LOFOTEN OUTDOOR PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP

WINTER LIGHT

JANUARY 22 – 28, 2021

With Lofoten just having emerged from the month-long polar night of the arctic we will go out in search of the first return of the sun for the year. The days will be short, with an average of three hours of daylight and the sun only rising a few degrees above the southern horizon, but this is the time where you really feel that you are in the far north.

To help keep away the cold we will stay in cozy seaside cabins in scenic villages. If the weather is clear, then the mountains will glow pink for hours in one continuous motion from sunrise to sunset, with hours of soft twilight before an after. But we also likely run into fierce storms, arriving from the darkness and bringing crashing waves to the coastline and blowing snow across the land. No matter what we run into, this is one of the most surreal and atmospheric times to experience the far north.

Timed with the beginning of the full moon, our photography will not be limited to the short daylight hours. And if we are lucky, we will experience dancing northern lights across the nighttime sky.

The workshop’s guiding and instruction will be provided by Cody Duncan.

WORKSHOP DETAILS AND ARRIVAL

Group size: 4 participants + guide

The workshop will officially begin in Leknes at 12:00 on Friday, January 22 and end in Leknes at 12:00 on Thursday, January 28. Please schedule your arrival as close as possible to these times.

Pickup/drop-off will be available at Leknes airport (LKN) or in the city center.

Accommodation: Our bases will be on Vestvågøy, in the heart of Lofoten and in Reine, in scenic western Lofoten. We will stay in seaside rorbu cabins, used by fishermen in the old days on Lofoten. Each participant will have a private bedroom, but will share a 2 or 3 room cabin, with full kitchen and living room.

Physical Ability: Moderate physical ability and comfort with cold and walking on snow and ice are required for this tour. We may spend several continuous hours outdoors in below freezing temperatures and snow storms at any given time. While there is no hiking planned, the ability to move across sometimes difficult winter terrain will enhance your photographic experience during this workshop.

Getting to Lofoten: From within Europe, SAS airlines offers travel to Lofoten from a multitude of destinations. From North America, Norwegian airlines offers good value flights to Norway from the west and east coasts, however flights to Lofoten will have to be booked via SAS/Widerøe airlines.

For more travel information, see: Getting to Lofoten

PRICING AND BOOKING

Workshop price: 2550Euros (25.500 NOK)

Deposit: 7000 NOK

Payment will be made in Norwegian NOK, for the amount of 25.500 NOK.

The deposit is required to reserve your place on the workshop. Deposit is non refundable. Full payment is due 60 days before workshop.

Payments will be made by bank transfer.

Please note: Before booking any travel to Lofoten, make sure you have paid your deposit for the trip.

For booking or questions use the contact form below or write to:

workshops@codyduncan.com

First Light 2020 - Lofoten Photo Workshop

ITINERARY

The nature of Lofoten requires a great deal of flexibility to the local weather conditions once on the Islands. Each morning/evening we will take a look at the current conditions and plan our day accordingly.

The aim of this workshop is to show you the fantastic winter landscapes of Lofoten in the atmospheric light just after the polar night – this is a time of year where you really feel that you are in the far north – with the sun rising just above the southern horizon for a few short hours each day. In ideal conditions, we will have several hours of soft light to work with each day.

Being winter, it is also likely we may run into cabin shaking storms and sideways snow at some point. If conditions are safe, we will venture out into the storms and try to capture the drama they bring. But we must always be prepared to be cabin bound at some point.

Timed with the full moon, we will also have opportunities for night photography, especially if the islands are covered in a fresh layer of snow.

Day 1

Arrival on Lofoten: Friday, January 22

You will be picked up in early afternoon in Leknes. With sunset occurring around 13:15, we will attempt to capture some twilight light during the 1 hour drive west to our accommodation near Reine, on Moskenesøy.

Days 2 – 3

Allowing for flexibility of local weather conditions, we will explore the western areas of Lofoten during the first few days. Typically we’ll focus on Reine and the surrounding villages and islands of Sakrisøy, Hamnøy, Toppøy, and Å, at the end of the road.

With only a few short hours of light, we will go non-stop from sunrise to sunset to make the most of our days.

The tour is scheduled around the arrival of the full moon, so will have perfect lighting conditions for aurora photography. Though the weather remains as unpredictable as always…

Days 4 – 6

In the morning we’ll relocate to our accommodation near Leknes.
From here we will focus more on the wild beaches of Lofoten, with close access to the famous beaches of Vestvågøy including Haukland, Uttakleiv and the arctic surfer paradise of Unstad.

Day 7

Departing Lofoten: Thursday, January 28

The tour will officially end at 12:00 in Leknes. However, all attempts will be made to best accommodate transport to your departing flights.

Nights

At night we will keep watch for the arrival of the northern lights. Each of our accommodation locations has numerous views within the nearby area, so If we are lucky with aurora on numerous nights, we will be able to photograph a number of different compositions.

