Eurovision Song Contest 2014 – 5

Karin Ott

My reason for going to the venue today was to capture an image of this young man, Basim. He is representing Denmark with a very catchy pop song that most of us can sing along to by now. I have no doubt the people in charge of the National Danish Radio hopes he doesn’t win. It is horribly expensive to host the international event – a task that falls to the winning nation.

The press was not allowed inside the hall today but I have a few images from the other days I want to share. I found myself immensely fascinated with all the heavy equipment around the stage. This is what it looks like in front rather than on the stage during rehearsals.

Karin Ott

And if you look at the stage but not at the singers, you might see this sight…

Karin Ott

Eurovision Song Contest 2014 – 3

Karin Ott

Today was the first day the press was allowed inside the venue hall during the rehearsals. The stage as well as the 10,000 seats have been built especially for this year’s Eurovision Song Contest.

The site once housed a shipyard and the hall is gigantic but it doesn’t feel huge. It feels magical. I have never seen a space this amazing with so many dimensions to light and colour. I tried my best and I’ll keep trying but it’s impossible to capture.

First image is the Armenian contestant, Aram MP3 (not kidding).

Karin Ott

Also from the Armenian rehearsal, discussing some of the details.

Karin Ott

Latvia, Aarzemnieki, rehearsing.

Eurovision Song Contest 2014 – 2

Karin Ott

I feel very privileged in having press accreditation to the Eurovision Song Contest. The only taker for my photos (and words for a change) is a small, monthly local paper. So I can do what I want – no agenda. Which brings me back to why I applied in the first case. I love stories!

10,000 people with accreditation. 1,600 press people from 80 countries. 90,000 people attending 9 shows, 180 mill. watching on television… Every single part of me was itching to get to experience, and document, this huge event from the inside. To go where I would not normally be able to go and take pictures. My idea is to show what goes on behind the actual show though of course it is impossible for me to resist great lines and colour. Todays image fulfill both these desires. The pavilion is part of the press area and the large building looming in the background contains the stage. Tomorrow I get to go in.

Copenhagen 6, 2013

Karin Ott

Here is the guard at the Queen’s residence. Every day at noon the change of guards starts at Rosenborg Castle where the barracks are. The guards walk through the city to be in place for the change at noon. It is not uncommon for people to follow them from Rosenborg to Amalienborg. I always feel very fond of my hometown when I accidentally come across the uniformed soldiers with their music corps marching along in the middle of the street.

Copenhagen 5, 2013

Karin Ott

Time to play the tourist…

View of the Marble Church across the square of Amalienborg. You can’t call Amalienborg a castle though the Queen lives here. They are four identical but separate buildings that were not originally meant to house the royal family.

I like how there’s free access to the area. You can walk right up to the buildings, even drive across the square. All you’ll see is the famous royal guard with their bearskin hats in front of their little red houses.

Copenhagen 4, 2013

Karin Ott

This used to be a news stand. It’s on Sankt Hans Torv – a great place to sit in the sun and drink coffee / wine / beer and eat brunch / lunch / croissants / dinner.

The square is within walking distance from the inner city (across the bridge from Nørreport Station) but the feel is very different. It is a multi ethnical neighborhood with many cafés, designer shops and ‘antique’ shops.

Copenhagen 1, 2013

Karin Ott

This is a fun little experiment. One day early in the fall I took a friend and two cameras to Søerne in Copenhagen. This is the result of a portrait taken with a Leica D-Lux4. It’s a compact camera without interchangeable lenses but it shoots RAW format and lets you adjust aperture, shutter speed or shoot manual if you feel the need. And it looks cool. So I bought it used without being completely sure what my plans were for it. I thought it would liv win my car so I would never be without a camera but that didn’t quite work for me.

As you will see when I post another portrait in the same surroundings tomorrow, there is a big difference between the images the Leica and the Nikon will produce. I’m sure preference will be personal. I really love my Nikon so I don’t use the Leica much (as in ‘hardly at all’) but I think it might well be a better choice for street photography – if I was to get into that at some point 🙂