Copenhagen in 35mm

I can’t believe I made it back to my favourite place on earth - Copenhagen, Denmark. A spur of the moment decision turned out to be one of the best I’ve made all year, as I forgot how much of my heart I had left in this city all those years ago. I hadn’t been back since 2016 and I’m upset with myself for waiting this long to make my what was once a yearly pilgrimage. The great thing about Copenhagen is that things never really change. The grocery store I used to live next to on Blegdamsvej is still there, albeit larger and more flashy; the local bar I would drag my friends to when they would come visit is still alive and kicking on Nørrebrogade; and the iconic buildings I remember so fondly are still proudly standing (except for beautiful Borsen, which sadly burnt down earlier this year). It was so great to be back and even a month later, my heart still hurts thinking about much I love it here.

Although I was only in Copenhagen for three days, I tried to fit in as much as humanly possible. I stayed at Babette Guldsmeden on Bredgade, one of my favourite streets in Indre By. It is steps away from Churchillparken and Marmorkirken, one of the most beautiful structures in the city. I made it a priority to visit Designmuseum Danmark, Det Nationale Fotomuseum in det Kongelige Bibliotek, and the Dansk Arkitektur Centre, all of which were phenomenal. I even caught the tail-end of Irma: A Design Story at the Designmuseum which was just amazing. I shopped at Posterland (an old favourite), Jazzcup (a jazz cafe and store, where I picked up a record by Plum and I), Storm, New Mags, Naked Copenhagen, HAY, and Flying Tiger. I stopped by the TikTok-famous Lidkøb, an incredible flea market in Østerbro, where I found a Stine Goya dress for 1/5th of the original price. I ate pastries at Hart Bageri and Apotek 57; drank øl at Warpigs in Kødbyen and vin at the Lille Blå Vinbar on Esplanaden where I met a new friend; and had delicious meals at Bottega Barlie, La Banchina, Hija de Sanchez, and Studio X Kitchen. I spent quality time with my Danish mor which healed my heart and soul. I visited her pilates studio, PWR 8 (absolutely gorgeous!), and we explored the new area of Copenhagen, Carlsbergbyen , and went to the Van Gogh Exhibit on Refshaløen. It truly was such a special trip and I am already longing to go back - if my soul was a city, it would be København.

Photographs were taken with my Canon ELAN 7 using a combination of Fujicolor 200, Kodak Portra 400, and Kodak ColourPlus 200 films developed and scanned at Downtown Camera.

Paris in 35mm

My time in Paris was short, but so much fun. After arriving in Paris via the Eurostar, I checked into Hotel Vernet and then met up with my dear friend Lauren, who is a fashion photographer in Paris. We went for dinner at Franquette, a warm, intimate spot in the 9th arrondissement before bar hopping in Pigalle. The following day my colleague and I toured the city, visiting the Musée Marmottan Monet, admiring the extravagant storefronts along Champs-Élysées, and shopping in the 11th arrondissement at Merci, Oh My Cream!, Papier Tigre, and Ofr Paris, which is one of the coolest bookstore/gallery spaces I have ever been to. For dinner, we ate at Bouche Paris, which I cannot recommend enough - the food, the drinks, and the atmosphere were phenomenal. We even saw Joseph Lee there! Monday was my final day in Paris after a whirlwind of a weekend. After attending our meeting, we wandered through Place Vendôme, ate pastries at the Ritz Le Comptoir, viewed the fantastic Basquiat x Warhol exhibit at the Louis Vuitton Foundation, and ended our day at Monsieur Bleu in Palais de Tokyo, with the Eiffel Tower twinkling in the distance. A perfect 48 hours in Paris!