Hamlet's Copenhagen Midsummer Dream

Listen closely and you can hear Shakespeare spinning in his grave, cursing me in the finest of poetic ways possible for stealing his words for the title. My only hope is that I can outrun an almost 400 year old ghost on my bicycle here in Hamlet’s home.

Inspired by a post by Tony Middleton, I wanted to shoot a panorama of Copenhagen on Summer solstice, longest day of the year. But with not a cloud in the sky and Spain playing in the World Cup I never quite moved my behind off the sofa yesterday. But I persevered today, just one day after solstice, better late than very late, and created a Copenhagen Midsummer Dream:

Hamlet Copenhagen Midsummer

This is a stitched panorama and a very wide view of the Copenhagen Harbour, shooting towards the city. It’s not the best of views but one I had not shot before and I wanted to include the soccer! There are some nice buildings here like the royal castle Amalienborg – and some not so nice new buildings. The pier is host to a large screen showing the soccer World Cup and I wanted to include this in the pano. The sun sets at 10pm and then dusk light lasts for a good hour.

soccer screen-blogNaturally, the very long exposure completely blows out the screen, so I took another earlier image exposed just for the screen and Photoshopped it in, see 100% crop on the right. I may clone out that shadow in the water from the screen and I really also should crop the left side – but had to leave the tug boat in for Charlene! I graded the sky as the weather gods needed help tonight. Neither the light nor the clouds really shined for me and it’s probably not a keeper, but it was good to get the gear out again and have fun!

Summer Solstice and the longest day of the year came and went. It is now – astronomically – all downhill from here. Well…except…if one ventures to the Southern Hemisphere!

PS. Pictured below is my vehicle of choice in Copenhagen, my trusty old human powered spaceship Silver Arrow Mk3 ! By far the best and fastest way to get around Copenhagen, she’ll do .5 past light speed.

silver arrow-blog

17 Comments on “Hamlet's Copenhagen Midsummer Dream”

  1. You're too good to me Flemming!

    The tug adds a beautiful richness and distinct maritime character to your pano IMO. Wouldn't be the same without it 😉

    Your Silver Arrow is very flash. That landfall in S. Australia must have brought a state of the art hyperdrive. Can't even see it!

    (Something weird happened with the browser when I commented the first time, so apologies for the double up if there is one)

    1. No problem mate, and I agree, tugboat adds so much character. Wish it had a more prime placement in the pano! Will get another tug boat pano for you.

      Don't quite follow your "can't even see it" sentence?

        1. ah yes, got it now 🙂 Japanese subcontractors picked up the parts in SA for me, didn't see the probe myself so I almost forgot about it again.
          Hayabusa is a great name, agreed. Will be on the lookout for tug boats in the harbour here from now on!

  2. you really are a true Ozzie Flem!
    you call it soccer. none of this "football" stuff haha.
    not a fan of it myself, but it's always a contentious saying here. i love my football though-as in AFL haha.

    i won't lie, the pano doesn't inspire me as much of other images of yours. you'll be doing way better when you're back down under 🙂

    and I was just as confused as you about Charlene's original comment lol.

    1. Haha, I call it soccer for the benefit of the international readers. Otherwise people will claim footy refers to NFL, CFL, AFL, NRL, Soccer, C3PO, R2D2 leagues etc etc 🙂

      Yeah it's not a keeper, not a very inspired shot. But it was fun, I wanted Midsummer, "footy" and Copenhagen and great light. Did not get great light :/

      Hehe, Charlene's comment was referring to a twitter joke few weeks ago, told her the probe was carrying spare parts for my hyperdrive…and then promptly forgot all about that joke apparently 🙂

  3. A good story Mr Bo Jangles and not a bad image considering the weather Gods were not playing the game!

  4. It's great to see more of your homeland there Flembot… Not much interest in whatever the match is that's playing on the big screen… unless they are all hiding ?

    🙂

      1. haha – you wouldn't believe that they don't allow beer sales at the screens here…. *rollseyes*

        1. That would cause a riot here. No, not really, Danes don't riot, they would just stay away! They finance these things by selling expensive beers, drinks, ciders etc. Can't BYO, have to buy from the vendors.

  5. cool image mate! i love this swhot because it reminds me of a shot you took similar to this about a year or two ago that is just nice and simple with a very nice sky!
    i also really like that bike shot! very different lifestyle to that in perth! particularly that of the american lifestyle where i am now taking pics with my new mk2! 😀 have a gander at me old blog mate! 😛
    Good Stuff mate!

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