Sanctuary
January 3, 2014 § Leave a comment
Photo by Kathy Phillips, U.S. National Archives. Public domain.
A young father bottle-fed his 15-day-old son in our waiting room. The son had a rare syndrome and the bottle was fitted to his condition. Milk was spilling out. The father kept on feeding, talking to his son and wiping his chin. « Read the rest of this entry »
Black and White
November 17, 2011 § Leave a comment
Photo by Øystein Horgmo © All rights reserved.
A nurse talked to the family outside the room while I photographed the little girl they had just lost.
In black and white.
The teddy bear she had her arm around wore a t-shirt with a picture of her.
She had hair in that color picture.
Norway 22-7-11
July 29, 2011 § Leave a comment
Photo by Øystein Horgmo © All rights reserved.
Today, one week after the tragedies in Oslo and at Utøya, we went to the city center to lay down roses in front of Oslo cathedral in memory of those who died.
We were abroad when terror struck, and the city we left was not the same we returned to. But it was not a deserted, frightened place. It was full of flowers and people in silent contemplation.
Please consider signing the official book of condolence.
A Picture Before Dying
December 19, 2010 § 5 Comments
“Intensive Care”. Painting by Joseph Dwaihy and Sara Dykstra.
An unusual request from the intensive care unit. Could I take some last photos of a patient before they switched off his life support? « Read the rest of this entry »
Two Kids in Hospital
October 18, 2010 § 1 Comment
Photo by Øystein Horgmo © All rights reserved.
A hospital stay can be an adventure and it can be a nightmare. This is the story of two kids from the skin ward I photographed the other day. « Read the rest of this entry »
White Scrubs Only
July 5, 2010 § 4 Comments
"Green scrubs only". Photo by Øystein Horgmo © All rights reserved.
A man was sitting on a bench outside the hospital, chatting with a friend in the warm summer sun. He was wearing green scrubs, green shoes, surgical cap and a mask around his neck.
Although it’s explicitly stated in the hospital’s infection prevention guidelines that it’s forbidden to wear green scrubs outside the operating ward, it’s a common sight in the cafeteria, outpatient clinics and hallways. Even outside in the sun. Why? « Read the rest of this entry »
Run in the Hills
June 16, 2010 § 2 Comments
Dirt roads in the Nordmarka forest outside Oslo. Photo by Olav Engen.
On Saturday I ran my first marathon. I’ve run a couple of half marathons before, but now was the time to go full length. « Read the rest of this entry »
How to Say Goodbye
February 14, 2010 § 4 Comments
Photo by William M. Vander Weyde (American 1871–1929). Public Domain.
In my new job I have a lot more contact with patients than before. Patients not asleep, that is. Although this is an aspect of the job I really enjoy, it presents several new problems. How to say goodbye to a patient with a chronic disease, for example. « Read the rest of this entry »
Be Quick or Be Dead
January 22, 2010 § 2 Comments
Photo by Øystein Horgmo © All rights reserved.
I’m used to being an annoyance. In my previous job I was working on a project where we should document all kinds of cancer treatment, from biopsies to surgery. We would decide that we needed to make a video of some operation, and then had to go find a surgeon who would agree to take me along. We always found one, but they didn’t always come easy. « Read the rest of this entry »
The Patient and the Photographer
October 6, 2009 § 1 Comment
Patients are people – people with problems. They are often in pain and usually apprehensive. To them, the medical photographer is someone who, once more, submits them to an institutional routine. He takes their pictures, with part or all of their clothing removed, to show what is usually an embarrassing condition or deformity. Again, indispensable as photography is in the teaching and advancing of medicine, it does not present to the patient the same direct benefit as a radiograph or a blood test.
H. Lou Gibson, Medical photography; clinical-ultraviolet-infrared (1973). (photo credit)
The Sterile Eye 