My 10th year Anniversary

[Written 01/03/2017]

It just hit me that today is exactly ten years ago that I found out that I wanted to be a photographer... Has it really been ten years already?

It has gone by so fast and at the same time I remember how slow I also thought time could be.

 

Today some people think and express when they bump into me "Wow this guy is doing good" or "Everything just falls into his lap". The reason for where I'm today is because of hard work, it took a lot of sweat and tears to get here. Like a real cliche. For 7 years I struggled with paying my bills and most of the time during those years I had a part time job next to a full time job while I tried to get my company up and going. But I also know that to be able to success and evolve, I have to keep working hard like I've always done. Always move forward and only step backwards when you think something needs to be improved. The number of likes and following are and should never be what define success... if that's the primary motivation then you're in it for the wrong reasons... heck those two things you can buy nowadays anyway.

My only and honest advice is to be passionate about your life and your precious time and keep that fire burning within. I'm grateful that I've managed to create a career that is driven by my passion. I'm incredible humble for all the experiences and for all of you I've worked and who also is the main reason for where I am today, you know who you are.

What to expect for the next ten years? I don't know, my aim is to take one day at the time and go shoot everyday for as long as I can.

Today did not only mark my 10th year Anniversary, actually if it wasn't for the fall of Jagtvej 69, I might not have even remembered that it was my Anniversary... heck I wouldn't even know if I was a photographer today if it wasn't for the events that happened those 10 years ago?

I was having a busy day, a'lot of meeting and deadlines I had to finish, so I was going back and forth in the city and then back to the office editing. I was not even aware that today was the day hundreds of people was going to demonstrate and walking in memorial for the fall of Jagtvej 69, a youth house that was cleared on Nørrebro 10 years ago. The events that made me want to be a photo journalist. I was out eating with my girlfriend at 7 pm when the first texts started to tick in. "Are you out there? Do you know what's going on?". I had no idea, because I don't have cable tv so I rarely watch the news other then when I'm on my phone or computer.

After dinner I went home when another text popped in "Are you out there?", I replied "No I'm not, I thought it was slowing down now?", my friend texting me back "I think they(The police) are about to ram the house, I thought you'd be there".

I texted another press photographer of mine Romy and asked if we should go and check it out? He immediately called me back "Let's go"! 10 minutes later he picked me up and we were off!

On our way out there we  talked about the destruction and some of the violence that had been spread during the day. Most of it seem unecesserary if not all violence is! A bank and some shops had their windows broken in with rocks and other had thrown rocks and bottles at the police. I'm all in for justice and being fair when I go out to report these kinds of events. I don't work for any news outlets, I'm not trying to sell papers here. 

When we arrived the police was already shutting down the area around the new youth house, where the autonomous was barricading themsleves inside. A couple of hundred meters from there we bumped into the first police line who tried to scatter the civilian crowd by pushing them further away from the house. I got a quick "fuck off" from this guy before I walked through the police safety line. It seem peaceful at this point.

A officer preparing a excavator while having a smoke in case they have to knock down a gate or any barriers.

It had been a long day for many of the officers. One of the officers checks if it is okay to let the press go further in. 

Many police vehicles including police officers was bombarded earlier with paint and rocks. None of that happened when I was there.

After giving people inside the house a chance to leave, 3 to 4 refuses to leave, so the officers went in to force them out and collect whatever evidence there might be. What they were expecting to fine I'm not sure.

When the police moved in the 50 plus Press people pushed in, everyone trying to get the best shot or whatever. I felt very uncomfortable and moved back. This kind of approach is not me or how I like to work... It felt tabloid ish.

 At this point a large scale of the police was just standing in the back waiting patiently.

 A woman watch from her apartment while the police move in. 

 Another photo journalist tries to find a different angle. Too many press people here. 

The police was inside, they didn't seem to have found anything. They walked out empty handed when I was there. 

Then the police brought out a man who resisted furiosly, a second person was brought out a woman, she tried to intervene and one thing led to another. Again the other Press around me moved in pushing their collegues out of the away so they themselves could have the better picture. So much that the police had to move in to make sure their collegues could work in peace. Nothing violent happened to those two who was detained.
While all the fuss was happening another officer inside a vehicle calmly looks while stroling through his smartphone.

After that Romy and I looked at each other and said, we are done here.