REBORN INTO NATURE

Photo June Bjørnback

The cover for my album "Eamiritni - Rimeborn" have pictures of me naked in the forrest. Yes, it is true. I am naked.
When I talked to my photographer June Bjørnback about this the first time I was very specific about what I wanted. I wanted to be naked - but not in a objectifying manner, not being sexualised in any way. I didnt want any of my female parts to show, because I wanted the picture to be as neutral as possible. And still I didnt want it to look like I was covering up something, it should look like natural. I wanted it to look natural, beutiful, fairy-taleish, almost creature-like and mysterious... I did not want a male photographer to do this, simply because I was afraid he would not understand my mission of the pictures, and I would feel more comfortable with a female photographer.... June was totally in on it, she totally understood me - so we went for it!

I never doubted that these where the right pictures to have on my cover, because it is my inside reflected on the outside in a way. I felt that I had gone back to my roots. To my culture, but also that my life was shifting and I was becoming a different person when I was working on this album. I felt a new beginning in every area of my life, actually - like a rebirth.  Thats why I wanted the word "born" in my album title. Rimeborn - as in reborn in/with rime. And all of us are born naked

I felt I had returned back to nature when I moved back home to the north of norway. I felt like I was reborn into nature, that I can be myself and show myself - who I truly am when I am in nature. Nature never pretends to be anything else then what it is. In society we are always trying to be better or different in different ways, often dreaming of being something else then what we are...  Clothes are one way we actually can do that.  The minute you put clothes on you are giving others a percetption of what you are, or what you want to be. Clothes are so powerful this way, it shows you identity so strongly. By being naked - without clothes and makueup and all that - I wanted to show myself that I am what I am, and I can go in whatever direction from now. I will go wherever feels natural for me to move forward to. 
For me these pictures are the symbol of a new beginnig. The newborn me. I was reborn into nature, and I want to keep growing here.

Photo June Bjørnback

I heard comments like "it´s a marketing trick" to be naked. In my opinion the fact that I am naked is not the trick - having a nice picture that fits what I am going through in life and musically is the trick. I want to market myself as someone who is close to nature and wants to show herself as pure and true to herself as possible. So in one way, yes I can agree its a marketing trick - everything I do is.

I have had mostly good comments about this cover, very few negative ones. What do you think about these pictures? 

- Elin