Groom Ignored By Wedding Photographer Who Preferred To Shoot Bridesmaids’ Boobs and Bums.

Out-of-focus

Photos of a wedding have emerged that has led newlyweds, Steph and Paul Unwin, to take the wedding photographer to court. The controversy was, that out of all the photos by the so-called professional they hired, only 11 shots were of the groom; the remainder were close-up shots of bums and cleavage totalling 96 photos of the Bridesmaids. The newlywed couple were upset to find that nowhere were their in-laws to be found in the shots and to make matters worse, a third of the photos were out-of-focus.

Disappointment

The photographer, David Kilcourse, has apparently received other complaints about his work which Steph Unwin learned after she had received a full refund after suing the photographer. “He caused so much heartache. We have so many moments missing from our big day,” she said. “I’ll do anything to stop him doing this to anyone else. When we got some of the pictures, I said to him ‘is this all of them? because I’m really disappointed.’”

Out of the 1636 total amount of images taken 559 were out-of-focus, Kilcourse claiming that they were “misfires”. Kilcourse managed to get over 100 shots that paid attention to the Bridesmaids yet only one photo of the Bride’s parents and none at all of the in-laws.

No accident

“He took pictures of one of my bridesmaid’s breasts, some of her bum. There were more pictures of just the bridesmaids than anything else. I’m sure he was doing that on purpose,’ Steph Unwin said. “I know that photography is interpreted differently by different people but when he takes three pictures of someone’s bum, that’s not an accident.”

Not getting what you paid for

Steph and Paul, 30, from Bollington, Cheshire, hired Kilcourse to work at their June 2015 wedding and bought a package which included the full day and all its various stages – including the bride getting ready, ceremony, meal and night time. It also contained a photo book, two prints, edited images and a CD. By the time it was too late Steph noticed that most of the package from the event was missing and to make matters worse the photographer didn’t turn up on the day until well after they were all ready.

“We received no photo album. He just sent the pictures via disk after I complained,” says Steph. “He claimed the pictures he’d sent us were edited but they weren’t. My husband wore a grey suit but on the pictures, it looked blue. A lot of the pictures were angled so they wouldn’t look right in a photo frame. The pictures he showed us before we booked him were really nice – thankfully we had a videographer.”

Court rules in favour of couple

After failing to turn up to the court case the newlywed couple won a settlement of £601 to reimburse them for the catastrophe. Despite still advertising his services, Steph has learned of other brides that have felt let down by the quality of Kilcourse’s work. However, Kilcourse has claimed and maintains Steph and Paul’s wedding pictures were ruined by bad weather.

”The company has folded since then. As far as I’m concerned it’s all done and dusted,” Kilcourse has said. “As a company we did over 1,000 weddings and we only had, probably in all that time, 10 complaints of that severity. It’s a matter of opinion that we didn’t fulfil the package. Steph said that we didn’t take any outside shots of the wedding, when it was pouring it down all day. According to my terms and conditions we say that we can’t control the weather. They said I’d taken inappropriate pictures which was disproved. I got so much hassle through weddings that I just stopped doing it. The reason I didn’t turn up to court was that it was in Nottingham, it would have cost me a fortune. The court ruled in her favour.”

This blog post originally featured on www.photographybymatthewjames.com

Photography’s Commitment To The Environment

When we think of sustainability our attention is obviously drawn to areas such as fossil fuels like oil and gas and, especially, these days, that is to what the media’s attention relates to also. However, with that being said, what people do on a daily basis and the...

Aerial Photography Protecting The Planet

Aboard a tethered balloon, from an altitude of nearly 500 meters, when Gaspard-Félix “Nadar” Tournachon photographed Paris from above was the moment when we can trace the roots of aerial photography right back to 1858. Before airplanes entered the picture, photos were...

Regular Photography Turned Inside Out as Fujifilm X-Pro3 Officially Arrives

As part of a drive to rediscover “pure photography” is a rear screen that has been turned inside out.   Innovative Feature Tilting the screen downwards to become visible, the rear screen that faces inwards not outwards,is a bizarre yet extraordinary feature...

Depth Of Field

What is depth of field in photography, and how do you control it? There are many terms which relate to a shallow or large depth of field in photography and photographers will bandy about these terms such as “hyperfocal distance”, “creamy bokeh”, “shooting wide open”,...

Stroboscopic Portraits

Use your unit’s strobe function to achieve rapid-fire flash and capture incredible staccato action.   Pulsing Flash A pulsing flash that fires lots of times during a long exposure can create a stop-motion effect by freezing the action multiple times as the...

Cheap Photography Projects’ Creative Lighting Ideas

Get creative with your images by using these lighting hacks to shoot cheap but conceptual photography. Beauty in Simplicity You don’t necessarily need to use top-of-the-line kit in order to capture brilliant photos. To help you inject some creative lighting into your...

Defining Street Photography, the Cartier-Bressonian Way

Street Photography pioneer Henri Cartier-Bresson has come to define the way the photography industry thinks about the genre. This article draws on sources that explains the way the genre has taken shape. Defining Street Photography Of what constitutes “street...

Even Photography Boffs Will Be Impressed By Polaroid’s New Camera.

    Vintage but not backwards. Whatever is in style right now, it seems, can make us feel like we’re in another decade. Vintage fashion, retro cars, and record players are all making a comeback.  Making the decision to jump in on the action, and by doing so...

Rear Curtain Sync.

With streaks going in the right direction, this article examines how to capture streaky headlight shots.   By combining flash with a long exposure you can achieve some great shots. You can get ghostly movement blur and trails of light from moving light sources if...

Tips For Using a Snoot in Photography.

Learn how to use a “snoot” in your photography to control the light and create theatrical lighting with your hot-shoe flash.   Even though it can often be like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut a flashgun is always a handy tool to have in your camera bag....

Famous Photographs That Inspired Film.

There has always been a sibling-like relationship between film and photography.   “The Horse in Motion” (1878) was a famous photographic series using an early movie projector called the zoopraxiscope invented by Eadweard Muybridge, a 19th-century photographer who...

UV Photography: tips for blacklight.

Blacklight photography can be great for shooting portraits so we are “shedding some light on the dark art” to reveal the secret of mastering ultraviolet photography!   You would most commonly see blacklight, or UV lighting, in nightclubs. White objects radiate...

Copenhagen Photographer Casper Sejersen’s One, Two, Three, Four.

Casper Sejersen Debut Exhibition. Set to the beat of a drum, Copenhagen-based photographer Casper Sejersen takes us on an unsettling visual journey in his debut exhibition.     Alluring Yet Uncomfortable. Copenhagen-based Danish photographer Casper...

The Five Best Photo Locations in Copenhagen.

  A summer break in Copenhagen is highly recommended if you have never been to Denmark. The sun and heat is enjoyed by all the locals.   As an introduction to the most common places you must visit we’re presenting you with this 3-hour photo walk. If you wish...

Photographer’s Picture of Bald Eagle Gets Overwhelming Response

The worldwide response to a photograph of a bald eagle has overwhelmed a Canadian amateur photographer who took the picture.   Initially posted on Facebook photography groups, Steve Biro snapped the image of Bruce the bald eagle at the Canadian Raptor...

Off-Camera Flash Photography To Help You Perfect The Strobist Effect.

One of the easiest ways to achieve amazing portraits is to utilize off-camera flash. You’ll be amazed at how you can transform your photos by simply taking your flash off-camera if your only experience of using flash is the disappointing result you got with it fitted...

Ex-Oasis Photographer warns UK Risks Losing Classic Rock Archives.

Unless a dedicated museum is set up British musical history may be lost. According to one of The UK’s most celebrated photographers unless a dedicated museum is set up to preserve large swathes of classic British rock photography it could lose them all to private...

Samsung reveals a phone with screens on both sides which could change photography forever.

Screens are multiplying! Offering photographers a truly revolutionary ability, Samsung has designed a smartphone with two or more screens.   The front and back display on the device has just been granted a patent. The gadget will be able to run speech translation...

Viral Photographer Quits To Make Bread.

Viral Photographer Quits To Make Bread. Amassing over 300,000 followers after dreamlike photos from Burning Man Festival went wildly viral online a few years ago, photographer Victor Habchy went on to become a Sony ambassador as his career took off. But, as of last...

First Professional Wedding Gig Shot by Photography Robot.

Would you hire a robot for your big day? Making the rounds for a few years now has been the news that robots are coming for our jobs. Many of us have nothing to fear despite automation increasingly taking over our lives, unless you’re a wedding photographer, maybe? A...

The World’s Creamiest Bokeh.

    Full-Frame 50mm Lens with Aperture of f/0.35. The world’s creamiest bokeh (definition: the visual quality of the out-of-focus areas of a photographic image) can be whipped up to give us incredible subject separation through the use of huge apertures. In...

Colour Photography Pioneer’s Images of Old Russia.

    Way Before Instagram A Revolution in the Use of Filters was Taking Place. Deep scientific roots underlie the art form we know of as photography today. Early pinhole cameras were both described by Euclid and Aristotle in ancient Greece. In order to...

Making a Living in Photography in 2019.

    How Viable is it Being a Professional Photographer? Whilst being both stuck in its ways and simultaneously forever changing, photography is indeed a strange profession. The majority of the profession work in a very different way to the old guard who...

The Hidden Colours of the Moon Revealed by Photographer.

A Mineral Impact. Different minerals impact the Moon’s surface leaving different splashes of colour as shown by the enhanced photo of the Moon created by extracting colour data from 150,000 photos of the Moon composed by Sacramento-based astrophotography enthusiast...

Piccadilly Circus’ Neon Lights Reflected By Shiny Cars: the Photography of Nick Turpin.

    Advertising Reflecting. In London’s Piccadilly Circus vehicles are caught reflecting advertising to show how modern life embraces consumerism as shown by photographer Nick Turpin in his latest series, “Autos.” “Shiny new vehicles passing through the city...

Nobody Talks About The Problem With Camera Phones.

The camera itself was the biggest problem with camera phones once upon a time.   Released in 2000, the J-SH04 was one of the world’s first camera phones. Things have come a long way since then. Tiny 0.11 megapixel images was all it could shoot. To give their...

What Is The Focus of Your Photography?

Does your photography have a point? And how can your images engage with more viewers?   You can help define your photography by implementing these few very helpful following techniques, especially if you have reached that stage where it may be a struggle to...

Capturing Cancer: Tumour Cells in Action.

Every year, researchers submit extraordinary images to the Science and Medical Imaging competition which tells the story of pioneering work and its benefits for patients. Replicating cancer cells invade the blood vessels.     Each year, The Institute of...

Selfie Harm.

Selfie Harm. Witness the scary results of Photoshopped portraits done by teens at the behest of professional photographer Rankin as part of his project called “Selfie Harm.”     Unnaturally Perfect. Unnaturally perfect social media photos are being made...

Young Marketing Guru Who Helped Photo of Egg Go Viral on Instagram.

Going Viral Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few weeks you should be fully aware of the photo of an egg that went viral and claimed the top spot for having the most liked photo on Instagram. The simple photo of an ordinary, brown egg has garnered...

