Photography

A summer in Copenhagen

How my summer abroad helped me slow down and shoot for myself.

l truly believe that the ordinary is much more interesting than people make out.
Martin Parr

Photography as a passion

Before my international study experience, I struggled to define myself as an artist. I often labeled myself as a portrait or fashion photographer, but the truth is I was simply trying to find a niche that could lead to a job. As a senior graduating during one of the worst economic periods in recent history, practicality often overshadowed passion. At times, I felt as though I was betraying my artistic instincts by limiting my work to what felt employable rather than what felt honest.

Change

I chose to study in Copenhagen because I had not left the United States since immigrating from the Ivory Coast over fifteen years ago. I felt confined within my bubble in Ann Arbor and desperately needed exposure to a different way of living and creating. Copenhagen offered that and more. The city values history, innovation, and the arts in a way that feels deeply intentional. Walking through preserved cobblestone streets, visiting countless museums, and witnessing modern infrastructure seamlessly integrated into historic architecture reshaped how I think about space, design, and respect for the past.

A waterfront in Denmark

Slowing down

I brought only my camera and two lenses, a 35mm and an 85mm. One allowed me to document intimate, personal moments, while the other let me focus on people from a respectful distance. As I photographed the city, I became aware of the Danish concept of “hygge,” a shared sense of comfort and ease. I saw people napping in parks, biking to the beach after work, and moving through life without urgency. This sense of calm reminded me of my childhood in the Ivory Coast and reconnected me to a version of myself I had lost.

A beach in Malmo, Sweden

This experience shifted my focus away from external expectations and back toward my own curiosity. Instead of creating work for employers, I began creating for myself. The images I captured do not fully express everything I felt in Copenhagen, but they represent meaningful moments of rediscovery and artistic clarity.