Friday Photo #209 – Winter Tourism

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Friday Photo #209 - Sakrisøy Winter

Photo: Sakrisøy and Olstind in winter, Moskenesøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. February 22, 2015. 17:39

I couldn’t really decide for a photo for today’s post. However, with near storm force winds hitting the islands today, maybe I will talk a little about visiting the islands in winter. And more specifically, driving.

With the New York Times listing Lofoten as one of the top travel destination of 2017, it is going to be a busy year here on the islands. Already I have seen the rental cars begin the fill the previously quiet, near empty E10 which has existed over the last few months. The draw of winter here in the north is a powerful one – one of the reasons I myself decided to call this place home after traveling here for so long.

With the increase in traffic, I have recently seen some very poor driving practices from inexperienced winter drivers over the last days. Driving here in winter is scary, especially with sideways blowing snow at night (which is currently 15:30) and gale force winds. Driving 40 mph along the E10 is fine, and probably safe. But please, when choosing a place to allow others to overtake, do not pull over immediately before a blind turn, as has happened several times in the last days to me. I do not want to get killed trying to pass you! Find a straight section of road, and slow down there. The locals are not going to run you off the road if you do not immediately pull over when they arrived behind you – this is the countryside, we are used to tractors, sheep, and all kinds of other slow moving stuff on the roads…

Also, it is generally not allowed to park along the E10. It is a highway, despite the fact that the speed limit is slow in Norway and it might feel more like a country road. Unfortunately though, with snow covering many of the pullouts, unless you know where they are from experience, this means you might have to drive by that epic shot, or at least find a safe parking place and walk back. If you would not park along the highway at home, do not do it here either, just because its more scenic.

Drive extra carefully when the temperatures warm up/cool down. Lofoten is not as cold as it looks and the temperatures rise and fall continuously throughout the winter. The scariest time to drive is when it begins to rain after a cold period, turning the roads into a wet and slippery mess. Even pulling down into parking areas such as Skagsanden can cause trouble in these conditions. So be careful. And in the opposite effect, warm rain which freezes overnight will also turn the roads into chaos. The road crews do their best to prepare and maintain the roads for such conditions, but it can take time.

At the end of the day, Lofoten is here for you to enjoy! So do your best to do so. But please also be aware that the islands are not a giant amusement park. Winter tourism is a relatively new thing for the islands, and it might take some time for things to adjust, as this was traditionally a time locals have enjoyed quiet and solitude outside of the busy summer season. But times are changing and everyone should be able to get along…
Nikon D810
Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8
24mm
ISO 64
f 10
20 seconds
WB Daylight

Friday Photo #208 – Kvalvika Beach Winter

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Friday Photo #208 - Kvalvika Winter

Photo: Winter view over Kvalvika beach from Ryten, Moskenesøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. February 28, 2016. 16:22

I attempted a night camping on Ryten last year (2015), however conditions deteriorated and it was so windy that standing was difficult, much less setting up my tripod! This February I had a little more luck.

Heading up Ryten (hiking guide here) in late afternoon, the plan was to camp. Though In winter, one can never be too sure of these things. However, arriving at the top, it was perhaps the calmest weather I have ever experienced on Ryten; hardly a breeze. Which was good, since the ground was frozen solid and the snow of poor consistency, so I couldn’t really stake out my tent properly.

The light wasn’t the best, with the often, seemingly ever-present layer of clouds on the horizon, blocking out the last of the days light. But it is a nice scene none-the-less. This will probably also be my view for the first day of 2017, though, with winds forecast to 20+ m/s in Ramberg, I doubt I’ll get many photos from up top!

Have a good new year everyone! There will be plenty more photos to come in 2017…

Camera Info:
Nikon D800
Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8
15mm
ISO 100
f 11
1/20 second
WB Daylight

Friday Photo #207 – Uttakleiv Moonlight

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Friday Photo #207 - Uttakleiv Moonlight

Photo: Full moon illuminates winter landscape at Uttakleiv, Vestvågøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. February 22, 2016. 19:38

This isn’t the image I wanted to take on this night.

With a perfect weather forecast coinciding with a nearly full moon, I decided to head up Mannen in hopes of shooting northern lights over Haukland or Uttakleiv or anywhere else they might show up. Getting a late start I raced the falling sun to try and catch some light over Haukland beach, just barely making it to a decent viewpoint before the sun fell behind the mountains.

As twilight arrived in continued to the summit of Mannen to begin my wait until darkness, and fingers crossed, northern lights! Not wanting to let any decent light go to waste, I continued shooting from twilight and into the evening. As the moon began to rise these clouds stared to form over Skolmen in the distance, traveling straight for me. Having already shot numerous images with clear sky this night, I though the movement of the clouds would add a nice element to the scene.

Keeping the same exposure, I shot two images at 14mm, one for the foreground and one to capture the clouds and the sky. I had originally tried with my 24mm tilt-shift lens, but it wasn’t wide enough for what the scene required.

