Biography
I am a Danish based photographer and writer.
I have taken myself, along with my camera, around the block a few times and here I am.
I do travel, however my feet are firmly planted on the ground.
I like to see the world in both color and black and white and if my pictures are not enough, I add my words.
I was born in downtown Copenhagen, Denmark, in the free spirited 60's where I lived for decades, until the realization that life is too short for noise, crowds, and pollution.
Consequently, a move out west followed, allowing me to watch the grass grow and talk to the birds and the bees.
MY LIFE IN PHOTOGRAPHY
PHOTOGRAPHER
I had my first camera in 1974 and in the mid-80's I proudly bought my first SLR-camera.
Later, in the early 90's, I got my first professional photo assignments.
In those analogue days it was trial and error for sure, and at some point I finally realized that the better part of my pictures came from my observant and patient eye, not from the eager machine gunning trigger finger.
WRITER & AUTHOR
I have always enjoyed combining my pictures and my words in search of the perfect expression.
I am undeniably a photographer at heart, and I've come to understand that I truly enjoy writing, not just because I like it - I also write because I feel it's important that my own words accompany my pictures.
Usually, I prefer writing in Danish, however, I have occasionally published in English.
MY BIOGRAPHY IN BRIEF
• Commissioned by the renowned magazine National Geographic Traveler (DE) for an assignment in Antarctica.
• Commissioned by PostNord (the Danish Postal Service) to portrait 7 dogs for a unique stamp-series.
• Received the prestigious award Travel Journalist of the Year in Denmark.
• Undertaken more than 50 journeys as expedition photographer and photo guide on ships in Antarctica and the Arctics.
• Author of the popular expedition photo guide book Cruise with your Camera.
• Awarded 3. best photographer in the world's largest dog photography competition, the renowned English Kennel Club's Dog Photographer of the Year.
• Staff photographer at Scandinavia's largest travel/trade magazine Stand By for several years.
• Associated writer with the largest printed photo magazine in Scandinavia, Digital Foto, for 9 years.
• Photo consultant with the Swedish camera manufacturer Hasselblad for a couple of years.
• Numerous photo assignments in Africa and Asia in cooperation with the international humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders.
• Author of the off-the-beaten-track motorcycle travel book Et andet Afrika, a way-out self biography about traveling through Africa on motorcycle.
• Staff photographer at Denmark’s largest travel magazine, Vagabond, for 15 years.
• Portrait photographer for eight years. I stopped when I passed 115.000 portraits (yes, for real) - that was enough...
• Professional photographer since the 1990's.
• Full-time employed real estate photographer for four years.
TRAVEL JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR
I had the honour of being awarded Travel Journalist of the Year 2018 in Denmark.
It was a huge acknowledgement, and I was especially pleased with this prestigious award because I received it for both my words and my photographs.
I am undeniably a photographer at heart and I've realized that I am not writing just because I like it, I am also writing because I feel it is important that my own words follow my pictures.
The Chairman of the Association of Danish Travel Journalists, Anne-Vibeke Isaksen, stated at the award ceremony (quote):
"Over a number of years, Karsten Bidstrup has enchanted us all with a visual experience with his amazing, beautiful and varied photos from his travels around the globe. He has provided photos for history books and travel books as well as cover photos for a myriad of travel magazines in Denmark and abroad".
I truly appreciate the honour.
REFERENCES
Air Greenland
Atout France
Carlson Wagonlit Travel
Compagnie du Ponant
Copenhagen Admiral Hotel
Dagbladet Børsen
Dagens Medicin
Dansk Erhvervs Avis
Danske Fysioterapeuter
Dansk Kennel Klub
Danske Kommuner
Digital Foto
Doctors Without Borders
Erhvervs- og Boligstyrelsen
Europark A/S
FDM Motor
Globetrotter
Government of Dubai
Greenland Tourism
Gyldendal
Hasselblad
Helse magasinet
Hilton Copenhagen
Hurtigruten AS
Information
Jyllands-Posten
Lufthansa
Magasinet Hunden
National Geographic Traveller
Navision
Pensionskassen PKA
Politiken
PostNord
RCCL Cruises
Rejsemagasinet Vagabond
Royal Thai Embassy
Securitas A/S
Stand By
Take Off
Tandlægebladet
Thai Airways
The Practising Midwife
Udvikling
Visit Greenland
MY FIRST PICTURE
I believe this blurry picture of a football goal is the first picture I ever shot. It must have been in 1973 or 1974, about the time I got my first camera.
It was a fairly used, black metal-cold, yet charming Agfa Clack camera, which may actually have been an outdated piece of mechanics, as Agfa stopped manufacturing this bumblebee fat classic sometimes in the mid-60's.
I was seven years old so I really didn't care about that, but even though I was a little envious of my brother's Agfa Iso-Rapid, I was thrilled to own a camera of my own. And retrospectively, it was the gitf that kept on giving.
I suppose it wasn't for everyone to own these kinds of toys back then, in the early 70's. At least not where I lived, in the working-class, southern suburbs of Copenhagen, and using the camera must have been expensive. However, that wasn't any of my concern as I had no idea about the lean 70's.
As I recall, the hassle of loading the film or the fact that there was only eight shots in the camera, as it used 120-roll film, didn't bother me. Again, I was seven years old.
Before I lost my interest in photography for a number of years, I took the photo of the football goal, which is seen here.
"It is well-intentioned and heartfelt".
That's what one of my insightful teachers stated some 20 years later, when I attended a photography school in Copenhagen.
"It must be one of the best pictures you ever shot", she also said.
That woman never really appreciated my photograpy.
MY AGFA CLACK
As mentioned, I shot my first picture with this classic Agfa Clack camera and even though it was a fairly advanced camera for a 7-year old boy, it was basically true point and shoot.
I still own this magnificent camera,
it's the one in this picture.
However, I have worked with a great variety of cameras. Read about it...
ON ASSIGNMENT
Unfortunately I don't have a crate full of adventurous selfies and portraits of myself doing cool stuff on exotic locations.
However, I did manage to find a handful of pictures of myself at work.