Photo: Winter dawn over Reine, Vindstad, Moskenesøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. February 6, 2017. 09:29

This weeks photo is not so much about the image, but more about the importance of location in winter. Or to say it another way, if you want to see sunrise or sunset in winter, it is important that you know where you are going.

In the first week of February I took the ferry to Vindstad and Bunes beach for a couple nights of camping as the weather forecast was good and I was hoping for some northern lights over the beach at night. However, snow conditions were unfortunately quite thin, giving a much more spring like look than that of the fleshly snow covered landscape. But that is beyond my control.

Even a full month after the sun has returned to Lofoten, it still remains quite far to the south and still relatively low in the sky. From my location for sunrise each morning, I would see the sun rise over the mountains of the distant mainland around 09:00 and by around 09:25, the sun was disappearing behind Reinebringen – gone for the day! Bunes beach itself received no direct sunlight during this time, while the mountains high above would have sun at various points through the afternoon and until sunset.

So that was it, 25 or some minutes of direct sunlight each day while I was camping. Not very much!

Camera Info:
Nikon D800
Nikon 70-200mm f/4
150mm
ISO 100
f 9
1/125 second
WB Daylight

Photo: Approaching winter storm over Reinefjord, Valen, Moskenesøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. February 15, 2016. 14:14

Another day of passing clouds and snow sweeping over Lofoten out of the north. After the clear, calm and silent winter days of endless twilight glow, these stormy days are perhaps my next favorite.

I love standing in the sunlight and watching a wall of cloud slowly, or not so slowly, coming towards me. Soon the distant mountains begin to disappear and then the winds slowly begin to increase as the first few snowflakes begin to arrive. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, the wind can hit you like a hammer! I have almost lost a few cameras in these moments in previous years, so I try and remain a bit more cautious these days.

The fjord in this photo was stormy, but not stormy enough for my taste. Thus, I used a 6 stop ND filter for a 10 second exposure, which was manageable during low points in the breeze so as not to shake my camera too much. But after not too much longer, the distant mountains were gone, hidden behind the clouds and the scene lost balance. As I was packing my back, the snow hit with a fury.

Camera Info:
Nikon D800
Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8
42mm
ISO 50
f 14
10 seconds
WB Daylight
6 stop ND filter