Fika Photo Documentary

When I chose my class schedule, I didn’t think that the most difficult of all my courses would be photo documentary—I didn’t realize that most of our assignments would require us to take photos of other people. What’s so hard about that? Well, it requires me to take up another person’s time and get into their face a bit, and I hate to intrude or inconvenience. My photo class is forcing me to take up space.

So far, I’ve mostly taken photos of my friends, and my other victims include my host sister, host mom, and a stranger I found soaking up the sun on a bench. Each photo assignment has challenged me to step out of my comfort zone in different ways, and afterwards, I really enjoy looking over the pictures; I have a deep appreciation and gratitude for the people in them. They are beautiful, and photography forces me to give them attention, to take the time to look.

My ongoing photo project is about the people behind fika—the bakers and baristas. They are the ones who allow a fika culture to exist, and I want to document the care and community that goes into the mouth-watering breads and cakes that I am so often drooling over. I’ve been into two bakeries, one of them on two occasions. Although most of the workers are quite camera shy, I’ve found the people to be so compelling—not just what they were creating. Each time I left the bakeries after taking photos, I had a feeling of freedom to replace the fear or anxiety that I entered with. I think this comes from the excitement of being accepted into their work spaces, of seeing my project come to life, and also from seeing people do what they love.

I think the joy of fika is taking the time to really see other people and appreciate who they are. In a way, when I am in the bakeries with my camera, I’m experiencing fika at its finest.

But it was still hard for me to go back to the bakery to take photos. I had to force myself inside by saying I’ll start with a fika. I ate my cinnamon bun and drank my coffee while I relaxed into the atmosphere. Then I was ready to get to work.

I mentioned my graveyard of lists in a previous post—my summer road-trips, travel plans, writing projects, art ideas—and I’m happy that this project isn’t among them. I’m happy that studying abroad wasn’t something that fell away from my grasp, and being in Stockholm, I feel like I can grasp and go after the things that really excite me. That’s why I’m here, after all.

Fika creates space for dreams, and it’s a safe place to start or return to after the stress or pressures of doing—whatever that doing might be.