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Friday Photo #611 – Moskenes Ferry Traffic

Photo: Summer traffic waiting for the Moskenes – Bodø ferry, Moskenes, Lofoten Islands, Norway. August 8, 2023. 13:53

Anyone who has been near Lofoten this summer will have seen how busy it was with the islands seeing substantial growth in tourism numbers over the previous year and far exceeding pre-Corona numbers. And with this growth, tension is building both among the locals but also increased dissatisfaction among tourists themselves; finding Lofoten less pristine than the advertising and social media influencers lead one to believe.

The other week I attended a tourism conference in Lekenes, with speakers from the local municipalities and some running tourism management abroad. My impression in that Lofoten is still not ready to join the big leagues of tourism, even if those numbers are here already. There simply does not seem to be enough inter-island cooperation and communication and definitely no regional planning. Moskenes is too poor to do much of anything. Flakstad wants what is best for Flakstad – Which means paid parking and many parking tickets written. Vestvågøy thinks they are using their own money to gift the rest of Lofoten popular locations, with little income in return. And Vågan wants a tourist tax as they will earn all the income, having the most hotels and accommodation. So basically, the chaos will remain on Lofoten for years to come.

During the conference, several presenters gave usage figures about Lofoten. In July, Ramberg had a daily average of 4707 vehicles passing through. I didn’t think that sounded like much, but if you break it down a little and figure most of that will be from 09:00 – 21:00 – that is roughly 390 vehicles per hour, or roughly every 10 seconds. All traveling along the outdated E10 of west Lofoten. For comparison, the E6 over Salfjellet – Norway’s main north to south highway, only averaged 3359 daily vehicle crossings in July. Lofoten is basically 25% busier than the main highway of northern Norway.

There were also some troubling ideas to hear coming from the local authorities. Their main solutions to all the chaos seems to be further regulations and restrictions. With some even questioning if Norway’s tradition of Allemannsretten – the right to roam – can survive in the era of mass tourism. This would be a tragic loss. But every time I see a motorhome camped in the entrance to the farm field outside my neighbour’s house, or along narrow roads where it is clearly not allow to park, both which were many times this summer, the voices against Allemannsretten grow stronger. Which is strange, as Allemannsretten does not apply to motor vehicles, so traffic laws already existing should be enough, but they aren’t enforced for some reason, so the business unfairly gets blamed on Allemannretten.

And so I fear we will all lose the freedom that once was here on Lofoten. And what a sad day that will be.

Camera Info:
DJI Mini 3 pro

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Friday Photo #610 – Common Redshank on Fence

Photo: Common Redshank on fence under July midnight sun, Flakstadøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. July 11, 2024. 00:43

The islands have gone silent. After the 24 hour a day hustle and bustle of the summer birdlife in Lofoten, the land has now gone quiet. This year I have not gone far from home, so it was a slow, almost unnoticeable change until one day I stand in my backyard and notice the silence of the world. Now it is only the house shaking wind and window battering rain, hale, and snow which will wake me up at night.

In summer though, the islands are alive! This curlew fledgling from mid-July is just one of my many neighbours, which also include: oystercatchers, common gulls, arctic skua, sea eagles, ptarmigan, crows, and ravens. I think the sea eagles in particular are happy with the southern migration of most of the birdlife, as they can now circle overhead in the autumn sky in peace without a swarm of gulls chasing them away.

Camera Info:
Nikon Z8
Nikon 180-600 f/5.6-6.3
470mm
ISO 400
f 6
1/640 Second
WB Daylight

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Friday Photo #608 – Rainbows and Storms

Photo: Afternoon rainbow in the sky over Nappstraumen, Flakstadøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. August 26, 2024. 17:49

The rainy weather has continued much of the last week in mostly two styles: Rainbow rain, and full storm rain. Both are wet, but very different visually. This week’s post is both those styles: a rainbow Monday and a full storm Tuesday.

It has been a wet August this year! It seems like a switch was flipped and the weather went from endless sunshine to endless rain. The good news is that it looks like this pattern might finally break after the weekend and the sun might be present a little more often now. I can see on the weather statistics though, that just two days this August will already have put the month at its average rainfall of 55mm. I suspect this August will come in at least double of the average – more like the rainier September or October.

