Elisabeth Nordeng Aanes runs NORDphotography with a calm determination shaped by experience, risk, and care. 1.5 hours north of Trondheim, Norway, she has created a place where photography unfolds slowly, in dialogue with the landscape, weather, and human presence. The surroundings, open water, shifting skies, forests, and cold light, are not incidental. They shape how artists see, think, and work.
At the heart of this environment is SAGA Center for Photography. It is neither an institution nor a retreat in the conventional sense, but something more personal: a place where artists arrive as guests and leave as part of an ongoing conversation. Elisabeth’s role is not to position herself at the centre, but to hold the structure that allows others to grow. The place is lovely, it is within walking distance of a small, quaint town (Inderøy) with good food and nice shops. It is also within walking distance of a lovely beach area. From a previous visitor: “The building itself is very comfortable and quiet with absolutely amazing food. Elisabeth always sets a beautiful table, worthy of photographing.”
Before NORDphotography and SAGA, her life followed a more predictable path. With a business degree and a career in real estate, she understood stability well, yet still chose to walk away from it.
Question: What was it that made you give up the safety of employment for an uncertain venture of starting your own business organising workshops, and later building a center for it?
Elisabeth: “I felt a pull to do something that was bigger than myself. I think I followed my instinct in the beginning, not really defining my end goal, other than that I wanted to create a business that offered carefully curated workshops with instructors that could make a difference, where the focus was to give creative people an unforgettable learning experience, and help them explore the depths of their talent.
In the beginning I only organised in-person workshops, but after covid, we started offering online classes, and that made me see the importance, especially in the word today, of growing creative community that has no borders, where people from different backgrounds, places, religion, languages, family situations, can meet, online or in person, with one common goal, expanding their talent, and express their voice through photography.”
What is the best thing about running NORDphotography?
Elisabeth: “Seeing people change. Watching participants arrive unsure, guarded, and then slowly open up to the work, to themselves, to each other. That never gets old.”
The work, however, is not romanticised. Running a centre like this requires endurance.
Are there days when you just want to quit?
Elisabeth: “I am very stubborn, and quitting is not an option for me. But of course, there are days when the responsibility feels heavy, when logistics, finances, and expectations collide. But those moments usually pass when I remember why the place exists at all.”
Elisabeth is known for inviting internationally respected instructors, not as headline names but as contributors to a shared space of learning. In 2026, two analogue workshops reflect that philosophy:
Workshop with Jill Enfield: From May 26–31, Jill Enfield leads Wet Plate Collodion Photography + Van Dyke Brown Printing, guiding participants through historical processes rooted in the 1860s. Working with glass negatives, tintypes, and Van Dyke Brown printing, the workshop offers deep engagement with photography’s material origins, led by one of the field’s most experienced practitioners. Jill also has an online Alternative Process Forum through NORDphotography, starting early February – designed for practitioners at all levels who are looking to refine their skills, solve challenges, and exchange ideas with like-minded artists.
“Discussions and teaching is always a pleasure. You can talk around the table or sit in the living room while looking through a nice selection of photo books. When you want a break – You can take a sauna or go for a swim. Or relax in your room or outside on a lovely deck. Best of all – because it never gets totally dark, the sky is constantly changing and you can pretty much photograph 24/7. It is truly one of my favorite places to be and I feel very lucky to be a part of NORDphotography.”
Workshop with Malin Fabbri: From June 2-7, Malin Fabbri leads The Alchemy of Sunlight, an advanced exploration of anthotypes and experimental cyanotypes, where photographers and artists are invited to explore, learn and challenge their process. Using plant pigments, handmade emulsions, and sunlight, participants work with one of photography’s most fragile and time-based processes, learning to read materials, light, and duration. More info here.
“Teaching this workshop matters to me. The Alchemy of Sunlight workshop is exciting in itself, but doing it in this part of Norway feels significant. The landscape, the light, and the pace of life here mirror the attentiveness anthotypes and cyanotypes require. It is a place that invites patience, observation, and respect for slow photographic processes. I can’t wait to see the outcome.”
Alongside all this, Elisabeth continues her own artistic practice and is currently pursuing her MFA at Maine Media.
How do you fit in your own photography work?
Elisabeth: “It’s not always easy, but I am used to making plans and keeping them, so that is what I do. And I protect my creative time fiercely. But starting my MFA journey was an important decision for me. I needed to get back to my own photography and creative process. And as a student, I am reminded of the struggle of creating, the doubt, the process of trial and errors, but also the magnitude and the gift of this layered medium that is photography.”
Elizabeth’s current project, Ashes to Ashes, presented in Lenscratch before Christmas, reflects a willingness to enter difficult emotional and conceptual terrain. It mirrors what she quietly asks of others: to go beyond what is comfortable, without forcing outcomes.
World Anthotype Day
World Cyanotype Day