Most of the time I love and thrive on times when life is a little hectic and there are almost too many things to do in one day. It makes taking a little break all that more enjoyable, knowing that you have been getting things done at a fast pace!
After the business of launching the book was taken care of at the end of October I managed to slip out of the country for 5 precious days to visit Sofie in Sweden. She is spending a little quality time back in the motherland for a few months and is loving it. As hard as it is to be apart we seriously appreciate the time we have together so that is a positive!
Unfortunately Ryanair have stopped the direct flight from Dublin to Gothenburg, which makes life a little difficult as there are no other direct options. However this gave me a chance to catch up my friend Ubbe in Oslo, he's a dancer in the Norwegian production of Mamma Mia. It was my first time in Oslo and although I only saw it briefly it's really a lovely city.
The next day it was on to Gothenburg, I really love this city! I think size wise and familiarity wise, my mind compares it to Dublin, but I'm sure factually I'm wrong. We spent the first day shopping which I love over there, because for me the shops are brimming with new ideas and inspiration. The scandinavian design is really simplistic and stripped back. I have been wanting to include a bit more styling and emphasis on table setting in my food photos so that's what my eye was looking out for!
The shops didn't let me down and were filled with amazing flower displays, fabrics, cutlery and sleek, simple tableware. I always find that the Swedes are very conscious of the changing seasons when it comes to design and at the moment shops are gearing up for Christmas with lots of tasteful ribbons, interesting looking dried twigs, and bold seasonal greens and reds.
We went for a walk in the grounds of a beautiful old Swedish house and it was really apparent where the shops were getting their inspiration. The colours in the forest of berries, bushes, and crisp leaves left no doubt in mind that nature was their source!
I've come home with lots of idea's and even more motivation, so hopefully I'll be able to inject a little more design into the food shots. I forgot to mention, that I finally upgraded camera's from the Canon 400D to the Canon 5D MII so am still getting to grips with it as it's a little more serious than what I was used to. But the photos are getting there so bear with me!