Even though it is still officially summer, this past Saturday was a good reminder that it is always necessary to keep a close eye on the weather forecasts with the arrival of the first proper ‘Høststorm’ – Autumn storm of the season. It was a short one, but still brought wind gusts over 30 m/s and many ferry cancelations over the Vestfjord. Tuesday was also a stormy day with canceled ferries, high winds and near continuous rain.

Photo: Dark skies and wind-blown sea over Nappstraumen, Flakstadøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. August 27, 2024. 13:03

Camera Info:
Nikon Z8
Nikon 24-120mm f/4
59mm
ISO 100
f 8
1/400 Second
WB Daylight

Camera Info:
Nikon Z8
Nikon 24-120mm f/4
120mm
ISO 100
f 6.3
1/250 Second
WB Daylight

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Friday Photo #607 – Grey Rain

Photo: Rainy grey sky over Himmeltindan and Nappstraumen, Lofoten Islands, Norway. August, 21, 2024. 18:04

The weather has shifted and the sun has been a rare sight over the last week – except for yesterday when summer decided to return for one last day. This week has had double the amount of rain than the entirety of July, and about the same as July and the first half of August combined. I made the poor decision this year to spend the summer on some long overdue house work; long days working away in the endless sunshine of July and August. But now that my first projects are finishing up and I can have a bit of time off, the weather forecast just looks grim. And not just for Lofoten, but all of northern Norway.

This is the unpredictable nature of Lofoten’s weather. Had I known this would be the best summer in a generation, I would have gone on a few road trips to get a few more photos for long term projects. Instead, the furthest I have gone from my house in the last two months in Leknes airport to the east, and Nusfjord to the west. Not very far! It feels like a bit of a waste, but it is what it is.

If you are also traveling to Lofoten this summer, you will also have the same experience – a couple weeks age vs. now. Perfect summer vs. endless grey and rainy days. Before I moved to Lofoten, mid to late August would be my more common time of travel for summer. If it was this year, I think I would be spending a lot of time sitting around the Stamsund youth hostel waiting for even a night of camping. At least now I can watch the rain from my own windows.

But! As always, who knows what next week brings. With the sun’s solar maximum upon us, maybe the clouds will clear and every night in September will be filled with dancing northern lights. Maybe…

Camera Info:
Nikon Z8
Nikon 24-120mm f/4
54mm
ISO 40
f 8
60 Seconds
WB Daylight
10 stop ND filter

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Friday Photo #606 – Waiting For Aurora

Photo: Northern lights shine in twilight August sky, Flakstadøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. August 27, 2023. 00:14

After a four month absence from the evening sky it is once again time to keep an eye out for the first northern lights of the season. I have already seen some friends sharing the first faint aurora dance over Lofoten, but I have yet to see anything so far.

Last year while over on Værøy, my first aurora of the season was on the night of August 18/19, which is the earliest I’ve seen them in the season from Lofoten. Unfortunately, Looking at the weather forecast at the moment, the coming week is not very promising looking – and perhaps even the first autumn storm might arrive before next weekend if the forecast hold out. Perhaps this year’s wonderful sunny summer already used up the yearly quota for clear skies. It is starting to feel light autumn is upon us.

But sometime soon, the night sky will be full of stars as the twilight glow fades from the northern horizon – the aurora dancing overhead. There is no rush…

Camera Info:
Nikon Z8
Nikon 20mm f/1.8
20mm
ISO 400
f 2.2
3 Seconds
WB Daylight

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Friday Photo #605 – Changing Weather

Photo: Colorful summer sunrise over Nappstraumen, Lofoten Islands, Norway. August 8, 2024. 03:54

Lofoten has had a fantastic start to August this year with a late summer heat wave bringing 20˚+ temperatures and blue skies since last Saturday. Added to an already above average summer, I think this year I have spent more time at the beach than all previous years combined! Although I am deep into some house renovation projects, so I’m not able to get away from the house for too long at the moment anyhow, and a nice float in the cold sea is calming after a day of painting, sanding, sawing, and hammering. I should have chosen a rainy summer for house work, as I am missing some nice mountain weather. But maybe its too hot to hike anyhow…

The weather will now be changing back to more ‘normal’ patterns as things look to cool down finally. Some clouds, some wind, some rain, some sun, that is what the next week is looking like, with that growing sense that autumn is not so far away anymore.

