PHOTOGRAPHY seeking intimacy

To me, capturing images is one way of getting to know people, faces, animals, nature, and objects - to get intimate... intimate with color, texture, weather, with an atmosphere. I'am very curious. I appreciate low key-ness. The understated. I prefer the quiet as a dominant factor. Within the quiet there's room for splashes of noise, color, to-do and all that is not quiet and understated.

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I currently live in Denmark, my native country. I've lived in NYC and Los Angeles for many years, and in the Mediteranian (Italy, France). I still spend time in LA as often as I can. Mainly I'm interested in faces, in how humans move in cities and in environments. I look for what's not said with words. I look for what's engrained in a human's gaze, skin, how someone holds their hands, feet, how someone looks at someone else and do my interpretation of what story it might tell.

VIDEO chasing movement
I shoot video and edit. In video I like to get close up. Examples of videos done for others are to be found under VIDEOS. For my own artistic satisfaction I create a different kind of videos - these are not included on this site as of now.

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I've always been looking at people trying to see through their composed postures and looked for stories in the faces and movements of strangers and at environments; the architecture and DNA of locations, rooms.

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COMMUNICATION telling stories

I've studied architecture in Copenhagen and in LA, acting in NYC, LA, Denmark, Italy and England, film making in LA, podcasting in Denmark, graphic design, drawing, painting and more disciplines in Denmark. These studies have given me tools to tell stories in a variety of ways. Communication - be it an exhibition, a play, a book, a product, a design, a festival etc - is in essence telling a story about something for somebody.

In marketing we talk about A MESSAGE  and how to IDENTIFYING WHO THIS MESSAGE SHOULD REACH - that's the SEGMENT and HOW TO REACH THIS SEGMENT - that's the strategy. Finally by WHICH MEANS - meaning by calling people, by using social media, by sending out flyers, putting up posters and banners, by placing ads in papers, magazines, by getting on TV, by creating a website and promoting the website....there are MANY ways to communicate.

These are the aspects I look at with clients.

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ART WORK

Working in different medias: painting, photography, video, and graphics. Having worked in digital media I love the tactile-ness of brushes, thick paint, and canvas. 

I'm drawn to human emotions and motives, as in why we behave as we do. I strive to express moments of pondering, grief, hope, anguish, heart ache and longing and attempt to add a humorous comment. I acknowledge human hardship and believe we can spice up any situation, if only we choose to. I aim at adding this spice to my work.

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I TRAINED WITH

Rose Marie Tillich, Visual Arts, Copenhagen.

At the Royal Danish Art Academy, Architecture School, Henning Larsen's Dept., Copenhagen.

Royal Danish Art Academy, Architecture School, Dept. of Visual Communication, drawing lessons

and private lessons with Head of the department, Thorkil Clante, drawing according to his method.

Barnsdale Arts Center, Visual Arts, Los Angeles, USA.

Glendale Community College, Architecture, Los Angeles, USA.

and online through This is Artify, abstract art lessons.

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PODCASTING

I've spent 2023 learning podcast skills; first I studied at a podcast academy in Denmark facilitated by SoundHub DK in the old B&O (Bang&Olufsen) headquarters and Rakkerpak Productions, then I apprenticed with Perlefilm, a small podcast & animation company, and I formed a supervision group called 'Lydvenner'; we've spent time training, sparring, airing ideas, testing, workshopping and supporting each other - very grrassroot-like, very fun. And by Dec. 1, 2023 I felt it was time to drop Episode 1 of my podcast show THIS - ISH PODCAST with Le Pels. It's available on this website, Spotify, Youtube, Apple Podcast, Stitcher,  Pandora, Google Podcast, Pocket Cast, Samsung podcast, Overcast etc.

 

HISTORY

Since babyhood, I’ve watched my dad with a Rolleiflex camera and an 8mm film camera. Entertainment in my family came not from a TV but from screenings of his 8 mm films projected on the wall. 

Inspired by him I got a camera and since early teens I've been taking selfies and photographed friends. My father gave me his darkroom equipment and I learned skills of developing film and printing.

Later I turned to video cameras and have shot video ever since I was 20. My first job out of high school was as an assistant to a photographer in Copenhagen. I learned about still photography but bored with that I left and studied architecture and later on acting in London, Italy, Copenhagen, NYC and LA and went to film school at UCLA in LA. 

I lived in LA and NYC and studied in both cities, had a family, a son, was the director of a Danish FIlm Festival, curated exhibitions, worked with Prince and so much more for many years. Now, I am back in my native Denmark. Enjoying a quieter life after 10 years working with LOUISIANA, City of Copenhagen and many more I am living by the sea and fjords enjoying the light and fresh air.

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I wrote a Y/A novel (in Danish; LIGE BØRN LEGER LÆNGST) which can be bought - send me an email or give me a call. This book is being turned into a podcast series in 2024. stay tuned. 

I paint -see ART WORK - and am working on a couple of series that I look forward to showing you here on this page and in a gallery (dates TBA).

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When I was in 8th grade I apprenticed with DRTV (National Danish Broadcasting + Television) with Poul and Nulle, two unconventional TV Hosts. I had a chance to be in the the studios, operating rooms - in every department - and it gave me an insight into what it takes to create tv-shows, series, news shows etc and I never forgot how both professionalism but also improvisational skills are key components. As in all story telling, one must learn + train skills, but also be able to think on one's feet - improvise if necessary - and sometimes improv is where the authentic nerve is. 

I strive to add this to everything I do.

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