Falling Back in Love with Photography

As I stook by the edge of the water, in the heart of Copenhagen, watching the city slowly transform from day to night, I couldn’t help but reminisce about my time in China. The vibrant LED-lit streets of Chongqing, the older, more rural streets of Luoyang, and the amazing scenery that I have seen in parts of China, were filled with endless inspiration and exploration. These places filled me with a spark, creativity and inspiration. But since moving back to Denmark, I have found it hard find that spark, and to further pursue my passion for photography.

At the end of 2021, I returned to Denmark with my wife after living in China for about 11 years. I spent the last few years working as a photojournalist, so moving back to Denmark and getting a job first as a Covid-19 tester and since as a store-clerk made the move back home both familiar and foreign. My career in China had taken me to incredible places, but the long hours had also drained me of my creativity and energy. So, upon returning to Denmark, I struggled to find the time, energy, and enjoyment in picking up my camera. My wife often requests her photo to be taken in various places, but I find it challenging to take portraits, leaving us both rather disappointed and unsatisfied with the end results. I was mostly a landscape and city-scape photographer, so portraiture is something that I will have to start working on improving.

But finally, an evening in August in 2022, during an evening stroll in Copenhagen with my wife, I was able to capture, with my phone, a pretty good-looking image of the Marble Church near the Amalienborg Castle, residence of the Danish Royal Family. The Church is a stunning landmark, aligned with the Royal Palace and the Copenhagen Opera-house. I had seen its dome several times, and never really figured out what building or monument it belonged to. But that one evening photo on my phone stirred something in me, and I was finally inspired to head out with my camera and take an even better photo.

I got off the subway at the aptly named Marble Church metro station and made my way down towards the castle and the waterfront. As I was walking, I took pictures of the church, of the castle and the opera house in the distance. Locals and tourists alike were enjoying the summer evening, chatting, drinking, some swimming, while the sun was slowly setting in the west, bathing the entire city in the most picturesque golden light. And even though my original goal was actually to photograph the church, as the light started to fade, and the lights at the opera-house started to turn on, that was when I had my moment of inspiration, and I decided to do a long-exposure photo of the opera house.

While grabbing and setting up my tripod, mounting the camera and taking some test shots to dial in my settings, curious passers-by came to ask what I was up to, and how I was able to catch the photos they were seeing on the screen. So I started sharing how I was working, camera settings, and helped a few people utilize their phones to capture similar photos.

It was in this moment of sharing my passion, I felt a wave of nostalgia washing over me. It reminded me of the hours I had spent walking the streets of Chongqing, and it reignited my desire to explore, take photos and to share my journey with others. It was a reminder of why I fell in love with photography in the first place, not just capturing photos, but the stories and memories that often are created alongside them.

That evening marked a significant turning point in my creative journey, since returning back home. And while I am still busy with a full-time job, buying a house, other hobbies, I plan on taking this renewed passion of mine and turn it into a new journey for my own creative process, a chance to improve and become a better photographer, and build my photography collection. And I invite you to join me in exploring this new playing ground that I have landed in, through photography and video. Whether you’re a seasoned photographer, or just starting out yourself, feel free to reach out, and share your passion and your ideas, I’d love to hear them and get some new perspectives. I look forward to sharing more of my journey with you, and hearing your thoughts along the way.