Denmark -> Germany

I am spending two weeks traveling through Germany with University of Missouri students to Hannover, Hamburg and Munich as part of the first photojournalism study abroad short course. It is the perfect transition to reconnect with Mizzou and while continuing to explore Europe. First, we attended theLumix Festival for young photojournalism and then Hamburg to tour publications and finally to Munich for a photo story workshop.  

Jen Tse and Barbara Beltramello at the Lumix festival

The Germany Mizzou crew (minus Naveen).

Leaving the hotel in Hannover, Germany.

Two young girls ride the subway together in Hannover, Germany.

Leah Beane walks through an exhibition at the Lumix Festival in Hannover, Germany.

LIVING ON THE LIMITS

Here is the multimedia I completed with my classmate Pirita Männikkö for our multimedia project with Bombay Flying Club. We were given one week to shoot and a few days to edit a piece under the theme of Arts & Culture. We found Rap Academeit, a rap academy in Aarhus for young people, which led us to Berfin, an 18-year old muslim rapper. 

At the rap academy they call her the crazy one but at home she has to know her place.

18-year-old Berfin Teke faces adulthood which means a choice between hip hop or embracing Islam, her religion.

Into The Sea: Denmark's Winter Swimmers

They do it for the water, the birds, the sea and the sunrise. When Denmark's water temperature dips below freezing they submerge. Winter sea swimming has been a longstanding Danish tradition believed by some to make the body stronger and less susceptible to sickness. 

I have been photographing a group of elderly winter swimmers who drop their bathrobes to go into the sea every morning. The group has been swimming together for over 10 years. Many of the members go without their spouses and have created long standing relationships with each other based on trust. 

"If you miss it you feel like there's something you haven't got"

A bird flies over the swimming dock in Risskov, Denmark.

Jytte Lauridsen's bathrobe blows in the wind as she prepares to swim in the sea.

Helga Bjorneker and Henning Jensen disrobe on the dock in Risskov, Denmark.

Helga Bjorneker swims in the winter sea before sunrise.

Mariann Kristoffersen stands on the dock after swimming. The tradition is believed to be healthy for blood circulation in the body.

The sea foam reaches the shore in Risskov, Denmark.

Hans Henning Jorgensen floats in the sea in Risskov, Denmark.

Helga Bjorneker and Henning Jensen walk away from the sea to warm up with the rest of the winter swimmers. The swimmers have a rule that they must never go alone.

Journey to España

I spent the last two weeks traveling through Spain for my spring vacation abroad. I started in Barcelona and traveled south through Sitges, Madrid, Toledo and Cordoba. I was lucky enough to get to experience Semana Santa, holy week, Easter precessions in Cordoba and Toledo and a Passover sedar in Madrid.

A view of Barcelona atop Gaudi's Palau Guell.

Handmade espadrilles at La Manuel Alpargatera.

Semana Santa precession in Cordoba, Spain.

Market in Madrid.

Taylor Vorthermes at the Reina Sofia in Madrid, Spain.

Semana Santa precessions in Toledo, Spain.

A goodbye at the beach in Sitges, Spain.

Kin-Ball

Here are a few photos from an assignment with the Danish School of Media and Journalism's magazine CITAT. I photographed Kin-Ball, a sport that involves a giant inflatable ball and a lot of ducking (especially on my part). I chose to photograph the feature side of the sport using direct flash. 

Kim Vigeholm

Thomas Petersen

Linda Pedersen and Kim Vigeholm

Anders Christiansen

Thomas Petersen and Amalie Esberg

Kim Vigeholm

together in limbo

I recently finished my magazine project at the Danish School of Media and Journalism. The magazine was a collective work of 10 individual stories under the theme "Europe's New Challenges." Each photographer was responsible for the photo story, text and layout design.

I photographed Lucina, a woman who escaped Russia and is now living in Denmark's largest asylum seeker camp. While in Russia Lucina lost her mother to murder and was raped on the same night. When she arrived to Denmark that she was three months pregnant. She lives with her now 2-year-old son David in the camp and is still waiting to find out of she will be approved for refugee status in Denmark.

Working on this project was challenging for me as far as access, language barriers, gaining trust of the asylum seekers but most of all emotionally. I met Lucina through the help of local residents, people who used to live in Sandholm and people who currently live there.

The photo story and text can be viewed on pages 62-69 here:

together in limbo

Past 24:00

A mix of film and digital.

Barbie Girl, Real World

Lene Darlie Pedersen has dolls. Over 3000 of them. She has been collecting Barbies that date as far back as 1959 when the first versions were produced in Germany. Her personal collection with her husband in her home extends to vintage drawings, sewing figurines and doll houses. 

Day in the life: Dating in Denmark

For our day in the life assignment I photographed Lesley Peel. Peel has lived internationally but settled in Denmark in 2005 with her former husband and three children. Peel and her husband split recently and since she has become a member of the exclusive online dating website Elite Daters. However, Peel has found it difficult to connect on dates through the language barrier and struggles to make the decision to stay in Denmark and find a partner, move abroad or return to the UK with her 11-year-old daughter.

Peel stands in the doorway of her classroom where she teaches at Rygaards International School in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Peel holds her 11-year-old daughters book bag while she puts on her coat after school.

Peel washes dishes and prepares dinner in her apartment in Copenhagen, Denmark. Peel was living in a home owned by her husband's company but when they separated she moved into a smaller apartment with her children.

Peel stands alone in her kitchen in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Peel goes on a date with a man she met on the Elite Daters website. 

Peel walks her dog Daisy in her new neighborhood in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Sea Dog

This is my happy place.