Ask anyone who’s been to Copenhagen more than [number more than 1] times in their life – “where should I go to shoot?” and you might find the answer is surprising…
It’s generally more about where not to shoot, rather than where you should – and one of the most common responses you’ll find will be “anywhere but Nyhavn” (New Harbour). So, on one of my many trips to see the folks at Capture One and Phase One, of course that was where we headed…
But not for long, don’t worry; I had a bigger prize in my sights.
Speaking of prizes, it’s always good to pop in to the R&D and product guys at Phase One to see what toys we have this month – especially when it’s in the form of a brand new XT 150mm lens to try out or the quirky “little” XC 40 medium format street setup.
Sadly while Copenhagen (and Denmark in general) has some incredible architecture and features from both past, present and seemingly the future, it’s those standard shots that everyone seems to come back with. Indeed, for the IQ4 150MP launch images, we focused on Danish heritage, pushing me to shoot several of the “classics” for that campaign.
So in a bid to get away from “the norm” this time, we explored a bit north to find some icons in Rørvig, before returning to find some new locations slightly beyond the city centre to capture on my XT setup.
Den Blå Planet (The Blue Planet, above right) is a fantastic piece of architecture located just north of CPH/Kastrup airport – and presents an amazing array of curves and lines that meander throughout the frame, but it was a bigger prize I had my sights set on : Kastrup Søbad.
You see, the Danes (and their Scandic neighbours in Norway and Sweden) do love to take a dip – at all times of the year.
From city river pools that are ringfenced, to open sea swimming, it’s firmly one of the more iconic pastimes that is seemingly and culturally embeded into the way of life in this part of the world.
And it’s not only the residents that embrace it – the city authorities absolutely do, providing structures and facilities that people can use year-round.
And that includes this incredible piece of architecture.
Again, just north of Kastrup airport, looking out over the famous bridge (and tunnel) to Sweden, you’ll find a strange “ring” if you look closely on Google Earth.
Zoom in a little further, and you’ll notice a long jetty projecting outwards from the park and beach, that leads to a circular boardwalk – not a swimming pool.
Why not a swimming pool? Well, who needs one when you’re in the middle of the Baltic Sea?
And that’s the point – it’s about embracing the environment, being part of the changing seasons, feeling the ocean, the cool, the warm, the absolutely b—-y freezing – and it’s something the locals embrace whatever the weather.
And that, ironically, is part of the problem of shooting this structure – MANY locals like to embrace the chance to go for a swim – constantly.
While not a swimming pool itself, it has to be one of the most remarkable changing rooms/facilities I’ve ever come across. A changing room, that is, that I must admit doesn’t quite make sense to me, given the keeness its visitors seem to have to get fully naked well before getting inside. (Apparently it’s more useful in ensuring your belongings don’t fly away in the wind than as any form of modesty-shield).
But it’s a structure I wanted to get on camera – alone, isolated, distant, surrounded by deep ocean tones.
However, a jetty that moves, with the sun directly behind you causing shadows and a constant stream of active swimmers (who deserve their privacy) heading up and down the boardwalk, makes this one of the most challenging setups I’ve ever wanted to shoot, let alone tried to.
Luckily, a few things helped.
- Water that cold tends to ensure each “dip” is short-lived.
- Once inside the structure, people tended to disappear for a while and not rock the jetty we were on.
- The sea was moving sufficiently to smooth out over a shorter period of time.
- I can be stubborn if I want the shot.
Golden hour came – the sky didn’t light up pink in reverse of the sunset like I’d hoped, but it still produced the goods and offered up some muted tones that actually complimented the natural wood used in the structure itself.
That mix of smooth water, whispy skies, naturally ageing wood and cold steel railing just ticked every box for me.
The challenge was, would it get better?
The sun sets in mysterious ways when it’s hidden behind that grassy knoll. While I’d originally given up, thinking that was the end of any colour, it did somehow manage one final breath of reflected pink in the skies behind the jetty just before it disappeared into blue hour.
So – I got my pink sky.
It wasn’t the sky I had in my mind – it wasn’t the “boom” I was hoping for – but in many ways, maybe it was the sky I needed.
Turns out, too much boom against natural tones and the big wide ocean can be a distraction.
Instead, I got to focus 100% on what I’d come here to photograph.
The incredible Kastrup Søbad.
See? In Denmark, they even make changing rooms look epic.
Reiffer’s 2024 Copenhagen Culinary Assessment…
I mean, it would be rude not to update my recommendations, fully-post pandemic, now things are “back to normal”, right?
Starting with…
- Warpigs – Great BBQ, “interesting” environment, boring (long) queues for anything. Still worth eating there 3 or 4 nights in a row…
- Pornsak – Everyone needs a good pornsak when it comes to a late night Thai endulgence.
- Garlic Bread – Just deliver exactly that. Garlic, on bread. Don’t hide tomatoes inside, that makes you a serial killer – not a chef.
Next?
- Why are we restricted to lemon Coke Zero in the UK? BRING BACK LIME!
- Fritz Cola is NOT coke. “Is Fritz OK?” No. In the same way a plank of wood isn’t an alternative to fries with that.
- Spunk Bar somehow still exists – along with its rancid smell of stale smoke and sticky carpet after all these years. But, beer.
- No, Denamark still can’t boil an egg.
Moving on…
- Popl – Noma (3 Michelin Star, Best Restaurant in the World, etc etc) decided to open a burger joint. They shouldn’t have.
- Nobody wants a “starter” as part of a “fixed tasting menu” at a burger joint – especially when it’s the jelly from a can of pet food.
- Boiled potatoes with fluff as a side to a burger? No – we’ll ask for fries (an optional extra) with that.
- If you’re going to open a burger restaurant as the best restaurant in the world – deliver good burgers. This isn’t.
- Even when we do order fries with that – just deliver exactly that – don’t *–* with them. You did. Unforgivable.
Luckily, I still had my mental happy place to rely on – firmly etched in my mind.
Who knew a changing room could rescue such depths of mental chaos as those forced upon me by that luncthime catastrophe?
But somehow, just somehow, it did.
Well done Denmark – you saved it. 😉