I asked Linda if I could interview her and the sweetheart said yes. Linda creates beautiful things and is also a really beautiful person one the inside and outside. She’s a real food model 😉 I’m so glad I could meet her two times and talk with her about our passions, food and photography.
When did you start baking? And what was the first cake you ever baked?
I started baking around the time I started my blog, in 2009! I had baked before that of course, but usually just one or two recipes, like twice a year. My favorite recipe to bake back then was a Swedish sticky chocolate cake (‘kladdkaka’). Unfortunately I don’t have the recipe anymore but I bet it wasn’t that good, haha. Actually, cupcakes are what made me fall in love with baking. There was definitely a cupcake hype back then and we had never seen anything like that before in Sweden.
Did you love photography before baking or vice versa?
I did love photography before I started baking actually. I started taking pictures in high school, when I was 16 (so I’ve been photographing half my life!). I’m so happy I got to learn how to shoot film, develop in dark room AND learn photoshop and digital photography. Thankfully, I had an old school photography teacher who believed very much in me. I just didn’t see it back then because he was always critiquing me. Now I understand why! I did fall in love with photography instantly, but it was when I started baking that it sort of made sense and I knew what I was supposed to do.
I like that I’m free to spend my time how I like. And obviously, that I get to bake and photograph for a living is pretty awesome 😊 And all the fantastic people I’ve met through work! That is the most amazing part.
Since when can you call your hobby your work? What did you do before?
I quit my job in 2013. Honestly I can’t believe I had the guts to do that back then.. haha. I guess I just knew it was meant to be. I was writing my third book when I quit my job, I just really wanted to spend moretime doing it and I wanted it to be as good as it could possibly be. I wrote my first two books when I was still working.
We see your dog Mozart a lot on your photos, can you tell something about him?
He’s a 4 year old Westie, a rescue from Ireland. He came to us when he was about 1 1/2 years old and he was afraid of literally everything. He’d bark at every little sound, and he’d panic at the sight of another human. We never thought we’d be able to work through his difficulties, he needed a lot of time and encouragement. We did clicker training and positive reinforcement and it worked like a charm! He’s the apple of my eye and I can’t imagine life without him. He’s also very good at posing with pancakes (his favorite!). 😉 I never taught him that, he just knows he’s not supposed to touch them.
Which one of your books is your favorite and why?
My pie book (from 2016) is definitely my favorite, just because I absolutely adore making pies. Or my third book (Sweet food & Photography / My Sweet Kitchen in English, from 2014), which is where I definitely found my own style and voice.
Are you also a good cook? What’s your favorite dish to eat?
I know how to cook but I don’t have any confidence or imagination when it comes to it. I make a pretty decent pizza though!
Do you have a dream?
Yes! I want to live in an old house with a garden where my dog can roam and dig holes 😉 I also want to do more collaborations with other creatives and make more videos. I also would like to make more books, I enjoy that process so much.
It can be difficult for sure! I think what I struggle with is working from home. It’s difficult to separate work and time off from work. I do love watching series or movies.. it completely relaxes my brain. Sleeping is great too! Haha.
When you had to move to another country, which would it be?
Oh, that’s difficult. Probably France or Italy.
You photographed for your friend My Feldt’s book. How was that? Did you like to photograph for someone else? Were you more critical because it was for someone else?
It was an amazing experience! At first I was hesitant to do it because I’m so used to working alone and taking my time with every shoot. This was completely different as all the shoots were spontaneous and we spent no time planning anything, and almost no time styling. We just started shooting and see how things went.. hehe. Good thing we’re both spontaneous. I don’t think I was more critical, it was just different. I’m always very critical of my own work though, I guess you have to be to improve.
One of my favorite photos from the book My Feldt
Ohh, the bundt cake? That’s a good one! I usually make the simpler recipes, like toscakaka. I do make my chocolate layer cake quite often too.
Do you have other hobbies? I read somewhere you also play music?
I used to! Christian (my fiance, but we’ve been engaged for 12 years so no need to congratulate me, haha) is a musician and we played together in a band. Actually my dad and my brother are musicians too so there was always sort of a pressure to play an instrument. I played the bass and I guess I was decent, but my heart just wasn’t in it.
What’s your favorite prop at this moment?
I’d say one of my backgrounds! It’s like a wooden tray that I borrowed from an antique store here. It’s sort of turquoise on one side and greyish, aged wood on the other. You can see it in some of my recent posts. I have so many props but I feel like I’m always using the same.
I hope so! But I’m not working on one right now.
Which artists and photographers inspire you and why?
Right now I’m very inspired by Jamie Beck of Ann Street Studio. I like her behind the scenes on Instagram stories.
What tips or advice would you give to people who want to make a living out of blogging, baking or/and photographing?
Just keep going, don’t give up. It takes a lot of time and hard work. Practice as much as possible, do the work, and connect with people and engage in your community in an authentic way.
