A Year in Review + Behind the Lens Magazine
Unveiling "Behind the Lens Magazine" – a brief glimpse into the Nordic Lens challenges' extraordinary talent. A token of appreciation for our fun and vibrant community.
This post is too long for emails according to Substack, so if you want to see the post in its entirety I suggest you read it on either the Substack App or website.
As we approach the final stretch of 2023, I find myself reflecting on the fun and amazing journey we've shared over the past months.
The Nordic Lens challenges have evolved into a vibrant showcase of creativity, fueled by your inspiring submissions. It's always a delight to witness the diverse interpretations of themes – such a joy!
With the New Year on the horizon, I'm thrilled to announce a special little something that has been in the works for the last week and planned for much longer – the debut of Behind the Lens Magazine!
As many of us celebrate Christmas and its following holidays, let's take a moment to appreciate the extraordinary talent displayed by our community during the challenges.
Since the end of July and the beginning of August, we've celebrated 11 exceptional challenge winners, each contributing to the rich diversity of our community. Every submission, each a masterpiece in its own right, has added a unique touch to our collective tapestry.
I invite you to go back and have a look at the previous challenges and their winners here.
Kerani Arpaia - Splash of Colo(u)r
Harry Watson - Single Sentence Summary
Christian Näthler - Capturing Duality
Debs Stott - Everyday Details
Haley Hopkins - Capturing Tranquility
Claudia Wilde - Orange
Bryn Robinson - Cozy
Georgia Garnett - Halloween/Spooky/Spoopy
Eva-Maria Smith - Candid Moments
Katie Williams - Black & White
Pierre François D. - November
Transitioning into the new year, I express gratitude for your enduring enthusiasm and creative spirit in these challenges.
The Nordic Lens Community has become a space where creativity thrives, and this magazine is a small token of appreciation for the incredible work submitted over these months.
The first issue of Behind the Lens Magazine offers a brief preview, providing a small glimpse into the talent that has defined our challenges. While shorter than the planned future editions, upcoming magazines will be more expansive, featuring fun summaries, hopefully a couple of interviews, and insights from the wonderful community we've built here, along with a lot more fun content.
December 17, 2023, I originally planned for the sneak premiere of the first Behind the Lens post, but that saw a change in plans a few days ago. I shifted my focus to designing and laying out the magazine as a gesture of appreciation for our extraordinary winners instead and kick the posts off on January 14 as originally planned.
Inside the magazine, we can revisit all the amazing winners, conveniently compiled as a year-in-review chapter, a small interview with me (for some odd reason this has been requested), and a few notes about what’s next, along with a brief reflective essay by me. I'm not quite sure what to call it.
So, let's view this magazine as an initial celebration of your talent, dedication, and the beauty fostered by the Nordic Lens Community.
I’m excited for the countless stories yet to be captured and uncovered within our community through the upcoming challenges. Here's to a new year filled with even more inspiration, creativity, and the magic that happens when we look through the lens together.
Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas, holiday, and New Year!
A fabulous publication, Patrik. And an equally fabulous year round-up. I'm so pleased I stumbled on your Substack world through the photo challenges. I haven't forgotten I owe you a response to your email. I'm giving it some thought ...
Excellent idea and spiffy pdf! Well done, Patrik!