Friday Photo #140 – Summer Snow Flurry

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Female hiker is summer snow flurry near summit of Festvågtind, Austvågøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway

Photo: Summer snow flurries on Festvågtind, Austvågøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. June 11, 2015. 18:27

In early summer it’s important to be prepared for sometimes winter-like conditions if heading out into the mountains. In the typical changeable nature of the weather on Lofoten, we had started the hike under a nice sunny blue sky. By the time we reached the summit, we had to sit on the leeward side of the large summit boulders to wait out the first of many snow flurries passing the mountains.

Even as one band of snow passed, the next would already be lined up on the horizon, approaching from Stamsund to the west. But as quickly as the snow would arrive, it would leave again and the sun would be shining brightly.

Camera Info:
Nikon D810
Nikon 70-200mm f/4
135mm
ISO 200
f 5.6
1/160 second
WB Daylight

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Friday Photo #139 – Hamnoy Rorbuer

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Red fishermen's Rorbu cabins over fjord, Hamnøy, Reine, Moskenesøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway

Photo: Hamnøy under cloudy summer sky, Moskenesøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. June 8, 2015. 19:54

Summer or Winter? Despite the calendar telling me it was June, the Islands were anything but summer like on this day. A west wind was bring an near endless series of misty showers and low clouds hanging over the mountain peaks.

This is one of the famous views of Eliassen Rorbu on Hamnøy. I have a similar version of this image from a past winter. Looking at the two side-by-side, it’s hard to tell the difference of seasons.

Camera Info:
Nikon D810
Nikon 24mm f/3.5
24mm
ISO 31
f 16
25 seconds
WB Daylight

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Friday Photo #138 – Haukland Beach

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View over Haukland beach from summit of Mannen, Vestvågøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway

Photo: Summer day over Haukland beach, Vestvågøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. June 3, 2015. 15:43

It’s always good to start a Lofoten trip with sunshine! Having arrived by ferry in the mornight, picked up my van from Arctic Campers in Ramberg a couple hours later, I next found myself heading up the trail to Mannen (see hiking guide HERE), under a nice blue sky.

The view from Mannen over the crystal blue waters of Haukland beach is one of Lofoten’s most Iconic views. And at 400 meters, with a gentle trail to the summit, I like to think of Mannen as having one of the best views-for-effort ratios on Lofoten.

The view looks south, so it’s better to hike in early morning or late afternoon to avoid the sun glaring off the water.

Camera Info:
Nikon D810
Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8
24mm
ISO 100
f 10
1/250 second
WB Daylight

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Friday Photo #137 – Uttakleiv midnight sun

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View over Uttakleiv from Nonstind mountain peak, Vestvågøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway

Photo: Midnight over Uttakleiv beach, Vestvågøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. June 5, 2015. 23:55

My second day on Lofoten and I found myself wandering around the mountains at midnight. My main priority had been to photograph Unstad beach, but as time passed the midnight sun sank into the clouds and the light faded from Unstad.

Not content to descend the ridge I was on, I continued further towards the summit of Nonstind (See hiking guide HERE). The temperature was quite cold – good I brought an extra jacket, and I could see snow flurries approaching from out at sea. But there was a wonderful soft light over Uttakleiv beach – one of lofoten’s most iconic locations, yet rarely seen from this view.

The clouds thickened as time passed and I set up my Fuji xt-1 to shoot a time lapse of the changing lights. I stayed up on the mountain until almost 02:00 before heading back to the car. It was a wonderful night under the 24 hour light of summer on Lofoten.

Camera Info:
Nikon D810
Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8
70mm
ISO 200
f 10
1/25 second
WB Daylight

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Friday Photo #136 – Stamsund

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View over harbor towards Stamsund hostel, Stamsund, Vestvågøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway

Photo: Summer in Stamsund, Vestvågøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway.  June 12, 2015. 11:00

I talk a lot about the hostel at Stamsund, which is pretty much the main reason I’ve returned to the Islands so many times over the years. But for some reason, I never really take many pictures of the hostel itself – probably because when the weather is good, I’m elsewhere on Lofoten, not sitting around eating popcorn.

During the midnight sun days of June, I become a bit more nocturnal than normal, often not going to bed until 03:00 or 04:00 in the morning. This means I also sleep in a bit. So waking up one morning after a light night in the mountains, the sky was blue and sunny with some nice puffy white clouds. I walked across the bay to get this image of the hostel, shining bright in the summer sun.

Camera Info:
Nikon D810
Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8
24mm
ISO 100
f 8
1/500 second
WB Daylight

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Friday Photo #135 – Unstad Panoramic

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Mountain view over Unstad beach, Vestvågøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway

Photo: Summer light over Unstad, Vestvågøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. June 7, 2015. 21:03

Here is a panoramic view of last week’s image. While I really liked the details and shadows of the houses in the closeup, the overall scene was too good not to capture really wide.

