Friday Photo #60 – Rorbu

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Derelict Rorbu sits on edge of fjord, Vestvalen, Reine, Moskenesøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway

Photo: Abandoned Rorbu, Vestvalen, near Reine, Moskenesøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway.  Feb 17, 2017.  17:19

I posted a different version of this building a few months ago.  While I had been familiar with the location for many years, and had shot images from the building, I had never taken any images of the building, until this evening.

The last moments of light combined with low, heavy clouds provided the perfect atmosphere to accompany this abandoned rorbu for a scene that I waited years to come across.  I like to think I have seen everything Lofoten has to offer, but I have come nowhere close! Nearly every moment of every day is different, week after week, month after month, year after year.  I have rarely come across the same conditions in the same place twice.  One of the reason I never get bored with the islands; they are always changing!

While I don’t often tend to shoot architecture, this evening was perfect for this building.  Even to the detail of the mountain emerging from the clouds in the background.  I only had a short amount of time and then the sky opened up for the remainder of the night.

Camera Info:
Nikon D800
Nikon 24mm f/3.5 tilt-shift
24mm
ISO 100
f 8
20 sec
WB Daylight
2 images – top, bottom

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Friday Photo #59 – Bunes Beach Twilight

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Sunset at Bunes Beach, Moskenesoy, Lofoten Islands, Norway

Photo: Summer twilight over Bunes beach, Moskenesøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway.  August 16, 2013.  23:04

If you’re like me, and you like twilight, then even late summer on Lofoten leaves little time for sleep.  Only my second day on the islands and still jet lagged from travel, I was a little lucky to nap in the afternoons and not fully rise until the light was beginning to fade.

Bunes is a big beach!  I typically camp at the back of the beach, on the soft, grassy dunes, but from here it can be a bit of a trek before you actually reach the water’s edge.  What this means is that it’s usually not a simple task just to wander out for a photo or two, then head back.  It’s better to commit yourself for a few hours at a time, else you’ll spend more time walking than photographing.

I was lucky.  While the clouds were racing overhead, the wind on the beach remained calm.  With barely a glow left on the horizon, it was perfect lighting conditions for what I like to photograph on Lofoten.  Maybe a little more color could have been nice, but I still like the near mono-tonal quality of the blues.

Camera Info:
Nikon D800
Nikon 24mm f/3.5 tilt-shift
24mm
ISO 50
f 16
30 sec
WB Daylight
2 images – top, bottom

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Friday Photo #58 – Olstind Reflection

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Olstind mountain peak rises from fjord, Reine, Lofoten Islands, Norway

Photo: Olstind Winter panoramic, near Reine, Moskenesøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway.  Feb 6, 2012.  16:10

Every time I travel to Lofoten I try and remind myself that I already have enough images of Olstind.  And yet every time I am there, Osltind provides me with something new, whether I want it or not.  And so, like sailers lured by the sirens, I find myself hopping across the rocks on the edge of the fjord, drawn towards Osltind.  The perfect mountain.

This particular day had been calm and cold.  The surface of the fjord began to freeze and the ice made an eerie sound as it gently broke against the rocks a few inches from my feet.  The sky was not quite what I was hoping, and the light a bit flat in the day’s final moments.  But with near perfectly still water, the reflection was perfect.

Camera Info:
Nikon D700
Nikon 24mm f/3.5 tilt-shift
24mm
ISO 200
f 8
.3 sec
WB Daylight
3 images – left, right, middle

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Friday Photo #57 – Kjerkfjord Winter

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Scenic winter view across Kjerkfjorden towards Vindstad, near Reine, Lofoten islands, Norway

Photo: Winter Reflection on Kjerkfjord, near Reine, Moskenesøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway.  Jan 6, 2010.  13:35

In the short days of early January the sun barely rises above the southern horizon.  If the sky is clear, then several hours of wonderful twilight is what a photographer will be rewarded with.

It is a rare event when all elements align perfectly, but when they do, there is perhaps no better place in the world to be than Lofoten, well, at least for those of us that like winter.