I shot a couple more images after this, but was pretty much done by 20:00 as the clouds were no longer as interesting looking. And so I sat down and waiting for some aurora. By midnight the sky was still silent and I was finally beginning to get cold from all the hours of sitting in the open. And so under the bright moonlight I headed down the mountain.

I will try again for an aurora photo this winter, but I’m sure several more attempts will be needed until luck works out on my side…

Camera Info:
Nikon D800
Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8
14mm
ISO 100
f 5.6
92 seconds
WB Daylight
2 images – top, bottom

Friday Photo #206 – Skjelfjord Polar Night

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Friday Photo #206 - Lofoten Mørketid

Photo: Skjelfjord polar night, Flakstadøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. December 11, 2012. 12:23

Last weeks photo showed the normal weather Lofoten’s has been having for most of December so far. However, on Sunday, everything changed and the islands were silent and still. I was supposed to have gone to the mountains, and probably should have, but the views from my home were also good enough to keep me satisfied.

Skjelfjord runs almost perfectly north to south. In the height of summer, the midnight sun will pop into view for a few minutes around 01:00 am, shining through the low point in the mountains near the center of the image. Now in December, with the sun just below the southern horizon, the mountains receive a bit of glow around midday – assuming the horizon is clear.

I walked to this location, several times throughout the mid morning to mid afternoon as the light was constantly changing. I’m not sure if this is my favorite image of the day, but it illustrates what I want to show this week. That there is still light here, even with the winter solstice little more than a week away. After that, the days get longer again and we can greet the sun once again in early January…

Camera Info:
Nikon D800
Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8
19mm
ISO 100
f 11
1/6 second
WB Daylight

Friday Photo #205 – Lofoten Mørketid

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Friday Photo #20 - Lofoten Mørketid

Photo: Nesland coast, Flakstadøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. December 9, 2016. 12:01

This week was the begging of the winter mørketid, literally dark time, but otherwise known as the polar night. On Lofoten it occurs during the weeks around the winter solstice when the sun no longer rises above the horizon. And while there is no proper daylight, there are some hours of twilight around noon. And even now at the time of my writing, there is still some glow in the southern sky at 15:00.

The Islands have had pretty bad weather for the start of December, which is actually quite normal. Think 1-4˚C with lots of wind and rain. The heavy cloud cover of the last days makes it feel much dark than it really is, and even getting up at 10:00 feels like an early start to the day! I feel myself slowly going into a hibernation mode, quite of opposite of the insomnia during the midnight sun period of summer.

It was a strong north wind blowing down the fjord today, but I figured I would have a little shelter down the road in Nesland, so I headed there. I was trying to shoot an image that showed what the sky looked like, but the only expanses of clear sky were over the open water to the south, and thus not very interesting compositionally. Luckily there were some holes in the clouds as they swept in from the north, so I did my best to show a bit of sky in the best composition I could find.

Hopefully I’ll come up with something better for next week…

Camera Info:
Nikon D800
Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8
24mm
ISO 50
f 14
25 seconds
WB Daylight
6 stop B+W ND filter
2 images – top, bottom

Friday Photo #204 – Reine Sunrise

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Friday Photo #204 - Reine Sunrise

Photo: Autumn sunrise over Reine, near Vindstad, Moskenesøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. October 23, 2016. 08:51

The original plan for the previous night had been to camp on the summit of Storskiva. But it was far too windy to stay up high on the mountain, so we descended the peak and found a more sheltered location above Bunes beach, with nice views towards Reine as well. The nights come early in late October, and after a long, cold hike, I was soon fast asleep.

I didn’t know what sunrise would bring, but I wasn’t optimistic, and my tent was still shaking strongly in the cold wind as I stirred myself from sleep and took a look outside. Not much. But I go up anyhow and went to join my friend who was already up, taking a bit of shelter behind some rocks.

Soon enough however, a faint pink began to shine on the clouds and I could see the first rays of light hitting the peaks rising above us. The light slowly crept down the mountains until it was upon us. I knew it was time to move!

I quickly grabbed my gear and hopped to the far side of the rocks, looking directly into the autumn sun rising over Reine, on the far side of the fjord in the distance. It was windy like mad facing in this direction, and I wasn’t entirely sure that my light mountain tripod would get me any still shots, but I did my best to wait for brief pauses in the gusts, where things were a bit calmer for a brief second or two.

Composition wise, I don’t think this is the strongest image. But I can feel the warmth of the sun after a cold night, and that is what draws me into it.

Camera Info:
Nikon D800
Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8
24mm
ISO 200
f 14
1/10 seconds
WB Daylight

Friday Photo #203 – Persatind Gimsøy

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Friday Photo #203 - Persatind Gimsøy

Photo: Summit of Persatind, Gimsøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. November 18, 2016. 13:47

There is barely four hours of daylight on Lofoten as the middle of November arrives and passes. Each day feels darker and darker, even with clear skies. Under heavy clouds, in feels as if the world will soon turn to night – which it will.

