Autumn | 68 North

Friday Photo #91 – Kroktinden View

Photo: The wild mountain peaks of Lofoten from the summit of Kroktinden, Austvågøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. Sept 27, 2013. 15:40

Day 4, mountain 4. After having dropped my camera in a lake in Sweden a few weeks earlier, by the time I received a new one I only had a week left on Lofoten. Luckily the autumn of 2013 was a calm and mild one for the most part and once I had a new camera, it was up to the mountains for four consecutive days before the weather finally deteriorated.

The 707 meter high Kroktind is a somewhat obscure peak in the Sydalen area of Austvågøy. But with legs getting a bit sore, my Swiss hiking partner Monika and I both figured this would be an interesting hike for the day.

By the time we reached the summit a layer of white cloud was beginning to conceal the sun. But being late September, it was t-shirt weather on the summit, as we sat and watched sea eagle circling around on nearby thermals. I nearly every direction mountains rose into the distance. And there were even some reflections of glaciers, somewhere far off on the Norwegian mainland.

Camera Info:
Nikon D800
Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8
70mm
ISO 100
f 14
1/250 second
WB Daylight

October 3, 2014/0 Comments/by Cody

Autumn, Flakstadøya, Friday Photo

Friday Photo #90 – Myrland Beach Sunset

Photo: Myrland beach sunset, Flakstadøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. Sept 1, 2013. 20:24

I’ve probably mentioned it before, but Myrland has become one of my favorite beaches in the last couple years. Perhaps I’ve just become over saturated by the other beaches (as nice as they are) or perhaps I like it because it is still a relatively seldom visited places and I will likely find the sand free of footprints, even on a sunny evening.

Normally I would have tried to pick a more mountainous location for a sunset such as this, but a few days before, I had sprained my ankle while hiking down from Ryten at Kvalvika beach. So I wasn’t exactly in any position to be hiking up mountains. And it was trouble enough just getting down to the beach. Not to mention that I like to stand a little too close to the water, which on this day, meant I had to painfully hobble out of the way of incoming waves at just the last minute.

Perhaps I would have been a little more tolerant of pain were I not planning to begin a hike into Sweden’s Sarek national park just 10 days after this photo, so my ankle needed all the rest it could get. Though I ended up dropping my camera in a lake just one day into that hike, so my autumn didn’t exactly go according to plan.

Camera Info:
Nikon D800
Nikon 24mm f/3,5 tilt-shift
24mm
ISO 200
f 9.5
1.3 seconds
WB Daylight
2 images – top, bottom
B+W 6 stop neutral density filter

September 26, 2014/0 Comments/by Cody

Autumn, Friday Photo, Vestvågøya

Friday Photo #51 – Holandsmelen

Photo: Afternoon light over Vik and Haukland beaches from the summit of Holandsmelen, Vestvågøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. 26 Sept, 2013. 17:30

I almost didn’t head up Holandsmelen on this afternoon, preferring to be a bit lazy, as I didn’t get much sleep up on Reinebringen the previous night. But as the hours of the day passed by, the weather was too good to be wasted just sitting around. So in mid afternoon I decided to head up Holandsmelen.

I didn’t know anything about the mountain or if the views would be much good. Rising to the north of Lenkes’ urban sprawl, I knew the views towards the south would probably not be very interesting. But with close proximity to some of the beaches on Vestvågøy, and looking like an easy hike, why not?

I like to be on mountains for sunset. But I also like to catch the last traces of daylight, incase it works better for a given location. Upon leaving Stamsund, I couldn’t see that there was something of a layer of clouds on the northern horizon. I hike fast, but by the time I reached the summit, the beaches were in and out of shadow as the sun became obscured by the clouds. I rushed to find a decent composition as quickly as possible to at least get a couple photos with the beach and farm fields illuminated by the ever sinking sun. Without the light on the beaches and sea, the image loses too much color and contrast, becoming fairly dull and boring. But I think I arrived just in time for something interesting to appear.

