Karsten Bidstrup


Photographer


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PEOPLE



Photographing people is one of the most challenging disciplines in photography. Humans probably have 100's of different facial expressions and freezing the exact look you really want, can be difficult. Especially if you only have minutes to capture the picture, which happens very often...



Portrait of Inès´ in the garden



Åke Nordin, founder of the outdoor clothing and equipment company Fjällräven



Father John fishing at Mount Athos, Greece



Supposedly the vikings settled at Lanse Aux Meadows in Canada



Classic portrait in studio (expert hairdresser, Stine)



Danish Chairman of the Paliament, Pia Kjærsgaard, in a joyful moment



Claus Meyer, chef and co-founder of Restaurant Noma



Fie, konfirmand



A modern-day Sami from the Three-Country Cairn area where the borders of Finland, Norway and Sweden meet



A winter dip in a lake in Iso Syöte, Finland



Guiseppe, the Maitre d' on board the Orient Express from London to Venice



A tough job, picking coconuts in Guadeloupe



A woman showing postcard style in Colombia



The American actor Travis Pearson performing as Wild Bill Hicock in the legendary town Deadwood, South Dakota



Portrait of a woman in Sierra Leone



Beduin from Jordan



Malina Hye, Director Bella Center
(magazine cover)



Carnival in Cuba



Rickard Gustafsson, President and CEO of SAS (magazine cover)



Kurt Jensen, former owner of Petitgas in Copenhagen



Billy Cross, rock'n roll musician



Holger B. Hansen, former Danida chairman



Janis Vanags, VPCC airBaltic



Niels Mouritzen, VisitSweden



Søren Brix Christensen, former Danish MSF chairman



Business portrait



Joackim Penti, businessman



Business portrait



Jan Vendelbo, CEO of Spies Travel Agency



Bertel Haarder, former Danish Minister



Jan Olsen, CEO of VisitDenmark



Sophie Hulgard, Carlson Vagonlit Travel Vice President, Global Program Management



Jes Dorph-Petersen and Johannes Langkilde



Johannes Langkilde, anchorman on Danish news tv



Dorte Krak, co-owner of Arp-Hansen Hotel Group



Jan Vendelbo, CEO of Spies Travel Agency



Erik K. Jensen, Danish policeman in Sudan



Søren Rasmussn, founder/owner of Albartos Travel



Kasper Sabinsky, pastry chef



Katja K. Østergård, CEO Horesta Denmark
(magazine cover)



Vagn Sørensen, FLSmidth chairman



Troels Lund Poulsen, Danish Minister



Jens Bjerre, fimmaker, author, adventurer...



Mette Christensen, AP Møller-Mærsk Travel Manager
(magazine cover)



Lars Løkke Rasmussen, Danish Prime Minister



Brian Mikkelsen, former Danish Minister
(magazine cover)



Christian Friis Bach, former Danish Minister



Sophie Hulgard, Carlson Vagonlit Travel Vice President, Global Program Management



Flemming Enevold, Danich actor



Pernille Ianev on location



Jan Vendelbo, CEO of Spies Travel Agency
(magazine cover)



Father John from Mt. Athos
(magazine cover)



Portrait of a Californian winemaker



Florist Tage Andersen



Silje on location



Bjørn Kjos, founder and CEO of Norwegian Air



Claus Meyer, chef and co-founder of Restaurant Noma



Greenlandic girls on location



Dan Jørgensen, former Danish Minister



Sophie Hulgard, Carlson Vagonlit Travel Vice President, Global Program Management



Air Greenland pilots somewhere over the ice sheet



Jens Willumsen, Chairman of VisitDenmark
(magazine cover)



Estonian soldier



Event image



Impromptu group photo



Rie Perry, Danish City Manager
(magazine cover)



Helle in studio



Copenhagen Pride



Copenhagen Pride



Tuareg from Mauretania



Business portrait



Thomas Adelskov, Mayor of Odsherred Community, DK



Business portrait



Supermodel Helena Christensen at MSF event



Rock star Meat Loaf



The Pope and I



Many pictures comes with a story, especially the ones showing people - if not the content itself, then the creation...



Once upon a time (when I was a young photographer) the pope visited Copenhagen.


It was not for religious reasons I decided to try to get a picture of him while he was in town - I just wanted to see if it could be done, me getting a picture of the pope.

So, there I was, ready with my camera at the catholic church in Copenhagen, an early morning at 6 o'clock, because I wanted the best space up front.
And I got the best space - there was not a single soul until 8 o'clock, but soon the street was full of catholic Danes.


At 9 o'clock the pope appeared. He attended the church act and when it was over, the huge wooden church doors were opened.


Then the pope finally came out. He walked quietly, closely surrounded by bodyguards, ministers, press photographers, secretaries and wannabees. Everyone wanted to be seen with the pope and to be close to him.


The whole scenery seemed chaotic and maybe it interrupted the pope’s inner peace, because suddenly he stopped for a short while and looked up to the sky, to his lord.


In that moment I shot the picture seen here.


He must have had a divine moment and soon he was ready again, continuing down the stairs and into the street where people were standing in long lines waiting for him to honour them with his precense. And maybe even shake their hands.


And so he did. He shook hands all over the place, he shook and shook the best he could, trying to shake hands with everyone. And there were many, many hands.


I'm not religious, but it was nevertheless fascinating being this close to the pope, who just kept coming closer.


And then I too raised my hand. For god knows what reason...


The same evening, Danish news television showed an interesting piece about the pope's visit in Copenhagen. In one particular clip (the one that seemed like the longest clip) the pope was seen walking by the long line of faithfull visitors while shaking hands. And there I was (the camera guy zooming in on me) with my hands all over the place, trying to shake the hand of the worlds most famous man.


Only, by coinsidence, he greeted everyone else standing around me, missing my intrusive hands by inches as he walked on…


It must be the longest television clip I have ever seen - me standing there, not shaking hands with the pope.


Basically it was a miserable photographic achievement. I did not even get a single picture of the pope and the man was standing right in front of me. It was a unique chance, a chance most photographers never get, and I missed it because I just wanted to shake hands…


Well, I guess the lesson must be;

If your focus is not right, you will not get the picture.



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Photographer Karsten Bidstrup


travel journalist of the year 2018