The Story of the Desert as Told by the Dubai Photography Exhibition: Inhabited Deserts.

Dramatic Landscapes. Some of the most dramatic landscapes across the world have been captured by UAE-based explorer Max Calderan and Italian photographer John R Pepper through their much renowned collaboration. It was never going to be the usual desert landscapes when...

What Is The Best Aperture and Focal Length For Portraits?

Get The Basics of Portrait Photography Right. You’ve probably asked yourself what is the best aperture and focal length to use if you’re just getting started in portrait photography. You can produce very different effects with your subjects by changing the aperture...

Psychedelic Images of Tokyo by Jean-Vincent Simonet.

Psychedelic Experience. Tokyo at night can be a near-psychedelic experience in itself, and this is echoed in the warped images created by Swiss photographer Jean-Vincent Simonet who prints onto plastic paper then washes the photograph with chemicals, all part of his...

The $90.3 Million Painting That Reveals Unique Photography Methods.

A Masterful Piece of Art. The 1972 painting entitled “Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures)” by legendary British painter David Hockney fetched the highest auction price ever for a living artist as it sold for a jaw-dropping $90.3 million last month. A man in...

X-Ray Apparatus & Concrete Pyramids: Guy Hollaway’s Photography Studio.

The Process Gallery. Distinctive works are created using X-Ray equipment, housed in a concrete pyramid chamber, by British photographer Nick Veasey, who has had a studio built and completed by Guy Hollaway Architects.     Inquisitive. Designed to be an...

Comedy Wildlife Photographer of the Year Awards Reveal Hilarious Winning Images.

World’s Funniest Animal! And the world’s funniest animal photograph of the year goes to a squirrel who thinks he’s Tommy Cooper, writes The Express. The world’s funniest animal photograph of the year has been judged to be what appears to be a cheeky squirrel pictured...

Comedy Wildlife Photographer of the Year Awards Reveal Hilarious Winning Images.

World’s Funniest Animal! And the world’s funniest animal photograph of the year goes to a squirrel who thinks he’s Tommy Cooper, writes The Express. The world’s funniest animal photograph of the year has been judged to be what appears to be a cheeky squirrel pictured...

Vanishing From The Museums.

Confronting the absent. Largely absent from Parissien museums are works and faces of photographic pioneers who have become invisible; so, curator Fannie Escoulen is inviting visitors to walk across the city and confront it.   “The history of photography has been...

Analogue Limelight

In an increasingly digitalised world, why is there still a special place for the physical? After connecting on Instagram around two years ago, James Moreton and Raph Hurwitz conceived AllFormat - a global photography collective. After developing a loyal community of...

A Career Shaped By The Photograph

Starting Out For more than three decades the biggest names in show business have been photographed by Derek Ridgers, but it all began by chance, one night in Finsbury Park, north London. With a Miranda SLR slung over his shoulder, Ridgers walked into the Rainbow...

Facebook Bans a Photographer Who Innocently Posted About ‘Shooting a Few Christians.’

Double Entendre When it comes to the word “shooting,” photographers can be subject to endless jokes. So when you post about “shooting a bunch of Christians,” the double entendre is there; this is what happened to one London photographer who found himself faced with a...

Jacob Cockle: in Life & in Death.

A life lived in the sea was a favourite past-time of one Jacob Cockle. Whilst learning to walk at a tender young age he also began to learn to swim and his natural element became water. Any opportunity to film surfing was the best of all options because he loved it so...

How a Shot Went Viral is Revealed by The Royal Wedding Photographer.

Viral popularity and huge amounts of praise were received for one particular photo during this past weekend as the world's attention was captured by the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The details of how the picture in question came to be have now...

Wildlife Photos Reveal Dirty Tricks as Insiders Spill: “There’s a lot of fakery.”

From trained tigers to glued insects many photographers are revealing the fakery in this niche as one such photographer lost an award for allegedly using taxidermy in a shoot. Inauthentic Capturing a shot at the entrance to a national park was how Brazilian...

One in a Trillion Shot Captures Food Chain in Action.

“What can you shoot with that thing?” “What can you shoot with that thing?” This was a question that photographer Doc Jon was asked when a passerby noticed his Canon 6D camera with 500mm lens attachment as he was walking along the boardwalk of Madeira Beach in...

How Well-Being is Improved by Photo-a-Day Projects: Following the Story of an Artist who Started Out in Project365

Project365 Well-Being is reported to be improved through the online sharing of everyday images shot by amateur photographers. To reference it, it is known as “Project365” in photo circles; it begs the question: how can your life be changed by a Project365? A precious...

5 Things Every Photographer Should Know

Just starting out? Get to grips with these camera functions before anything else I was one of the lucky ones, starting out on a non-digital SLR camera. An Olympus OM-1 where loading the film was the first really important ‘setting’ I had to master. Then there was the...

How Photography Can Be Ruined By Bad Habits

Leaving The Camera At Home Even if it's your smartphone the camera you have with you is always the best one. Not every photo you take will be of commercial value or be photography-competition material. Nevertheless, if you leave your camera at home what use is it...

Unethical Upselling

By offering additional products and services and convincing a customer to purchase them many types of businesses can make a lot of money and this type of “upselling” is a tactic that camera equipment stores can maximise their gains. But how far can this upselling go...

Very First Photography Show is Recreated By Virtual Reality.

Transported To The Past The world's first photography exhibition is being experienced once again for the first time in 150 years with people being transported back in time thanks to Virtual Reality. A selection of prints were then presented by photographer William...

Danish Imports: The Opera Singer

Danish Imports: The Opera Singer

We’ve come to the end of our revisit to the Danish Imports exhibition, and today we’re finishing off with somebody who I’m very fond of.

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading these interviews and the images that accompany them. A lot of love and time went in to the planning of the exhibition itself, and there were many people who DIDN’T get to see it. Friends and family back home in the UK, for example.

So hopefully this has been an opportunity for everyone around the world (because all of my subjects come from somewhere other than Denmark) to find out just how it feels to move to, live in, or work in the happiest country on earth.

We finish with Gabriella’s story; a story about love, gangs and singing in the opera.

image

“I feel very safe and free here in Denmark,” Gabriella Pace tells me. The award-winning opera singer was born in Palermo, Italy, but raised in the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo – a city she describes as very violent and crowded. Just weeks after telling me her story, Gabriella’s father was abducted by Sao Paulo gang members and driven around the city for four hours. Meanwhile the gang stole his car, mobile phone and wallet, and withdrew all of his money from ATMs before leaving him in a deserted part of town with enough money to take a taxi home. Despite ‘surviving’ the ordeal unharmed and in one piece, Gabriella is understandably concerned that the trauma could catch up with her father at some point in the future.

Gabriella moved to ‘calm yet cosmopolitan’ Copenhagen in April 2011, after falling in love with a Dane and marrying him in July 2013. They now live together on Vesterbro and Gabriella is still very active in the Opera scene, particularly in South America where she has made a name for herself since starting out professionally back in 1998. She made her Ålborg debut back in March and wants to sing more here in her adopted Denmark.

The Danish language and the small cultural shocks of everyday life have been the biggest challenges for Gabriella, but she feels that she is integrating well in to society. According to Gabriella, her Latin views of the world differ from the Scandinavians’, and this, she says, is her contribution to Danish society.

Gabriella speaks Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, English, basic Danish and French.

Getting the Shot

This one really was one of the easiest ideas to pull off. Ever! It was Gabriella’s wedding day (which is how I met her in the first place) and the weather was gorgeous. I had quickly figured out how friendly, happy and relaxed she was to be around, and there was nothing particularly traditional about her big day. So I suggested we hop on a bike and cycle down some cobbled streets. She loved the idea, so we got on with it as quickly as we could.

This picture required no fancy lighting arrangements or photoshop, just a long lens (70-200mm at f2.8) and a smiling bride in a white dress. And within two minutes we were done.

This blog post originally appeared over at matthewjames.dk

Photography’s Commitment To The Environment

When we think of sustainability our attention is obviously drawn to areas such as fossil fuels like oil and gas and, especially, these days, that is to what the media’s attention relates to also. However, with that being said, what people do on a daily basis and the...

Aerial Photography Protecting The Planet

Aboard a tethered balloon, from an altitude of nearly 500 meters, when Gaspard-Félix “Nadar” Tournachon photographed Paris from above was the moment when we can trace the roots of aerial photography right back to 1858. Before airplanes entered the picture, photos were...

Regular Photography Turned Inside Out as Fujifilm X-Pro3 Officially Arrives

As part of a drive to rediscover “pure photography” is a rear screen that has been turned inside out.   Innovative Feature Tilting the screen downwards to become visible, the rear screen that faces inwards not outwards,is a bizarre yet extraordinary feature...

Depth Of Field

What is depth of field in photography, and how do you control it? There are many terms which relate to a shallow or large depth of field in photography and photographers will bandy about these terms such as “hyperfocal distance”, “creamy bokeh”, “shooting wide open”,...

Stroboscopic Portraits

Use your unit’s strobe function to achieve rapid-fire flash and capture incredible staccato action.   Pulsing Flash A pulsing flash that fires lots of times during a long exposure can create a stop-motion effect by freezing the action multiple times as the...

Cheap Photography Projects’ Creative Lighting Ideas

Get creative with your images by using these lighting hacks to shoot cheap but conceptual photography. Beauty in Simplicity You don’t necessarily need to use top-of-the-line kit in order to capture brilliant photos. To help you inject some creative lighting into your...

Defining Street Photography, the Cartier-Bressonian Way

Street Photography pioneer Henri Cartier-Bresson has come to define the way the photography industry thinks about the genre. This article draws on sources that explains the way the genre has taken shape. Defining Street Photography Of what constitutes “street...

Even Photography Boffs Will Be Impressed By Polaroid’s New Camera.

    Vintage but not backwards. Whatever is in style right now, it seems, can make us feel like we’re in another decade. Vintage fashion, retro cars, and record players are all making a comeback.  Making the decision to jump in on the action, and by doing so...

Rear Curtain Sync.

With streaks going in the right direction, this article examines how to capture streaky headlight shots.   By combining flash with a long exposure you can achieve some great shots. You can get ghostly movement blur and trails of light from moving light sources if...

Tips For Using a Snoot in Photography.

Learn how to use a “snoot” in your photography to control the light and create theatrical lighting with your hot-shoe flash.   Even though it can often be like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut a flashgun is always a handy tool to have in your camera bag....

Famous Photographs That Inspired Film.

There has always been a sibling-like relationship between film and photography.   “The Horse in Motion” (1878) was a famous photographic series using an early movie projector called the zoopraxiscope invented by Eadweard Muybridge, a 19th-century photographer who...

UV Photography: tips for blacklight.

Blacklight photography can be great for shooting portraits so we are “shedding some light on the dark art” to reveal the secret of mastering ultraviolet photography!   You would most commonly see blacklight, or UV lighting, in nightclubs. White objects radiate...

Copenhagen Photographer Casper Sejersen’s One, Two, Three, Four.

