Skagen harbour reflections, photography and illustration by Xavier Wendling.
Skagen harbour reflections, photography and illustration by Xavier Wendling.

Magical Light in Skagen

5/26/2020

Recently I went back to one of my favorite photographs. Taken in the summer of 2005 in Skagen, Denmark, well before I was considering photography as an important component of a creative professional career, this picture has felt quite special from the very beginning.

Skagen is famous for its incredible, magical northern light but, on that day, after a big storm in the afternoon followed by bright sunshine and clearing skies, the evening palette turned into a spectacular and dramatic mix of dark blues and grays.

I felt so fortunate to capture this image of the harbour and a group of colorful fishing boats bathed in beautiful evening summer light. With more experience under the belt today, for sure I would have sought a variety of viewpoints and compositions. This make this lonely shot even more precious.

Playing with the original picture in Illustrator, I have tuned it into a series of illustrations that stays true to the special light I witnessed on that evening. A reduced color palette creates both harmony and balance between the different boats.

  • Skagen harbour reflections, photography and illustration by Xavier Wendling
    Skagen harbour reflections, photography and illustration by Xavier Wendling
  • Skagen harbour reflections, photography and illustration by Xavier Wendling
    Skagen harbour reflections, photography and illustration by Xavier Wendling

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Some of these illustrations are now available for order and print on various medium, including posters, postcards, canvas prints or photographic prints on my RedBubble store.

Head over to the dedicated sections on this website for more on my photography and illustration work.

  • Skagen harbour reflections, photography and illustration by Xavier Wendling. Wall art mockup.
    Skagen harbour reflections, photography and illustration by Xavier Wendling. Wall art mockup.
  • Skagen harbour reflections, photography and illustration by Xavier Wendling. Wall art mockup.
    Skagen harbour reflections, photography and illustration by Xavier Wendling. Wall art mockup.