Winter Magic

It finally snowed in Minnesota this week. Within a few hours, the bleak fall landscape was transformed into a bright and glittering wintry world. Even though I'm a native Minnesotan, and I've seen plenty of winters, there's still something about the first snowfall that I find, well...magical.

We've tried to capture a little of that magic in Viking this month by sharing the photography of Per Breiehagen. A native of Hallingdal, Norway, Breiehagen now lives in Minneapolis and has photographed his adorable daughter, Anja, as the model for his wonderful "Winter Magic" photo series. I first encountered Breiehagen's work over a year ago when I attended the annual meeting of the Twin Cities chapter of Nordmanns Forbundet, or Norwegians Worldwide, as the organization is now known outside Norway.

It looks like the members of the Viking team weren't the only ones enamored by Breiehagen's work. His photography is also featured in this month's issue of Norwegians Worldwide magazine. I guess those of us of Norwegian ancestry—wherever we are in the world—can appreciate great photography, a really cute kid, and the magic of winter.

Amy Boxrud is editor of Viking magazine. She lives with her family in Northfield, Minn., where she’s a member of Nordmarka 1-585.