After a week of heavy winds and rain from multiple passing storms out of the south, the weather finally settled a bit on this day. Though the forecast called for rain my mid afternoon, I took the risk to head east to Gimsøy to hike up a new mountain for me, Persatind.

Starting the hike at noon, I already felt as if we should turn around; that night will soon arrive. But the heavy clouds were responsible for this as we still have a few hours of decent light.  Fresh snow had fallen overnight and as we ascended higher up the mountain a cold wind began to blow.  Following a maze of sheep trails up a steep and snowy ridge, the route finally arrives at the broad plateau of Høgheia – Maybe a good spot for some winter camping later in the season.

Clouds of the approaching snow and rain were slowly drifting in from the south, layers of distant mountains fading into a blueish grey. To the north, a twilight glow warmed the horizon over the distant islands of Vesterålen and the open sea.

After a few minutes on top it was time to descend while we still had some light. In a couple short weeks, once the polar night arrives, I will be thinking of the brightness of this day – light which wont return until the middle of January…

Camera Info:
Nikon D800
Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8
28mm
ISO 100
f 10
1/8 seconds
WB Daylight
5 image pano

Friday Photo #202 – Skagsanden Aurora

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Friday Photo #202 - Skagsanden Aurora

Photo: Northern lights over Skagsanden beach, Flakstadøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. October 16, 2016. 20:33

With a full moon rising into the October night, the clear evening sky erupted into a brilliant aurora. I had just finished dinner and looked out the window; seeing a hit of green in the sky, I knew it was time to go!

By the time I arrived at Skagsanden beach, only a five minute drive from my house, the aurora was beginning to pickup. A few minutes later, they sky exploded with color.

The combination of full moon and bright aurora meant I could keep a relatively fast shutter speed and low ISO, yet still maintain enough detail in both the sky and foreground.

In the coming winter months, this will be one of the most photographed beaches for northern lights, with lines of tripods setup across the beach. So it is a bit peaceful to have the place to myself during the late days of autumn, when the islands are still and quiet.

Camera Info:
Nikon D800
Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8
24mm
ISO 1600
f 3.2
3 seconds
WB Daylight

Friday Photo #201 – November Aurora

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Friday Photo #201 - Ballstad Northern Lights

Photo: Northern lights over cod racks, Ballstad, Vestvågøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. November 10, 2016. 16:52

I was on my way to Ballstad in the late afternoon yesterday to drop off a friend after some hiking and a bit of shopping in Leknes. The sun is setting early these days, but the sky was still relatively bright; additionally with the full moon only a few days away. Casually looking out my window at the countryside, I noticed a streak of green in the sky, it was barely past 16:30. So early!

Luckily, since I had been hiking earlier, I happened to have my camera with me, the previous day I missed a fantastic sunset while heading to the climbing gym without my camera. Though I’m unfamiliar with Ballstad, and would have preferred to be at a beach or mountain location, I knew the nearby cod racks could make a decent foreground element and more importantly, help hide some of the surrounding city lights.

I photographed a few different compositions that I liked, and several featuring the moon. Yet, pure luck let the aurora to almost perfectly align with the cod racks for a few moments for an image that looks like I put more more effort into than I actually did. After a few minutes the clouds rolled in and the show was mostly over.

Camera Info:
Nikon D800
Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8
14mm
ISO 2000
f 3.5
5 seconds
WB Daylight

Friday Photo #200 – Winter Campfire

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Friday Photo #200 - Winter Camfire

Photo: Evening campfire below Reka, Rekadalen, Langøya, Vesterålen, Norway. Nov, 2, 2016. 16:19

The past couple days I was up on Vesterålen to make an attempt to climb Reka, an iconic peak a bit north of Sortland. In the short and cold November days, we didn’t quite have enough time to get to the summit, and even with a base camp the previous night, didn’t get back to my van until well after dark. But it was a good adventure.

Leaving Lofoten in the early morning, it was a couple hours drive to the trail head, and the a couple more hours hiking – and trying to find the route – through the frozen, icy forests of Vesterålen. With the November sun low on the horizon, our route no longer sees any direct sunlight throughout the day, plunging the forests into a winter chill.

Although we had planned to have a base camp as high as possible, the early darkness gave the need to setup camp earlier than expected. Luckily there was a nice clearing for the tent, now completely frozen, but would otherwise be a total bog in summer. With numerous dead birch around, we thought a campfire might help keep the cold away a for a while. But as good as our attempts were, the cold and the frost eventually got the better of our meagre fire, and we reluctantly gave up and returned to the warmth of our sleeping bags. Soon however, northern lights filled the sky and I was back out in the cold again…

Camera Info:
Nikon D800
Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8
14mm
ISO 1250
f 5.6
.3 second
WB Daylight