Nearing Reine, the fjord was almost perfectly still and they sky glowed pink.  In the distance, the snow covered mountains between Vindstad and Kjerkfjord reflected in the calm waters.  I knew I had precious little time on this day to get to as many places as possible.  Yet everywhere I looked was something amazing.  If I were able to stop the clock, then this this day could have lasted a full year…

Camera Info:
Nikon D700
Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8
70mm
ISO 200
f 8
1/40 sec
WB Daylight

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Friday Photo #56 – End Of Lofoten

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View from Å towards end of Lofoten, Moskenesøy, Lofoten islands, Norway

Photo: Winter twilight, Å I Lofoten, Moskenesøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway.  Jan 6, 2010.  15:14

The first day of my January 2010 trip was finally coming to an end as I followed the light to the end of the road at Å I Lofoten.  And from there, proceeded to walk to the edge of the sea where the final glow of the short winter day was still holding onto a bit of life.

This location has become one of my favorite winter sunset spots over the last few years as the between January and early February the sun sets near the end of Lofoten in the distance.  Combined with a multitude of compositions, depending on how good the snow is, or not, it is a location that I usually walk away with something decent from.

Alone, as seemingly at the end of the world, I stayed out here until near darkness, wishing the light would last just a little bit longer.

Camera Info:
Nikon D700
Nikon 24mm f/3.5 tilt-shift
24mm
ISO 100
f 11
20 sec
WB Daylight
2 images – top, bottom

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Friday Photo #55 – Agvatnet Winter

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Lake Ågvatnet and snow covered mountain landscape, Å I Lofoten, Lofoten islands, Norway

Photo: Lake Ågvatnet in Winter, Å I Lofoten, Moskenesøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway.  Jan 6, 2010.  14:22

Having followed the light from Vestvågøy to the end of the road at Å on this short January day, and the only day I saw the sun on this trip, I was eager to get as much variety as possible.  While waiting for the light to fade a bit more before heading out to the coast for sunset, I wandered over to lake Ågvatnet, sublimely covered in a fresh layer of snow.

I took a few ‘normal’ images, ie. no tilt, but for some reason, the scene wasn’t doing much for me.  I’m not quite sure why, but I think it just felt a little out of balance and with no clear focal point.  Finally, I just decided to throw a full tilt on the lens, open up the f-stop for a shallow depth of field and focus on the pointy mountain in the distance.

This did the trick for me.  Combined with the soft light and fresh snow, this image has a bit more of an etherial feel that I typically shoot.  But I like it for some reason.  And the subtly of the image works well as a desktop background, which I currently use.

Camera Info:
Nikon D700
Nikon 24mm f/3.5 tilt-shift
24mm
ISO 200
f 4.8
1/60 sec
WB Daylight
2 images – top, bottom
Full lens tilt

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Friday Photo #54 – Winter Roads

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driving on winter road with snow, Lofoten Islands, Norway

Photo: Heading to Haukland beach on winter roads, Vestvågøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway.  Feb 6, 2012.  8:57

This week’s photo is more for illustrative purposes than of something scenic.  With more and more people planning on visiting the islands in winter, it can be a bit of a shock to drive on the roads for the first time, especially if you are like me, and grew up in a temperate climate.

While my experience on the European continent is that they tend to keep roads snow free in winter, either by plow or grit, in Lofoten, this is not overly practical.  In big storms, the roads are cleared of deep snow and snow drifts, but overall, there always remains a layer of snow and ice covering any asphalt.   To deal with these conditions, the Norwegians (and Swedes) utilize studded tires from November to April.

While not like driving on dry asphalt, the studded tires work amazingly well.  In my estimate, I would say they retain about 70% the traction level of normal tires on dry conditions.  For road conditions like in this photo, you can more or less drive normally (but be weary on sharp turns).

Where driving conditions become dangerous is when the temperatures warm to 2-6 degrees above freezing and it begins to rain.  This turns all the hard, compacted snow of the roads into a layer of wet ice.  Scary and slippery!  The road plows are good at dealing with this and will have the main roads gritted and ice free within a few hours.  But I would suggest minimizing your driving during this period if possible.  I have gotten stuck a few times where I pulled down into an icy parking area and was unable to drive back out without considerable effort on my part to clear away enough ice to get a bit of momentum built up.

