STEDSANS IN THE WOODS

LUXURIOUS DINNER AND OVERNIGHT STAY IN THE SWEDISH FOREST

It's been a really long time from my last blog post (too many new things going on) I've missed blogging but I wanted to come back with super interesting story and now I have it! (actually two)

First one is about our visit to Stedsans in the Woods in July. Charming project by Mette Helbæk and Flemming Hansen. They came from Denmark and started this huge project in Swedish forest. They sold their house and closed their restaurants in Copenhagen. Who has that kind of courage? And they managed to get the rest of the money with Kickstarter. I can already say it's worth it and love to support it.

We had our ten year anniversary and we decided to celebrate it by coming to Stedsans and have a beautiful dinner in the forest and stay overnight in one of their big cosy tents and I mean they were cosy. A huge soft double bed with beautiful linen.

This course was our starter. A medicinal plant salad with mushrooms and berries from the forest.

When we arrived we were shown our tent and all the important things concerning our stay on a hand drawn printed map. Restaurant, toilets, shower, boat house, floating sauna, garden and pigs with chickens ;)

The dinner was delicious even though I have quite strict diet. There were things I could not eat but I was well taken care of.

My husband can eat anything ( not envy at all) and his favorite was Peas francaise with horsebeans and lemon thyme. I don't drink alcohol so I had to skip wines but they offered lovely non alcohol drinks like Aronia-apple juice. It was very good with main course Brisket with grilled leek and flowers (flowers! love to eat flowers!) and we enjoyed a lot being there. Their charming style, atmosphere with cosyness and good service. 

Mom and daughter Kodak moment. Picking flowers together for us.

This is Peas française with horsebeans and lemon thyme. Mette styled the dish quite gracefully but in very relaxed way. I felt I had to go and shoot it in the forest and lucky me - forest was just few meters away from our dinner table.

During our six course dinner we had a lovely discussions with a couple sitting next to us Maria and Thomas. We all took few pics of the food ;) they were looking so delicious.

I found Mette's and Flemming's Stedsans in the Woods because I've been following Mette in IG. First I wanted to visit her restaurant in Copenhagen but then I read about her interesting plans. So in spring it was quite clear that I wanted to visit their place in Sweden. Do you ever feel that somehow all the things are connected ? Because same time when I was thinking about Stedsans I got an assignment - to make a speech about trends in food photography. Of course I mentioned Stedsans as one example of the trending things in the world of food.

So I gave a speech in Helsinki in April. Event was called What's cooking Helsinki - food carnival. I spoke to food bloggers about trends in food photography and why storytelling is even more important now than before. I have my own opinions about trending things (actually I don't like the word trend at all, haha. For me trend is equal to consumption which is not a good thing but the word is very easy to understand so I use it) but I decided to ask opinions from talented food and lifestyle bloggers. I wanted to hear their ideas about food photography at the moment. I combined their thoughts with mine and I got surprisingly coherent content. We shared pretty same ideas of going more natural and authentic content - less styled - simple and natural and some of us saw building community very important. We are all creative so we all have a bit different style and opinions in the end of the day but I felt a feeling of collective mind if I may say so.

I want to thank you all lovely ladies who helped me with the trend speech task in April: Aran Goyaga from Cannelle & Vannille, Nina Olsson from Nourish Atelier, Holly Becker from Decor8, Beth Kirby from Local Milk, Adelaster Food Textures, Tami Hardeman from Running with Tweezers, Sif Orrellana and Nicoline Olsen.

Here above you can see a pic from our atmospheric tent. Why I told about Stedsans in the Woods to my audience - food bloggers? I think my main point was that trends are less important. Going back to the roots and sustainable way of living with no waste is one of the directions we are heading to. Simple life with healthy and delicious local food. Using plants and flowers from the nature that is surrounding us but still eating delicious food. Luxury in the forest.

This we found from our breakfast table. Who can say no to this?

Mette made an omelette for everyone in the morning. We sat and drank our coffee and ate as much as we could, haha. After breakfast we decided to test a floating sauna. It was different compared to our own sauna. A lot of light and possibility to go swimming. The lake water was clean and very refreshing. I mean cold. But this summer has been quite cold here in Scandinavia so what can you say. Maybe next summer is warmer. I hope.

The floating sauna was made by an architect and carpenter. It was lovely.

Before leaving we went to see pigs and chickens. We walked by the garden and I was feeling happy and calm and ready for the next destination: Göteborg and botanical garden.

