I’ve been unpacking non-stop for the past week, doing my best to create a new home + studio workspace for my photography business.

There’s still a long way to go before I will call it finished, but it’s starting to take form and I wanted to give you a little sneak peek.

We’re still renovating indoor and outside so my days are packed with to-do’s but I can see the finish line now and when Spring arrives I’ll be ready to catch my breath, slow down and enjoy the result.

While unpacking my studio gear and props I came to think about how my photography career started 12 years ago. Because I didn’t always have a big house with a beautiful studio and workspace.

With my new home I’m lucky to get a large loft studio with great light, office space for daily work and meetings, a prop room for all my styling equipment and plenty of space to teach workshops.

When I started out it was with a beginners dslr camera and a kit lens – yes, just one lens and no other gear. I bought the camera spontaneously and didn’t really have it in my budget to do so at the time. It took me a few weeks to admit to my husband that I had spend that kind of money. And even worse; I had no idea how to operate the camera. I remember how stupid I felt for having this crazy dream to become a photographer….

Our budget was very limited and it was scary to make a career change while raising three small kids. I think guilt from splurging on the camera made me work really hard to make up for it.

At the time we lived in a small house and the only place I could think of to use for photography was the garden shed – a tiny room connected to our garage. The shed had no heating, no water and very poor window light (see photo below). I often had to open the door to get more daylight in. Which was very cold during the winter…uhhh. Also the ceiling was not very high and I could touch it just by raising my arm.

Despite my situation I felt so incredible happy to be able to experiment with photography and pursue my passion. I just worked with what I had and I learned that you don’t really need much to make beautiful pictures. Many of my favourite photos to this day was captured in that tiny garden shed.

Here’s a few photos taken in my garden shed…

The truth is….

• You don’t need a large studio with big windows
• You don’t need a lot of expensive equipment to take great photos
• You don’t need a room full of props, and things for styling

It’s nice to have – not a need to have.

You can succeed as a photographer with very little space and very little gear.

Why? Because photography is NOT about the camera you shoot with, the space you have or the props you collect. Great photography is about creativity, passion and the willingness to play, experiment and use what you have.

The perfect workspace and the perfect camera will never make up for the lack of skills or inspiration.

I can’t believe it’s only been four years since I left my garden shed. It feels like so long ago and so much have changed since. It’s been a wild journey and when I look back I’m so thankful for every step of my path.

It’s the journey that is the fascinating part of life; it’s when you live, learn, grow and become wiser.

All the ups and downs are part of reaching your dreams. Even the struggles are important and valuable because those are the lessons that will spiral you forward much faster and every set-back often leads to a better solution.

So if you’re thinking that you need a perfect workspace, beautiful props and an expensive camera to start your photography dream, I’m here to tell you NOT to worry about that. Don’t hold back because you don’t have the perfect circumstances.

Just start with what you have and remember that creativity and your artistic abilities will beat equipment anytime!

It’s taken me 12 years to get to where I am today from when I took my very first photo. Many days started early, hours before the kids got up. I had to make the most of my time if I wanted to built my business while running a household and taking care of my family. If you told me back then that I would be moving into this beautiful house today I would never have believed it.

Luckily, our mindset grow as we grow. When you take action and start to see results, you become more brave and dream bigger dreams.

If you would like to learn from me and get my help to reach your photography goals I have a few workshops this year. See all courses and programs here >>

Below you can see a few snapshots from my new workspaces; my office and my prop room.

See all courses and programs here >>

It’s official now: I’m moving. Most of my stuff is already in boxes. The old house is sold a long time ago and the renovation of our new home is on fire.

I’ll be the first to admit it; following big dreams can be overwhelming. Scary. Emotionally draining. Every day, from morning to evening there’s so much to do. I have to remind myself to take it one step at a time and enjoy the process.

As I wrap up my wonderful memories I prepare for a new chapter of my life. I’m so ready. Excited for the new adventures ahead. This is truly dream come true.

In just one week I will be sleeping in our new place; a historic yellow villa with dark green windows. The house was built in 1909 for a Danish National architectural Exhibition. The purpose of the exhibition was to displayed individual works by architects, artists, and craftsmen.

During the years, the villa has served as a private music-oriented school for kids, and for the past 44 years it was the home and studio of a famous architect couple who specialised in restoring old historic buildings, including Copenhagen’s Round Tower.

Restoring and renovating a house like that comes with a bit of pressure, and though my husband and I have renovated several homes during the past five years, including our countryside cottage, this is our biggest project ever.

What I truly love about our new home is the atmosphere. Even though it’s located in the city center of Aarhus – Denmarks second biggest town – it’s so quiet, calm and full of kind vibes.

Needless to say, I’m thrilled to move in and experience how it will be to live and work in this place.

Sometimes BIG dreams takes a long time to accomplish. When we first saw the house a year ago this move seemed almost impossible. We actually gave up three times during the process. But with determination, a whole lot of bravery and a lot of hard work we managed to make it happen.

I still have to pinch myself. Is this really happening? I guess I will believe it when I wake up in my new bedroom, plant flowers in the garden, cook in the kitchen, sip coffee in the backyard or take out the trash – you know, everyday life.

One thing I’m particularly excited about is to host some amazing in-person photography and styling workshops in our new home.

The June workshop sold out in just two days. The good news is; I will host two more in-person workshops in 2022 and registration opens on Sunday February 27.

I’m also opening up enrollment for The Lifestyle Photography Academy. This is an 8-week online course focusing on everything related to photography, visual storytelling, styling, and photo editing. So if you cannot travel to Denmark, this is the perfect chance to work with me.

Workshop Dates 2022:

April 4 – The Lifestyle Photography Academy 2022

June 21-22 – Mindful Still Life Workshop – SOLD OUT!

Sept 21-22 – Mindful Still Life Workshop – NEW

Nov 5-6 – The Christmas Edition Workshop – NEW

Registration opens Sunday February 27.

I hope you can make it if you feel like joining one of the programs.