published in November 2026
• the first outlines of an eBook that grew out of my masterclass, which I hope to continue after the festival

It has been a full season, stretching me creatively, emotionally, and personally.

For me, nature has always been that safe place where I can listen, pause, and return to what’s real.
Maybe you have something similar: a creative practice, a walk, or simply noticing the world around you.

Growth doesn’t only happen in grand adventures.
It also happens in the quiet courage to keep creating, even when things or you feel a bit uncertain.