Less light, is surprisingly better

I’m starting to share these short notes slowly, the same way I photograph:

By noticing, walking, and giving things time.

After noticing all the lights people place in their windows and on their tables to make winter warmer, I started paying attention to the light that doesn’t need to be added. The light that is already there.

I learned quite early on that when it comes to photography, too much light is rarely a good thing. Especially harsh light. It often flattens faces, creates hard shadows, and is not very flattering to the story I’m trying to tell.

When everything is fully lit, there’s nothing left to discover. Sometimes, it’s simply too much. Winter in Copenhagen is like that. The sun stays low. Sometimes it barely shows at all. When that happens, the mood turns blue — quieter, heavier, more inward.

The clouds act like a natural filter, spreading the light gently across faces, streets, nature, and movement.

Natural reflectors

The city slows down. Things become easier to notice.

Shadows stretch, making things longer and people taller.

Colors calm down. Faces soften. On many days, the light feels incomplete.

It comes and goes. Slippery.

That’s exactly what makes it interesting.

Urban nature, Ørestad Syd 2025

I find myself walking slower, partly because I’m wearing more layers, but also because I stop searching for the light. I let it come to me. As a viewer, you need more patience, but it’s usually worth the wait.

This is often when Copenhagen feels most natural to me;

not dramatic, just present.

Vi ses næste gang.

Hope to see you next time.

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Nufar Hatzbani