Casper Sejersen Debut Exhibition. Set to the beat of a drum, Copenhagen-based photographer Casper Sejersen takes us on an unsettling visual journey in his debut exhibition.     Alluring Yet Uncomfortable. Copenhagen-based Danish photographer Casper...

The Five Best Photo Locations in Copenhagen.

  A summer break in Copenhagen is highly recommended if you have never been to Denmark. The sun and heat is enjoyed by all the locals.   As an introduction to the most common places you must visit we’re presenting you with this 3-hour photo walk. If you wish...

Photographer’s Picture of Bald Eagle Gets Overwhelming Response

The worldwide response to a photograph of a bald eagle has overwhelmed a Canadian amateur photographer who took the picture.   Initially posted on Facebook photography groups, Steve Biro snapped the image of Bruce the bald eagle at the Canadian Raptor...

Off-Camera Flash Photography To Help You Perfect The Strobist Effect.

One of the easiest ways to achieve amazing portraits is to utilize off-camera flash. You’ll be amazed at how you can transform your photos by simply taking your flash off-camera if your only experience of using flash is the disappointing result you got with it fitted...

Ex-Oasis Photographer warns UK Risks Losing Classic Rock Archives.

Unless a dedicated museum is set up British musical history may be lost. According to one of The UK’s most celebrated photographers unless a dedicated museum is set up to preserve large swathes of classic British rock photography it could lose them all to private...

Samsung reveals a phone with screens on both sides which could change photography forever.

Screens are multiplying! Offering photographers a truly revolutionary ability, Samsung has designed a smartphone with two or more screens.   The front and back display on the device has just been granted a patent. The gadget will be able to run speech translation...

Viral Photographer Quits To Make Bread.

Viral Photographer Quits To Make Bread. Amassing over 300,000 followers after dreamlike photos from Burning Man Festival went wildly viral online a few years ago, photographer Victor Habchy went on to become a Sony ambassador as his career took off. But, as of last...

First Professional Wedding Gig Shot by Photography Robot.

Would you hire a robot for your big day? Making the rounds for a few years now has been the news that robots are coming for our jobs. Many of us have nothing to fear despite automation increasingly taking over our lives, unless you’re a wedding photographer, maybe? A...

The World’s Creamiest Bokeh.

    Full-Frame 50mm Lens with Aperture of f/0.35. The world’s creamiest bokeh (definition: the visual quality of the out-of-focus areas of a photographic image) can be whipped up to give us incredible subject separation through the use of huge apertures. In...

Colour Photography Pioneer’s Images of Old Russia.

    Way Before Instagram A Revolution in the Use of Filters was Taking Place. Deep scientific roots underlie the art form we know of as photography today. Early pinhole cameras were both described by Euclid and Aristotle in ancient Greece. In order to...

Making a Living in Photography in 2019.

    How Viable is it Being a Professional Photographer? Whilst being both stuck in its ways and simultaneously forever changing, photography is indeed a strange profession. The majority of the profession work in a very different way to the old guard who...

The Hidden Colours of the Moon Revealed by Photographer.

A Mineral Impact. Different minerals impact the Moon’s surface leaving different splashes of colour as shown by the enhanced photo of the Moon created by extracting colour data from 150,000 photos of the Moon composed by Sacramento-based astrophotography enthusiast...

Piccadilly Circus’ Neon Lights Reflected By Shiny Cars: the Photography of Nick Turpin.

    Advertising Reflecting. In London’s Piccadilly Circus vehicles are caught reflecting advertising to show how modern life embraces consumerism as shown by photographer Nick Turpin in his latest series, “Autos.” “Shiny new vehicles passing through the city...

Nobody Talks About The Problem With Camera Phones.

The camera itself was the biggest problem with camera phones once upon a time.   Released in 2000, the J-SH04 was one of the world’s first camera phones. Things have come a long way since then. Tiny 0.11 megapixel images was all it could shoot. To give their...

What Is The Focus of Your Photography?

Does your photography have a point? And how can your images engage with more viewers?   You can help define your photography by implementing these few very helpful following techniques, especially if you have reached that stage where it may be a struggle to...

Capturing Cancer: Tumour Cells in Action.

Every year, researchers submit extraordinary images to the Science and Medical Imaging competition which tells the story of pioneering work and its benefits for patients. Replicating cancer cells invade the blood vessels.     Each year, The Institute of...

Selfie Harm.

Selfie Harm. Witness the scary results of Photoshopped portraits done by teens at the behest of professional photographer Rankin as part of his project called “Selfie Harm.”     Unnaturally Perfect. Unnaturally perfect social media photos are being made...

Young Marketing Guru Who Helped Photo of Egg Go Viral on Instagram.

Going Viral Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few weeks you should be fully aware of the photo of an egg that went viral and claimed the top spot for having the most liked photo on Instagram. The simple photo of an ordinary, brown egg has garnered...

The Story of the Desert as Told by the Dubai Photography Exhibition: Inhabited Deserts.

Dramatic Landscapes. Some of the most dramatic landscapes across the world have been captured by UAE-based explorer Max Calderan and Italian photographer John R Pepper through their much renowned collaboration. It was never going to be the usual desert landscapes when...

What Is The Best Aperture and Focal Length For Portraits?

Get The Basics of Portrait Photography Right. You’ve probably asked yourself what is the best aperture and focal length to use if you’re just getting started in portrait photography. You can produce very different effects with your subjects by changing the aperture...

Psychedelic Images of Tokyo by Jean-Vincent Simonet.

Psychedelic Experience. Tokyo at night can be a near-psychedelic experience in itself, and this is echoed in the warped images created by Swiss photographer Jean-Vincent Simonet who prints onto plastic paper then washes the photograph with chemicals, all part of his...

The $90.3 Million Painting That Reveals Unique Photography Methods.

A Masterful Piece of Art. The 1972 painting entitled “Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures)” by legendary British painter David Hockney fetched the highest auction price ever for a living artist as it sold for a jaw-dropping $90.3 million last month. A man in...

X-Ray Apparatus & Concrete Pyramids: Guy Hollaway’s Photography Studio.

The Process Gallery. Distinctive works are created using X-Ray equipment, housed in a concrete pyramid chamber, by British photographer Nick Veasey, who has had a studio built and completed by Guy Hollaway Architects.     Inquisitive. Designed to be an...

Comedy Wildlife Photographer of the Year Awards Reveal Hilarious Winning Images.

World’s Funniest Animal! And the world’s funniest animal photograph of the year goes to a squirrel who thinks he’s Tommy Cooper, writes The Express. The world’s funniest animal photograph of the year has been judged to be what appears to be a cheeky squirrel pictured...

Comedy Wildlife Photographer of the Year Awards Reveal Hilarious Winning Images.

World’s Funniest Animal! And the world’s funniest animal photograph of the year goes to a squirrel who thinks he’s Tommy Cooper, writes The Express. The world’s funniest animal photograph of the year has been judged to be what appears to be a cheeky squirrel pictured...

Vanishing From The Museums.

Confronting the absent. Largely absent from Parissien museums are works and faces of photographic pioneers who have become invisible; so, curator Fannie Escoulen is inviting visitors to walk across the city and confront it.   “The history of photography has been...

Analogue Limelight

In an increasingly digitalised world, why is there still a special place for the physical? After connecting on Instagram around two years ago, James Moreton and Raph Hurwitz conceived AllFormat - a global photography collective. After developing a loyal community of...

A Career Shaped By The Photograph

Starting Out For more than three decades the biggest names in show business have been photographed by Derek Ridgers, but it all began by chance, one night in Finsbury Park, north London. With a Miranda SLR slung over his shoulder, Ridgers walked into the Rainbow...

Facebook Bans a Photographer Who Innocently Posted About ‘Shooting a Few Christians.’

Double Entendre When it comes to the word “shooting,” photographers can be subject to endless jokes. So when you post about “shooting a bunch of Christians,” the double entendre is there; this is what happened to one London photographer who found himself faced with a...

Jacob Cockle: in Life & in Death.

A life lived in the sea was a favourite past-time of one Jacob Cockle. Whilst learning to walk at a tender young age he also began to learn to swim and his natural element became water. Any opportunity to film surfing was the best of all options because he loved it so...

How a Shot Went Viral is Revealed by The Royal Wedding Photographer.

Viral popularity and huge amounts of praise were received for one particular photo during this past weekend as the world's attention was captured by the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The details of how the picture in question came to be have now...

Wildlife Photos Reveal Dirty Tricks as Insiders Spill: “There’s a lot of fakery.”

From trained tigers to glued insects many photographers are revealing the fakery in this niche as one such photographer lost an award for allegedly using taxidermy in a shoot. Inauthentic Capturing a shot at the entrance to a national park was how Brazilian...

One in a Trillion Shot Captures Food Chain in Action.

“What can you shoot with that thing?” “What can you shoot with that thing?” This was a question that photographer Doc Jon was asked when a passerby noticed his Canon 6D camera with 500mm lens attachment as he was walking along the boardwalk of Madeira Beach in...

How Well-Being is Improved by Photo-a-Day Projects: Following the Story of an Artist who Started Out in Project365

Project365 Well-Being is reported to be improved through the online sharing of everyday images shot by amateur photographers. To reference it, it is known as “Project365” in photo circles; it begs the question: how can your life be changed by a Project365? A precious...

5 Things Every Photographer Should Know

Just starting out? Get to grips with these camera functions before anything else I was one of the lucky ones, starting out on a non-digital SLR camera. An Olympus OM-1 where loading the film was the first really important ‘setting’ I had to master. Then there was the...

How Photography Can Be Ruined By Bad Habits

Leaving The Camera At Home Even if it's your smartphone the camera you have with you is always the best one. Not every photo you take will be of commercial value or be photography-competition material. Nevertheless, if you leave your camera at home what use is it...

Unethical Upselling

By offering additional products and services and convincing a customer to purchase them many types of businesses can make a lot of money and this type of “upselling” is a tactic that camera equipment stores can maximise their gains. But how far can this upselling go...

Very First Photography Show is Recreated By Virtual Reality.

Transported To The Past The world's first photography exhibition is being experienced once again for the first time in 150 years with people being transported back in time thanks to Virtual Reality. A selection of prints were then presented by photographer William...

Finding locations for great Wedding Photography Portraits

Finding locations for great Wedding Photography Portraits

Another wedding came and went yesterday. It was an all day wedding, and those are mentally and physically demanding; especially when working alone. Imagine for 13 hours you’re trying to keep thoughts fresh and exciting, whilst remaining relatively anonymous and talking to yourself.

Before any wedding I like to go and visit the location/s beforehand if I can. So on Tuesday, with a two-year-old suffering from chicken pox in the back seat, I trundled off to Helsingør in the northeast of Sjælland. Via Kirke Hyllinge, which lies in the central northern part of the island. A round trip of no less than 185km

Got to the church first, and it was quite similar to most Danish churches. Nothing much to report there, apart from a huge hare that my daughter and I spotted and chased around the churchyard for 15 pleasant minutes. So we continued to location number two, where the reception was going to be held.