The Landscape photographer in me wants something a bit ‘wilder.’ More nature, less roads and buildings. But this is Lofoten, people live here. And so this is actually something of a typical Lofoten scene: man and nature, side by side. Even the dead (cemetery towards the left) have a nice view!

Camera Info:
Nikon D800
Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8
27mm
ISO 200
f 10
1/100 sec
WB Daylight

December 27, 2013/2 Comments/by Cody

Autumn, Friday Photo, Moskenesøya

Friday Photo #50 – Reine from Reinebringen

Photo: The most iconic image of the Lofoten Islands: Reine from the summit of Reinebringen, Moskenesøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. September 26, 2013. 09:10

I post this weeks Friday Photo to help illustrate the importance of time of day and direction of light on the Lofoten Islands. Something which becomes even more important as you travel further away from midsummer and the sun sinks lower and lower on the horizon.

Even in this photo, taken at 09:10 in the morning, you can begin to see the mountain shadow approaching from the left of the image. Soon, parts of Reine will be cast in shadow for the remainder of the day, the sun failing to rise above the surrounding mountains.

So with the fjord at Reine opening up towards the southeast, if you want direct light shining across the entirety of the village(s), then this means you need to be up the mountain not too long after sunrise. Though accounting for time of year, in summer, the sun rises more to the northeast, so you’ll be able to take your time. Whereas once the autumnal equinox is reached, with the sun rising to the east, you will find yourself hiking up the mountain in the dark – or, if you’re like me, camping on top, which is easier.

Camera Info:
Nikon D800
Nikon 24mm f/2.8
35mm
ISO 200
f 11
1/160 sec
WB Daylight
8 images – vertical (portrait)

December 20, 2013/2 Comments/by Cody

Autumn, Flakstadøya, Friday Photo

Friday Photo #49 – Northern Lights Over Himmeltindan

Photo: Northern Lights over Himmeltindan from Myrland, Flakstadøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. 24 September, 2013. 22:54

After waiting two weeks for a new Nikon D800 camera to arrive, having dropped dropped it in a lake in Sweden, I lucked out at had a good display of Northern Lights on my first night back in action. There had been some good displays in the previous weeks, but this was the best thus far, and I would have probably been quite grumpy had my camera arrived the following morning.

The main element I find missing while shooting the Northern Lights in autumn is snow. There is just something a little less magical, but perhaps that’s just me. It can also be a bit of a struggle sometimes to get yourself away from any coastal lights, as pretty much the whole population of Lofoten is on the coast. And then, with the unpredictability of where the Northern Lights will actually appear in the sky (if they do at all), you often have to take a gamble on a composition that may or may not come into form.

This shot was my backup location. I had originally intended to shoot from the beach at Myrland, giving me a nice clean view across to Vestvågøy, but the lights where too high in the sky to include both beach and Auroras in the image. So I quickly hopped back in the car and headed back down the road a way to a location where I had a slightly better overall composition.

I still think the empty sea is a little on the boring side, but at least the Aurora seems to be emerging from the summit of Himmeltindan, the highest mountain on Vestvågøy, so that kind of makes the image work for me.

Another think of note. This image is from a night with a nearly full moon. I often see the (incorrect) opinion floating around the internet that you need a moonless sky to see the Northern Lights. This is simply not true. And if fact, I think having some moonlight, to help illuminate the foreground, especially with winter snow, actually makes for a better image.

Camera Info:
Nikon D800
Nikon 24mm f/3.5 tilt-shift
24mm
ISO 800
f 5.6
30 sec
WB Daylight
2 images – top, bottom

December 13, 2013/0 Comments/by Cody

Autumn, Friday Photo, Moskenesøya

Friday Photo #47 – Reinebringen Camping

Photo: Camping on summit of Reinebringen, Moskenesøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. September 25, 2013. 20:44

You can read a bit more about what lead me to the summit of Reinebringen on a late September night in my Friday Photo #43 post – but the main idea was for me to camp on top of the mountain in hopes of shooting some Northern Lights.

