Sjællands Odde

Denmark is a nation of islands and peninsulas reaching out into the cold and brutal seas of northern Europe. To the west of Jylland lies the North Sea and to the east of Sjælland is the Baltic. My own personal experience with these epic bodies of water are fueled with tales from my husband of ice cold water and waves as high as skyscrapers, dotted by faint glimpses gathered during a few visits to the coast. Although many believe these two waters meet, they are in fact separated by a body of water called the Kattegat. In early summer 2014 I had the opportunity to stay in a summer house with my family on a spit of land called Sjælland’s Odde, reaching out into the Kattegat, extending from the northeast corner of Sjælland. The time spent there was filled with breathing in the fresh sea air, eating Danish summer meals of smoked fish, ærter and koldskål, and taking long walks in the fickle Danish weather. The house was perfectly situated, with nothing but trees and coastal grass between us and the ocean. These images, taken over the span of our visit to Sjælland’s Odde, are a recording of the shifting ocean light at the end of the day. Each photograph was taken from the same spot of land, in the same manner, over the same twenty minutes as the sun was setting. Although the surrounding seas hold tales of rough water, the Kattegat was surprisingly soft and held immense beauty. The photographs are part of my quest to make a pure recording of light and color with the camera as my tool.