January is not a photography month in CPH

Even though the weather in January in Copenhagen didn't scream out for a lot photography, there's still things to do, like visiting the Copenhagen Zoo. I got there around feeding time for this bird, as it gulped down the mouse. With an abundance of nice museums in Copenhagen, this is a fine time to get indoors to take some snaps of the exhibitions.

Start with an icicle

Soon it will be the last month of the year and this has made me think, that I'll use some posts here on looking back on it photography wise. My photography year started here in Arbrå in Sweden on New Year's morn with a very cold winter view. From there the year has taken me around Copenhagen a lot and Denmark a bit, not to mention a cold Budapest, a spring-warm Berlin, a great road trip through Germany, Italy and France, and a quick trip to London. So there's lot to tell you about in the next couple of weeks.

Basilica again

The last post from Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen for now is this photo the Basilica with the traditional Christmas decorations as a frame. Despite the more negative voices I've heard about this year's Russian theme, I actually think Tivoli has done a good job of weighing the traditional Danish Christmas with the Russian one. Just because it's new and foreign doesn't mean that it's not good.

It's a Garden

Tivoli in Copenhagen is not called the Tivoli Gardens for nothing. They take pride in having flowers and plants making the amusement park looking pretty no matter what time of the season it is. So expect to find flowers blooming or at least with colours even during the Christmas market. These yellow berries made for some nice colours against the clear blue sky the day I went there, so I had to have a few shots of them.

That's a reindeer

Tivoli even got live reindeer at their Christmas Market. These you can't buy, though, they're only for show. But a great thing to watch for the kids.

Also a market

The Christmas opening at Tivoli was actually started as a Christmas market, and that is still very much the case. A lot of stalls selling all manner of Christmas or winter related stuff, like woollen gloves and fur hats, or stuff to eat or drink. It's probably not the cheapest place in town to buy your Christmas gifts, but I guess they have a lot of passers by that suddenly realize that they really do need that big ceramics Santa for the garden.

A tree of hearts

A tradition that still is on at Tivoli during Christmas is the tree of hearts. Hung with hearts that are lit at night and with three giant hearts made out of crystals beside it, it does make an impact on the visitors.

Getting some warmth

Xmas time is also a cold time in Denmark, so Tivoli has made sure that you can get some warmth into those frozen fingers by putting op these coal braziers around the garden.

Open for business

The rides in Tivoli is open for business during the Russian Christmas Market, but remember to dress warm as it might be a tad cold in the wind.

An Icy Peacock

The elfs and the normal peacock on the pantomime theatre in Tivoli, has been replaced this Christmas with babushka dolls (actually they are matryoshka dolls) and a peacock with a ice-blue-and-white colour scheme. The dolls are part of a treasure hunt for children that will take them to various parts of the garden.

Still Traditional

I've heard some people complaining that it's not traditional to have a Russian Christmas in Tivoli and that the kids will be disappointed about it. Well, I'm not sure if these people has actually been around the gardens much or if they have only seen the Russian area, because there's still a lot of traditional stuff here. Outside the Restaurant Grøften patrons are greeted by this Santa in full gear and the gardens are filled to the brim with ordinary Christmas decorations, so yes, it's still very much a traditional Christmas here.

Father Frost

Visitors to Tivoli are greeted by the Russian version of Santa Claus, Father Frost, all decked out in blue and white. In the Russian area you can get your photo taken with him in his sled while having a cozy chat with him about your wishes for Christmas.

The Swan Lake

Another addition to Tivoli's Christmas Market this year is this Swan Lake, referring to Russian composer Tchaikovsky's ballet of that name. And as the swan also has a leading role in Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale The Ugly Duckling and because the swan is the national bird of Denmark, it's a very appropriate thing to have here during the Russian Christmas Market.

Onion Domes

Inside Tivoli Gardens there is quite a surprise to many; a big scale model of a Russian Basilica, the Vasilij Cathedral with colourful onion domes instead of the traditional great hall with jolly pixies. And I must confess that as opposed to many others, I quite like the change.