I hope you enjoyed my blog post! Next time I will tell you about my 1:1 flower class with amazing The Blue Carrot.

xoxo

Kreetta

BEHIND THE SCENES - SHOOTING FOOD

MY STORY

Have you ever thought how to make a perfect food pic? I have. Over ten years ago I learned from the best. I was assistant to talented food and commercial photographer Juha-Pekka Laakio during years 2004-2006. It all began there with food.

From the year 2006 I made a career as a in house photographer in big publishing house till the year 2014. I made a lot of people photography but I made also food, lifestyle, car, fashion, medicine - you name it - photography during those years. You can find the best of it in my portfolio. We had Finnish big customers like Fazer, VR, Alko, Osuuspankki, S-ryhmä, Volvo, Yliopiston Apteekki and many more.

In Autumn 2014 I started a career as an independent professional photographer. About two years ago.

And here I am. I'm focused on food, flowers, lifestyle not forgetting people either. I also can concentrate more to painting and ceramics. I have my own workspace with such a lovely group of people. We have great co-work with talented cook and author Meri-Tuuli Lindström, she is one of my workspace colleagues. We just published a cooking book Pataruokaa - A Book of Stews in English it would be. She is an excellent food stylist, I have to say. Lucky to work with her.

For me our cooking book Pataruokaa came with perfect timing. My mom had just passed away suddenly in the very beginning of this year so luckily we had our book project mainly during winter and spring when I had the most difficult time of my life. I'm so proud of us and expecially the result - the book. First print run is sold out in November so we are going with second at the moment. It has received very good reviews. I'm very grateful of all the lovely feedback.

At the workspace - we call it Työhuone ovi 10 - the light is magical and I think the place has a very special feng shui - if you know what I mean and I love to share it with my customers and fellow colleagues.

This autumn I've been organizing flower workshops there and people have had a lovely relaxing moments with beautiful flowers, photography and good food. Students have made so many beautiful flower arrangements and then we have photographed them. You can find a lot of pics from the workshops by following hashtag #kukkaworkshop in Instagram. Planning to continue with workshops next year but thinking a next level - more learning possibilities and more talking about creative work. That means smaller groups with flowers, food and photography. Here you can find a blog post about this autumn's flower workshop.

I've been telling you a bit of my history as a photographer and about my past year and same time you have been watching the pics from one of the lovely photoshoots during this year I made with Meri-Tuuli. It is part of a huge project we made for keksihylly.fi. It has been a great joy. Meri-Tuuli made recipes and styled the food and I photographed it but before that I planned and collected the props and made backrounds and styled flowers. See the whole pic here. We always try to make our best for customers with unique style. With handmade props and backrounds it's possible with a good taste of style and food styling perfection.

Last pic is totally behind the scenes. There are never enough words how creative mind works. Usually you don't receive the words at all and you can only see the result - the photo or what ever the creative goal is. Actually that is how it should be - the final work should work without any explaning words. 

I hope you have enjoyed the story and the pics. I wish you a Merry Merry Christmas! 

xoxo

Kreetta

ps. Next post is about - wreaths :0 of course!

COOKING FROM PATARUOKAA BOOK

COTTAGE WEEKEND

Weekend at the cottage was pure slow living. Finnish cottages are often very basic. This time - no running water in the kitchen. The cottage was very old house where we could enjoy of fireplace in the kitchen. Such a cosy feeling it made for us. I was so happy that finally we had time to begin to cook from the book I have made with Meri-Tuuli Lindström. The book is called Pataruokaa, A Book of Stews. Stews are THE best on a cold autumn evening in the middle of nature in the candle light.

We made two stews during our stay in the cottage. Here you can see roasted Jerusalem artichokes. We made lentil stew with Jerusalem artichokes. We made also very hearty stew - chorizo beef stew. They were both so good.

 Our little Haruki also enjoyed the stay and she was very interested about the birds :)

Chorizo beef stew was made with tomatos. It took 4 hours to cook and worth to wait, I have to say. The meat was so tender. I ate it again next day with bread and it was so lovely. Rich and thick taste.  It's easy to imagine that after a very cold day outdooring this kind of food is heaven.

We are having grey days and the light is vanishing very early. I love the greyness I have to admit. I've learnt to love every season. It makes life very rich because every season has a very special atmosphere. After warm summer it's great to enjoy the darkness, candle light and warm woolly socks on the cosy sofa.

This is not my knitting work, it's my husbands. Yes, I have my camera and my husband has his knitting.

