“The Ugly Duckling”
Location: Virum, Denmark
Date: September 2024
Photographer: Vija Tessman
Affiliation: Undergraduate student
Home Country: United States
Category: People
Award: Honorable Mention
2024 International Photography Exhibition
“There is a forested lake very close to my study abroad homestay family's house in the suburbs of Copenhagen. While walking on the hiking trails that encircle the lake at sunset, I spotted a lone swan by the lakeshore. The swan and the colorful scenery bring to mind the fairy tale "The Ugly Duckling" by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, in which a duckling, bullied for his different looks, grows up to discover that he is not a duck at all.”