Friday Photo #155 – Toppøy Winter

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orbu cabins in winter, Toppøy, Reine Moskenesøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway

Photo: Toppøy in winter, Moskenesøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. February 14, 2015. 08:28

A fresh layer of fallen snow at dawn – perfect! Though the heavy sky kept much color from appearing, a layer of snow covering the coastal rocks down to the tide line is one of my favorite types of winter scenes on Lofoten, and one that has to be taken advantage of when it appears.

I have shot many versions of this scene over the years, more often turning 90˚ to my right and looking across the fjord the the rising pyramid of Olstind, across the fjord. However, on this day I turned my attention to the Rorbu cabin, as the light was slightly more interesting in this direction, with a bit more contrast behind the mountain. And I have plenty compositions of Olstind in better light anyhow…

I think this is a nice ‘winter on Lofoten’ type scene: Rorbu, mountains, sea, and snow.

Camera Info:
Nikon D810
Nikon 24mm f/3.5
24mm
ISO 125
f 11
20 seconds
WB Daylight

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Interview – Traveling Image Makers Podcast

Rays of light illuminate Kråkhammartind (732m) from summit of Markan (602m), Moskenesøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway

Photo: Last light over Kråkhammartind, Moskenesøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. September 2014

Just in time for Christmas, there is an interview with me on a new travel and photography podcast called The Traveling Image Makers, by Ugo Cei from Italy. We had a brief conversation last week about – can you guess(?) – Lofoten…

Here is a link to the website, or you can also search for it in the Itunes store.

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Friday Photo #154 – Hustind Winter Hike

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Winter climber ascending steep snow covered slopes towards summit of Hustind, Flakstadøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway

Photo: Winter climb of Hustind, Flakstadøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. February 21, 2015; 13:39

The weather was bad basically everywhere on Lofoten this day, however, with my friend Till having just arrived on the islands from Germany, we were looking to head somewhere into the mountain. Hustind seemed like a good option.

One of Lofoten’s more iconic peaks as the background of the popular Skagsanden beach, the summit is a rather lonely place much of the time, and even more so in winter.  With passing waves of snow and no trail to follow, the route simply takes you up, until reaching the top.

This photo is from about mid way, as the mountain begins to steepen before reaching the summit.  In the background, the next wave of clouds and snow are approaching, which would envelop us shortly after arriving on the summit, leaving us in a white-out until we descended back down the mountain.

You can checkout a summer hiking guide for Hustind HERE.

Camera Info:
Nikon D810
Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8
14mm
ISO 400
f 8
1/400 second
WB Daylight

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Friday Photo #153 – Haukland Beach Winter

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Winter view over snow covered Haukland and Vik beaches from summit of Mannen, Vestvågøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway

Photo: Winter view over Haukland beach from Mannen, Vestvågøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. February 23, 2015; 13:24

A few weeks earlier I tried to take the normal trail to the summit of Mannen, but beneath the deep snow, I took a wrong turn.  Once my friend Till arrived on Lofoten from Germany, we took a look at the mountain and decided to take the ‘direct route.’ An hour plus of climbing the steep hillside, traversing thin passages of snow, and a final scramble up the rocky ridge, we arrived at the summit.

The weather was grim, with a strong wind blowing from the west, flying snow filling the air over Uttakleiv.  But a few parts of the mountain remained sheltered enough to keep my tripod steady as I took in the view over the snow covered Haukland beach.

While this location is better known for its summer view, I think I like the winter version better.

You can find a (summer) hiking guide to Mannen HERE.

Camera Info:
Nikon D810
Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8
21mm
ISO 200
f 8
1/320 second
WB Daylight

 

Mannen Direct, Lofoten Islands, Norway

Photo: Winter ascent of Mannen, Vestvagøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway.February 23, 2015

 

Hiker on winter ascent of Mannen mountain peak, Vestvågøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway

Photo: Winter ascent of Mannen, Vestvagøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway.February 23, 2015

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Friday Photo #152 – Bunes Beach Winter

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Frozen sand of Bunes beach in winter, Moskenesøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway

Photo: Bunes beach frozen in winter, Moskenesøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway.  February 25, 2015; 12:28

After a night of rain while camping at Bunes beach in February the following day arrived with clearing weather and cooling temperatures.

In winter, Bunes doesn’t allow water to flow very easily to the sea, which means that a large part of the beach become a shallow 2-6 centimeter deep lake. With the addition of a night of rain, even more of the beach became waterlogged. As long as temperatures are above freezing, this is fine, just some puddles to walk through. When the temperature drops however, nearly the entire beach become a giant sheet of ice!

It is a long walk from the camping area at the back of the beach to the shoreline.  Now imagine the whole distance being frozen.  There were some awkward moments of time as we utilized our best skating techniques to cross the beach. If we weren’t lazy, crampons would have been a much safer option for walking…

Camera Info:
Nikon D810
Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8
14mm
ISO 100
f 11
1/200 second
WB Daylight

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