Lifestyle Photographer Ulf Svane shoots Nordic Culinary Scene for British Airways High Life

Copenhagen, Denmark travel photographer Ulf Svane has experienced dining across the globe, but upon returning to his hometown he witnessed a shift in traditional Nordic cuisine. Nordic cuisine is famous for using heavy ingredients like beef, pork, and preserved vegetables, but this new wave of restaurants is taking an innovative approach. Ulf photographed eateries opened by former employees of the famed Noma restaurant for British Airways High Life magazine.

Ulf was contacted last fall by the photo editor at British Airways High Life, regarding an interesting piece in his hometown. The project’s main focus was on restaurants that were opened by former employees of Noma, Michelin 3-star winner. Noma has made a name for itself by taking the number one spot in “The World’s 50 Best” list. With Noma’s reputation, Ulf’s project focused on how the next generation of Nordic restaurants will continue to evolve.

Once contacted by the publication, Ulf was thrilled to partake in the project. He loves these kinds of travel assignments, but this one was unique in that it allowed him to explore his hometown as a tourist. Ulf enjoyed including other areas of photography such as portraiture, food, and scenery to showcase the many facets his city has to offer.

Summers in Copenhagen are typically nice and warm, but weather changes always impact a project as they affect the entire atmosphere in the city. Since Ulf showcased restaurants that rely on outdoor dining due to Covid-19 restrictions, the success of the shoot was dependent upon a city bustling with people. Fortunately, sunny days and mild temperatures enabled Ulf to capture locals shopping and dining outdoors, while artists used the walls of buildings as their canvas.

I was lucky that people were out and about because it made the photos come to life.

Ulf Svane is an award-winning photographer who has developed his own photographic style. Examples of Ulf’s striking lifestyle imagery can be found in his Bale Mountains, Ethiopia, and Russian Tea Cup projects. Traveling to different parts of the world has helped him build special skills that make him well-equipped for shoots like the one at home in Copenhagen.

One of the things Ulf enjoys most about food photography is visiting the restaurants on location. As Nordic cuisine continues to evolve, Ulf takes advantage of the many opportunities to collaborate with some of the most well-respected chefs in the industry.

Copenhagen has fantastic people and it is a pleasure to see them working together in the kitchens. It’s pure magic!

Over the course of his career as a travel photographer, Ulf has seen many parts of the world, yet it was particularly interesting to witness the town in which he was born change in front of his eyes.

I know pretty much every corner of Copenhagen, but being a tourist in your own city is always a pleasure.

See more of Ulf’s images on his Instagram.

Credits

Photo Editor: Matt Richardson