My GPS took me straight to the farm and I pulled in to the long driveway that led to the house. At this point I was faced with the agonising decision to get my daughter out of the car again (that part is easy; it’s the getting back in that sucks) and go and ring the doorbell, or taking a mental picture of the area and plan my portrait session back home. I chose the latter.

The one-hour drive to the evening venue, Højstrupgård, was enough to send Aja back to sleep, and she was long gone by the time I arrived and parked up. I had hoped that she would have been awake by this point (it didn’t help that she’d also slept on the way to the church, which was not necessary at 10am). But alas she couldn’t be woken and so I had to sprint around the grounds as fast as possible, taking snap shots with my phone of the best locations for wedding portraits. I was back in the car within ten minutes and she was still in dreamland.

The point of all this, is that absolutely nothing went according to plan on the day of the wedding. As I followed the wedding guests to the farmyard reception after the church service, I was more than a little surprised when all the cars turned in to a completely different one than the GPS was sending me to. In other words, the working photographer in my head was about to be rudely awoken.

Realising that the bride and groom must have taken a detour in order to arrive last, I disappeared in a flash to go and find some decent locations. Thankfully, the farm itself was a treasure chest of inspiration, but my mind was battling the Negative Nigel inside, who was saying “that won’t work; nor that; face it, you suck and this is going to go wrong.” Admitting these things publicly is never encouraged, but is reassuring to all the other photographers out there who are going through the same emotions every day.

Eventually the newlyweds arrived and we set about the task, and within a few minutes I was starting to feel relaxed. The Bestman – my new lighting assistant – was doing a fantastic job of doing exactly what I told him, as were the bride and groom, who were most definitely enjoying the opportunity to kiss over and over again.

image

A couple of hours later and we had arrived (for the second time in less than a week for me) at Højstrupgård and needless to say, things weren’t going the way I planned them. Only because it was raining like a bitch and there were no plans – or time available – to go and take more portraits in and around the grounds where I’d been just days earlier. It was a shame, really, as I had a lot of great ideas. Still, the focus is on the bride and groom and not my own selfish desires, so I went with the flow and switched over to Event Photographer mode instead of Master of Portraits and Lighting (which I call myself these days).

But I have to be honest and say, that it was one of the most relaxing evenings I’ve had at an all day wedding. I was fed a three-course dinner (which is always very much appreciated); I never felt pressured to take pictures just for the sake of it; I always managed to make it back in to the room whenever anything special occurred or anyone spoke, and I got through quite a fair bit of editing – something that normally doesn’t get started until a couple of days after the event.

As the night came to a close I was determined to try out an idea I’d never attempted before, and the bride and groom were totally game. So, armed with the Bestman again, the father of the bride, and a shit load of umbrellas, we opened the doors and ventured outside. The wind was blowing a gale and my kit was already covered in rain, but we soldiered on and marched to our final destination.

It took less than three minutes to get this picture right, from setup to execution, and I was grinning like a cheshire cat. Piss-wet through, obviously, but still grinning.

wedding photographers in copenhagen, bryllupsfotograf i københavn, wedding pictures in the rain

Depth Of Field

What is depth of field in photography, and how do you control it? There are many terms which relate to a shallow or large depth of field in photography and photographers will bandy about these terms such as “hyperfocal distance”, “creamy bokeh”, “shooting wide open”,...

Stroboscopic Portraits

Use your unit’s strobe function to achieve rapid-fire flash and capture incredible staccato action.   Pulsing Flash A pulsing flash that fires lots of times during a long exposure can create a stop-motion effect by freezing the action multiple times as the...

Cheap Photography Projects’ Creative Lighting Ideas

Get creative with your images by using these lighting hacks to shoot cheap but conceptual photography. Beauty in Simplicity You don’t necessarily need to use top-of-the-line kit in order to capture brilliant photos. To help you inject some creative lighting into your...

Rear Curtain Sync.

With streaks going in the right direction, this article examines how to capture streaky headlight shots.   By combining flash with a long exposure you can achieve some great shots. You can get ghostly movement blur and trails of light from moving light sources if...

Tips For Using a Snoot in Photography.

Learn how to use a “snoot” in your photography to control the light and create theatrical lighting with your hot-shoe flash.   Even though it can often be like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut a flashgun is always a handy tool to have in your camera bag....

UV Photography: tips for blacklight.

Blacklight photography can be great for shooting portraits so we are “shedding some light on the dark art” to reveal the secret of mastering ultraviolet photography!   You would most commonly see blacklight, or UV lighting, in nightclubs. White objects radiate...

The Five Best Photo Locations in Copenhagen.

  A summer break in Copenhagen is highly recommended if you have never been to Denmark. The sun and heat is enjoyed by all the locals.   As an introduction to the most common places you must visit we’re presenting you with this 3-hour photo walk. If you wish...

Off-Camera Flash Photography To Help You Perfect The Strobist Effect.

One of the easiest ways to achieve amazing portraits is to utilize off-camera flash. You’ll be amazed at how you can transform your photos by simply taking your flash off-camera if your only experience of using flash is the disappointing result you got with it fitted...

The World’s Creamiest Bokeh.

    Full-Frame 50mm Lens with Aperture of f/0.35. The world’s creamiest bokeh (definition: the visual quality of the out-of-focus areas of a photographic image) can be whipped up to give us incredible subject separation through the use of huge apertures. In...

Making a Living in Photography in 2019.

    How Viable is it Being a Professional Photographer? Whilst being both stuck in its ways and simultaneously forever changing, photography is indeed a strange profession. The majority of the profession work in a very different way to the old guard who...

Nobody Talks About The Problem With Camera Phones.

The camera itself was the biggest problem with camera phones once upon a time.   Released in 2000, the J-SH04 was one of the world’s first camera phones. Things have come a long way since then. Tiny 0.11 megapixel images was all it could shoot. To give their...

What Is The Focus of Your Photography?

Does your photography have a point? And how can your images engage with more viewers?   You can help define your photography by implementing these few very helpful following techniques, especially if you have reached that stage where it may be a struggle to...

What Is The Best Aperture and Focal Length For Portraits?

Get The Basics of Portrait Photography Right. You’ve probably asked yourself what is the best aperture and focal length to use if you’re just getting started in portrait photography. You can produce very different effects with your subjects by changing the aperture...

The $90.3 Million Painting That Reveals Unique Photography Methods.

A Masterful Piece of Art. The 1972 painting entitled “Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures)” by legendary British painter David Hockney fetched the highest auction price ever for a living artist as it sold for a jaw-dropping $90.3 million last month. A man in...

5 Things Every Photographer Should Know

Just starting out? Get to grips with these camera functions before anything else I was one of the lucky ones, starting out on a non-digital SLR camera. An Olympus OM-1 where loading the film was the first really important ‘setting’ I had to master. Then there was the...

How Photography Can Be Ruined By Bad Habits

Leaving The Camera At Home Even if it's your smartphone the camera you have with you is always the best one. Not every photo you take will be of commercial value or be photography-competition material. Nevertheless, if you leave your camera at home what use is it...

Unethical Upselling

By offering additional products and services and convincing a customer to purchase them many types of businesses can make a lot of money and this type of “upselling” is a tactic that camera equipment stores can maximise their gains. But how far can this upselling go...

Groom Ignored By Wedding Photographer Who Preferred To Shoot Bridesmaids’ Boobs and Bums.

Out-of-focus Photos of a wedding have emerged that has led newlyweds, Steph and Paul Unwin, to take the wedding photographer to court. The controversy was, that out of all the photos by the so-called professional they hired, only 11 shots were of the groom; the...

What Camera Should I Buy?

Whether Novice or Professional Novice photographers, and even professionals, are constantly searching for the cutting edge in a hi-tech world and are keen to learn the tips and tricks to help them hone their skills. We want to help facilitate that process by building...

How to live better as a freelancer: Part One

What have I learnt after five years in the industry? Welcome back! Enjoying January, are we? Officially the most depressing month of the year, and for good reason. Waking up seems 10x harder than normal, as does leaving the house. Even my office is a dull place to be,...

Google’s Nik Collection Resumes Development After DxO Buyout

Resurrection of Popular Software The resurrection of the popular photo editing software Nik Collection is taking place. For the benefit of the photographer community the continued development of Nik Collection comes about after DxO announces that it has acquired the...

The Trials of Obtaining a Press Pass

Who Qualifies, anyway? Around the time of 2012 to 2014 there was much debate surrounding who qualifies as a journalist enough to obtain press credentials, namely getting a press pass. Industry Bias According to NiemanLab, in 2014 a survey of 1,300 journalists found...

PBMJ: Now we are 2

I've only got one pair of hands... until now! Finding a solution to doing everything myself has long been at the top of my long list of priorities. I've found over the years, that it's definitely getting easier to outsource some of the work I do, especially when...

Who needs a photo education anyway?

Is it really worth paying to learn to be a better photographer? ”Sixteen hundred kroner!” So cried the partner of one my clients recently when she found out what he was paying me to teach him. More than once this week the conversation has turned towards education....

The Day I Lost £6,000

How a brand new camera holster helped ruin my life for 48hrs People ask me, on a regular basis, whether I’m happy living in Copenhagen. It’s an easy answer: yes, of course. Then they ask me why. Again, this isn’t difficult to explain, as there are so many reasons. But...

Recreating the sunset…without the sun

I made absolutely no secret of the fact that I got my very first National Geographic Traveller commission earlier this year. It was, without a doubt, the proudest moment of my career so far, and I’m not ashamed to say so. I wrote a lengthy piece about it for the...

Three Great Books to Improve Your Photography Career

Whatever your style of photography, these three books are guaranteed to change the way you work When I first started this journey of being a freelancer, I really didn’t have much of a clue about running a business. But the more jobs I got the more I realised what...

Using Lightroom to edit your iPhone photos

Even with the new iPhone 7 causing a stir with its brand new camera functions, the old iPhone 6 is still a heavy-hitter when it comes to High Quality images I always tell those who join me on my Beginner's Photography Workshops that activating the shutter is just the...

Who Needs a Photo Studio to Get the Job Done?

Turns out a simple white background and a couple of strobes is all you need As promised yesterday, over the next few weeks I'll be re-sharing photography content with you from the past 12 months. Today's post has been taken from the 2015 Recap Newsletter When Disney...

Remember: You don’t know EVERYTHING

How a recent photography workshop taught me how to focus ”The D800 isn’t very good for sports photography,” said my very unreliable source. It was my first summer here in Copenhagen and I was working for a company photographing running events. I didn’t know it at the...

Summer Update

"Your blog entries don’t show up in my news feed anymore” Never fear, dear reader, I have not died or disappeared. Summer has truly been upon us these last few weeks and with the warm weather comes a calendar full of events and photoshoots. Unfortunately it means I...

Testing your business ideas

This blog entry first appeared over at www.photographybymatthewjames.com What I learned from my week of blogging Day 7 of the Blog Challenge is here, and I am fucking glad! Forcing myself to take time out of my busy schedule for the last 168 hours has been, quite...

Vanity Blogs

This blog entry first appeared over at www.photographybymatthewjames.com Is this blog really about you, or me? The phrase ‘vanity blog’ entered my vocabulary earlier today. I discovered it by chance whilst reading a political article, where the blogger himself had...

