Bob's Red Mill Christmas x Photographer Nils Ericson

Bob's Red Mill sent Nils Ericson across four cities and four states for this one, Springfield, Portland, Minneapolis, and Providence, each shot as its own world while staying true to Bob's brand. This is the Providence leg.

Providence belonged to a Santa Claus club. Off season and out of the big red suit, the men who spend their winters as Santa came together for something quieter, a day of baking in a home dressed for Christmas in the middle of summer. Nils shot it the way he shoots everything, close and unhurried, waiting for the moment instead of arranging it. Milk carried in by the crate. A tray of cookies pulled from the oven. Powdered sugar on a beard. Glasses raised around a crowded table. A bag of Bob's flour tucked into the gift wrap like it had always belonged there. Quiet portraits that catch these men between takes, when the performance drops and the person shows up.

That is the thread that runs through all four cities. Real people, real tables, food made with Bob's ingredients, and Nils in the corner catching the unposed version of it. The project is a clear example of his ability to bring an editorial, documentary style to commercial work, grounded in observation, humanity, and real life.

As Nils put it, Providence was the kind of day you hope for. You walk into a room full of strangers and by the time the last tray comes out of the oven, it feels like you've been let in on something.


View Nils' portfolio here.