There are few things that get me more excited than finding cool vintage props for food photography and Sweden really is a great place to pick up interesting items. They just seem to have a better way of looking after there old junk! Correct me if I’m wrong but I think the Irish ideology is that if it’s broken or old, a skip is ordered and it all gets fecked in, with the thought that out of sight is out of mind and that’s a few more less things to worry about. The one thing the Swedes have down to a tee, is a fantastic ethos of recycling and which includes rubbish, old pieces of furniture, clothes, and most importantly for me kitchenalia.
Everywhere you drive in Sweden you will see signs for “loppis” which means “flea market” and when you follow them down little paths and up drive ways you can come across anything from an old shed out the back of someone’s house packed with bits and bobs, or a beautiful, red, wooden barn full to the brim with vintage plates, bottles and old wooden boxes. As you venture closer to the city you can even come across giant indoor markets, where it all gets a little bit competitive and you find yourself pushing grannies out of the way to nab yourself that vintage hand whisk that some old wan is reaching for… Me? No never! Now why, I’m sure your wondering, does a 25 year old male get excited about all this? Well it’s these old bottles and plates and other random bits and bobs that make for the most fantastic food photographs, so you see there is method to my madness.
As a result of a weekend spent on the hunt for all things prop related, I am now left with a dilemma, how do you fit about 25kg of very pretty junk into a suitcase that only has about 5kg free? I don’t really care because now they are mine all mine and come hell or high water they are coming with me and getting used in the photos for the next book. Speaking of food photography, I do hope you like the picture of today’s recipe for a BBQ Sweet Potato and Halloumi salad and if you are admiring that plate, it was robbed from my lovely mother. Pushing grannies and robbing from my mother, all in a days work!
Continue to the recipe for BBQ Sweet Potato and Halloumi Salad….