Fika at Fogelbo: Event Photography for Nordic Northwest in Portland, Oregon

I had never been to Fogelbo before, and this was my first event photographed for Nordic Northwest. Then I parked, stepped out of the car, and nearly a decade of living in Scandinavia came back to me all at once. The red cabins, the Dala horses, the signs in Swedish: every big and little detail felt just as I remember it being in Sweden. For a moment I was back, walking around places that hold so many of my memories.

I entered the cabin through the kitchen door and met the committee members, the volunteers, and the docents in the middle of their finishing touches, plating each course and presenting it beautifully before the guests arrived. Right before the doors opened, I walked into the main living room and was awestruck by how much history lives there. The house is filled to the brim with authentic pieces, and you could wander endlessly, exploring every detail and trying to grasp how each one was once a beloved item in someone’s family. At some point in time, it crossed the ocean. Today we board a plane and fill it with as many suitcases as we like; back then, people likely took the most precious things they possessed, and that was it. It is amazing to think how they treasured their family history and their homeland history, carried it to the United States, and eventually gave it to this living museum.

Seven courses, and the stories between them

As the guests arrived, I focused on their first impressions of the place: the looking around, the discussing, the fascination in people’s eyes at so many interesting items. Once everyone was seated, the committee members began bringing out their dishes, seven courses of savory and sweet treats, each presented with a story of the dish or the place it comes from. Listening to them, in combination with the food and the atmosphere of the cabin, made a rare harmony between what you hear, what you see, and how you feel in the space. Between the courses, the docents told us about the remarkable recent acquisitions—pieces acquired by the owner of the house or donated by families who had passed them down through generations after coming to the US—and everyone leaned in, intrigued.

How I photographed it

My approach was to document real emotions and people’s interactions: their curiosity, their fascination, their excitement. I also followed the different activities that made the afternoon so special, from the presentations to the discussions to the moments in between talks. And I built a story around the event, to show the continuity of the impact that cultural gatherings like this one have on the spaces and the people in them.

In editing, the paintings of the Louvre are what inspired me: their colors and their light, something that resonates with a museum quality. That is what guided the color grading of this series.

The event was put together by the Nordic Cuisine Committee, with the help of Nordic Northwest volunteers and the Fogelbo docents.

Photographer and author: Alina Veksler @veksalinaphotography
Event: Fika at Fogelbo, hosted by the Nordic Cuisine Committee of Nordic Northwest

Location: Fogelbo, Portland, Oregon, USA

Gear used: Sony a7iii | Manual vintage lens Minolta Rokkor 58mm f/1.4 | K&F Concept Black Diffusion 1/4

Alina Veksler—a creative portrait photographer based near Portland, Oregon, offering professional photography and creative direction for individuals and businesses seeking unique, tailor-made sessions defined by quality and artistry.

Want your unique story told like this? Let’s make it happen—inquire at veksalinaphotography.com