Following a wind farm from start to finish over 14 months is a different kind of assignment. It's not about delivering a set of images and moving on. It's about being on site regularly, following a project in real time, and understanding what's happening on the construction site.
The assignment came from Eolus, one of the larger wind power companies in Sweden. Jenåsen wind farm was built outside Sundsvall, and I documented the entire process — from the first roads being cut into the forest to the turbines standing tall and producing electricity.
In practice that meant repeated trips north throughout the build. I was on site in different phases: ground works, deliveries of turbine parts, assembly of towers and blades, crane work and commissioning. Each phase looks completely different and demands a different photographic approach.
Drone photography played a central role. From the air you can see how the park takes shape in the terrain. You see the logistics, the road network and the placement of the turbines in relation to their surroundings in a way ground-level pictures can't provide.
The result is a documentary image archive and a film showing the whole process. That kind of material has a long life. It's used internally, in investor presentations and to communicate how the company works on large-scale projects.
This assignment changed the way I think about long-term documentation projects. Following a project over time gives the material a depth a single-day visit can't replace.
Wind farm documentation calls for technical understanding, logistical planning and the ability to be in the right place at the right time. It's a segment I have experience in and gladly take on more work in — on land just as much as in connection with offshore installations.
