Spring in Stockholm arrives gradually. The days become longer, the light changes, and then almost suddenly, the city begins to show colour again. For Sandra’s portrait session, that transition became our starting point.
She wanted to celebrate the beginning of spring — fresh leaves, blooming flowers and that feeling of finally stepping out of a long Scandinavian winter. We planned our afternoon around the cherry blossoms in Kungsträdgården before continuing towards Skeppsholmen, allowing the city itself to give us different backgrounds as we walked.
Timing was an important part of the plan. Instead of photographing around midday, we chose the later afternoon, when the sun sits lower and the light becomes softer and warmer. For spring portrait photography in Stockholm, this can make a remarkable difference: softer light is generally more flattering on the face, while backlighting fresh leaves and blossoms can create a beautiful glow around the subject.
Sandra’s choice of clothing also became part of the visual story. Her outfit left the tattoos on her arms visible, and I liked the quiet connection this created with the season. Stockholm was beginning to reveal itself again after winter, and there was something fitting about making portraits that felt equally open and confident.
Rather than building the session around fixed poses, we walked, talked and experimented with the surroundings. The 50mm lens was perfect for this approach — intimate enough for portraits while still allowing enough of Stockholm into the frame to give the photographs a sense of place.
One thing worth remembering when planning portraits around the Kungsträdgården cherry blossoms is that nature doesn’t follow our calendars. The exact timing of the bloom can shift, and the area can become extremely busy when the flowers are at their best. A little flexibility with the date and time can be just as valuable as choosing the right camera or lens.
What I enjoyed most about this session was that spring wasn’t simply our background. It became part of the idea behind the photographs — a small celebration of colour, light, confidence and the feeling of beginning again.
Session: Spring Portraits with Sandra
Location: Kungsträdgården & Skeppsholmen, Stockholm
Camera: Sony A7C
Lens: Sony 50mm f/1.8
