Another day of cold, grey and fog. Behind the trees right in front of our window is a grey wall of nothingness. I just realised it has been over a year since I started my blog. 2017 was just such an unusual year in so many ways 😉

A thing I learnt about living in Norway, is that this country is a place of big contrasts. One in particular is the difference between the long, endless days of summer, when it stays light out almost all the time and turning on a lamp is not really necessary at all.

On the absolute opposite is the long dark days of winter – grey, black and cold. The Norwegians call it the mørketiden – the dark time. During those 3-4 months we only have light for a few hours from late morning until it turns all black again by early afternoon.

So, my winter days are very extremely short. You need to keep your lamps on from morning until evening. These days are not easy, trust me!

I can handle the cold, but the lack of light is something entirely different. Thank goodness that some of these winter days also can be filled with lots of snow, bright blue-white skies and some sunshine. You know, the typical winter wonderland, you imagine in your dreams!

I love those rare but still magical winter days. Sometimes they go on for weeks. They get my spirit and energy level up. Then all I want is to be outside.

And I need those bright days for another important reason.

Since I started my textile business, I noticed how important it is to have good natural light so I can take good product pictures. That is pretty much impossible when you have a day like this grey one. It’s frustrating when you have to wait for a day when the light outside is good. It’s a test for my patience! And when a bright day finally arrive, I only get a small window of opportunity in the morning when the light is at its best in my office.

I’m by all means not a good photographer yet but one thing I know: It’s important to show you guys my pillows in properly good light. That means a good white background and indirect sunlight. Of course, I could set up a light box – and maybe in the future I will – but so far, I prefer to work with natural light.

Lucky me, the other day was one of those sunny winter days. The light hit the walls perfect for staging my pillows and take pictures for the shop, the blog and Instagram. I’m glad I was able to take these pictures before it all turned grey and foggy again. Here are a couple of shots from that day. What do you think?

Xoxo, Alexia