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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

#1

Bosch Bosch

Bosch Bosch

The old Bosch signs light up the front of it's new occupant, Bob's Bistro.

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    #2

    Rainbows

    Rainbows

    Neon lights create a rainbow on the front of this old building in Kødbyen.

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    #3

    Go Right

    Go Right

    A bus heads right at Rådhuspladsen.

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    #4

    Hidden Sculpture

    Hidden Sculpture

    A sculpture that remains hidden during the spring and the summer under thick patches of algae is finally revealed as the algae dies from the cold.

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    #5

    Round Tower

    Round Tower

    The Round Tower wears a crown of Christmas lights in the Inner City.

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    #6

    Rush Hour

    Rush Hour

    The Copenhagen Central Station during rush hour.

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    #7

    Tivoli

    Tivoli

    The swings spin quickly during the last night of the autumn season at Tivoli.

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    #8

    Dark And Empty

    Dark And Empty

    Traffic speeds by these abandoned storefronts in Christianshavn.

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    #9

    Nørrebro Station Perron

    Nørrebro Station Perron

    The platform at Nørrebro Station as a train zooms by.

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    #10

    Nørrebro Station

    Nørrebro Station

    Someone waits for the train at the Nørrebro Station.

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    #11

    Canal Tour

    Canal Tour

    A canal tour zips by on a cold afternoon in Christianshavn.

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    #12

    Børsen

    Børsen

    A full traffic light cycle produced only this much light on the road that passed the old stock exchange building, Børsen.

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    #13

    Ghosts

    Ghosts

    This heavily trafficked pedestrian street looks empty after a 30-second exposure was used.

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    #14

    Depression

    Depression

    Around February everyone starts to get bothered by the darkness. I took this long exposure after a particularly bad week of vitamin d drain.

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    #15

    The Dubliner

    The Dubliner

    Some friends smoke in front of a popular bar.

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    #16

    Nyhavn At Christmas

    Nyhavn At Christmas

    This popular harbor makes for an adorable little Christmas market.

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    Nea
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Nyhavn is my most favorite place in the world. This shot captures the mood pf the place perfectly.

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    #17

    The Lakes

    The Lakes

    Taken of The Lakes in the Østerbro neighborhood. This incredibly long exposure reveals a black swamp of water barely reflecting any of the lights from the dense city around it.

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    #18

    Superkillen

    Superkillen

    One of the most popular Instagram locations in Copenhagen, this park is a dark desert wasteland in winter.

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    #19

    New Year

    New Year

    If you ever want to do something awesome for New Year's eve, head to Copenhagen where they shoot fireworks without reservation.

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    #20

    Rare Sunset

    Rare Sunset

    A rare winter sunset over Vesterbrogade.

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    #21

    It's All Yellow

    It's All Yellow

    The heavy yellow street lights casts a heavy yellow color over everything.

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    #22

    After The Rain

    After The Rain

    The city streets glow from the light shining off the wet cobblestones after a rain.

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    #23

    Axel Towers

    Axel Towers

    Traffic speeds by the Axel Towers.

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    #24

    Venstre

    Venstre

    A city bus turns left off Vesterbrogade.

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    #25

    Hotel Imperial

    Hotel Imperial

    This image of a very dark and typically empty hotel reveals an interior still aglow with life.

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