Right Then, It's Autumn

Right then, supermum.

It's autumn.

Autumn Shadows

The shadows of autumn are long and melancholy.

A famous photograph from the Occupation by Eric Petersen. No, we weren't occupied by Eric Petersen.

Sleek, Black Autumn

The sleek look of the Copenhagen autumn. Black tights and leggings in boots are all the rage on the bike lanes of the Danish capital this year.

The skirtguards of the city sigh a lonely sigh and resign themselves to waiting for the flowing, billowing skirts of the next distant summer. Although with a secret hope that the winter will be cold so that the cyclists will don long coats that require protection.

And a broken chainguard is of little concern. It's just a bike. The most important thing is YOU on the bike.
Photos by Lars D. Terkelsen.


The Green Wave in Copenhagen from Copenhagenize on Vimeo.

Here's a cool little video I shot the other day. One of the main streets leading to the city centre features 35,000 cyclists each day. We have a Green Wave where if you cycle 20 km/h you'll hit green lights all the way. Have a look at the fantastic flow of bikes in the morning rush hour.

The music is Danish. The first track is a group called Ibens. The song is "Jeg savner min blå cykel" or I miss my blue, blue bicycle. An ode to the bicycle of childhood/youth. The second track is Tue West with "Sæt dig bag på min cykel" or Get up on the back of my bike... and enjoy it.

Stripes and Things

Stripes on a bike lane. When there is construction, the bike lanes are always taken into consideration.


Leggings are very popular at the moment. Seen here with wellingtons, a vest, a beret.


I love the impossibly long shadows of the Nordic autumn.

And leaves are starting to line the streets.

Springtime Autumnal

It's autumn. There's no doubt about it. Or is there? Certain visual signals in the city are confusing. The sun is shining and the temperature is the same as in April. Colourful flowers on bike baskets, as above, are a century-old tradition but they send your mind into springtime.

Then there's this shot. This is confusing. Brightly coloured flowers on a city square. The chairs stacked up could be a sign of the start of the outdoor serving season - indeed that is one of the surest signs of spring in Copenhagen. The cafés start stacking chairs outside waiting for the first mild day. The girl's outfit is certainly springlike. Skirt and stockings, as though it's the first day she shed her jacket, which is in her basket.

Rainy days. Definately springtime.

All very lovely and very confusing.

Autumnal Tuesday

The cape lives on despite being sooo last year. We don't mind at all when it looks this splendid. The bow in the hair completes the classy outfit.
If you're wondering, the heavily-laden bicycle in the middle, up front, is a postman. Four panniers and a bag on the front rack.

As seen here, too.


The sun is shining and, although the air is cooler, there are some Copenhageners that haven't quite made the jump to autumn just yet. Luckily.

Those Pesky Cyclists

Look. This isn't an easy task, documenting the fashionable cyclists of Copenhagen as they happily pedal about our lovely bicycle culture.

There I was, having just visited the Copenhagen City Museum with my son, and I saw a nice shot of Copenhageners at a café, with two cyclists in front. Nice framing, a black background, sunshine, blah blah blah.

So up goes the camera and click. What happens? A pesky cyclist, damn them all, rides into my frame. I mean... it's MY frame. I created it by deciding to record time and space in pixels at that moment in time at that geographic location with those characters who will never be positioned like that ever again in the history of homo sapiens.

And then she just barges in with her sunshiny, flowing locks and big basket and bag to upstage everyone else.

Maybe I should go into the forest to start recording the stationary delights of Danish fungi culture. Let's compare:

Nah...fuhgeddaboutit.

At least things are easier at a red light. Smashing raincoat ensemble.


And don't get me started on pesky photographers. There I was, pedalling happily down a lovely shared space street in the heart of the city when CLICK, Chris from the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation snaps this shot of me with my Cykelhjelm.org bag. No rest for the wicked. He was in town researching our bike infrastructure and culture and we went for a lovely ride.