Photography by Matthew James

Hjem
Danmark
Copenhagen
Photography by Matthew James

Sports, Corporate and Editorial photography from award-winning photojournalist Matthew James

Sports, Corporate and Editorial photography from award-winning photojournalist Matthew James

Visit https://www.photographybymatthewjames.com for more info

* NCTJ Photographer of the Year 2011
* Midlands Sports Photographer of the Year 2011 - Finalist

03/06/2026

It won’t be my first public speaking gig, but it just might be the most important!

For the last few months, I’ve been quietly putting together a 45-minute presentation for an audience of LinkedIn-curious professionals.

Marketers, Sales Teams, and Communications Experts from a wide variety of Danish businesses will all be in attendance, and I’m more than a little excited.

Latest figures show 99 people have signed up so far, so the organisers — LinkedSummit — have decided to put me on the main stage 😳

It’s a far cry from standing on stages with musicians, who you can always rely on for support when you screw up a guitar solo or sing a bum note — tomorrow it’s just me.

But I can promise you I am so ready, because I’ve been rehearsing daily all week, and now I just need to make sure I stay calm and talk slowly for my Danish audience.

When it’s over, I’ve promised myself a pint before I jump on the train home. Preparing for this event has been a long, careful process, and I’m hoping it’s the beginning of a new chapter in my photography career.

Wish me luck ☘️🤞

26/05/2026

Royal Run 2026, Helsingør – A masterclass in event photography and poor skincare decisions ☀️

Photojournalism rule #1:
Know where the light is coming from.

Photojournalism rule #2:
Sun cream is apparently also important.

Normally during Royal Run I’m bouncing between Amalienborg Slotsplads and Frederiksberg Allé with colleagues, cameras and general chaos all around me.

Yesterday in Helsingør, however, it was just me, my bike, and the small internal voice repeatedly reminding me that my SPF was still sitting in the car.

Thankfully the bike meant I could cover the entire 10km route — including a beautiful shaded stretch through the woods that seemed to improve morale for runners and photographers alike.

(The uphill section did the opposite.)

Later in the day, Her Majesty The Queen of Denmark arrived by boat in the kind of harsh sunlight photographers love to complain about while secretly enjoying the challenge.

Flash or no flash?
Backlight or blown highlights?
Natural light or tactical survival mode?

The answer was yes.

Days like this always remind me why I love photojournalism so much.

The pressure.
The unpredictability.
The constant split-second decisions.
The challenge of trying to capture moments as they happen — before they disappear again a second later.

Oddly enough, it helps me sleep at night.

These are some of my favourite images from the day.☝️

25/05/2026

Royal Run 2026 - Helsingør

Her Majesty The Queen of Denmark arrived in style to in Helsingør today.

Against the backdrop of Hamlet’s castle , the Queen’s boat docked at the harbour, where she was greeted by hundreds of spectators and race participants.

After ringing the start bell for the 5km event, Her Majesty then took to the start line herself and ran a pretty fast pace.

It wasn’t the kind of Royal Run I’m used to (Copenhagen is my usual stomping ground each year), but there was no denying the excitement of being somewhere new, with the added anticipation of being unfamiliar with the route, layout of the area, and the schedule.

13/05/2026

Copenhagen Marathon 2026: City Hall and Runners Area.

For the last section of the race on Sunday I was positioned outside City Hall before heading back to the finish line.

In total I cycled no more than 20km that day, but finding a route through the city is challenging. Streets are blocked, crowds are filling the pavements, and the clock is against you. You don’t want to miss the masses as they run through your zone.

At City Hall I captured the noise and confusion from above street level. But by the time I took the elevator down again, it had reduced to more of a hum. It happens so quickly.

These are my last images from this event, but it’s only a few weeks until . See you there!

11/05/2026

Start line & Østerbro: CPH Marathon 26

In the beginning, there was the Big Bang.
Then not much happened for 13.8 billion years…
until the start line of the 2026 Copenhagen Marathon exploded through Østerbro yesterday morning.

Suddenly there were 24,000ish people voluntarily running 42 kilometres through Copenhagen while I stood there questioning whether I’d even walk that far for a free massage.

The start area has its own strange energy.
Nervous stretching.
Last-minute gels being consumed like leftover pizza.
People wearing running shoes that cost more than my first car.
And thousands of runners pretending they’re “just happy to be here” while secretly checking everyone else’s calves.

Meanwhile, Østerbro turned into absolute chaos in the best possible way:
music, cheering, confused tourists unaware there was a race on that day, and photographers repeatedly blocking the view of families and friends of the participants (sorry about that).

A huge congratulations to everyone who ran, though.
I photographed the beginning of your suffering with great admiration.

And finally: I had a good night’s sleep last night, thanks to all who showed their concern.

07/05/2026

Denmark’s contestant, , photographed during an interview in Copenhagen for .

Between portraits and conversation, Søren spoke openly about growing up q***r in Denmark, the backlash he has received online, and the importance of staying true to himself despite it.

The assignment became less about documenting a performer, and more about capturing a person navigating visibility, identity and pressure on an international stage.