I've been thinking to photograph birches...so long time. But every time when I see a very good birch forest we are driving somewhere and we just don't stop only for photographing except today. Gorgeous burnt orange color from the leaves behind the birches.

 I admit. I took my own table cloth and two plates with us to cottage because I knew I wanted to photograph the food we make and you can't do it with ugly plates, can you?

We also brought with us these preserved pears and made delicious dessert from them. These ones are actually Finnish pears. We are going to make them again. They are in season now so have to be quick. They say also that we are going to have snow fall next week. I guess winter is knocking on our door. 

xoxo

Kreetta

HANAMI HOT DOG

WELCOME TO OUR GARDEN

I love this our tradition. Hanami Hot Dogs. We started 2014 so it's not so old tradition at all but I can already see how we will make these hot dogs year after year every spring when cherry and plum trees are blooming. My husband made them today - that makes it perfect :) Maybe it's my turn next year. We had gluten free bread, tasty wiener, chili mayonnaise, fresh cucumber salad and coriander, red onion, salad from our own garden, mustard and coleslaw to go with hot dogs. 

It's now. Important thing to remember. All the beutiful spring flowers are around us and I already miss them. I know, I should not think so but still can't avoid it. But year after year I enjoy them even more. I'm happy with the day we are living - not the day we are waiting to come.

I will save some flowers for later use. I will freeze some of these beauties in ice cubes. They will be waiting for a hot sunny summer day and then we will use them in cooling drinks. 

Have a lovely week, I hope the sun and warmth will stay with us! 

xo

Kreetta 

ps. Here you can find our Hanami Hot Dog from the year 2014.

HOW TO EDIT A PERFECT PHOTO STORY?

STORYTELLING NEEDS EDITING

What is the story you are telling?

I will write quite loosely my thoughts of editing. I hope you find some good tips to make your editing process more focused and easier. I wanted to tell a story about our late lunch - blinis. It happened in our home on a beautiful sunny winter day. I also styled it to look like a slavic table. Not so seriously though. Blinis have Russian roots. 

Things to consider when you start to build your story. You should already think these things when you are shooting and of course during you are editing photos. Remember also when you are shooting the story to get different kind of pics for sure.

Show scene and build narrative - how you draw the viewer to follow your story? 

Point of view - where are you? 

Purpose - what are you trying to tell?

Lightning -use it for benefit for your point of view - soft light, hard light, dabbled light etc.

Find mood, create atmosphere - develope emotion - that is what the story is about  

Introduce people in story

Follow movement

Show ideas

Find contrast

Find details

Sounds logical?

On editing you should know how many pages you have in magazine or how many pics you want to use in your single blog post or in your IG feed? These days we have digital cameras and it is easy to shoot a lot. Editing is more difficult because you have so many pics to go through. But like the cliches "Kill your darlings" and Less is more" editing is all about making decisions. You have to make decisions which photos tell the story, which ones are the strongest ones. If you think about a magazine layout you can notice there are big and small photos in the same story. Which photos are the main pics - pics you want to show and best for your story. Which ones support the main photos well. There are different combinations for sure how to tell your story and I don't want to say there is right or wrong, just want to give you some tools and tips how to get rid of the too many alike pics in your story.

Some tips:

Pics have to have enough difference from each other:

new angle, different depth of field, direction, close up or the whole subject. There are so many different ways to make a pic. Every story need to build from small pieces.

Pic have to have new or different information from the subject. Go close - step back. Go up, go down. Try to find the best angle for your subject. Thinking out of the box helps here.

Which order you show them? In blog you have to start with very good photo because people is so short tempered in internet. It's obvious that a very good pic draws attention where ever you tell your story.

Surprise the reader, begin with not the obvious pic. Doesn't work always.

There are strong main pics and supporting pics. If you can't think what new or different the pic brings to your story - it might not be the one to use. Even though you have made a huge job for cooking, baking, shooting and styling the photos, you should not show too many alike pics in your final story.

I have few choises from one angle from same subject. I have to pic one of them. I don't want to show all of them only because I can't choose which one is the best one. Luckily - more you edit better you come. I hope you aren't thinking that editing is too difficult for you. No it's not. But if the pics are too alike you should show only one of them. Of course it depends on your story. If  you are telling a story like mine today - choises to make is easier than for example if it would be a food and travel story.

Ok, are you still with me? 

If I haven't already said it enough clearly, I say it again. You have to make decisions - can't avoid that. But it is good to take editing as learning by doing. Nothing bad happens if you feel afterwards that you should have chosen differently. You learn everytime. Make a new story.

