Friday Photo #534 – Clear And Cold

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Photo: Clear blue sky and crisp winter air over partially frozen shoreline of Flakstadpollen at low tide, Kilan, Flakstadøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. March 28, 2023. 11:20

It is the last day of what as been a wonderfully cold and (mostly) calm March. The best extended period of winter weather that I can remember for several years. If you have been traveling Lofoten during the last weeks, you’ve been lucky – especially compared to the terrible weather during January and February this year.

Last year, March saw an extended warm period for most of the month, ending up with an average temperature 2.5˚c above normal, of 0.1˚c. I won’t see the weather average for this March until tomorrow, but I would not be surprised if the average comes in at 3-4 degrees below average. The average temperature on the day of this photo was -5.2˚c, whereas 0.8˚c should be Normal. And while it’s easy for one day to be an anomaly, so far 13 days this march have had temperatures fall below -10˚c, with the coldest temperature recorded at -15.3˚c. So far, only 3 days this March have had an average temperature above 0˚c. Though it has now warmed substantially since yesterday as the cold weather finally seems to have broken with the arrival of April.

Looking over the weather across the years often brings me back to questions about or suggestions for the ‘best time to visit’ Lofoten. The reality is: it is an unanswerable question. Or at least not answerable if you need to make your travel plans more than a few weeks ahead. March 2022 and March 2023 have almost been completely different seasons; with 2022 feeling like early spring and 2023 being a winter wonderland with deep snow from sea to summit. What will next year bring? Nobody knows. And don’t trust anyone who tries to suggest otherwise. With Lofoten’s weather, you won’t know what you get until you arrive here and see…

With that said. I am looking forward to spring and warm sunny days!

Head over to my Instagram account for (almost) daily postings of the local conditions here on Lofoten: @distant.north

Camera Info:
Nikon Z7 II
Nikon 14-30mm f/4
15mm
ISO 100
f 8
1/500 Second
WB Daylight

Friday Photo #533 – Skrei Season

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Photo: Arctic Gold – Skrei hang to dry in the cold winter air to become dried stockfish – tørrfisk by early summer, Reine, Lofoten Islands, Norway. March 18, 2023. 09:46

The winter fishing season is well under way in Lofoten. After a windy and stormy January and February, the March seas have calmed and the drying racks are beginning to fill up with skrei. Here the fish will hang to dry in the cold and windy Lofoten air until they are collected in sometime in June to be sent overseas as one of Norway’s oldest commercial exports, dating back hundreds of years.

Having spent a lot of time eating in local restaurants during a busy winter of photo workshops, the various types of cod, skrei, and stockfish – tørrfisk are often on the menus, which often then requires further explanation on my behalf as to what the differences are – as essentially, it is all cod.

Cod – This is ‘normal’ Atlantic cod, genus Gadus. Cod live year round along the Lofoten and Norwegian coastline.

Skrei – Skrei is also Atlantic cod, genus Gadus. But more specifically, it refers to mature cod migrating from the Barents sea to spawn in the Vestfjord and waters around Lofoten from January to April. The life in cold water and long migration make skrei a more delicate and fine tasting fish as compared to the normal year round cod. If you see skrei written anywhere, then it is specifically in reference to the winter migratory cod.

Stockfish – Tørrfisk – Dried stockfish is the end result of the skrei that is caught and hung to dry in the cold and windy winter climate of Lofoten. While much of the skrei caught each winter is exported as fresh/frozen fish, the tradition of drying stockfish still continues to this day, and is also a popular menu item around Lofoten.

All stockfish is hung by hand, after two fish have been tied together in the factory. The winter climate of Lofoten, with temperates averaging around 0˚c and a near constant wind, provide perfect conditions for air drying the skrei. Too cold and with outside of the fish freezes before it can dry and too warm and it become rotten and mouldy. Though like any crop, so years are better than others for stockfish production and quality.

Traditionally, the stockfish was often hung on wooden racks on small rocky outcroppings such as in the above photo. As things have become more mechanised, newer drying racks are built in flatter areas where tractors can drive directly underneath, hoisting buckets of fresh fish for the workers to hang. Such as in the photo below. Even with the help of modern tools, the hanging (and removal) process is still done by hand.

I personally enjoy photographing the more traditional stockfish racks which still remain. They can often have interesting abstract shapes and are a unique part of Lofoten’s history. If you’re out photographing, be careful and observe the freshness of the fish before walking below! Or you might have every cat in the neighborhood trying to break into your cabin in the evening.

Head over to my Instagram account for (almost) daily postings of the local conditions here on Lofoten: @distant.north

Camera Info:
Nikon Z7 II
Nikon 14-30mm f/4
20mm
ISO 100
f 8
1/200 Second
WB Daylight

Friday Photo #532 – March Cold

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Photo: March sunset over Hornet, Myrland, Flakstadøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. March 12, 2023. 17:01

After what had been a mostly stormy and rainy January and February, March has brought a long winter cold spell to Lofoten – in other words, perfect winter weather! Since March 5, the temperatures have remained below freezing, with generous amounts of snow over the islands. And the forecast for the coming week looks to see this trend continue.