Something amiss

Each year from mid-November until the end of December the Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen has a Christmas market with a heavy emphasis on the traditional Christmas things; Santa Claus, lots of Christmas decorations and the appropriate food. But something is amiss. At the entrance to Tivoli a drummer stands guard, announcing that not all is as it used to be. And he looks suspiciously Russian.

Going home

After the Hubertusjagt in Dyrehaven people head for home after a few great hours in the autumn clad park. Among them a happy winner of the ponies run-up.

Two winners

The winners of the Hubertusjagt run-up 2011 for horses was Kamille Dumong Erichsen on Harry Potter, seen here with trophy and winner's blanket respectively.

A winner

At most parforce hunts there's no winner, but at the Hubertusjagt they've got a run-up for both horses and ponies, so here they can have a winner, or rather two. The trophy is here presented by HRH Prince Henrik to the winner of the pony run-up, Caroline Utzon-Rødbro on Mørkbaks Doth.

To make a buck

Whenever crowds gathers for an event the money sits loose in their pockets, and so the entrepreneurs gather as well. At the Hubertusjagt in Dyrehaven they know that people here are mostly families and that they like horses (or their kids do). So the local carriages, called kapervogne in Danish, are ready to transport people around for a buck or two.

How to catch a horse...or not

Not all the riders in Hubertusjagten stays on the horse all the time, so a horse with no rider is not out of the ordinary. In this instance this spectator didn't catch it, but he didn't get run over either. Horse and rider were united a few minutes later, though, as the horse sought its mates in the front of the pack.

A sport for spectators

With 30.000 to 40.000 people watching the Hubertusjagt this has turned this annual parforce hunt into a spectators sport, with the people flocking to the more spectacular obstacles. If the weather permits it, lunch and hot drinks are brought and the whole family can enjoy a day in the park among the deer.

Fly with me

The riders in the Hubertusjagt are in two packs, the regular horses first and the ponies behind them. But they mostly jump the same obstacles, so the ponies almost have to learn how to fly to get over.

How to jump a fence

The traditional parforce hunt, the Hubertusjagt was the event of the day last Sunday as it always is on the first Sunday in November. It is held in one of my favorite places, Dyrehaven, just north of Copenhagen and it's a brilliant way to spend an autumn grey Sunday, especially if you like to watch the world through a view finder.

A house for the industry

On Rådhuspladsen in central Copenhagen a building is taking shape. It's not really a new building but rather a heavily renovated one; the Industriens Hus (House of the Industry), which houses the Danish Industry, shops and a cinema. With a new glass façade, a newly shaped front and an extra floor this one looks like it's a major improvement over the original one, even though it might be to go too far to call it beautiful. The new building should be finished by 31th of May 2013.

Burned

On the 28th of September one of the landmarks of Copenhagen the sports and event hall KB-Hallen on Frederiksberg, burned. The massive fire gutted most of the hall but the fire brigade managed to save some of the adjoining buildings. As the building from 1938 is listed, it has been decided to rebuild it as it was before the fire. When that happens is still unsure.

Purple on green

The last of my macro shots for now is this one of a sea of purple on a bed of green, also from Kongens Have in Copenhagen.

All blurry

When photographing with the macro lens I like to try to get as much blur (bokeh) in the background as possible by using as low an f-number as the lens will give. This flower from Kongens Have made for a nice green background when shot from above, with the flower stalk trailing a blurry purple.

Dreamy

Taken from above these closed flowers look almost dreamy. The shot is from Kongens Have, taken with the 105mm Nikon macro lens.

Getting close

Another shot from the last flowers still with colour in Kongens Have, Copenhagen, shot with the 105mm Nikon macro lens.

Blue

I like my 105mm macro but use it way too rarely. This one is from some of the last flowers in Kongens Have this fall.