You can also ask from your friend or collegue their opinion while you are editing. I bet they see things a bit differently but this is not a matter of who is right - you always have to listen your inner voice but it is good choise to let somebody else go through the pics - of course knowing your story. Like I had first 78 pics I went quite easily to 20 pics and then I edited pics still 10 and finally I chose to tell my story with 7 pics. A good thing to remember is that you can also take a break in editing. Continue after few hours or next day. I usually don't like to make a final editing straight after photoshooting. I make the first selection but I like to leave the final editing for the next day. But sometimes you just have to make them during same day. That's why it is good to learn how to do it more efficiently.

I´m sure I forgot something so please ask if you feel you want to hear my opinion.

Finally here are recipes of blinis and muschroom salad. This time we did not have dairy free so we used lactose free soured cream. But you want to be dairy free you can use for example Oatly's oat creme fraiche. 

Other ingredients with blinis are of course chopped red onion, chopped russian salt cucumber and fish roe.

GLUTEN FREE BLINIS about 25 blinis / by my husband and he doesn't follow so much other people's recipes. He cooks food quite freely.

3 dl water

1 1/2 tsp dry yeast

1 dl teff flour (very healthy choise and gluten free)

1/2 dl rice flour

1 dl oat flour

Combine ingredients let it rest at least 3 hours.

Add:

1 tsp salt

1 dl mineral water  Mix it to the dough.

2 eggs. Separate white and yolk. Mix yolks to the dough.  Whip egg whites to firm. Fold gently into dough.

Fry blinis with canola oil until they get a bit color from both sides.  

We also made mushroom salad with blinis.

MUSHROOM SALAD

1 1/2 dl smetana

dried mushrooms/salted mushrooms to taste

1/4 onion chopped

1 tsbt olive oil

1 tsp white vinegar

salt to taste

white pepper to taste (we didn't use pepper)

Mix all together and let it rest for awhile at least the time you fry blinis.

Bon appetit! 

I hope you get inspired to make blinis, they are so very tasty.

Phew, long blog post full of information. I hope these thoughts helps you on the way to perfect photo story. Well, I guess perfect is a bit strong word but it is always good to have a goal that makes you work even harder. Oh, I almost forgot to tell you that one of those pics is iPhone pic. Which one?

I've blogged couple of times photography tips so you can find them here: 

IG feed food photography with smart phone

Composition

Have a beautiful Sunday and creative week!

xoxo

Kreetta

ps. this is the contact sheet of 20 pics I started to edit to final 7.

FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY WITH A SMART PHONE/CAMERA - EDITING

HOW TO EDIT A PERFECT PHOTO STORY?

This time I keep my blog post quite short and clear. I show you here a contact sheet of today´s late lunch. Blinis with slavic styling. Not perfect because all my this kind of props are at my workspace. Some I have here. I photographed with dsrl camera but the last 3 pics are photographed with iPhone.

I already have been editing some pics away but I still have these 20 photos left. But I can't make a blog post of 20 pics. Too long story and too much same kind of pics, don't you think. I think I'm going down at least to 9 pics maybe tomorrow when I continue with this I will make it even less. 

Edit your story as good as it can get - that is what I like to tell you this time. Some tips about how to edit your photo stories shorter. I will do it tomorrow. I think we have a tiny blind spot when we are talking about choosing only few good ones that tells the story even better than 10 pics. Kill your darlings. Not easy but worth to try. But I will get back to this tomorrow. 

Just go through my contact sheet of blinis and think what kind of edition you would make? I'm trying to tell about beautiful winter day meal - slavic blinis. I will include a gluten free recipe too. So this is a food story.

I've been posting other photography tip posts before. You can find them following links below.

How to make a beautiful photography for Instagram feed ? Food photography with your smart phone.

Food photography with smart phone - composition

See you tomorrow!

xo

Kreetta

EASY CHRISTMAS DECORATION DIY - SIMPLE WHITE ORNAMENTS

HO HO HO BAKING SODA DOUGH!

I saw this DIY in Facebook by Kodin Kuvalehti. It is really simple and easy. I don't know if you are a bit like me...I have always a bit hurry before Christmas when I start to get these crazy ideas what I like to do before and for the Christmas...this time I got plenty of time to make these because they are so easy. That is a very very good thing, I think. Photographing them today was the hardest part. We have sooo low light at the moment but luckily I have a tripod.

First you make the baking soda dough. This recipe is from Kodin Kuvalehti.