Deadlines and Prioritising your workload

This blog entry first appeared over at www.photographybymatthewjames.com 3pm - time to write The question is, what does one have to say on the topic of photography today? I actually have a half-written blog post just waiting to be finished sitting right here on my...

Whoops. I missed one!

This blog entry first appeared over at www.photographybymatthewjames.com Jumping back on the wagon So Day Three of the Photography Journal experiment simply bombed. Perhaps it was the warm weather, or that it was my first and only day off for the entire week, or maybe...

Journal Challenge Day Two

This blog entry first appeared over at www.photographybymatthewjames.com Work, sunshine, work, parties, repeat Day Two of the Daily Journal experiment, and I’ve had to force myself to start writing. I’ve got exactly 97 minutes before I need to be somewhere else, and...

Journal Seven Day Challenge

This blog entry first appeared over at www.photographybymatthewjames.com Time to try something different OK, so straight off the bat I'll get to the point: I'm clinging on to the imaginary wall that is Google, and looking down isn't an option; I want to climb to the...

Taking Risks

This blog entry first appeared on the journal page at www.photographybymatthewjames.com Why photographers need to stick their necks out once in a while If you've read the blog post immediately before this one then you might be aware of my new Periscope Series, The...

The Busy Photographer

Being a freelance photographer isn't all fun and games I'm sitting here on a Tuesday morning feeling a little confused by this whole photo industry thing. On the one hand it's a fun, challenging and often rewarding job to have, but on the other it's the cause of a lot...

Becoming a Confident Photographer

Despite improving as a photographer over time, an image from my days as a trainee still remains one of my all-time favourites Nerve-wracking. That’s the best way to describe the first three months working as a trainee photographer for a newspaper. Don’t get me wrong -...

Marvel or DC: What’s your business model

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, the Superhero genre is here to stay forever. That’s according to Disney chairman Bob Iger who announced this week that their Marvel films (and Star Wars) will be gracing our screens for years to come. With a wealth of untapped characters and...

A job offer I really really wanted

However you earn money to keep your business going, never lose sight of your goals Over the past few years I’ve learned a great deal about running a business and adapting my photography skills to different genres and clients. I’ve never classed myself as a wedding...

Angry Dude Flips Bird

Dealing with confrontation as a photojournalist Who the hell is this guy? And why is he holding a can of lager in one hand, and giving me the Finger with the other? We have to go way back to the winter of 2005 to get a bit of background story for today’s journal post,...

Networking to find clients

How meeting people can get your photography business off the ground Maybe you’re at that point in your photography career where you’re asking yourself, “Where the hell are all the clients at?” Two-and-a-half years ago I was asking myself that very same question, and...

Danish Imports: The Opera Singer

We've come to the end of our revisit to the Danish Imports exhibition, and today we're finishing off with somebody who I'm very fond of. I hope you've enjoyed reading these interviews and the images that accompany them. A lot of love and time went in to the planning...

Danish Imports: The Freaks

"I won't tell you the name I was born with, because what's a name, anyway?" These are the words of wisdom from the polite, baratone vocals of the tattooed gentleman that is Enigma. Covered from head to toe in jigsaw puzzle tattoos and sporting a pair of silicone horns...

Using the per-image pricing model

How to charge accordingly for the creative services you provide I’ve been at this freelance photography game for over three years now, but I can assure you there’s much still to learn. And as usual, pricing sits right up there with the best of ‘em. If you’ve come...

10 tips for awesome autumn photographs

This blog post originally appeared over at matthewjames.dk Autumn: Mine and many other people’s favourite time of year. The food is amazing, the fashion and clothing gets more interesting, and the world becomes softer to photograph. But how can you make the most of...

Danish Imports: The Neuropyschologist

This blog post originally appeared over at matthewjames.dk Grasia Maria Banegas initially moved to Denmark from Honduras in Central America as a volunteer for MS (Action Aid Denmark), to join an educational program called Global Change, where she trained to become a...

The importance of taking a break

The biggest problem with being self-employed is trying to find time to switch off. I know plenty of people who run their own businesses and work 12 hour days, and maybe take a day off at the weekend. We tell ourselves, that such-and-such needs doing, or these 17...

Same-Sex marriage in Denmark

Same-Sex marriage in Denmark

Or, how Sasha and Anthony got one step closer to happiness
written by Antoaneta Borisova

This is the story of Sasha and Anthony, a lovely gay couple, who have been struggling to be together for more than six years now. I use the word “lovely” not because I want this article to be cheesy, but because it contains “love”, plus it describes them best. Matthew and I had the pleasure to meet Sasha and Anthony and commemorate the most important day of their lives, or shall I say their life: their wedding.

I wanted to write about them not only because it’s a beautiful love story, but also because it inspires, with their never-ending persistence and great dedication in a world where everybody so easily gives up. The other reason was to give Denmark big thumbs up for making this possible. Good job, Denmark!

In 1989, Denmark became the first country in the world to grant legal recognition to same-sex unions, in the form of “registered partnerships”. In June 2012, the law was replaced by a new same-sex marriage law.

Sasha (Saša), aged 39, is from former Yugoslavia, and Anthony, aged 36, is a Mexican American from Dallas, Texas.

They met in Dallas back in 2008. They like to say it was meant to be, since none of them really wanted to go out that night. But yet they did. And it happened to be at the same club. They started to dance together, which of course led to conversation – you know how these things work. There was an instant connection and thus began their relationship.

same-sex wedding copenhagen, wedding photographer copenhagen., bryllupsfotograf københavn, portrait photographer, portrætfotograf

Detention Centre
After 6 months they moved in together and started making big plans for their future. But it all instantly changed when Sasha was detained by immigration. He’d arrived on a tourist visa, which had since expired, and needless to say, Anthony was devastated. He didn’t know what to do, so he hired an attorney. Papers were filed and they waited.

Sasha was held in a jail in west Texas about three-and-a-half hours away from Dallas. He was allowed visitation on Saturdays and for three months Anthony went to see him every week. After nothing looked promising they decided to stop fighting the American immigration law and allowed Sasha to be deported. December 30th 2008: a sad day for two people in love.

Initially they didn’t know what they were going to do but none of them was ready to give up. They started emailing and talking on the phone daily and Anthony made his first trip to Europe the following year. The visit was a new experience for Anthony as he had never been to Europe before, but most importantly, they finally got to meet again and spend time together.

Two years apart
Over the next five-and-a-half years the pair have maintained a very long distance relationship. Many people ask how have they been able to keep this up. Technology holds the answer; especially Skype.

Screenshot 2015-05-07 12.45.39

In June 2013 Sasha earned a degree in Banking Finance and Trade. They had looked into the option to emigrate to Canada, which unfortunately proved impossible. And although several US states were already legalizing same-sex marriage, at a federal level it was still restricted. This was because of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which defined marriage as a marriage between a man and a woman.

They received a breakthrough when DOMA was struck down by the Supreme Court, allowing them for the first time to petition for a fiancée visa in January 2014. A year later, in February 2015, their application was officially denied on a technicality, and the couple were forced to re-file. It was Anthony’s attorney who decided that they’d have a better chance for a visa approval if they got married.

It turned out that Denmark was the only place in the world where they could do this. Amongst the 18 countries where same-sex marriage is legal (20 counting Mexico and USA, where it’s legal only in some jurisdictions), only Denmark marries couples who are not residents of the country. And in Sasha and Anthony’s case, this was their only chance.

In just one month they made all the arrangements, which took a great deal of effort. Fortunately Copenhagen City Hall was very efficient, and they were able to submit everything online and got permission to marry.

same-sex marriage, wedding photographer copenhagen, bryllupfotograf københavn, portrait photographer, portrætfotograf

Prior to leaving for Denmark they’d received notification that immigration was re-opening their case, but just weeks after tying the knot in Denmark their petition was denied once again. Now, the only hope left for them to be together is to re-apply for Sasha’s residency as a spouse. That procedure could take at least six months just to be taken into consideration. And if everything goes well, Sasha will be together with his husband in the US by the end of the year. If not, they will be considering Denmark as a possible future home. If Anthony can get used to using public transport.

“Our lives have been on hold for so long, and all we want is to just start our life together,” explains Anthony. “Getting married in Copenhagen is affirmation that our relationship will survive distance and time.”

“Denmark is and always will be our special country that gave us the opportunity to get married. One and only.” added Sasha.

Good job, Denmark. Good job!

This article first appeared online at https://blog.photographybymatthewjames.com/

Copenhagen Photographer Casper Sejersen’s One, Two, Three, Four.

Casper Sejersen Debut Exhibition. Set to the beat of a drum, Copenhagen-based photographer Casper Sejersen takes us on an unsettling visual journey in his debut exhibition.     Alluring Yet Uncomfortable. Copenhagen-based Danish photographer Casper...

Photos Reveal Copenhill Ski Slope on Amager Bakke Plant.

    Copenhill Ski Slope atop Amager Bakke Plant. Coloured in vibrant shades of green an artificial ski slope on the roof of the Amager Bakke waste-to-energy plant in Copenhagen has been captured in images by Danish photographer Rasmus Hjortshøj.  The centre...

The Five Best Photo Locations in Copenhagen.

  A summer break in Copenhagen is highly recommended if you have never been to Denmark. The sun and heat is enjoyed by all the locals.   As an introduction to the most common places you must visit we’re presenting you with this 3-hour photo walk. If you wish...

And Slash Makes Four

It’s not everyday one gets to say this, but I do believe I’ve completed my to-do list. In this case it’s a list that involves four musicians, who I always hoped I would one day get to photograph. Copenhell Festival Last week saw the rock festival Copenhell return to...

Further To The NorthSide

From one island to a peninsula From one island of Denmark to a half island of Denmark (otherwise known as a peninsula); a total of 116 miles, on a train that goes under the sea in a tunnel as well as above the sea on a bridge, we travelled from Copenhagen to Aarhus...

Behind The Scenes: Royal Run.

Keep the diary open Whether it was wishful thinking or simply experience, when I first heard about the Royal Run back in 2017 I decided to keep the 21st May available in my calendar. “We won’t be needing you for that particular race,” I was told, but a voice in my...

Future King of Denmark Joins In Birthday Celebrations With The Royal Run.

In merely a few days time the future king of Denmark, Crown Prince Frederik, will be celebrating his 50th birthday and all over the country flags will be at high mast. A total of five Danish cities are involved in celebratory shenanigans which began on May 18, and...

Groom Ignored By Wedding Photographer Who Preferred To Shoot Bridesmaids’ Boobs and Bums.

Out-of-focus Photos of a wedding have emerged that has led newlyweds, Steph and Paul Unwin, to take the wedding photographer to court. The controversy was, that out of all the photos by the so-called professional they hired, only 11 shots were of the groom; the...

Master Class: Visual Language For Tech Leaders.

Tech Workshop Last Wednesday, bestbrains.dk ran a Master Class: Visual Language For Tech Leaders workshop which Matt went out to shoot. Participation in this event was strictly limited to a mere ten people and they were vetted by an entry assignment. Sorting the wheat...

