Behind the Scenes

TTF produces images in ALL environments imaginable. We work in the extreme temperatures of the Arctic as well as in the extreme temperatures found near the Equator. We produce images reflecting our civilisation and we produce images of barren nature. The subjects of the images we have produced have ranged from rare species of birds found only on distant islands to everyday commercial products. In other words, we cover an extremely wide range of subjects.

Whenever a customer asks, the answer we give is that we produce images from the bottom of the ocean to the top of the mountains, and we literally do.

 

 

Before we begin working on an assignment we always do very thorough research. What message is it exactly that the final photos and text should convey? What challenges are we likely to face in connection with the job at hand? What equipment will be needed? What is the deadline? Is it an assignment we can handle on our own or do we need to hire local assistance? Do we need to take the weather into special consideration? Who should we interview and who can help us by providing additional information? Are there any political problems, ethical issues or rules that we need to take into consideration, or any permits that we need to obtain, before we can start shooting?

        We handle all such issues before going into the field and this is one of the reasons why we are always capable of producing results that are satisfactory to our customer, our audience and to ourselves.   
 
The world is our office, and we do our very best to document the fact that it is a wonderful place. In the following we present a few pictures from former assignments.

 

 

Approaching wild elephants is no easy task. Especially not if you are on foot. Karina recieves propor instruction before moving any closer to a herd of female elephants in South Africa. 

 

 

Casper has just been thrown into the Mediterranean near Nice from a boat crewed by French journalists from TV5, the journalists, however, remain onboard. We had been given the joint assignment to cover the world championship in freediving.

 

 

Casper is lowered to the ground from Danish air force rescue helicopter EH-101 Merlin. In January and February 2008 Casper did a photo documentary of life on board the huge craft weighing an excess of 15.000 kilos. Lesson learned: a helicopter moves a lot of air downwards!

 

 

We have set up our camp for the night and Casper is trying to provide our dinner before night falls. This photo is from a delightful journey in kayak near the Lofoten islands in Norway. Not a bad place to be. Not at all, actually.

 

 

Riding a dog sled heading for the inland ice. The Arctic is simply a great place for photography. You need to wear proper clothing, though.

 

 

Casper is preparing a shelter. In a few more minutes he is in for a long wait trying to shoot rare gazelles in Wadi el Gemal. Unfortunately, the gazelles decided not to turn up this day. Photo: Thomas Rolsted

  

 

Karina enjoys a well-deserved lunch break in the Tongariro National Park, New Zealand. Although our assignments often take us far away from home we make sure never to run out of chocolate, nuts, white bread, and other nice treats. Important detail.

 

 

Casper making first contact with a group of Beduin children who have never before met people from our part of the world (view of the kids: strange white man with pointy hair approaching. What do we do?). This kind of work takes much time and patience from both civilisations, but it is also fascinating and the kind of experience you tend to never forget. 

 

 

On the same assignment Casper is shown the honour of shaking hands with a genuine Sheik.

 

 

Casper is trying to survive a midt-night rescue mission with the Dutch Coast Guard (KNRM).

 

 

Jette meeting with a Masai family. Both she and the family are delighted when she shows them photos from her own camera. We brought back many great photos from our 2007 trip to Kenya. 

 

 

Karina taking notes during our climb of Mount Kenya. It is always extremely important to write down as much as possible during an assignment. Otherwise you run the risk of forgetting important details when later you start producing articles.

 

  

Sometimes travelling can be a little confusing. This particular evening in Frankfurt we were supposed to board flight LH 788 for Guangzhou, China with departure scheduled for 29.25! Fortunately we were able to spot the error and we boarded on time.

 

 

Casper shooting red deer in western Jutland, Denmark. Getting close to these shy animals is never easy, so we had to show a little ingenuity.

 

 

Looking through the helicopter window Karina is struggling to take in the Franz Josef glacier in New Zealand while flying over it at a staggering speed. Not an easy thing to do.

 

 

Karina and very young Mikkel Tybjerg are getting their passport stamped at a Botswana border station (Pont Drift).

 

 

Casper teaching his son Mikkel the joys of photography shooting in Masai Mara, Kenya.

 

 

Luckily, our assignments abroad also leave time for having fun!

 

 

Two year old Mikkel Tybjerg is playing with older kids from a township near Lake Nakuru. Suddently he picks up a stick and starts conducting. Self confident and in control.

 

 

Jette makes use of the phenomena of midnight sun to interview the captain of
The good ship Øyan Viking. The captain is a tall and very cheerful man.

  

 

The excitement is almost unbearable. Our trackers have heard sounds indicating that elephants are nearby. Casper adjusts his equipment and prepares himself for meeting them. The Mashatu tree seen in the background will be used as an escape route in case the elephants turn out to be in a bad mood.

 

 

Casper coming out of an “edderhus” on the Vega islands. Every spring this house is used for nesting by wild eiders. The last eider has, however, already left its nest and Casper is not in the best of moods. Fortunately we managed to get some good shots later.
 

 

Crossing the Hardangervidda we are looking for the phenomenon of “singing ice.” On our way we experience a complete white out. It is not possible for us to tell sky and ground apart and we have to pull over. While we do some shooting the weather fortunately improves and we are soon able to continue our journey.

 

 

Casper giving advice to a participant in one of our courses on photography located in a South African township. Working in a foreign environment can be a taxing experience. Every year we hold one workshop focusing on just this topic. Photo by Per Fløng / TV2 VEJRET

 

 

Karina examining a vertical rock wall in the Lysefjord, Norway. This particular rock wall is home to huge white ascidiacea. In order to do underwater photography our teamwork needs to be highly coordinated.

 

Casper initiating two of our course participants into the charms of macro photography. Shooting the smallets of animals can be a muddy job. Photo by Nicolai Brix.


 

This photo was shot in the Norwegian high mountains while we were journeying with the reindeer driver Asgrim. Approximately 3.000 reindeer are in the vicinity. The area is unfortunately large enough to make finding them rather difficult. Karina, however, shows a lot of patience.

 

Heading out of the Tysfjord (Northern Norway) we are going to attempt shooting freediver Stig Åvall Severinsen in the company of orcas. It is a beautiful morning and we are all in high spirits.

 

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