Camera Info:
Nikon D700
Nikon 16-35mm f/4
16mm
ISO 200
f 57.1
1/30 sec
WB Daylight

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Friday Photo #53 – Summer Clouds

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Stormy sky over Selfjord and mountains of Lofoten Islands, Norway

Photo: Ominous clouds fill the sky as I make my way towards Kvalvika beach, Moskenesøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway.  July 22, 2006.  19:24

I’m digging pretty deep into the archives for this one, mainly because Kvalvika beach has been on my mind a bit lately as I’m trying to come up with some plans for February, and this image is from my first ever camping trip to Kvalvika in the Summer of 2006.

It was early evening when my friends dropped me off at the trailhead for Kvalvika beach.  The clouds thus far in the day had been dramatic but the rain had held off so far.  Leaving the car and looking around, I was not quite sure what I was getting myself into.  I gave thoughts just to heading back to Stamsund, but I had already mentally committed myself to a couple nights camping at the beach, so I continued on with my plans.

A little ways up the trail I turned around for one last look over the fjord, this is the sight my vision brought.  I will admit to being slightly scared and worried if my tent would survive the night.  I have never seen a sky like this again in Lofoten.

By the time I began my descent to the beach a light rain was falling.  I managed to set my tent up among the grazing sheep of summer before the torrential rain began, and that it did.  Continuing more or less unbroken for the next two days until I packed my wet tent up and began the hike back over the hill.

Camera Info:
Nikon D200
Nikon 18-70mm f/3.5
46mm
ISO 100
f 5.6
1/200 sec
WB Daylight

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Friday Photo #52 – Haukland Beach Winter

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Block of ice on frozen Haukland beach in winter, Vestvagøy, Lofoten islands, Norway

Photo: January dawn on Haukland beach, Vestvågøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway.  January 6, 2010.  09:49

Some time ago I posted a photo from this morning at Haukland beach, but as I’m now less than one month away from returning to the islands, it’s time for more winter images to inspire me.  Even now, looking back four years later, it still remains one of my most memorable days on the islands and is partly what saw me start this website in the first place and begin to look at Lofoten with a different set of eyes.

After having spent a stormy night at Utakleiv attempting the sleep in the cramped back seat of my all-too-small rental car, Haukland beach was the first scene I came across for the day.  I was not in a rush to get anywhere in particular, but I was in a rush to get as much variety out of the 4 hour day as possible.  I was also still cold from the night, only having a 0˚ sleeping bag with me, as the temperature dropped to -10˚ or so, and the car had yet to properly warm me up in the short drive from Utakleiv.  With already cold feet, I crunched my way across the snow covered sand and down towards the beach.

When I caught sight of this small chunk of ice on the frozen beach, I knew I had found something special.  While Lofoten is cold, there is not often ice on the beaches such as this.  But thanks to the cold temperatures and the small creek that runs into the sea at Haukland, a frozen piece of creek ice must have washed back onto the beach at high tide, and then a light layer of snow fell overnight to complete the scene.  I have attempted to find a scene like this in my last several winter visits, but have never been so lucky again.

The only thing that distracts me is the otter tracks across the middle of the image, I guess he was up before me.  But overall, this is still one of my favorite images from the islands.

Camera Info:
Nikon D700
Nikon 24mm f/3.5
24mm
ISO 200
f 16
8 seconds
WB Daylight
2 images – top/bottom

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Well, I’ve reached image number 52, a whole year of weekly Lofoten Images.  Good thing I still have about 900 images left in my archive to keep things going.  But at the moment, I’m not too sure if I’m going to continue posting weekly photos.  I initially started when there wasn’t all that much content here on the site, so I was just hoping to fill things in a bit.  And in all honesty, I haven’t received much feedback for my efforts during the last year, so I’m kind of questioning whether it’s worth my time to continue.

So now your chance to chime in.  If you find the information or stories useful on this Friday Photo series, maybe make a comment letting me know.  If it’s just been a waste of time, you can let me know that as well. 🙂

Happy 2014!  For those of us heading north in the next months, lets hope the mountains are full of snow and the skies full of Auroras.  And if you see some guy in a ugly blue jacket wandering around, come say hello. (I also accept invitations to hot tea and use of an oven to cook a frozen pizza for dinner in.)

 

 

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Friday Photo #51 – Holandsmelen

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View of Vik and Haukland beaches from summit of Holandsmelen mountain peak, Vestvagoy, Lofoten Islands, Norway

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

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