Last fall I studied abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark and had the opportunity to explore photography, a huge hobby of mine, in a more professional context. As part of a photojournalism course that I took at the Danish Institute we had to befriend a random Dane, figure out something interesting about their life related to Danish culture, and then make a three-picture photoessay about this topic.
My Dane was a Koreanborn adoptee by the name of Michael Penderson. Michael was both Koreanborn and gay, making him extremely different from the homogenous population of Copenhagen. By exploring his Asian heritage and his homosexuality I decided to focus on the work he did for an organization called SABAAH which helped homeless, foreign, gay youth find shelter and work in Copenhagen. This photograph was taken at his office in the Østerbro neighborhood of Copenhagen right before he was to meet with a 16-year old who had just immigrated to the city and was homeless.
– Alex Schlesinger ’14