Friday Photo #499 – Summer Harvest

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Photo: Norwegian Marshmallows – AKA tractor eggs – in freshly cut field in late July, Flakstadøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. July 25, 2022. 01:42

Every year beginning sometime in mid July the summer harvest of the fields begin to provide winter feed for the few sheep still remaining on Lofoten. Until two years ago my neighbor used to farm this field, but he has since retired, leaving only one sheep farmer left in my small village. Even without local sheep, the grazing land remains quite important and other nearby farmers have taken over the cutting and harvesting of the fields.

A few weeks ago – Friday Photo #496 – I posted an image of the field on a stormy summer evening, still full of flowers but already becoming quite overgrown. It felt a little later of a harvest this year, even though the summer has been a good one and the overall feel of the landscape to me is that things are a few weeks ahead of ‘normal.’ Perhaps it was the fairly cold and wet weather in the second half of July this year that has seen them waiting.

And indeed they seemed to be in a hurry once the tractors did arrive; working until after midnight on both Saturday and Sunday nights. This picture was taken at near 02:00 early Monday morning just after they had finished wrapping the bailing the loose grass. And still later they returned to collect everything!

So for the farm meadows, the flowers are now gone for this year and harvested fields remain. In a while, once the grasses grow a little taller again, the sheep and lambs will be moved into the fields during the autumn after they’ve been collected from the mountains. And then they will also be gone, along with the migratory birds and one day I’ll stand out in my yard and notice that its eerily silent; all the life and noise of summer has gone. From then on, winter is not far away.

Head over to my Instagram account for (almost) daily postings of the local conditions here on Lofoten: @distant.north

Camera Info:
Nikon Z7 II
Nikon 14-30mm f/4
28mm
ISO 100
f 10
1/13 second
WB Daylight

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Friday Photo #498 – Midnight Rainbow

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Photo: Full rainbow under light of the midnight sun, Flakstadøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. July 4, 2022. 23:57

This was one of those stormy Lofoten days where the weather is quite boring and rainy during daytime, but as the sun gets lower on the horizon interesting light can happen. I had been out hiking Storknubben on GImsøy the day before in boring cloudless blue sky, but unfortunately had a meeting scheduled for this evening so I couldn’t get too far away from the house.

As midnight approached there was some nice light out in the distant mountains across the Nappstraumen so I wandered out to the field next to my house for a few shots. Soon I felt some drops of rain begin to fall while the sun was still shining bright. Behind me, I could already see the faint beginnings or a rainbow forming as the rain began to fall heavier and heavier from a seemingly invisible cloud.

With the sun low on the horizon and almost due north at midnight – the rainbow occurring almost directly south – I knew I wasn’t in the best location and it would take some time to get to a better composition for the location of the rainbow. So instead, I sent up my drone, which hasn’t seen much use this year as I understand their utility, I still have a fair dislike of them in general, just looking at the world through a tiny screen while a bunch of advanced technology does more or less all the work; that is not really photography for me. But alas, in the situation, my drone seemed like the best option, so I sent it up.

For what I generally consider the low quality image of a drone photo, I think it captured the moment pretty well, and was the only way I could do so without having already been on maybe Stornappstind, Middagstind or Møntind as the rain approached.

Head over to my Instagram account for (almost) daily postings of the local conditions here on Lofoten: @distant.north

Camera Info:
DJI Air 2s
ISO 100
f 2.8
1/100 second
WB Daylight

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Friday Photo #497 – Værøy Wind

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Photo: Cow parsley flowers blow in the midnight summer breeze, Nordlandshagen, Værøy, Norway. June 27, 2022. 01:10

It feels strange to admit, but before the end of June, I had never stepped foot on Værøy before. I’ve passed by several times on the ferry – more so because I could get a little more sleep during winter during the longer journey from Bodø and not have such a long wait for the bus in Moskenes. And I’ve stared across the Moskensstraumen and the island rising in the distance. But it always just seemed some place that I could always go to, and thus never did…

And that was a mistake! I should have headed out there years ago. It is a wonder place that feels a little like ‘old Lofoten,’ before things got a little on the busy side and every single roadside parking spot is filled with motorhomes and camper vans. Værøy was peaceful and quiet. And there actually seemed to be much better tourism infrastructure than Lofoten, with signs, maps, and parking for the numerous hikes around the island, and a nice clean (and free) toilet at Nordlandshagen, where the hike to Måstad and Måhornet/Måstadheia begins. It kinda feels like a little island that time and tourism has overlooked.