Editorial portrait photography often happens fast. Limited time. Limited locations. Limited control. But those constraints are also what make these moments interesting... finding small fragments of authenticity in the middle of a major media machine.

04/05/2026

Copenhagen Marathon Week is HERE!

I've lost count how many events I've photographed, but it's something like 13 or 14.

Anyway, this is where my photography season kicks in, and it couldn't come at a better time.

After months of working on another project, I'm ready to get stuck in with another action-packed, high-stakes event. Chasing thousands of runners around the streets of Copenhagen comes with its own adrenaline rush, and even I'm buzzing as the clock counts down to 0:00.

For anyone who knows me and my style of photography, settling for safe shots isn't really my thing.

This image was taken from the top floor of back in 2016. I have to thank for holding my legs nice and firmly to get the right angle.

Currently I don't know where I'll be hanging around this Sunday, but look out for the photographer handing out high-fives in the middle of the road!

Best of luck to all those taking part this weekend. Safe travels to Denmark if you're coming from elsewhere.

29/04/2026

My day concluded with some sad news yesterday, when asked to use one of my images as part of an obituary for Dr. Ittai Gradel.

It’s a photograph I took in a hotel room three years ago; rushed, because Dr. Gradel had a flight to catch. He was very much in demand that summer.

At the time, I didn’t know the full weight of what he’d done; exposing the theft of thousands of artefacts from the British Museum, a story that would go on to make headlines around the world.

What I did know was this: he was an incredibly humble, thoughtful man, and a genuine pleasure to spend time with.

He spoke calmly, thoughtfully, and without ego... even though his persistence and integrity helped uncover something truly significant.

As photographers, we often don’t realise the full context of the people we’re documenting at the time. I do my research on someone beforehand, but I prefer to wait until I meet them. It allows me respond to what’s in front of me — a facial expression, a thought process, a reaction to my questions.

Looking back at this portrait now, it feels different. There’s a quiet strength there that makes more sense today.

I’m grateful to have met him, even briefly.

Rest in peace, Ittai.

21/04/2026

Recently I photographed Nicklas Brendorg for The Telegraph. Nicklas is a scientist and bestselling author whose work sits right at the intersection of biology, behaviour, and modern life.

His latest book, Super Stimulated (Vanedyr in Danish), explores why so many of us struggle to break bad habits... and the answer isn’t a lack of willpower.

It’s something much bigger.

The core idea is simple, but powerful: we are surrounded by “superstimuli” — highly engineered versions of things our brains are wired to crave, like food, attention, and social validation. These aren’t accidental. Entire industries are built around designing products that keep us hooked for just a little longer.

So when you reach for another handful of chips…
or scroll for “just 30 more seconds”…..it’s biology being exploited, not a weakness

At the end of the shoot, Nicklas handed me a copy of his book, and this Easter I finally got around to reading it. Highly recommended.

02/02/2026

2016 was the year I peaked as a photographer. Or so I thought.

For many years, I felt like the best was behind me. It sounds kinda depressing, ten years on. Have I slowly gotten worse creatively, or what’s going on?

Fresh from an all-expenses press trip to the Greek island of Crete (which in itself should have been the icing on the cake), I returned to an inbox that demanded a screen print. Three emails in a row: one from National Geographic, the other two from Nike and Adidas, respectively. “I’ve arrived,” I told myself. After just three years of freelancing, I was working with the big dogs, and the year didn’t slow down from there.

Cue the Winter X-Games in Oslo, a reportage from my hometown for The Guardian, an official Copenhagen Marathon photo book, a beautiful quarterly newsletter that I slaved long and hard over month after month, photo road-trips across Australia and New Zealand, and even a commission from Post Danmark – one of my photos as a unique postage stamp celebrating sport in Denmark.

But it all came at a price. A financial struggle that forced me to say yes to so many low-paid assignments. It was amazing seeing my photos in all of these well-respected publications and institutions, but it was always the same dialogue: “We don’t have a big budget for this.” 12 months later I was shattered, and still penniless.

Slowly I realised that the view from the top wasn’t that great. So I decided to climb down again and focus my efforts elsewhere. Build a better website. Figure out my pricing (starting with my minimum Cost of Doing Business). Learn how to negotiate. Learn when to say ‘no’. Give up chasing vanity metrics. Grow a backbone. Educate others on the importance of value, trust and professionalism.

I’m probably late to the game with this ‘2016 Meme’. But I’m a nostalgic chap, so couldn’t miss a chance to reflect on the past.

2016 was the year I peaked. It was the year I realised that loving what you do might not be enough to keep the lights on. To stay in the game, whatever your self-employed job is, you need to respect yourself and what you offer your clients.

#2016

Adresse

Vesterbrogade 20B
Copenhagen
1620

Internet side

https://www.photographybymatthewjames.com/about

Underretninger

Vær den første til at vide, og lad os sende dig en email, når Photography by Matthew James sender nyheder og tilbud. Din e-mail-adresse vil ikke blive brugt til andre formål, og du kan til enhver tid afmelde dig.

Kontakt Virksomheden

Send en besked til Photography by Matthew James:

Genveje

Vil du plassere din virksomhed på toppen av Arrangement/planlægningservice-listen i Copenhagen?