For the majority of the last week though, the sun has just gently sunk into the sea in a cloudless sky while the light just fades away. A bit boring, but in a good way. Especially when your stove is disconnected and your only dinner option is late night barbecue.

This photo from the early hours of Thursday morning was the first colorful cloud filled sky that I’ve seen in a couple weeks. With the electricians showing up at 08:00, shooting out my office window was as much effort as I could give.

Camera Info:
Nikon Z8
Nikon 24-120mm f/4
53mm
ISO 100
f 8
1/40 Second
WB Daylight

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Friday Photo #604 – Twilight Moon

Photo: Twilight moon over Himmeltindan, Vestvågøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. July 28: 23:11

It has only been a couple short weeks since the midnight sun has left Lofoten’s sky and I can already sense the change in the air as this year’s wonderful summer will soon begin its departure. On a couple of the cloudier nights of this past week I’ve already needed to turn on the lights in my house a few times. By Now, the sun is below the horizon for 4.5 hours while a soft twilight glow fills the northern sky. It is only 3 weeks until the return of the northern lights. Time flies.

I can’t remember the last time I saw the moon. It has probably been around, but I generally don’t pay much attention to it during the summer. Then on this evening, I just kinda noticed it in the twilight sky over the mountains of Veggen and Himmeltindan. Despite the good weather, I’ve barely touched my camera in the last weeks as my time is consumed with long overdue house maintenance. Luckily it only takes me a minute to take a photo out the window. And so here we have a quarter moon in the twilight sky of late July.

Unknowingly at the time, and almost the photo for today, this scene would become a little more tragic on the following day when a humpback whale became stuck in fishing nets in Nappstraumen. It took over 24 hours before the coastguard arrived to make a rescue effort to free the whale. Which they did. And then decided the whale had become too exhausted and injured from its 24 hours stuck in the nets, so they killed it later in the evening. The mountains as witnesses.

Camera Info:
Nikon Z8
Nikon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6
160mm
ISO 100
f 7.1
1/50 Second
WB Daylight

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Friday Photo #603 – Trashing Lofoten

Photo: Bags of trash left in open at parking near popular beach area, Flakstadøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. July 20, 2024. 17:15

This is one of those articles which I don’t like to, and shouldn’t have to write. But I unfortunately do.

It is peak tourists season on Lofoten here in late July and the streets are full of traffic and in the evenings it seems every possible roadside pullout is filled with motorhomes and camper vans participating in Norway’s generous camping laws. This summer will likely be the busiest ever on Lofoten, and the pressure among the local community can be felt. While there are always the usual summer ‘tourist chaos’ articles in the local newspapers, the intensity, and frustration among a small, but vocal portion of the local population seems quite high this year.

Much of the frustration stems from the failures of the Norwegian government to adequately deal with the increase in tourism – increases that the government itself has promoted. There is no tourist tax of any sort in Norway. Lofoten was supposed to be a trail program of some sort, but so far nothing has been implemented. This leaves small municipalities of 1000 people to more or less fend for themselves and supply the infrastructure for 1 million visitors. Moskenes municipally is one of the poorest in Norway and has been on a special government oversight list for more than a decade. Norway might be rich, but Lofoten isn’t.

The same applies to the roads and tunnels of Lofoten. The E10 might be an European motorway, but much of it feels like some small country road in the middle of nowhere that receives little traffic. Already this summer there have been multiple car crashes (and fatalities), in which the poor standard of Lofoten’s roads are likely a contributing factor. In the Nappstraumen tunnel which I pass through almost daily, I regularly see glass and plastic in the roadway from vehicles hitting their mirrors together – and last summer I was even directly behind one such incident which sent glass flying all over my van.

I could go on and on with the reasons the local population feels frustrated. But now I will switch to when I get annoyed: laziness and self entitlement.

Road trips in my van or a rented van is my preferred way to travel. I regularly travel around northern Norway and have made several (rental) van trips to Scotland over the last years. I reference Scotland, because it too has similar ‘right to roam’ laws as Norway’s Allemannsretten.

One thing I would never think of doing is just leaving my trash on the side of the road in some isolated area. And as much as possible I attempt to dispose of any garbage in convent area for the local services, and not some hard to reach location where trash collection might be infrequent. If I had enough room to carry the trash to a location, I have enough room to take it back to where it was purchased.

