Vitamin D Fortified: My Struggle As A Photographer Living In Denmark During Winter

The sun rises at 8:30 in the morning and sets sometime around 3:30 in the afternoon. I believe one of the hardest parts about living in Scandinavia is the darkness… It's not only the lack of sunlight that affects me the most, but also the disruption of my circadian rhythm because of the lack of sunlight.

I find it difficult to get up in the morning. Coming from a place where I would rise with the sun (Southern California), and moving to a place where the sun comes up sometime around 9 a.m. can get to a person.

Yes, it is cold. Yes, it is very windy (and the wind is painful), and it’s bitter cold on days when the sun is out and rains on days when you would prefer snow. The perpetual darkness isn’t something that bothers you right away… but it does start to bother you.

As I made my way through my very first winter in Copenhagen, Denmark, I noticed that the world around me started to light up as the sun slowly faded from view. Even though the darkness was heavy, there was still this inviting light shining all over. And as I started to feel drained from the lack of sun, I also felt this desire to seek out new sources of light.

Most of these images were taken between the hours of 3 and 5 p.m. on a 30-second shutter speed at f12 or f16. I set up my tripod on a street corner or somewhere I knew looked interesting in the daylight, focused on the light I could see, pushed my button and just waited. Often these locations are really dark with one or two street lights illuminating a path. But after allowing the light to flood the sensor for 30 seconds, an entirely new world filled with light would reveal itself in my camera.

This is how I mentally survived three winters in Denmark, and these images continue to be some of my most popular today.

More info: kelleyhudson.com