Copenhagen wins international climate prize

Reducing the Carbon Footprint Reducing our carbon footprint means saving energy as well as the planet. With the recognition of Copenhagen as a cultural centre comes strict monitoring of energy consumption in schools and daycare institutions alike. With this...

Game of Thrones Star Joins Climate Change Talk

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau returns to his home country to take action An overwhelmingly massive wall of ice on regular display is one of the many stunning visual images in the popular television series Game of Thrones in which Danish actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau plays...

Nordic Race: A mudfest for my camera

My first Nordic Race photography experience I don't know about you, but personally I like to be warm, dry and clean at this time of year. It's the reason I wear nice thick gloves, waterproof trousers and jackets, and a pair of boots every time I leave the house. On...

Calm sea; rough ride

From the Archives: My experience moving to Copenhagen in 2012 I grew up in a small town 40 miles south of Manchester - home of Smiths, Oasis, and other great High Street retail outlets (insert smiley). And it was from Manchester Airport that I left England for what...

Britain’s Prince Harry Visits Copenhagen

Special Request Back in September of this year Kensington Palace announced Prince Harry's official visit to Denmark. The Prince is in Copenhagen today (Wednesday 25th) and tomorrow, and Matthew has been placed in a special press pool to gain access and provide...

PBMJ: Now we are 2

I've only got one pair of hands... until now! Finding a solution to doing everything myself has long been at the top of my long list of priorities. I've found over the years, that it's definitely getting easier to outsource some of the work I do, especially when...

Getting the Shot: RaiseNow Group Portrait

Somebody once asked me, "Do you find that it's always the first idea that works?" in regards to planning and executing a photoshoot. I admit I had to think about it. Sometimes definitely, and in these scenarios you can pat yourself on the back for a job well done. Go...

Following in the footsteps of Obama

Where would a former President of the United States go to eat when in Copenhagen? For my first blog post in nearly two millennia I thought I’d tackle something a little light-hearted. Despite never really pursuing a career in food photography, it appears it has found...

Who needs a photo education anyway?

Is it really worth paying to learn to be a better photographer? ”Sixteen hundred kroner!” So cried the partner of one my clients recently when she found out what he was paying me to teach him. More than once this week the conversation has turned towards education....

No Man is an Island

Finding solitude amongst Denmark's hidden gems Words by Joe Miller, Pictures by Matthew James Harrison It’s always hard in life to accept it when you lose friends, family or anyone close to you. People change, they move on and find pastures new. We live, we die… but...

Aarhus: European capital for culture 2017

Words: Joe Miller, Photos: Matt Marsh Every year, two European cities receive the prestigious title of ‘European capital of culture’ and in 2017, we welcome Denmark’s second largest city, Aarhus, as the holder of one of these two titles. Over the next year, fascinated...

Fact: Danish Newspapers don’t care about swans!

How a chance encounter with a big white bird didn't really amount to much In this industry, every day is a fresh start. Sure, you have the usual amount of daily tasks – social media, sending invoices, archiving images – but the commute to work every morning is a...

Recreating the sunset…without the sun

I made absolutely no secret of the fact that I got my very first National Geographic Traveller commission earlier this year. It was, without a doubt, the proudest moment of my career so far, and I’m not ashamed to say so. I wrote a lengthy piece about it for the...

Being Part of History

Original Photograph Featured on Postage Stamp When was the last time you received a letter in the post with your own stamp stuck to it? This was the scenario for me back in summer, when an envelope dropped through the letterbox addressed to the business....

Best Instagram Photos of Copenhagen 2016

Copenhagen has to be one of the world's best places to photograph I’ve been fortunate enough to live in many special places around the world over the years: France, Australia, many parts of the UK, and of course Denmark. Each and every one of these places has been...

Using Lightroom to edit your iPhone photos

Even with the new iPhone 7 causing a stir with its brand new camera functions, the old iPhone 6 is still a heavy-hitter when it comes to High Quality images I always tell those who join me on my Beginner's Photography Workshops that activating the shutter is just the...

Back to Copenhagen

It's been a while... Hi folks, what's going on? Jesus, it's been a while, hasn't it? I bet some of you are even tired of me saying something along those lines. Anyway, I just wanted to say 'hi' and tell you what to expect from us here at PBMJ in the lead-up to...

Remember: You don’t know EVERYTHING

How a recent photography workshop taught me how to focus ”The D800 isn’t very good for sports photography,” said my very unreliable source. It was my first summer here in Copenhagen and I was working for a company photographing running events. I didn’t know it at the...

Journal Challenge Day Two

This blog entry first appeared over at www.photographybymatthewjames.com Work, sunshine, work, parties, repeat Day Two of the Daily Journal experiment, and I’ve had to force myself to start writing. I’ve got exactly 97 minutes before I need to be somewhere else, and...

Danish Imports: The Opera Singer

We've come to the end of our revisit to the Danish Imports exhibition, and today we're finishing off with somebody who I'm very fond of. I hope you've enjoyed reading these interviews and the images that accompany them. A lot of love and time went in to the planning...

Danish Imports: The Neuropyschologist

This blog post originally appeared over at matthewjames.dk Grasia Maria Banegas initially moved to Denmark from Honduras in Central America as a volunteer for MS (Action Aid Denmark), to join an educational program called Global Change, where she trained to become a...

Danish Imports: The Psychologist and her son

Due to some technical issues we're running a little behind here, so let's get back on track with our Danish Imports exhibition from last year's photo exhibition. Today we take a look at the life of Chilean Psychologist Paula and her son. Paula Cavada gives multiple...

Teaching Photography in Copenhagen

This entry was originally posted on my main journal over at www.matthewjames.dk One area of photography I don't shout about too much is my Shooting Copenhagen Workshops, but after this week it's probably about time I gave myself a pat on the back and shared the story...

Finding locations for great Wedding Photography Portraits

Another wedding came and went yesterday. It was an all day wedding, and those are mentally and physically demanding; especially when working alone. Imagine for 13 hours you're trying to keep thoughts fresh and exciting, whilst remaining relatively anonymous and...

Danish Imports: The Opera Singer

We've come to the end of our revisit to the Danish Imports exhibition, and today we're finishing off with somebody who I'm very fond of. I hope you've enjoyed reading these interviews and the images that accompany them. A lot of love and time went in to the planning...

Danish Imports: The Freaks

"I won't tell you the name I was born with, because what's a name, anyway?" These are the words of wisdom from the polite, baratone vocals of the tattooed gentleman that is Enigma. Covered from head to toe in jigsaw puzzle tattoos and sporting a pair of silicone horns...

Danish Imports: The Neuropsychologist

Grasia Maria Banegas initially moved to Denmark from Honduras in Central America as a volunteer for MS (Action Aid Denmark), to join an educational program called Global Change, where she trained to become a campaigner and youth facilitator.  Coming from one of the...

Danish Imports: The Psychologist and her son

Due to some technical issues we're running a little behind here, so let's get back on track with our Danish Imports exhibition from last year's photo exhibition. Today we take a look at the life of Chilean Psychologist Paula and her son. Paula Cavada gives multiple...

DO IT FOR MOM (Do it for Denmark)

It's highly unlikely that you've missed this one, but if you're reading this from outside Denmark then you might want to read on. This is the new tagline for a funny commercial that came out recently in Danish media. It’s a video that starts off with an older lady...

To refugee or not to refugee, that is the question

Today I wanted to open up the floor to a close personal friend of mine and fellow expat, Michelle Exarhos. Michelle was born and raised in the United States but is, in fact, half Danish. Here she shares her views on the recent refugee scenario playing out in Denmark...

Danish Imports: The Boxer

The next story from last year's Danish Imports photo exhibition comes from Michal Jezierski, who had a very long and interesting story to tell about his move to Denmark. Michal Jezierski is perhaps one of the friendliest people I’ve ever met and is full of positive,...

Copenhagen Half Marathon Pictures

So did you take part in yesterday's Copenhagen Half Marathon, or know anyone who did? The streets were absolutely alive, especially for the first half of the race where optimism was high and the mood was positive. There were no less than 23.786 runners taking part and...

Danish Imports: The Journalist

Continuing the Danish Imports theme, today we take a look at Brazilian Noemia Colonna's story. “Sometimes it's good to be like the Brazilians," is Noemia Colonna's advice to the Danes. "We're easy-going, more flexible and and not too obsessed about planning and...

Danish Imports: The DJ

This is the third instalment of my Danish Imports blog posts, looking at the stories behind people's decisions to live, work or visit Denmark. Today's story focuses on Danish DJ, Nikolaj Yu Andersen. You can read previous stories about Meriel or Luke if you'd like a...

Danish Imports: The Architect

Today I'll be sharing the second story behind one of my Danish Imports subjects, Luke Lorimer. If you missed the first post then you can read it here. These images were used for my first exhibition, Danish Imports, which was held at Generator Hostel in Copenhagen...

Danish Imports – One Year Later

Exactly 12 months ago I was celebrating my very first photo exhibition here in Copenhagen. It was something I'd been thinking of doing for a couple of years and it was a definite learning curve for me. Not only was I under pressure to include a selection of images I...

It’s Marathon Time

You can't really miss all the maps, posters and warnings that are dotted around the city at the moment. That's right; it's that time of year again where 12,000 people put themselves to the test and run for 26.2 miles. The Nykredit Copenhagen Marathon (to give it its...

Same-Sex marriage in Denmark

Or, how Sasha and Anthony got one step closer to happiness written by Antoaneta Borisova This is the story of Sasha and Anthony, a lovely gay couple, who have been struggling to be together for more than six years now. I use the word “lovely” not because I want this...

Denmark: the land of pork, windmills and same-sex marriage

Or, how Sasha and Anthony got one step closer to happiness written by Antoaneta Borisova This is the story of Sasha and Anthony, a lovely gay couple, who have been struggling to be together for more than six years now. I use the word “lovely” not because I want this...

Red Bull Cliff Diving Returns to CPH

If you've had your head in the sand for the past few weeks (or have just moved to the country) then you might have missed out on some pretty awesome news: the return of Red Bull Cliff Diving to Copenhagen. Back in June 2013, several of the world's bravest athletes...

Danish Photographer wins prestigious prize

World Press Photo of the Year 2014, First Prize Contemporary Issues. Photo by Mads Nissen A photograph that highlights the difficulties facing sexual minorities in Russia has won the World Press Photo contest's top prize. 'Jon and Alex', from a project called...

Denmark: the land of pork, windmills and same-sex marriage

Denmark: the land of pork, windmills and same-sex marriage

Or, how Sasha and Anthony got one step closer to happiness
written by Antoaneta Borisova

This is the story of Sasha and Anthony, a lovely gay couple, who have been struggling to be together for more than six years now. I use the word “lovely” not because I want this article to be cheesy, but because it contains “love”, plus it describes them best. Matthew and I had the pleasure to meet Sasha and Anthony and commemorate the most important day of their lives, or shall I say their life: their wedding.