The picture here is what ended up being left in at the parking for Myrland beach over the course of a week or so. Inside was packaging from Germany and Sweden (and Norway). If you can carry a water bottle and tin of beans 3000km from Germany, it can be taken a few more kilometres down the road to the nearest trash bin. This is pure laziness and selfishness. You have camped for free in a beautiful location, and then just leave a bag of trash for someone else to deal with. WTF!

The people who left the trash here will likely never read this or even care. Nothing can get in the way of their convenience and laziness. But many such situations happen daily on Lofoten. And the local population is becoming frustrated. I will not be surprised if there is a total ban on van/motorhome camping implemented within the next few years, ruining the ‘wild’ Lofoten experience for all future people, just because a few inconsiderate people have been too lazy to take away their own trash…

Please enjoy your free camping in beautiful Lofoten. But don’t expect me or my neighbours to clean up after you. Leaving no trace is a key part of the freedom of Allemannsretten. If you are leaving trash, then you are abusing Norway’s generosity.

Camera Info:
Nikon Z8
Nikon 24-120mm f/4
31mm
ISO 100
f 6.3
1/640 Second
WB Daylight

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Friday Photo #602 – A Sea Of Fog

Photo: Looking across a sea of fog concealing the village of Napp, Flakstadøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. July 17, 2024. 00:52

It has been hot the last days here on Lofoten with full days of sunshine and blue skies. The other day on the way to hike Skottind I ended up in a conversation with one of the nearby residents who said this has been the best summer since 1955! I’m not sure how true that is, though it has definitely been above average in my opinion. But…

As I wrote a few weeks back in Friday Photo #599, there is one thing that the weather forecasting doesn’t account well for – the nightly fog monster which envelops the lower elevations on Lofoten’s northern coast. So while the weather forecasts is accurate of Leknes and other areas that avoid the fog – hot sunny days can always be a bit risky on the northern coast.

I was planning on posting a nice image of one of the last nights of midnight sun taken earlier on this evening, but I think this image is a good example to show how much difference just a little bit of elevation can make – the fog here is concealing everything below 150m or so.

This whole evening it had been t-shirt weather as I was photographing up in the mountains of Flakstadøy. Below me though, I could see the fog concealing the landscape and blocking out any views of the midnight sun for the many people camped at Storsandnes beach as I drove by earlier in the evening.

On my way back home, the route descended into the fog you see here. The temperature dropped immediately as I entered into the mist and visibility was limited to 20 meters or so. Quite a contrast from a sunny, perfect summer evening in the mountains.

If I was camping, I would have much rather been up in the mountain sunlight than in the cold fog down on the beach.

Camera Info:
Nikon Z8
Nikon 24-120mm f/4
44mm
ISO 100
f 8
1/8 Second
WB Daylight

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Friday Photo #601 – Sunset Season

Photo: Midnight sun illuminates the sky over the northern horizon, Flakstadøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. July 11, 2024. 01:00

The midnight sun is getting noticeably lower on the northern horizon and by next week it will once again touch the sea for the first time since May. And while the atmosphere of the seemly endless days will soon be gone, that is a good thing, as the next ‘season’ arrives on Lofoten: Sunset season.

Late July and into early August is when the sun just below the northern horizon during the midnight hours. If the weather cooperates, this is then the time of hours long, all night sunsets. Light for photographers which is far better than the midnight sun itself – which is more similar to a several hour long golden hour light. But it late July, the fiery sunsets arrive, where the sky glows for hours and hours while most of the world is sleeping.

One of the unique things about Lofoten, and the arctic in general, is that the sun is above the horizon all 360˚ of the compass. This also means that the sun rises and sets on all 360˚ of the compass. In other words, depending on the time of year, you can have the sun rising or setting in any location you want in the landscape. For a landscape and mountain photographer, this is useful for having nice light on certain mountains, no matter their orientation – you just need to calculate and plan ahead for where you wan the sun to set. So for many locations on the northern side of Lofoten, the coming weeks will be some of the best time for photography before the sun then travels too far south in the sky.

Camera Info:
Nikon Z8
Nikon 24-120mm f/4
59mm
ISO 100
f 8
1/250 Second
WB Daylight

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