About me myself and I…;-)

Carpe diem,
Sieze the day is actually all i try to do! It can be through my camera or just by doing some activitys like snowboarding, paragliding, white water kayaking, speedriding or whatever might suite the day. When photographing actionsports the photographer not only needs to be technicaly good, he also needs to be understanding the activity. Simply put, my pictures are best when i understand what the rider or pilot is up to next!!! This is why Åre is such an perfect base for me! Here i can paraglide, speedride and ride snowboards and snowmobiles during the winter and when the summer comes knockin, paragliding, whitewater kayaking, mountainbike, flyfishing and rockclimb, just to mention a few… All of these activities acompanied by a astonishingly beautiful nature and a light that uses the whole spectra! A very nice scenario for a photographer!!! Work and play at the same time…

Play is my main course, even at the age of 43 i still cant stop longing for my next skateboard session or going out over the lake to learn something new with my glider or just doing the old SAT to make me feel good. I play to live!

To be honest i have a realy good life. From februari until september i’ve been working as a paragliding instructor at Skysport in Åre, Sweden. Paragliding is my passion. I live for flying my glider as much as possible. I cant see myself not being a paraglider pilot. And being an instructor and a pg pilot puts me in alot of fantastic situations, some of them i catch in pictures as U can see on my blogg. And some of these pictures end up in magazines. The bonus is that i get payed for these pictures by magazines and paragliding companys. A good contribution for my hobbies…

My second home is in Greolieres in Alpes maritimes. This is a paragliding paradise!!! I have spent the last 8 authums/winters there for flying. I very much appreciate the friendly atmosphere in the little mountain village and the fact that even though my french suck’s, everybody welcomes me with a smile! People of Greolieres, i salute U!!! Everything from Phillipes pizzas to Pierre’s landrover is as good as it get’s! Genuine paragliding life! My clients love the area and so do i.

With 2 homes like these you’d expect me satisfied. Wrong, i want to keep traveling and living in a travelbag as much as possible. This is one of the things in life that keeps me going when days are dull… I long for to see more of our love planet. Mexico was my last experience and it was an excellent one. Friendly people, fantastic flying and tasty food!!! I also spent a couple of week’s on La palma with a bunch of happy race pilots and had a great time there! Now i have been to go to Marocco in november 2008. In october 2009 me and Marcus King of crosscountry mag will go to XC open in Brazil. After that i dont realy know right now…

This blog is only a little joyspreader and also a little reminder that i can take some mean pictures Please enjoy my gallery and do feel free to comment on things i say and do!

See You in the mountains

Fred Gustafsson