I wanted to write about them not only because it’s a beautiful love story, but also because it inspires, with their never-ending persistence and great dedication in a world where everybody so easily gives up. The other reason was to give Denmark big thumbs up for making this possible. Good job, Denmark!

In 1989, Denmark became the first country in the world to grant legal recognition to same-sex unions, in the form of “registered partnerships”. In June 2012, the law was replaced by a new same-sex marriage law.

Sasha (Saša), aged 39, is from former Yugoslavia, and Anthony, aged 36, is a Mexican American from Dallas, Texas.

They met in Dallas back in 2008. They like to say it was meant to be, since none of them really wanted to go out that night. But yet they did. And it happened to be at the same club. They started to dance together, which of course led to conversation – you know how these things work. There was an instant connection and thus began their relationship.

same-sex wedding copenhagen, wedding photographer copenhagen., bryllupsfotograf københavn, portrait photographer, portrætfotograf

Detention Centre
After 6 months they moved in together and started making big plans for their future. But it all instantly changed when Sasha was detained by immigration. He’d arrived on a tourist visa, which had since expired, and needless to say, Anthony was devastated. He didn’t know what to do, so he hired an attorney. Papers were filed and they waited.

Sasha was held in a jail in west Texas about three-and-a-half hours away from Dallas. He was allowed visitation on Saturdays and for three months Anthony went to see him every week. After nothing looked promising they decided to stop fighting the American immigration law and allowed Sasha to be deported. December 30th 2008: a sad day for two people in love.

Initially they didn’t know what they were going to do but none of them was ready to give up. They started emailing and talking on the phone daily and Anthony made his first trip to Europe the following year. The visit was a new experience for Anthony as he had never been to Europe before, but most importantly, they finally got to meet again and spend time together.

Two years apart
Over the next five-and-a-half years the pair have maintained a very long distance relationship. Many people ask how have they been able to keep this up. Technology holds the answer; especially Skype.

Screenshot 2015-05-07 12.45.39

In June 2013 Sasha earned a degree in Banking Finance and Trade. They had looked into the option to emigrate to Canada, which unfortunately proved impossible. And although several US states were already legalizing same-sex marriage, at a federal level it was still restricted. This was because of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which defined marriage as a marriage between a man and a woman.

They received a breakthrough when DOMA was struck down by the Supreme Court, allowing them for the first time to petition for a fiancée visa in January 2014. A year later, in February 2015, their application was officially denied on a technicality, and the couple were forced to re-file. It was Anthony’s attorney who decided that they’d have a better chance for a visa approval if they got married.

It turned out that Denmark was the only place in the world where they could do this. Amongst the 18 countries where same-sex marriage is legal (20 counting Mexico and USA, where it’s legal only in some jurisdictions), only Denmark marries couples who are not residents of the country. And in Sasha and Anthony’s case, this was their only chance.

In just one month they made all the arrangements, which took a great deal of effort. Fortunately Copenhagen City Hall was very efficient, and they were able to submit everything online and got permission to marry.

same-sex marriage, wedding photographer copenhagen, bryllupfotograf københavn, portrait photographer, portrætfotograf

Prior to leaving for Denmark they’d received notification that immigration was re-opening their case, but just weeks after tying the knot in Denmark their petition was denied once again. Now, the only hope left for them to be together is to re-apply for Sasha’s residency as a spouse. That procedure could take at least six months just to be taken into consideration. And if everything goes well, Sasha will be together with his husband in the US by the end of the year. If not, they will be considering Denmark as a possible future home. If Anthony can get used to using public transport.

“Our lives have been on hold for so long, and all we want is to just start our life together,” explains Anthony. “Getting married in Copenhagen is affirmation that our relationship will survive distance and time.”

“Denmark is and always will be our special country that gave us the opportunity to get married. One and only.” added Sasha.

Good job, Denmark. Good job!

Copenhagen Photographer Casper Sejersen’s One, Two, Three, Four.

Casper Sejersen Debut Exhibition. Set to the beat of a drum, Copenhagen-based photographer Casper Sejersen takes us on an unsettling visual journey in his debut exhibition.     Alluring Yet Uncomfortable. Copenhagen-based Danish photographer Casper...

Photos Reveal Copenhill Ski Slope on Amager Bakke Plant.

    Copenhill Ski Slope atop Amager Bakke Plant. Coloured in vibrant shades of green an artificial ski slope on the roof of the Amager Bakke waste-to-energy plant in Copenhagen has been captured in images by Danish photographer Rasmus Hjortshøj.  The centre...

The Five Best Photo Locations in Copenhagen.

  A summer break in Copenhagen is highly recommended if you have never been to Denmark. The sun and heat is enjoyed by all the locals.   As an introduction to the most common places you must visit we’re presenting you with this 3-hour photo walk. If you wish...

And Slash Makes Four

It’s not everyday one gets to say this, but I do believe I’ve completed my to-do list. In this case it’s a list that involves four musicians, who I always hoped I would one day get to photograph. Copenhell Festival Last week saw the rock festival Copenhell return to...

Further To The NorthSide

From one island to a peninsula From one island of Denmark to a half island of Denmark (otherwise known as a peninsula); a total of 116 miles, on a train that goes under the sea in a tunnel as well as above the sea on a bridge, we travelled from Copenhagen to Aarhus...

Behind The Scenes: Royal Run.

Keep the diary open Whether it was wishful thinking or simply experience, when I first heard about the Royal Run back in 2017 I decided to keep the 21st May available in my calendar. “We won’t be needing you for that particular race,” I was told, but a voice in my...

Future King of Denmark Joins In Birthday Celebrations With The Royal Run.

In merely a few days time the future king of Denmark, Crown Prince Frederik, will be celebrating his 50th birthday and all over the country flags will be at high mast. A total of five Danish cities are involved in celebratory shenanigans which began on May 18, and...

Groom Ignored By Wedding Photographer Who Preferred To Shoot Bridesmaids’ Boobs and Bums.

Out-of-focus Photos of a wedding have emerged that has led newlyweds, Steph and Paul Unwin, to take the wedding photographer to court. The controversy was, that out of all the photos by the so-called professional they hired, only 11 shots were of the groom; the...

Master Class: Visual Language For Tech Leaders.

Tech Workshop Last Wednesday, bestbrains.dk ran a Master Class: Visual Language For Tech Leaders workshop which Matt went out to shoot. Participation in this event was strictly limited to a mere ten people and they were vetted by an entry assignment. Sorting the wheat...

Copenhagen wins international climate prize

Reducing the Carbon Footprint Reducing our carbon footprint means saving energy as well as the planet. With the recognition of Copenhagen as a cultural centre comes strict monitoring of energy consumption in schools and daycare institutions alike. With this...

Game of Thrones Star Joins Climate Change Talk

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau returns to his home country to take action An overwhelmingly massive wall of ice on regular display is one of the many stunning visual images in the popular television series Game of Thrones in which Danish actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau plays...

Nordic Race: A mudfest for my camera

My first Nordic Race photography experience I don't know about you, but personally I like to be warm, dry and clean at this time of year. It's the reason I wear nice thick gloves, waterproof trousers and jackets, and a pair of boots every time I leave the house. On...

Calm sea; rough ride

From the Archives: My experience moving to Copenhagen in 2012 I grew up in a small town 40 miles south of Manchester - home of Smiths, Oasis, and other great High Street retail outlets (insert smiley). And it was from Manchester Airport that I left England for what...

PBMJ: Now we are 2

I've only got one pair of hands... until now! Finding a solution to doing everything myself has long been at the top of my long list of priorities. I've found over the years, that it's definitely getting easier to outsource some of the work I do, especially when...

Getting the Shot: RaiseNow Group Portrait

Somebody once asked me, "Do you find that it's always the first idea that works?" in regards to planning and executing a photoshoot. I admit I had to think about it. Sometimes definitely, and in these scenarios you can pat yourself on the back for a job well done. Go...

Following in the footsteps of Obama

Where would a former President of the United States go to eat when in Copenhagen? For my first blog post in nearly two millennia I thought I’d tackle something a little light-hearted. Despite never really pursuing a career in food photography, it appears it has found...

Who needs a photo education anyway?

Is it really worth paying to learn to be a better photographer? ”Sixteen hundred kroner!” So cried the partner of one my clients recently when she found out what he was paying me to teach him. More than once this week the conversation has turned towards education....

No Man is an Island

Finding solitude amongst Denmark's hidden gems Words by Joe Miller, Pictures by Matthew James Harrison It’s always hard in life to accept it when you lose friends, family or anyone close to you. People change, they move on and find pastures new. We live, we die… but...

Aarhus: European capital for culture 2017

Words: Joe Miller, Photos: Matt Marsh Every year, two European cities receive the prestigious title of ‘European capital of culture’ and in 2017, we welcome Denmark’s second largest city, Aarhus, as the holder of one of these two titles. Over the next year, fascinated...

Fact: Danish Newspapers don’t care about swans!

How a chance encounter with a big white bird didn't really amount to much In this industry, every day is a fresh start. Sure, you have the usual amount of daily tasks – social media, sending invoices, archiving images – but the commute to work every morning is a...

Recreating the sunset…without the sun

I made absolutely no secret of the fact that I got my very first National Geographic Traveller commission earlier this year. It was, without a doubt, the proudest moment of my career so far, and I’m not ashamed to say so. I wrote a lengthy piece about it for the...

Best Instagram Photos of Copenhagen 2016

Copenhagen has to be one of the world's best places to photograph I’ve been fortunate enough to live in many special places around the world over the years: France, Australia, many parts of the UK, and of course Denmark. Each and every one of these places has been...

Danish Imports: The Opera Singer

We've come to the end of our revisit to the Danish Imports exhibition, and today we're finishing off with somebody who I'm very fond of. I hope you've enjoyed reading these interviews and the images that accompany them. A lot of love and time went in to the planning...

Danish Imports: The Psychologist and her son

Due to some technical issues we're running a little behind here, so let's get back on track with our Danish Imports exhibition from last year's photo exhibition. Today we take a look at the life of Chilean Psychologist Paula and her son. Paula Cavada gives multiple...

Finding locations for great Wedding Photography Portraits

Another wedding came and went yesterday. It was an all day wedding, and those are mentally and physically demanding; especially when working alone. Imagine for 13 hours you're trying to keep thoughts fresh and exciting, whilst remaining relatively anonymous and...

Danish Imports: The Opera Singer

We've come to the end of our revisit to the Danish Imports exhibition, and today we're finishing off with somebody who I'm very fond of. I hope you've enjoyed reading these interviews and the images that accompany them. A lot of love and time went in to the planning...

Danish Imports: The Freaks

"I won't tell you the name I was born with, because what's a name, anyway?" These are the words of wisdom from the polite, baratone vocals of the tattooed gentleman that is Enigma. Covered from head to toe in jigsaw puzzle tattoos and sporting a pair of silicone horns...

Danish Imports: The Neuropsychologist

Grasia Maria Banegas initially moved to Denmark from Honduras in Central America as a volunteer for MS (Action Aid Denmark), to join an educational program called Global Change, where she trained to become a campaigner and youth facilitator.  Coming from one of the...