I wish I could have gotten to a slightly higher vantage point up the mountain, but time didn’t allow for it. I was lucky enough to find a flat enough rock on the cliff face to set up my tripod and still have enough room to stand. Otherwise it was a rather uncomfortable position of the 50-55˚ grassy slope.

The light and shadows over the village and beach make this one of my favorite scenes from my June trip to Lofoten.

Camera Info:
Nikon D810
Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8
29mm
ISO 250
f 10
1/400second
WB Daylight
5 image pano

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Friday Photo #134 – Unstad Beach

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Mountain view over Unstad beach, Vestvågøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway

Photo: Summer light over Unstad, Vestvågøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. June 7, 2015. 21:27

Clouds and frequent rain showers had been passing the Islands all day. But finally by evening, the sky seemed to be clearing enough for me to venture out to the hills.

My objective was a small mountain above Unstad, but not knowing where/if there was an actual route to the summit, I picked what looked like the most obvious way, a steep grassy hillside full of grazing sheep with a small creek running down the middle. Progress was slow as the wet grass was slippery and inconsistent, often with rocks buried beneath.

About halfway to the ridge I was trying to reach, I realized the light would be gone before I arrived. So I traversed over a steep slope and out onto some cliffs where I could get a nice view of Unstad, with the low evening sun shining across the village. The shadows of the clouds were racing across the land. giving depth to the scene. I would have liked to have been on top of the mountain, but I’m happy with the results here.

Camera Info:
Nikon D810
Nikon 70-200mm f/4
98mm
ISO 250
f 8
1/320 second
WB Daylight

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Friday Photo #133 – Offersoykammen Midnight Sun

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MIdnight sun view over coastal landscape from summit of Offersøykammen mountain peak, Vestvågøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway

Photo: Midnight sun from Offersøykammen, Vestvågøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. June 7, 2015. 00:45

The good thing about summer on Lofoten is that even if you get a late start, the sun will still be around. I started the evening unsuccessfully trying to make my way to a trail-less summit near Unstad. As it became apparent that the light I was after wasn’t going to wait until I reached the top, I headed down and proceeded to make other plans as my soaked shoes where drying in the car’s heater.

With a couple options available, I chose Offersøykammen, pulling into the parking lot just after 23:00. Loaded down with camera gear, I sprinted my way towards the summit, ascending the 400 meters in just over 30 minutes – completely soaked in sweat, despite the cold temperatures.

The direct light had faded as the sun moved behind the clouds, so I set up a time-lapse with my Fuji xt-1, then set about wandering around the summit looking for other compositions. This photo was taken a bit before 01:00, as the sun was reaching its lowest point in the sky, after this, sunrise would begin…

Camera Info:
Nikon D810
Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8
14mm
ISO 200
f 8
1/60 second
WB Daylight

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Friday Photo #132 – Unstad Midnight Sun

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Midnight sun over Unstad beach, Lofoten Islands, Norway

Photo: Waiting for midnight over Unstad, Vestvågøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. June 5, 2015. 23:28

I addition to a few last photos from my Seasons on Lofoten – Summer eBook, I was also already planing one of the next books, about the beaches of Lofoten. But beyond merely capturing the beaches from sea level, I was also looking to photograph them from above. Unstad beach was the 2nd hike I made, up to the summit of Nonstind.

I started the evening much earlier, with some nice evening light shining in over the bay. But as time passed, I was quite ready to leave the mountain yet, so I headed up a bit further. Somewhere along the ridge there was this nice overlook, which I reached just as the sun emerged for a few minutes from the otherwise mostly cloudy sky.

Camera Info:
Nikon D810
Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8
32mm
ISO 100
f 9
1/100 second
WB Dayligh

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Friday Photo #131 – Myrland Summer

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Myrland, Lofoten Islands, Norway

Photo: Midnight light and summer fields, Myrland, Flakstadøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. June 6, 2015. 23:56

Sleep in near impossible for a photographer on Lofoten in Summer, more so if the light is good. After a couple consecutive days in the mountains, I was feeling a bit lazy and looking for something coastal to photograph.

I had been out to Myrland earlier in the evening, with some nice light on this field and barn – which is the shot that is the cover of my Seasons on Lofoten – Summer eBook. After that, I drove back down the road to Storsandnes and found a place to park for the night.  But as I finished dinner and the hours passes, I wasn’t content with the scene in front of me, the sea just wasn’t calm or stormy enough. Before heading off the another beach, I decided just to checkout Myrland one last time. The light was better than before!

I arrived a few minutes before midnight, as the sun was breaking through some clouds. The mountains had a wonderful warm light shining on them and the wind was still quite calm.  I knelt down in the field just on the edges of the flowers and got completely wet from the soggy ground, but no matter when the light is nice.

Normally I don’t photograph such rural scenes very often, but somehow, this photo says ’summer on Lofoten’ to me and is one of my favorite images from this past trip.

Camera Info:
Nikon D810
Nikon 70-200mm f/4
70mm
ISO 250
f 5
1/125 second
WB Daylight

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