Why Italy.

The summer in Denmark has basically been non existing this past 1,5 month so a dear friend of mine and I agreed that we needed to feel the sun for a week and unwind a bit underneath a palm tree or two. After a bit of research we chose Italy and the Amalfi coast as the destination.

Italy has been a very dear country to me ever since my first visit back in 2000 when I was just 9 or 10 years old. It was the first country I experienced besides Scandinavia. I went with my parents and my little brother, Lukas, and I remember we explored the museums, the streets, the FOOD and the people of Venice, Florence and Tuscany. The experience is dominated by memories of a very special kind of heat and smell. Smell of very ripe tomatoes and pizzes from stone-ovens. After we returned back home to Denmark, my parents cooked italian food non-stop for like half a year or something. It was kind of magical. 

Back to year 2016.

What I usually do when packing is mainly thinking of the kind of activities the trip will consist of. This travel had three key activities: unwinding in the sun, eating loads of tasty gluten dishes and taking some summer-ish pictures. So roughly put  all I needed was bikinis, stretchy clothes leaving space for the growing belly bella and my photo gear. In all seriousness when it comes to packing, my needs are pretty simple and as often as possible I travel with cabin luggage. I like to have all things close to me and the best bonus is that it saves me from waiting for checked in luggage at the arrival time. 

The things.

When traveling with a cabin suitcase I always bring a smaller bag for instance a tote or a fanny pack carrying the things I need close at hand while flying. I don't remember if I ever travelled without my laptop since I got my first white MacBook back in 2006? It has become a true essential for me in order to empty my SD cards as they get loaded along the way. No need to explain why passport and wallet is always with me, but hand-cream, lip balm and gum are small life-savers for me. My skin literally cracks open immediately in the airplane if it doesn't get enough moisturizer. To make it even worse 'm secured a solid nosebleed on trips lasting more than 3 hours if I'm not making sure to put some oil up there in the drills . The air-con is a bit of a bitch to me. The gum I always carry to equalise the pressure in the ears but also to offer my side-passenger a piece if we have a tight bad breath situation. The four-leaved clover is a gift and has been with me ever since I got it.. I'm not very superstitious normally, but I ain't happy travelling around without this one. 

Shoes. 

I never ever travel without comfortable shoes. Sneakers over heels always and I pick out my foot-wear before anything else. On this trip I went a bit overboard with three pairs of Adidas. The Ultra Boost white and clear grey, as well as the newly released Ultra Boost Uncaged (Gift: Thanks for providing me Adidas Denmark!) and the Adilette W sandal. 

The suitcase. 

I had a minor problem just before I had to leave, that left me with no cabin suitcase at hand. So what happend was that along came the lovely women at the danish PR agency Geelmuyden-Kiese and saved me by lending me the new Cosmopolite 3.0 2016 from Samsonite. These words aren't sponsored and even if they were, you guys must know by now that I'm pretty frank about my words and reviews of products. My opinion can't be bought, such a cliché thing to say, but it's super important for me to emphasize on in these SoMe marketing days. Anyway the suitcase is not just pretty, but also super light weighted, combined with a strong case leaving my things secure. One of my favorite features of it is how the wheels offer 360° flexibility when moving. You can both drag it on two wheels and push it on all four. It allowed me to carry it in different and comfortable ways, which is something I and my weak arms valued a lot through out the whole trip. My only concern I had about it was that the case ended up having a pair of scratches, even though I did my best to take good care of it. So if that is something that bugs you I would probably go for a soft-cased suitcase. 

Back in June I had the pleasure of being featured in an Instagram campaign for Apple Music shot by the good man Max Madsen. Go check his legit feed. 
I feel so blessed to have all these talented people around me that wants to collaborate with me in their respective creative projects.
Can't stress it enough. 
For the people that has been asking on different social medias, the pictures are shot underneath a bridge at Amager Strandpark in Copenhagen.

if I should have done something differently, I would probably have ironed that shirt! But who cares anyway ;) 

Coat, Won Hundred.  Shirt, &OtherStories

So, something quite amazing happened a month ago or so. 
Before I tell, I'll dig into two questions that I get every once in a while

- "How did you get into photography?" 
- "Are you a photographer?" .

How did you get into photography? could be followed up by a long answer, but for this post I'll limit myself to three aspects of it: My grandmother and mother have always been interested in photography but never went for it and they've somehow passed along the interest. I've always been taking a lot of vacation photos. But the real transition from it being a hobby towards becoming something serious, started in the realm of my entrance on Instagram, and eventually meeting a few key persons that has inspired, helped and pushed me to get serious about it. This leads me to the answer of the second question.

.. in the realm of of my entrance on Instagram.

Are you a photographer? is what I'll focus on in this post. In relation to photography I've never attended an art school to learn how to photograph. Instead my photography schoolin' has been through masterclasses and 1-on-1 time with amazing photographers, where they have told me what they thought was important for me to understand in terms of photography. They have shared everything from settings on the camera in specific situations, work flow in editing programs or how to approach a subject you want to photograph. For me it has been the best way to evolve, because I was given tools and advices when I needed help, but I have had 100p space to feel free with it as well. I've gotten the chance to put myself into the artwork; my feelings, my take and my intuition, and not just focus on getting all the technical stuff right to get a technical good photo. I think this has been defining my way of approaching photography.

So getting back to actually answering the question, yes I am a photographer.
It isn't a protected title which means that you're free to call yourself a photographer without a having undertaken a degree. But It's not until recently that I started replying with confidence "yes I am photographer" when people asked me. It's been a steady process. A process for me which is still full of respect for the persons I've learned from and with a recognition that i'm not half as good as them - I still have reflections like how can I call myself what they are? But with paychecks coming in because of photojobs I do and people paying their respect to my work, I reached the point where it feels alright to say without having to taste every word when replying "yes I am". I'm still perfectly aware that there are still many years of learning in front of me and I can't wait. 

.. my photography schoolin' has been through masterclasses
and 1-on-1 time

.. Full of respect for the persons I've learned from

So that amazing thing that happened. Knowing where I can improve I started researching on how I could possibly expand the collection of photographers I've been learning from. This time I knew I wanted to add a fellow woman. And faster than a motherfucker I found out it had to be Kia Hartelius due to her professionalism, and the crooked and quirky feeling to her photography. Luckily she thought it was a good idea that we joined forces and that means I'm now her assistant on various photogigs. It has already been too cool. This is the latest step in my process of wearing the title tag "photographer" with confidence.

Last week we went to Aarhus for a couple of days to shoot a campaign. Since the content is exclusive I just putted together some behind the scenes iPhone flicks from the days over there. Besides sharing my happiness, I also just wanted to write for the 60th times that things you wish for will happen if you approach them with kindness, passion, boldness and good intentions. Don't be afraid of saying you want to learn, it's not the same as devaluating yourself or your skills, it's straight up imposing. So seriously go dream big and trace down the path towards those dreams - you'll get there or end up an even better place. Yes lawd!