Copenhagen 2016

Hard work is more important than talent. If only Nicklas Bendtner had been blessed with a little less talent, perhaps he would have been one of the world's greatest strikers by now.

Photography isn't football but roughly the same rules apply here. Fortunately, I acknowledged my limited photographic talent at a young age so I'm no stranger to hard work behind the lens. Sure, on numerous occasions I've resorted to upgrading my gear in a mostly futile effort to better my photography. I love new gear and gadgets and I'm currently in a complicated relationship with my local Leica dealer. I really want the Leica Q but I also realise that it'll only be a gateway drug to the M or SL.

So, hard work then.

About four years ago I stopped cycling to work every day. And I was the only one - all Copenhageners use their bike daily. Instead I started shooting street life with my iPhone, and later with my Ricoh GR, on my may to and from work. I'm well on my way to accumulating my 10,000 hours and becoming a good photographer. Who needs talent anyway?

Do slow things

Basically, walking every day has enabled me to slow things down. Instead of zipping past on my bike, I'm the one everybody rushes by, I'm the slow mover in the eye of the storm. In a world where everything moves faster and faster, walking around the city with my camera has become a necessary oasis for me, my daily dose of catharsis.

I'm no anti-digital analogue preacher, as my friends and family can attest to, but in recent years I've found that doing simple, on-track actions is the perfect counter-balance to a busy and very digital lifestyle.

Now, where did I put my very analogue copy of To Have and Have not?