10 February 2026 · 8 min read
Best Photoshoot Locations in Copenhagen
I get asked the same question at the start of almost every booking: where should we shoot? Copenhagen is small enough to cover several locations in one session but varied enough that the answer depends entirely on what you want the photos to feel like. Coastal and airy, or narrow streets and warm brick? Bold colour, or quiet green?
Below are the locations I return to again and again with clients, along with what actually makes each one work, not just that it looks nice on Instagram. I've shot all of these dozens of times in every season, so this is less a list of pretty places and more a practical map for planning your own session.
Nyhavn — for the classic Copenhagen shot
Nyhavn is the postcard for a reason: the coloured townhouses, the wooden masts of the old ships, and the canal water all reflecting warm light. It's the single most requested location I get, especially from visitors who want one unmistakably Copenhagen frame for their gallery.
The catch is that it gets busy fast once the cafés open. I always aim to be there by 7 or 8am, particularly in summer, so we have the cobbled quay mostly to ourselves and the light is still soft and low rather than harsh overhead sun.
Christianshavn — quiet canals and houseboats
If Nyhavn feels too busy or too obviously touristic for what you're after, Christianshavn is my usual alternative. It has the same canal-and-colour DNA but at a fraction of the foot traffic, with houseboats, narrow bridges and cobbled backstreets that feel lived-in rather than staged.
It also works at almost any hour, which makes it a good backup when the weather or your schedule doesn't cooperate with an early Nyhavn start. Christianshavns Torv and the little streets around Sankt Annæ Gade are where I usually begin.
Amager Strandpark — open sky and sea light
For anything that needs air and space — flowy dresses, sunset portraits, family sessions where kids need room to move — Amager Strandpark is unbeatable. It's a long stretch of beach and dunes just a fifteen-minute metro ride from the centre, and in summer the light off the water in the last hour before sunset is some of the best in the city.
It's also one of the few spots where you genuinely won't be dodging other people's photoshoots, since the beach is long enough to spread out.
Kastellet — ramparts, geometry and evening light
Kastellet is an old star-shaped fortress with grass ramparts, a windmill and neat rows of red barracks. I like it because it offers three completely different backdrops within a five-minute walk: open green slopes, tidy Nordic architecture, and quiet tree-lined paths.
Evening light here rakes low across the grass and makes the ramparts glow, so it's one of my go-to spots for golden hour sessions, especially paired with a walk down to the Little Mermaid afterwards for anyone who wants that shot too.
Superkilen — bold colour for editorial and Instagram sets
Superkilen, in Nørrebro, is a public park designed almost like a giant graphic collage — a hot pink and red plaza, a black section with white lines, and a green park area, each with objects gathered from different countries around the world. It's the location I recommend most for anyone wanting punchy, editorial images that don't look like anywhere else.
It photographs completely differently depending on which section you use, so we can usually get three or four distinct looks here without changing outfits.
Frederiksberg and the Botanical Garden — soft, green and elegant
When clients want something calmer and more classic, I bring them to Frederiksberg Gardens or the Botanical Garden's Palm House. The Botanical Garden's glasshouse in particular gives beautifully soft, diffused light even on a grey day, which makes it one of my favourite backups for Copenhagen's changeable weather.
Frederiksberg's wide avenues and the grounds around the old palace also work well for anyone who wants a more timeless, less 'trendy' set of portraits.
Sluseholmen and the city centre
Sluseholmen's canal-front architecture, with its clean Nordic lines and colourful facades built around small harbours, is a strong choice for personal branding or headshot sessions that want a modern, professional backdrop without looking corporate. It's quieter than the centre too, which helps if you're not used to being photographed in public.
And if you only have time for one central location, Copenhagen's old town — Strøget, Gammel Strand and the Marble Church — covers a lot of visual variety within a fifteen-minute walk, which is ideal for shorter sessions.
- Nyhavn: classic, best before 8am
- Christianshavn: quiet canals, any time of day
- Amager Strandpark: open sky, best at golden hour
- Kastellet: geometry and evening light
- Superkilen: bold colour, best midday for saturation
- Botanical Garden: soft light, good on overcast days
How I plan locations for a 45-minute session
Every session I shoot is DKK 1,000 for 45 minutes, including your edited gallery, and that timeframe genuinely only allows for one location plus maybe a short walk to a second spot nearby. I'd rather give you 45 unhurried minutes in two well-chosen places than rush between five.
When you book, tell me the mood you're after and I'll suggest a location, or bring your own idea — if it means something to you, we'll shoot there instead.
DKK 1,000 · 45 minutes
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