NLUX x VIOLA VIRTAMO
CASE: STYLED FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY
styling: nlux
PHOTOS: Viola Minerva and participants
Text: marika luukkanen
MODELS: NLUX
PLACE: hahkiala manor
The soft light of August led us to stylized food photography both indoors and outdoors, with game, fish and seasonal vegetables playing the leading roles.
"Nature, food and beautiful surroundings are the biggest sources of inspiration for me, and I couldn't think of a better place for a great August workshop than Hahkiala Manor!"
Viola Minerva Virtamo
Magic rays
When you turn the last bend before Hahkiala Manor, you enter another world. A dreamy oak moon escorts your gaze to the gently rising horizon. At the top, the manor house looks out towards the sharply pointed Hauho church on one side, and towards the generous fields and the sinewy lake on the other.
Towards inspiration
A sigh of relief amidst all the beauty. Entering Hahkiala Manor, stepping into the spacious courtyard and looking at the building. You don't have to be an expert on architecture to appreciate the exterior of a pale yellow-washed house. Its sturdy character manages to be both dignified and fresh. The design and character of the building fit into its surroundings, exuding the stories and happiness of generations.
Images full of brilliance
In the hall next to the lecture room, a table has been set up in abundance. Its rich setting instantly attracts photographers to grab their cameras and capture the specialness of this August day.
Harvest season vegetables, root vegetables, mushrooms and berries are accompanied by pheasant, rustic tableware and lush floral arrangements. No matter what the angle, everything looks lovely.
Encounters in the garden
The day is half over and it's time to freshen up. The sweet, refreshing taste of rhubarb and the pike steak with its accompaniments make you close your eyes and concentrate on every bite. It's not every day you get a fresh, healthy and genuinely tasty dish like this.
Everything is produced, harvested, fished or hunted in or near our own country. Dishes sizzle and chatter dies down as you savour the bounty.
"For me, the most important thing in photos is the feeling," says one talented photographer. The photos are telling the story of people and places. They exude the atmosphere that is inside them. When a picture manages to capture something inside, it's really touching.
Long day evening
In addition to food, we have had models in the environment, in as real fireplaces as possible, with hunting dogs, as appropriate for the estate's grounds.
They are great at throwing themselves into situations, angles and ideas. They're walking around in a field of hay, and in such style that Vogue might be calling soon.
Before the sun sets, a vintage jeep is brought in, the back of which opens up into a gentlemanly platform from which to enjoy a whisky on a night of hunting. As the last golden rays of the evening sun fall on the car, it's the perfect time to take the last few shots.
