, ,

Friday Photo #650 – Cool June

Photo: Meadow of yellow buttercup – smørblomst flowers overlooking Nappstraumen, Flakstadøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. June 17, 2025. 22:53

The Summer Solstice is tomorrow here in Norway, and with that, the official start of Summer. Although realistically, I consider all of June to be Summer here on Lofoten – Basically once the fields are green and full of flowers. It is in these next couple weeks, from the 2nd half of June into the first weeks of July that Lofoten is at its most vibrant and colourful stage of the year – all underneath the 24 hour shine of the Midnight Sun.

Many are hoping for a repeat of last year’s incredibly warm and sunny summer, but so far the Lofoten’s is remaining on the cooler and greyer side of things, with many days of misty clouds over the past weeks and only a handful of days even reaching 15˚C. Although this is not abnormal, a coolish June. And in fact, June has basically the September, 9.7˚C and 9.4˚C, respectively. It is only the months of July and August where the islands reach an average higher than 10˚C. With the new travel trend of ‘coolcation,’ Lofoten will generally always be a good place to escape the burning sands of southern European beaches.

On the brighter side, it looks like the sun will make a nice appearance for tomorrow’s Solstice and might even stick around the rest of the weekend! Hopefully it’s enough to dry out my overgrown lawn, with is about a month overdue for it’s first mowing of the summer, as I spend the end of May and the first half of June down in Scotland, mostly on Shetland and Orkney photographing puffins and gannets.

I had not actually intended 2 photos this week – usually I save for when I’m trying to illustrate some change in conditions or something. The second photo (below) is what I planned to post, to show the nice misty clouds over the mountains of Himmeltindan, Mannen, and Veggen, as they rise in the distance from Vestvågøy. But as I just got back home this week, the field has already become a little overgrown as the grasses begin the grow higher than the flowers, making the foreground a little busy.

The above image caught my eye better once I sat at the computer to look for an image to edit. It doesn’t really show what I wanted to illustrate or write about for this week, but I think it’s a better image overall.

Camera Info:
Nikon Z8
Nikon 24-120mm F/4
75mm
ISO 500
f5.6
1/160 Second
WB Daylight

Photo: Misty clouds hang over distant mountains rising over Nappstraumen, Flakstadøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. June 17, 2025. 22:52

Camera Info:
Nikon Z8
Nikon 24-120mm F/4
70mm
ISO 500
f5.6
1/160 Second
WB Daylight

/0 Comments/by
, ,

Friday Photo #649 – Moltind Midnight Sun

Photo: Midnight sun shines bright in sky over mountain landscape of Lofotodden National Park, Moskenesøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. June 13, 2020. 00:29

Another bright bluebird night from June 2020, this time watching the midnight sun from Moltinden (651m) peak, which rises high over Kvalvika beach in Lofotodden national park. In the north, the sun is just above the distant peak of Fuglhuken (557m).

This was actually my 2nd attempt at the peak within a short time period, however during my previous attempt I got lost in the fog trying to find my way up to the mostly trail-less summit, and so I turned around, not being able to see more than a few meters ahead of me. Though with a layer a sea fog below, that would have made for some nice photos! Maybe when I sense another foggy evening, I head up earlier in the day before it arrives.

On this hike as well, I actually took an alternative way up, hiking most of the way out to Vest-Kvalvika, before then basically climbing up the steep side of the mountain to the summit ridge. I took the normal ridge route for the descent, though there is one very narrow crossing, which I wouldn’t want to do if the trail was too wet.

I hung around for a little while on the summit. But without a single cloud in the sky and the sun beginning to rise again after its lowest point just after 01:00, there was no need to wait around all night.

Camera Info:
Nikon D850
Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8
14mm
ISO 100
f14
1/30 Second
WB Daylight

/0 Comments/by
, ,

Friday Photo #648 – Stjerntinden Morning

Photo: East face of Stjerntinden catches morning sunlight as it rises over Storvatn, Flakstadøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. June 7, 2020. 01:55

One of the difficult things about evening hikes during the midnight sun period is that by the time I get home a new day is often well underway. This is even more true with a cloudless blue sky such as on this evening, or, at this point, early morning.

This photo is from a (nearly) cloudless summer evening wandering around the strange, almost desert-like landscape of Nesheia, located on the southeastern corner of Flakstadøy. Already almost 02:00 in the morning, and having been out for several hours already, I had to stop for a couple more quick photos before I descended off the ridge and back into the forest below. Though the light was not very dramatic, the reflection of Stjerntinden (938m), the highest mountain of Flakstadøy, catching the morning light was a nice tranquil scene.

In full blue sky like this during the midnight sun period, I dare say the light can be a bit boring. With the sun never touching the horizon, there are no real sunsets or sunrises at this time of year. I generally prefer a bit of clouds for at least some hope of drama or interesting light.

A bit of clouds also help with sleep! It was another hour after this image that I finally got home, and by this, it basically felt like the middle of the day, not time to go to sleep…

Camera Info:
Nikon D850
Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8
28mm
ISO 100
f10
1/15 Second
WB Daylight

/0 Comments/by
, ,

Friday Photo #647 – Summer Fog

Photo: Summer sea fog approaching from the north, Myrland, Flakstadøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. June 4, 2021. 21:42

The sea fog, or fog monster, as I generally refer to it is the ruin of many summer evening BBQs and camping plans each year. Within a very short period of time, what is a nice summer day can suddenly drop in temperature as the fog arrives, cloaking the landscape in a layer of cool, misty grey. Above the fog, it still remains a nice summer day, but if you had not already made the plans to be at 400-500 meters, the normal highest elevation of fog, you will be stuck in the grey.

Sea fog occurs when warm air passed over cold water, quickly reaching its saturation point. For Lofoten, this is most often in early summer, but can occur later in the summer as well. The fog is quite difficult to forecast, but a warning sign that it might arrive will be a forecast for a nice sunny day with a slight northern wind – this is a prime recipe for fog along the northern coast of Lofoten.

I can often watch from my house as a wall of grey begins to approach from the north. Usually quite gradually at first, but once the fog near, it can be a quick change from sitting outside in a t-shirt and shorts to rushing to find a fleece and jacket, and then probably just going inside all together.

These two photos today are taken just 12 minutes apart. That’s all the time it takes to go from nice BBQ weather an mountain views, to barely being able to see my neighbours’ houses.

Camera Info:
Nikon D810
Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8
70mm
ISO 100
f10
1/60 Second
WB Daylight

Camera Info:
Nikon D810
Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8
24mm
ISO 100
f10
1/60 Second
WB Daylight

/0 Comments/by
, ,

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

/0 Comments/by
, ,

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

/0 Comments/by
, ,

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

/0 Comments/by
, ,

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

/0 Comments/by
, ,

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

/0 Comments/by
, ,

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

/0 Comments/by