Truls Valen Aasland: Finding Emotion Beneath the Surface

For Norwegian cinematographer Truls Valen Aasland, curiosity was the beginning of everything. A gift — the Canon 750D — unlocked a new language of discovery and emotion. “It wasn’t just about capturing an image,” he recalls. “It was about realizing how much there was to learn, both creatively and technically.”

“That first camera unlocked a lifelong curiosity about how stories are told visually.”

Growing up in Porsgrunn, Aasland learned to see light as both a tool and a teacher. Norway’s seasonal extremes — endless summer days and long, dim winters — honed his sensitivity to tone and atmosphere. “Those contrasts taught me to appreciate how light can completely transform a feeling or a space,” he says, a lesson that continues to guide his work across narrative, commercial, and underwater projects.

From self-taught to cinematic precision

Aasland’s early years were built on experimentation and resourcefulness. Teaching himself through books and YouTube tutorials, he improvised gear and lighting setups from whatever he had at hand.

“Self-teaching taught me to stay adaptable — to solve problems when things don’t go as planned.”

That hands-on foundation later evolved at The Los Angeles Film School, where he earned his degree in cinematography. “Formal education gave structure to what I’d already learned on my own,” he says. “It showed me how collaboration turns independent ideas into professional storytelling.” His move to Los Angeles expanded his creative vocabulary — and surrounded him with a network of cinematographers and directors who challenged his instincts while refining his craft.

Collaboration, intuition, and trust

On set, Aasland credits his time in the Norwegian military for shaping his calm, team-driven leadership. “You lead by example,” he says. “When your crew sees you’re steady and committed, it builds trust.” Whether working on a romantic comedy like Bro Down or the technically complex short New Horizons, he finds power in openness.

“The best ideas come when everyone feels heard — when every grip and AC knows their input matters.”

He approaches every project with balance: mastering the technical to serve the emotional. “The technical side should be instinctive,” he explains. “That frees you to focus on the feeling the director wants to convey.” His work’s strength lies not in spectacle, but in subtlety — light, rhythm, and human connection.

The ocean as muse

Aasland’s underwater imagery, seen in the documentary Food Chain, explores humanity’s evolving relationship with the sea. Filming alongside freediver Lance, he witnessed a philosophy of mindful coexistence — taking only what’s needed, moving with nature’s rhythm.

“Film doesn’t have to dwell in doom. Showing the ocean’s wonder can inspire change just as powerfully.”

That perspective deepened during a night dive off Redondo Beach, surrounded by millions of mating squid — a revelation that shifted how he viewed his purpose as an image-maker. For Aasland, cinematography has become a bridge between emotion and environment, advocacy and art — a reminder that the camera, when guided by curiosity, can still reveal the unseen beauty of our world.

Redefining success through inspiration

For Aasland, success isn’t measured in awards or acclaim but in the ripple effect his work creates. “If another cinematographer sees something I’ve done and feels inspired to take a creative risk — that’s success,” he says. His goal is not to impose a signature aesthetic, but to listen to each story until it reveals its visual truth. That philosophy keeps his work evolving, whether he’s lighting a quiet interior scene or capturing a diver’s silhouette beneath shifting waves. In every frame, he aims to evoke curiosity, empathy, and a renewed sense of connection — not just to cinema, but to the world itself.