Over the long weekend I headed up Håheia/Håen – probably the most famous hike on the island, Hornet, and Måstad/Måhornet, the westernmost peak on the island after a scenic coastal hike. Overall, there is a surprisingly good selection of hiking routes for such a small place, so I look forward to going back again soon. And even better, having started on July 1st, the ferry between Moskenes – Værøy is now free, even for cars. So it is now cheaper and faster for me to go to Værøy than even just to get to Bunes or Horseid beaches! Especially with the new expensive parking fees in Reine which make it a slightly unfriendly place to visit now for someone living just down the road…

On this evening I had gotten back to my van early after hiking out to Måhornet. It was a hot day (by Værøy standards), but a breeze picked up near midnight – Its kinda always windy on Værøy it seems. Parked on the runway at the old airport for the night, the flowers were blowing in the soft and hazy evening light. Looking back north, first is the island of Mosken, then the distant silhouette of Lofoten proper. In autumn, this might be a nice view for northern lights dancing over the distant mountains.

Head over to my Instagram account for (almost) daily postings of the local conditions here on Lofoten: @distant.north

Camera Info:
Nikon Z7 II
Nikon 24-200 f/4-6.3
66mm
ISO 100
f 10
0.4 second
WB Daylight
3 Stop ND filter

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Friday Photo #496 – Summer Rain

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Photo: Midnight summer rain over mountains of Vestvågøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. July 4, 2022. 00:07

So far this summer it has been one of those years with either completely clear weather or completely grey weather. And while sunset doesn’t occur during the midnight sun season from late May to mid July, so nice color can occur with the right cloud conditions. But often this year, even in the late night hours, the light has just been a bit, ‘ehhh…’ With the sun just hanging over the horizon in a semi-hazy blue sky. But finally this week there was a little bit of nice drama in the sky and the weather turned blustery and rain showers swept across the islands.

Luckily the fields by my house have escaped their summer cutting so far, by this late in the summer the grasses are already growing much higher than the flowers, giving the late a bit more of a wild and unkempt look than a few weeks previous. On my daily route to Leknes I can see the farmers have cut most of the fields already, so it won’t be long until this one is harvested as well and then the flowers will be gone for the year.

Head over to my Instagram account for (almost) daily postings of the local conditions here on Lofoten: @distant.north

Camera Info:
Nikon Z7 II
Nikon 24-200mm f/4-6.3
35mm
ISO 400
f 6.3
1/80 second
WB Daylight

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Friday Photo #495 – Seagull Hatchlings

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Photo: Three seagull hatchlings in evening light, Flakstadøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. July 1, 2022, 03:59

With summer will underway it is the beginning of hatching season for the local seabirds. What are usually already loud nights have become even louder as the various bird species squabble and fight to defend their chicks which are now free from the nests and generally just walk around. While there are (supposedly) no foxes on Flakstadøy, these three have a risky few months ahead of them, with predation from other birds the largest threat.

Beyond the wild lands of Lofoten, these little fuzzballs can be seen walking around literally everywhere during the next months: from parking lots in Leknes, sidewalks in Reine, piers in Henningsvær, and basically everyplace else. On my drive home from the Moskenes ferry late Monday night, there were multiple times I had to slow down on the E10 as there were various hatchlings just standing in the middle of the road.

These three have spend the last couple days on a rock just outside my house while the mother keeps watch the telephone pole in my backyard. Usually they take a bit more shelter in the grasses during the day and come out more in the evening hours. Though it does seem awfully exposed for them to just stand on top of a rock for several hours and I’m surprised I haven’t seen or heard any major attacks on them yet. Although perhaps the rock is safer, as the field will likely be cut within the week for winter feed for the local sheep, so probably best they stay out of the way of the tractor and mower.

Head over to my Instagram account for (almost) daily postings of the local conditions here on Lofoten: @distant.north

Camera Info:
Nikon Z7 II
Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6
500mm
ISO 400
f 6.3
1/640 second
WB Daylight

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