There is not much room for a tent on the narrow ridge of the mountain, but there is enough. This was now my 2nd night on Reinebringen, my first being in August 2010 on a perfect Summer day. This night was was as perfect as Autumn gets; crisp clear skies and a light wind. Temperatures dropped to a few degrees above freezing, but that is to be expected at the end of September. Had this been 2009, then I would have been camping in Snow!

I have mentioned elsewhere, that I think it is important to attempt to get new perspectives on an increasingly photographed world. Over the last couple years I have witnessed an explosion in the amount of photographers on the islands. But often burdened by huge bags of gear, few seem willing to venture to the top of mountains, and even fewer still, willing to spend a night on top. It might not always result in award winning images, but you will no doubt get something slightly less common than the previously scenic views which are now overflowing from every photo sharing site on the net.

So, next time you’re on the islands, grab your tent and head up high for a night or two. There are still thousands of spectacular views which are seldom photographed.

For info on the hiking route to Reinebringen: CLICK HERE

Camera Info:
Nikon D800
Nikon 24mm f/3.5 tilt-shift
24mm
ISO 400
f 5.6
30 sec
WB Daylight
2 images – top, bottom

November 29, 2013/5 Comments/by Cody

Autumn, Flakstadøya, Friday Photo

Friday Photo #46 – Autumn Aurora

Photo: Aurora and empty stockfish drying racks, near Storsandnes, Flakstadøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. September 24, 2013. 23:36

As the aurora that had filled the sky 30 minutes before finally began to lose strength and fade, I took towards looking for a different type of composition. I will say it bluntly: I prefer northern lights set against a snow covered landscape. Something about the dry mountains is autumn don’t just feel right to me. But none the less, such an opportunity is not to be wasted.

I headed out to the coast near Myrland, on the east side of Flakstadøy so as to have as unobstructed view as possible across the sea (Nappstraumen) towards the northeast, where the aurora was the strongest on this particular night. But after sometime shooting, I wasn’t totally happy with the night. As I began the journey back to Stamsund, I passed by these stockfish drying racks, sitting empty in the autumn.

The moon was bright and the aurora losing strength so I was somewhat limited in what angles I could shoot. I tried to find some interesting angles and something to help give a sense of ‘place’ to the image. I’m not sure how well it works, but at least it is something slightly different. Had there been a full covering on snow, and no lights in the background, I would probably be quite happy. Maybe I’ll try and repeat the image in February.

Camera Info:
Nikon D800
Nikon 24mm f/3.5 tilt-shift
24mm
ISO 2000
f 4.8
30 sec
WB Daylight
3 images – top, middle, bottom

November 22, 2013/0 Comments/by Cody

Autumn, Friday Photo, Moskenesøya

Friday Photo #43 – Reinebringen Twilight

Photo: Twilight over Reine from summit of Reinebringen, Moskenesøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. September 25, 2013. 19:48

Clear September skies and hopes of a repeat of the previous night’s Northern Lights led me to the summit of Reinebringen on this day. Otherwise, I perhaps would have hiked some new mountain somewhere, but the chance at seeing the Aurora fill the night sky over Reine was something I had to go for. And of course, the view from Reinebringen in one of the best and most iconic ones in Lofoten, so it’s easy for me to find an excuse to go up there.

The clouds that had filled the sky during the afternoon faded away as Twilight and then the blue hour arrived. My last night on Reinebringen had been in the Summer of 2010, the nights still too short for any really darkness to arrive, so seeing the streetlights come on as the world darkened came a bit as an unexpected, but scenic surprise to me.

