Royal Guards

I took a walk in the old town. Always fun to look at the tourists, and no one knows that I am a local, so I blend in nicely with the crowds. After a stroll around the big square, Stortorget, where they have the big Christmas market that I have shown you a couple of times, I walked up to the Great Church, Storkyrkan. It is next to the Royal Palace, so I decided to get a photo of one of the Royal Guards. I gave her a little nod before I took the portrait, and she gave me one back. The sensible thing to do when you shoot someone that is armed, pun intended. The name Ven on her peaked cap tells me that she is from Fjärde sjöstridsflottiljen. Or The 4th Naval Warfare Flotilla. They are based at Berga in Haninge and I have been there on an open-house weekend a number of years ago.

The prettiest knight in the world

I visited a medieval market over the weekend. Held at Kungsträdgården in Stockholm. Organized by Medeltid Stockholm. Great fun. The park was crowded with people from all around the world. I will show you quite a few photos tomorrow, but I wanted to start with just the one portrait. This seriously good-looking woman was taking part in the fun where you could joust with the Knights, and I knew that I had to take her portrait as she held up that big sword.

But I got the shot

There I was, in the old town, doing some street photography. I spotted the photographer just as she spotted me. I snapped a quick photo of her, and half a second later I was nearly run over by a car driving up the street. Missed me by a whisker. But I got the shot.

Epic Kayak

A woman in a kayak at Karlsbergskanalen in Stockholm. Sure was a fine day for that sort of thing.Photographed last week while cycling around the Kungsholmen island.

A man and a woman

Two recent candid snaps. The guy in the top photo is a local musician, as well as a new dad, and possibly a fan of Björn Borg. I have seen his band perform once or twice. Snapped that photo while at the cafe. I don't know the woman in the second photo but I found her photogenic in that orange top. I snapped that one outside the cultural centre at Poseidon's square.

Redhead

Back at my favorite cafe Malmens konditori in Handen after a visit to the Gålö nature reserve. Another warm and sunny Summer day. I noticed this girl a few seconds before the walked into the shot, nice when you can prepare a candid photo. It looks like she will enjoy a glass of wine with her dinner.

The Runner

A woman out running along the walkway that follows the Nynäsbanan railway line between Krigslida and Västerhaninge. Snapped earlier in the week when we had three days with Summer temperatures.

Yoko Onoish

That was my first impression when I saw her sitting on a bench together with her boyfriend at Södermalm in Stockholm a while back. I was out for a walk with the camera and this was the first photo I took during that promenade.

Desirée

I bought another portrait lens a while back. A Sigma 50mm 1.4. I haven't used it much for different reasons, but I thought that Desirée looked very pretty and photogenic on a visit to her cafe, Novas Trädgård at Vega in Handen a couple of days ago now so I asked her if I could grab a few portraits.

Still Summer

Still Summer. Nice day for some singing&sunbathing on the bench and in the water at Årsta Havsbad. 16C in the water, 22C on dry land at Årsta Havsbad earlier in the week.

The Strider

The strider. I see her walk by the cafe a couple of times every week. Always on time. Always in a different outfit. Always a favorite.

SiestaBag™

A chilllout sofa you can't live without? Yours for 600SEK. Spotted while walking down the picturesque Strandvägen road in Nynäshamn a few hot days ago.

Fashion Statement

Summer Reading

The fine Summer weather continues. Spotted this woman sunbathing while enjoying a novel at the green park in Handen the other day.

She's got one in the oven

A candid snap from earlier in the week. I was sitting at a table at my favorite cafe, Malmens konditori in Handen, chatting away with the usual suspects while taking photos of passers-by.

Maria Skaring

Met the artist Maria Skaring at the art gallery, Galleri Kyrkskolan in Österhaninge yesterday. She showed me some of her metal rod art, also known as "luffarkonst". Luffare was the old Swedish name for a hobo, or a vagabond. And this is an art form that was started by vagabonds back in the day. Maria asked me if I was interested in buying a piece. I had a look at her work and told her that I might buy a piece if it featured a bicycle or perhaps a camera, and she promised to create something like that, so I guess I will have to buy that piece on my next visit! But then again I promised Maria to email her the photos of her work, and the portraits I took of her, both inside the gallery, and outside, in the garden, for free. And I also explained a few things about photography, so that she will be able to shoot decent portraits and macro images of flowers with her Nikon. So given all that, maybe she should give me that sculpture as a thank you next time we meet!

Ronja

This is Ronja. I spotted her in Handen a while back. She was in a hurry, on her way to the amusement park Gröna Lund in Stockholm to catch a concert with Icona Pop. I asked if I could take a few portraits as I really liked her look. No no no was her quick response, before explaining that she was always very uncomfortable in front of the camera. But I don't give up that easy, so after a couple of minutes talk we were shooting and the photos came out just fine. Ronja comes from Dalarna, a province in central Sweden. Today she lives in Handen with her boyfriend and two cats. She is very passionate about fashion, music and dance. Another passion is Change and Development and she has just finished her master's degree. I emailed Ronja ten of the photos and we decided to meet again for more photos, and we did that shoot a couple of days ago. It was great fun, we took a walk around a lake and stopped here and there for photos. I have informed Ronja that she will be my photographic muse for the Summer and she seems fine with that. And she is no longer uncomfortable in front of the camera.

Clara Elisabet

This is Clara Elisabet. I have seen her at my favorite cafe a few times over the last year or so. I find her very photogenic so when she was getting ready to leave the cafe a few days ago I stopped her and asked if I could take a few portraits. I suggested a tiny park nearby so we walked there for the shots. Clara works at a cat shelter in Handen so she will often drop by the cafe before work.

Sunbather

A good photo to illustrate the weather situation in Haninge since a few weeks time. Warm and sunny. No complaints.

Sarah

Sarah and a friend were out on a walk in the fine Summer weather we are having, and I thought she looked good in her white dress, so I asked if I could take a few portraits. Photo taken out on the pedestrian bridge that crosses Gudöbroleden in Handen.