INGREDIENTS

1dl corn starch

2dl baking soda

1,25dl pure water

Combine ingredients in the pot. Boil over medium heat until the mixture starts to thicken into the smooth texture. Remove from the heat. Put the damp cloth over it. Let it cool for awhile. The important thing is to have enough moisture in dough. It's hard to make pretty ones when the dough is too dry. So keep your dough moistured. I kept mine in damp cloth and in a plastic bag waiting for baking. But this dough is the easiest ever to bake. Thickness of the dough should be about 5 mm and use spatula in lifting your pretty ornaments on to the baking sheet.

MAKE YOUR ORNAMENTS WITH

rolling pin

cookie cutters

plastic or wooden board (you can use plastic wrap around the wooden board like I did)

stick to make holes

spatula

baking paper

texture from different kind of things (this part is my favorite!) like I used dried poppy seed pod and pearl necklace. Never ever use the most obvious - that is my motto, I admit.

There have to be also a reason why to make a DIY. I need these ornaments for the Christmas present tags. We have made some homemade preserved ginger pears. Some of you are going to get them - some not. This is our first year with these so either other way you might be lucky.

After you have baked your ornaments, they go to oven or you can also let them dry over night in a room temperature. But as I said I'm always a bit hurry (and impatient) to wait for the result so I baked them in oven in temperature 75 C degrees about one hour. Depends on how thick they are. I guess that's about it. Of course you can play with colors from spices or water colors or proper food coloring but I liked pure white. Simple.

So off you go and have fun with your family and friends! Make many beautiful ornaments. 

It's time to Wish You A Merry Christmas!

xoxo

Kreetta

ps. You will find me in Instagram @kreettakreetta

 

FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY WITH A SMART PHONE - COMPOSITION

LEADING THE EYE



I decided to continue writing about smart phone photography. In my last blog post I went through 6 tips about how you can make your smart phone photography even better. If you haven't read the previous blog post you will find it here. I decided to go through all the tips one by one. Explain it a bit more depth. Today I write about composition.

Last time I wrote shortly about it like this:

 

"This is very important. Rule of thirds, negative space, diagonals, leading the eye...there are plenty of things to consider but most important especially in Instagram is to simplify. You are looking either at someone's single pic or at someone's grid in small size on your phone. You will decide in matter of seconds, will you or will you not follow this feed. Not only one pic has to be good but all those pics have to be good as a grid. It is a good idea to keep things simple. Begin your composition with your main subject. Add or arrange things as long as you find the balance."

ODD NUMBERS 

I guess with this you are very familiar. When building an interesting composition this works very well. Amount of fruits, plates, ingredients etc. 1, 3, 5 looks better than 2, 4, 6 like you see above. 

GROUPING

Make groups from things you are photographing like above. I have group of two (herbs) and group of three (herbs, seeds, mushrooms). All together they are also odd numbers like seed pods are too.

RULE OF THIRDS

I think this one is the hardest for me to explain. Because I don't think about it at all. It is somewhere deep in my brain. But it means "the pic is divided into nine equal parts by two equally spaced horizontal lines and two equally spaced vertical lines, and that important compositional elements should be placed along these lines or their intersections." (Wikipedia) In pic above my bowl of dried sage is in one intersection like mushrooms too. The linen napkin's edge is also in right upper intersection.

NEGATIVE SPACE

Nothing to look at? Very important area. It shapes forms around the subject. It's as important as the subject. Without it there isn't a rythm or direction in the pic. Above pic there are negative spaces between the two group, inside the frame, between subjects.

LINES AND CIRCLES

You can build your pic with help of thinking of shapes like triangle, circle, square, cylinder, rectangles, polygon etc. For us it is easier to follow familiar shapes. When we are talking about leading the eye the work is done by lines and shapes. In Instagram photography it is better to trust more simple way of buliding pics so they are often very flat and have quite simple composition. You can also lead the eye with technical camera things like depth of field. But when you are photographing with smart phone that is hard to do, that's why it is important to have a good composition to keep the pic interesting.

BREAKING THE RULES

After you know all these - you can forget them. See the pic below. Which rules I broke?

I hope you find this useful and interesting. I'm sure there are plenty of things still untold but I'm sure you will take a nice step ahead with your smart phone photography. These pics are all taken with iPhone and during this time of the year - we don't have so much light so that too makes this kind of photography more challenging.

I hope you have a great week ahead of you!

xoxo

Kreetta 

ps. These tips are useful in general when talking about photography.