Danish Imports: The Psychologist and her son

Due to some technical issues we're running a little behind here, so let's get back on track with our Danish Imports exhibition from last year's photo exhibition. Today we take a look at the life of Chilean Psychologist Paula and her son. Paula Cavada gives multiple...

DO IT FOR MOM (Do it for Denmark)

It's highly unlikely that you've missed this one, but if you're reading this from outside Denmark then you might want to read on. This is the new tagline for a funny commercial that came out recently in Danish media. It’s a video that starts off with an older lady...

To refugee or not to refugee, that is the question

Today I wanted to open up the floor to a close personal friend of mine and fellow expat, Michelle Exarhos. Michelle was born and raised in the United States but is, in fact, half Danish. Here she shares her views on the recent refugee scenario playing out in Denmark...

Danish Imports: The Boxer

The next story from last year's Danish Imports photo exhibition comes from Michal Jezierski, who had a very long and interesting story to tell about his move to Denmark. Michal Jezierski is perhaps one of the friendliest people I’ve ever met and is full of positive,...

Copenhagen Half Marathon Pictures

So did you take part in yesterday's Copenhagen Half Marathon, or know anyone who did? The streets were absolutely alive, especially for the first half of the race where optimism was high and the mood was positive. There were no less than 23.786 runners taking part and...

Danish Imports: The Journalist

Continuing the Danish Imports theme, today we take a look at Brazilian Noemia Colonna's story. “Sometimes it's good to be like the Brazilians," is Noemia Colonna's advice to the Danes. "We're easy-going, more flexible and and not too obsessed about planning and...

Danish Imports: The DJ

This is the third instalment of my Danish Imports blog posts, looking at the stories behind people's decisions to live, work or visit Denmark. Today's story focuses on Danish DJ, Nikolaj Yu Andersen. You can read previous stories about Meriel or Luke if you'd like a...

Danish Imports: The Architect

Today I'll be sharing the second story behind one of my Danish Imports subjects, Luke Lorimer. If you missed the first post then you can read it here. These images were used for my first exhibition, Danish Imports, which was held at Generator Hostel in Copenhagen...

Danish Imports – One Year Later

Exactly 12 months ago I was celebrating my very first photo exhibition here in Copenhagen. It was something I'd been thinking of doing for a couple of years and it was a definite learning curve for me. Not only was I under pressure to include a selection of images I...

It’s Marathon Time

You can't really miss all the maps, posters and warnings that are dotted around the city at the moment. That's right; it's that time of year again where 12,000 people put themselves to the test and run for 26.2 miles. The Nykredit Copenhagen Marathon (to give it its...

Same-Sex marriage in Denmark

Or, how Sasha and Anthony got one step closer to happiness written by Antoaneta Borisova This is the story of Sasha and Anthony, a lovely gay couple, who have been struggling to be together for more than six years now. I use the word “lovely” not because I want this...

Denmark: the land of pork, windmills and same-sex marriage

Or, how Sasha and Anthony got one step closer to happiness written by Antoaneta Borisova This is the story of Sasha and Anthony, a lovely gay couple, who have been struggling to be together for more than six years now. I use the word “lovely” not because I want this...

Red Bull Cliff Diving Returns to CPH

If you've had your head in the sand for the past few weeks (or have just moved to the country) then you might have missed out on some pretty awesome news: the return of Red Bull Cliff Diving to Copenhagen. Back in June 2013, several of the world's bravest athletes...

Danish Photographer wins prestigious prize

World Press Photo of the Year 2014, First Prize Contemporary Issues. Photo by Mads Nissen A photograph that highlights the difficulties facing sexual minorities in Russia has won the World Press Photo contest's top prize. 'Jon and Alex', from a project called...

Bikes in the Harbour: Is yours down there?

You'd be surprised at how many there are Man it was a chilly weekend in CPH. So I'm glad I warned my friends from the UK to bring extra clothing before they arrived on Wednesday afternoon. The couple flew in from the South West of England where temperatures are...

Super(villain)markets

Has anybody else noticed how unorganised a lot of the supermarkets here in Denmark are? I'd been living here for less than four hours when I was warned at the checkout in Fakta to always "check my receipt." The warning came from a friend, not an employee or a sign in...

Danish Imports – a photo exhibition

If you're new to Denmark, and even if you're not, you might be interested in my new exhibition taking place this evening (Wednesday 13th August) at Generator Hostel. Danish Imports aims to shine a different light on the many people who have in some way contributed to...

We have our Danish Imports!

Several weeks ago I wrote a blog calling for non-Danes to step forward to be part of a new exhibition I'm hosting. The response was insane, I'm pleased to say, and after some heavy vetting, I managed to narrow it down to just a few people. To quote the official...

DK. Closed.

It's taking some getting used to, this holiday malarkey. In fact, just today I urgently needed to head to the shops to get some supplies and pick up a brand new bicycle lock en route. I'd lost the other one during the CPH Marathon a few weeks back. As I headed down...

Foreigners wanted in Denmark

Right then, who wants to be photographed? More importantly, who can tick off each and every one of the requirements on this list, and wants to be photographed? i) You were not born in Denmark ii) You have either A) Moved here permanently or, B) moved here temporarily...

Expats & foreigners wanted for new photo exhibition

Right then, who wants to be photographed? More importantly, who can tick off each and every one of the requirements on this list, and wants to be photographed? i) You were not born in Denmark ii) You have either A) Moved here permanently or, B) moved here temporarily...

Office Chair Racing

The Office Chair Racing Championships returned to Copenhagen yesterday, as 24 brave - or crazy - men hurtled down the city's steepest and longest hill, Valby Bakke. This year's winner, Celli Shenar, aged 39, lifted the trophy for a second year in a row, after facing...

The Aftermath

Last Friday was cold and temperamental in Copenhagen. Add to this a trailer full of exhibition walls, a grumpy old man with his dog, dead-ends in carparks and a tight deadline to return borrowed goods and you’ve got yourself a recipe for a headache.

Yes that’s right, it’s Bryllupsmessen Friday all over again. As mentioned in my last post we had absolutely everything ready for 2014’s Wedding Fair at the Bella Center. And with the help of my Polish friend, Mikkael, we began loading the van and Silvan trailer with all the pictures, tables and temporary walls. We were only parked up on the pavement for a few minutes when the man and his dog arrived to give us a scolding. He was well within his rights to complain about parking on the pavement, I agree; so all I could do was apologise and explain to him that we would be very quick loading it all in. With a friendly smile I asked him what he thought was a better alternative, to which he angrily gestured towards the road and also screamed this word at me. I didn’t argue with him, but I definitely disagreed. With dozens of cars, trucks and buses tearing down the road each minute, I was well aware of the heightened risk of an accident on the road compared to the slow-paced and much less crowded / active area of the pavement where we were operating.

Back at the Bella Center our stand was taking shape. The banners were standing tall and Lia was in the process of adding some black material to the walls. It was at this point we realised that the backs of the walls were extremely visible and looked horrid. And so began a race around Copenhagen to try and find the same material. By this point the snow was settling on the ground and traffic on the motorway was slowing down. After missing our exit we were forced to keep driving until we could take the next one. We ended up much further away than we needed to be and in the struggle to try and find a short cut without a GPS system, I ended up driving in to a dead-end in a carpark designed for one-way traffic.

As the snow continued, Mikkael and I hastily uncoupled the trailer and began reversing the van all the way back out, dragging the trailer with us by hand. With just ten minutes to go, and with the roads already turning icy, we carefully made our way towards Silvan to drop off the trailer and avoid a late-fee. We did it with just seconds to spare.

Thankfully Lia and her dad had found the black stuff and when I returned I found the pair of them, plus the mother-in-law, stitching it all together. At that point I started to feel extremely grateful that these people were doing all they could to help me and my business. I can’t sow for shit! Just ask my mum…

The stitch-work was still happening when we got home later that evening. Everyone was tired and wanted to go to bed, but the sowing-machine was still running as the evening drew to a close.

I’m pleased to say it was all worth it. The next morning the material went up over the walls, covering every inch of them completely. Meanwhile, I had redesigned the layout of the picture frames and we hung them up together perfectly. On came the computer with the digital portfolio and out came the printed Wedding Albums. It was time to meet some wedding couples.

Throughout the weekend we met some fantastic people, all with a mixture of ideas for their big day. We didn’t want to appeal to everybody that passed by, just the ones who liked the look of my images, the cut of my jib, and the way I was dressed. I feel it’s best to concentrate on working with the people who you connect with on a personal and professional level instead of bowing to the needs of everybody. As a result we found ourselves chatting to social scientists, tattoo artists, an Englishman, people with bright red hair (again) and plenty of other interesting folk. Which is why this time around we enjoyed ourselves more than last year; the day seemed to fly by. It certainly helped having a chair to sit down on, too!

Packing away sucked as always. We were without a trailer unfortunately, which meant a return journey and a lot of awkward carrying. And we even bumped in to Mr Grumpy again whilst unloading at the side of the road and like last time he had something to say / scream. I explained to him that if it was me walking past two men struggling with heavy equipment on a Sunday evening I would offer to help instead of complaining. And do you know what he said, ladies and gentlemen? “I don’t want to.”

Nice guy.

Groom Ignored By Wedding Photographer Who Preferred To Shoot Bridesmaids’ Boobs and Bums.

Out-of-focus Photos of a wedding have emerged that has led newlyweds, Steph and Paul Unwin, to take the wedding photographer to court. The controversy was, that out of all the photos by the so-called professional they hired, only 11 shots were of the groom; the...

Danish Imports: The Opera Singer

We've come to the end of our revisit to the Danish Imports exhibition, and today we're finishing off with somebody who I'm very fond of. I hope you've enjoyed reading these interviews and the images that accompany them. A lot of love and time went in to the planning...

Finding locations for great Wedding Photography Portraits

Another wedding came and went yesterday. It was an all day wedding, and those are mentally and physically demanding; especially when working alone. Imagine for 13 hours you're trying to keep thoughts fresh and exciting, whilst remaining relatively anonymous and...

Same-Sex marriage in Denmark

Or, how Sasha and Anthony got one step closer to happiness written by Antoaneta Borisova This is the story of Sasha and Anthony, a lovely gay couple, who have been struggling to be together for more than six years now. I use the word “lovely” not because I want this...

Denmark: the land of pork, windmills and same-sex marriage

Or, how Sasha and Anthony got one step closer to happiness written by Antoaneta Borisova This is the story of Sasha and Anthony, a lovely gay couple, who have been struggling to be together for more than six years now. I use the word “lovely” not because I want this...

The Aftermath

Last Friday was cold and temperamental in Copenhagen. Add to this a trailer full of exhibition walls, a grumpy old man with his dog, dead-ends in carparks and a tight deadline to return borrowed goods and you've got yourself a recipe for a headache. Yes that's right,...

Bryllupsmessen

This time last year my future was hanging on a thread. Just around the corner was Copenhagen's biggest Wedding Fair (or is it Fayre?) at the Bella Centre - known simply as Bryllupsmessen. And despite having done several weddings in the past, I had never actually tried...