Two years ago, during my last months working as an au pair in the States, I started thinking about what to do when I came home. The whole traveling bit had become a part of me, and I knew I didn't want to stay in Sweden longer than necessary. I started googling other travel possibilities, and found out that they're pretty much endless for a friendly and young Swede. It's easy for me to travel around Europe--I knew that--but I also found out how easy it is to go to Oceania for a year. Getting a Working Holiday VISA for Australia or New Zealand was pretty much just filling out a form online.

So I did. I'm not sure what made me choose NZ over OZ--maybe I had just watched LoTR or something--but the thought got stuck in my head. And once I decide to do something...

I told my boyfriend and his roommate that we're going to NZ, joined them in Norway for a good ten months and worked like a maniac (you need a good budget to go to the other side of the world for a year)! Then to Iceland for even more hard work, and then... Then we booked the one-way flight.

Now we've been in New Zealand for over four months, and I'm totally in love. Even though we haven't got the opportunity yet to see much more than the Auckland surroundings, it's clear how amazing the country is.

For one: The weather. I mean, there are people here who have never seen snow.

For two: The people. It reminds me a lot of the States, people are so straight-forward and friendly, and it feels like the opportunities are raining upon us.

And for three: A pizza is $4.90. (25SEK)

There are lots of other things I love about the country, but you'll get more praise in another episode of my travels. I figured I'll just share some of my pictures from the last four months, and you'll see for yourself.

[audio:http://saraelin.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Noah-and-the-Whale-5-Years-Time-Official.mp3|titles=Noah and the Whale - 5 Years Time - Official]

A month or so back, I got an email from a man who needed my help. He had some fitness products he wanted pictures of, and wondered if I could help him out. I had never tried product photography before, so... Naturally I accepted the challenge. I gave him a heads up, and offered him to take the first round of products for free if he decided that the quality wasn't good enough.

And just the night before he would come with the first shipment, the photography meet-up group I'm part of had a -- you guessed it -- a product photography meet-up.

Couldn't have come at a better time. I took the bus to the meet-up twenty minutes away, and met up with other enthusiastic photographers. I came with a fresh mind, although I did get a slight shock when I listened to the lecturer and looked at all the set-ups... They were using soft-boxes, multiple flashes, umbrellas, tripods, you name it. And out of those, I have--mm, let's count... none.

I felt pretty screwed. My reaction for the rest of that evening was: "I have to cancel this. Who was I to think I could take proper pictures without a flash? It's not even worth a try."

But then the next day came, I didn't cancel, and the man came over with the products. At this point I was back on track after a good nights sleep, and thought that everything is worth an attempt. "If you've never failed, you've never lived", right? So I gave it a shot. Multiple shots even. And you know what?

They turned out great. The guy who sold the products LOVED the pictures, and I've been taking more and more pictures for him ever since.

So for the photographers out there who feel held-back by your amount of gear; who think you have to get the latest of everything to be able to take good pictures... Think again. It's not the gear that makes you a photographer; it's the way you work with what you've got. It's your mind. Your determination. Your creativity.

It's you.