Food

Meals are not included in this workshop. We can decided as a group whether we want to taste local cuisine in restaurants or cook meals ourselves. We will buy supplies for breakfasts and lunch, but always have the option of stopping for a bite to eat at a cozy cafe as we travel around the islands.

WORKSHOP PRICE INCLUDES

Accommodation – 6 nights accommodation on Lofoten

All transportation on Lofoten, including Leknes airport pickup and drop off in passenger van.

Professional photography and location guiding by Cody Duncan.

NOT INCLUDED

Air travel to and from Leknes.

Meals: Each individual will be responsible for their own food. We will have nearby options of restaurants and supermarkets.

Insurance: travel insurance in mandatory for this trip. Tour guides and trip organizers will use their best knowledge to keep all participants safe, but will not be held responsible for any personal or equipment injury which might occur. Insurance needs to cover any emergency medical treatment and transport, related to the tour or not, which may occur.

Alcoholic drinks.

Anything else not mentioned as included.

WHAT TO BRING

Photography Gear

You will need a camera bag which is suitable for outdoor winter conditions.

Camera – Any camera is welcome, but a full frame DSLR or mirrorless camera with manual mode will give you the best performance.
Tripod – A strong tripod that can tolerate the frequently windy and stormy conditions of winter.
Lenses – A selection of lenses from 14 to 200mm is recommended. A fast wide angle f/2.8 or faster is beneficial for shooting northern lights, should they appear.
Filters – This is somewhat to shooting style, but I heavily recommend a set of neutral density filters, covering: 3, 6, and 10 stops.
Cable Release – Cable or remote camera release, preferably with ability to lock in bulb mode for long exposures.
Camera Cover – It is likely we will encounter some adverse weather on Lofoten, so you want to be able to cover your camera and keep shooting.
Lens cleaning – Some locations can be exposed to sea spray. I recommend a combination of pre-moistened disposable lens wipes (Zeiss and Nikon make some) and dry cleaning tissues. I find microfiber cloths don’t handle the maritime conditions and quickly become unusable.
Storage – Bring plenty of memory cards to last for multiple days of shooting.
Batteries – Bring enough batteries to last for several days of shooting.

Clothing

You will need to be prepared for standing around in cold, winter conditions down to -15˚C or below with windchill.

For a detailed clothing list, see my article: What to Wear

ABOUT CODY

Cody Duncan is one of the most experienced photographers living and working on Lofoten today. Since first visiting the Islands as a young backpacker in 2001, he traveled to Lofoten more than 20 times before deciding it was finally time to move there in the winter of 2016.

In 2010 he created the website 68 North to showcase his ever growing Lofoten portfolio which has now become one of the best photography and travel resources available today. In 2015 Cody began publishing photography guides focused on the unique seasonal nature of the Islands, drawing upon his years of experience exploring hidden corners and lonely mountain tops across Lofoten.

Cody was born and raised in Santa Barbara, California. Spending many of his early years surfing the cold waters of the Pacific, just down the road from his childhood home. His early 20’s saw him turn his focus to the mountains, soloing numerous 4000+ meter peaks in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains. As his photography career developed, he soon found himself spending more time in the wild landscapes and turbulent weather of northern Europe. Cody’s images have been published by: Visit Norway, National Geographic, Men’s Journal, Sunset Magazine, Lonely Planet Magazine, GEO Saison, British Airways High Life, and numerous calendars, travel guides, and more.

Cody now lives in a small village on Flakstadøy, in the heart of Lofoten.

FINE PRINT

Tour price due at time of payment is 25,500 NOK. Euro price of €2,550 based on estimate of € 1 = 10 NOK, this is subject to change and may affect final price at time of payment.

Travel insurance is mandatory. Some providers are: World Nomads, ADAC, Allianz, Medjetassist

Travel insurance needs to cover any medical emergencies or accidents before, during and in transit to the workshop. Any situation which would require you to cancel the tour before or during the trip. Any loss or damage to your luggage or photography equipment.

Deposit is non-refundable. **

Any cancelations will be fully refunded (minus deposit) up to 60 days before tour. After that, no refunds are available.

Tour itinerary is subject to change due to any potentially unforeseen circumstances, such as weather cancelations, etc.

Cody Duncan Photography is a member of the Norwegian Reisegarantifondet, mandatory insurance for all tour operators in Norway.

**If tour itself is cancelled by the operator or other mandatory outside circumstances such as COVID-19 outbreak of 2020, then full refunds (including deposit) for the price of the tour will be given to all participants. This does not cover any additional transportation costs to Lofoten/Norway, hotel bookings, or other arrangements outside of the workshop – this should all be covered by your travel insurance. Refunds will be paid in NOK for the same amount as received in NOK, and not adjusted for any potential currency exchange differences.