Without the lights, the blue tones, and lack of much contrast would have left this scene lacking in contrast in my opinion. Still scenic, but not special. The warm glow of the street lights, running across the islands like a slithering snake lead my eye through the image and give overall depth to the scene. An image I was never expecting to create, but something I’m quite happy to come across. And I’m sure this won’t be my last night on Reinebringen…

Camera Info:
Nikon D800
Nikon 24mm f/3.5 tilt-shift
24mm
ISO 200
f 8
10 seconds
WB Daylight
2 images – top, bottom

November 1, 2013/1 Comment/by Cody

Autumn, Friday Photo, Vestvågøya

Friday Photo #39 – Himmeltindan Views

Photo: From the Summit of Himmeltindan, Vestvågøya, Lofoten Islands, Norway. Oct 2, 2012. 14:38

I usually try and save my mountains for when the light is good. No point in carrying a heavy backpack several thousand vertical feet only to have shit light. But as the days of Autumn progressed, I seemed to have had some bad timing. A few days previously, clouds decided to form over Skottind just as I arrived at the summit, and of course they cleared as soon as I was halfway down again. Now a couple days into October, another unusually mild Autumn day presented itself. And so I departed Stamsund under nice blue skies and a bright sun, not entirely sure where I was headed, but up something for sure.

As I parked my car at Haukland beach, I could see some high cloud appearing on the horizon and heading in my direction. Headphones in and some good music blasting out of the Ipod, I set myself a frantic pace as I hit the trail. I quickly overheated and had to strip down to only a t-shirt, in October! Higher and higher I ascended, lungs and legs burning while to clouds grew ever nearer to the Autumn sun.

I lost. By the time reached the 931 meter south summit, barely over an hour after leaving the car, at sea level, the clouds had arrived and the light grew flat. I met a few soldiers at the top, lucky them, they got to take the elevator inside the mountain. I half joked if I could catch a ride down and was given a stern ‘No, that won’t be possible.’ I already knew as much, but it was worth a try. Though I was pleasantly informed that since the radar on the higher north summit was down for maintenance, I was allowed to continue on up there.

The wind blew cold and I didn’t waste too much time hanging around. While flat light covered the islands, there was at least a bit of interesting light in the sky. Not the ideal image that I imagined, but not a total loss either. And all the more reason to head back up again…

Camera Info:
Nikon D800
Nikon 85mm f/2.8 tilt-shift
85mm
ISO 100
f 8
1/250 sec
WB Daylight

October 4, 2013/0 Comments/by Cody

Autumn, Friday Photo, Vestvågøya

Friday Photo #38 – Stamsund Autumn Storm

Photo: Autumn Clouds, Stamsund, Vestvågøya, Lofoten Islands, Norway. Aug 29, 2013. 19:10

When the winds blow strong, I usually keep my head low and spend my time by the warm fireplace in the Stamsund hostel. Stamsund was one of the reasons I became so enamored with the Islands in the first place, and despite the fact that I wander around much more than my early journeys (before I could afford to rent a car), I still try and spend a good be of time here.

And it’s not all sitting around and sharing stories with other travelers. There are a few places out on the coastline beyond the hostel that are pretty reliable and sheltered for when the weather gets bad. It’s a common sight for me to be heading out the door, tripod in hand, to go scrambling over the rocks and out to the sea whenever a break in the rain occurs.

While the mountains of this scene never change, the sky and the sea often due. If you compare all the photos I’ve taken over the years from pretty much this exact same, you’ll think each one was taken somewhere else. On this particular day, heavy, wet clouds were sweeping across the islands. This spot proved to be the only place where I could get myself out of the wind enough to keep my tripod from shaking while the waves crashed just below my feet.

I experimented with a number of exposure times and this one feels the most dynamic to me. Any slower and there wasn’t quite enough movement in the clouds and they just appeared out of focus. Much longer and the clouds lost any texture, and lost the stormy appearance what this day was.

Camera Info:
Nikon D800
Nikon 24mm f/3.5 tilt-shift
24mm
ISO 50
f 16
30 seconds
WB Daylight
6 Stop B+W Neutral Density filter
2 Images – Top/Bottom

September 27, 2013/0 Comments/by Cody

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