...'tis the season to be jolly (etc etc)!

December 09, 2023 in Photography

The weather has been unusually cold and snowy in the southernmost parts of Sweden this winter so it made for some extra Christmas vibes when it was time for the annual Christmas market at the Malmöhus Castle, the old renaissance fortress in the center of town. There’s just something special about walking across that causeway through the old gatehouse (thankfully no drawbridge or portcullis anymore) into the courtyard and experiencing the good vibes of the place.

Visiting the Ale Stone Ship

July 05, 2020 in Photography

One of the sad facts of this summer is that long distance traveling is pretty much out of the question. I certainly wouldn’t have minded going overseas this summer, but nope…not gonna happen for me…nor for pretty much everyone else in Sweden. The fact that we’re barred from going to most other countries made me worry that the Ale Stenar, a very famous Iron Age megalith monument in the shape of a stone ship, on the southernmost coast of Sweden would be very crowded.

Vikings and Odd Sports

July 08, 2019 in Photography

These last few weekends this analog film shooter has done quite a bit of digital photography (sacrilege I know!), since I’ve visited a few events where there are more action filled elements and I am not really good at capturing action with my analog cameras…yet.

Viking Summer 2018

January 20, 2019 in Events, Photography

For a few years a while back I went to every annual summer Viking market at Foteviken just south of Malmö to take pictures, because as a history nerd I thought it was so cool to see people in (at least somewhat period accurate) Viking costumes, re-enacting the time period. Then I felt I had photographed that to the best of both my abilities as well as my interest (mostly the latter), but in 2018 I thought 'I haven't shot the event with analog equipment, so that might be a new challenge!'

Christmas Market time...again

December 16, 2017 in Photography

During the month of December (just like in every other part of the world I am sure) there's a tradition for Christmas markets around these parts of southernmost Sweden. I've been to a number of them through the years, and this year I chose the one at Jakriborg, a faux-medieval housing area a short commuter train ride away from Lund. It has a definite North German feel to it with its narrow buildings with steep roofs, even though it was all built in the 1990s.

*Looks like we start 'em young in these parts...*

Vikings all the way down...*

July 12, 2016 in Photography

One of the favorite things I like to shoot is historical locations (side effects of growing up with a history teacher for a father) and reenactments are often part of that. For many years I've gone to Foteviken Viking Museum to shoot during their market at the end of June/start of July, but this year I had other obligations, so instead I went to the somewhat smaller market in Trelleborg on the southern coast which took place a week later.

Life in the Viking town

July 06, 2015 in Photography

Every year for the last twenty years there has been a Viking market during the last week of June at Foteviken Viking Museum a few miles south of Malmö in Sweden. Hundreds of "Vikings" as well as visitors and curious onlookers come together to live as or look at Vikings in many ways. There are lots of market stalls and artisans show their skills as well as their wares. There are also reenactments of late Viking/early Medieval age fighting which always draw large crowds.

Medieval times...in technicolor!

June 15, 2015

There are many medieval markets and fairs during the summer months in Sweden, but this weekend was the first time I've attended the one in Lund, Sweden. It was a rather low-key affair compared to some of the larger hooplas I've seen, but I liked that. It gave the visitors space to actually move around and look at the wares and things on sale, as well as the various "medieval" activities you could try out, like axe throwing, archery or even shooting with a siege engine (yep...a real ballista...even if it was rather small).