Hagen Bender and I have been talking through the wonderful world of Instagram for a while now. After my recent move, and a crazy last 6 months of my life, I’m happy that we’ve reconnected and can now share his first Roads Like These post on the site.
Hagen lives in Stockholm, and a lot of his photos of riding through Sweden are what dreams are made of. So many good shots in this series!! Check his gram!
Here’s some words from Hagen…
Most, if not all, of us ride for the same reasons. We want to release the pressures of everyday life or seek for the beauty that is hidden in our backyards–constantly searching for the solitude of the road less travelled. And I’m no exception!
The downside of this weekend-escapism is often a Monday depression, this deep hole I inevitably get dragged in when the excitement of the last weekend’s adventure finds a sudden end in the office. For me, this is when photography comes into play. First and most obviously, taking pictures helps me to create memories and even to revive past rides. Clearly, this is the positive aspect about photography because it gives me energy, which counteracts the melancholia.
Second (you can probably guess this will be the other side of the coin), cycling photography is a medium of self-flagellation for me. I love to get carried away by the stories other people share through images they capture on their rides. This is a great source of incentive for me, although it sometimes just makes me want to ride even more and actually increases the Sehnsucht (must-have German vocab!) to get out and ride again.