March traditionally should be the most ‘winter’ month on Lofoten. Though the last years have brought a somewhat mild March, especially last year when it felt like spring had already arrived by now. So it is nice to finally have a proper March again, and once I finish up with my last workshop of the winter season this week, hopefully there is still plenty of snow for my ski season to begin!

Beyond the overall nice weather of the last weeks, the days are also becoming quite long as the sun rises higher and higher in the sky. This is the period I generally refer to as ‘light winter – as opposed to ‘dark winter,’ which would be from December until mid February. By now, the days feel more ‘normal’ for those from lower latitudes and the feeling of the short days is over. Ignoring the snow covered mountains rising from the sea, the days now don’t feel any different than at some ski resort in the Alps, for example.

As the light winter progresses and Lofoten gains around one hour of daylight per week, we’ve now also entered the final countdown for aurora season – with about 4 weeks left until the night sky has brightened into the twilight nights of mid April. And then, another 4 weeks from then, the midnight sun!

Head over to my Instagram account for (almost) daily postings of the local conditions here on Lofoten: @distant.north

Camera Info:
Nikon Z7 II
Nikon 24-120mm f/4
24mm
ISO 100
f 8
1/20 Second
WB Daylight

Friday Photo #531 – Winter Shadows

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Photo: Shadows on the wall at dawn, Hamnøy, Moskenesøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. February 20, 2023. 08:17

With a clear horizon but low clouds, the sunrise light does not always last long. On this morning with one of my workshop groups it did allow for a somewhat interesting photo: the shadows of our group of the wall of one of the cabins of Reinefjord Sjøhus Rorbuer cabins.

It was a windy morning after a few days of calm. But I could see the horizon tho the southeast was clear, so there would be a brief moment of sunlight at dawn. As the light first lit the summit of Olstind and then traveled down, I didn’t quite expect the moment that happened. There we were – our shadows at least, in the way of our sunrise image. It can often be a problem, our shadow somewhere in the foreground of our photos at sunrise/sunset. Though on Lofoten with a group, I don’t think I’ve ever captured an image quite like this. And I must say, it looks kinda cool!

Head over to my Instagram account for (almost) daily postings of the local conditions here on Lofoten: @distant.north

Camera Info:
Nikon Z7 II
Nikon 24-120mm f/4
43mm
ISO 100
f 8
1/15 second
WB Daylight

Friday Photo #530 – Hamnøy Aurora

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Photo: Northern Lights from the Hamnøy bridge, Moskenesøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. February 19, 2023. 23:23

After an extended period of grey skies over Lofoten, the weather finally cleared and the aurora once again danced in the sky over the islands. I wrote last week (friday photo #529) about the winter crowds on Lofoten this February. And while the Hamøy bridge has always been one of the most popular sunrise locations, it now seems to have become one of the more popular aurora locations as well, as crowds lined the bridge every night with even a small potential for aurora.

While I understand why it is one of the more iconic sunrise location of Lofoten, I’m not quite sure why it has become so popular for northern lights. It is technically a quite difficult image for aurora, as there are multiple light sources of various intensity which makes most images requiring somewhat complicated post-processing – at least more than I like to do, though I’m perhaps in the minority here. And it also requires the northern lights be be in quite a specific area of the sky, much more so than other locations. So in a rare clear sky in the 2nd half of February this year, ‘the bridge’ would definitely not have been my first choice of aurora locations. And this photo was only taken after I had visited multiple other areas previously this evening – and my workshop group was staying the foreground cabins, so it was a short walk from ‘home.’

Below, you can see the behind the scenes of the image. Not anywhere near an enjoyable nature experience, but more like the hustle and bustle of a big city. And the bridge lights (the yellow cast of the foreground rocks) are so bright, that you can barely see the northern lights with your own eyes. So everyone was taking pictures of something they didnt even get to enjoy themselves! It’s one thing for me, living on Lofoten with 8 months of aurora per year, but if this was your only chance, and you spent your time on the bridge. Ehh, I don’t know… Perhaps photos are more important than actual experience these days.

Head over to my Instagram account for (almost) daily postings of the local conditions here on Lofoten: @distant.north

Camera Info:
Nikon Z7 II
Nikon 20mm f/1.8
20mm
ISO 1000
f 2.0
5 seconds
WB Daylight

Friday Photo #529 – Photography Season

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Photo: Photographers line the Hamnøy bridge at dawn, Lofoten Islands, Norway. February 19, 2023. 07:31

If I had any doubt that travel was still slow in the post-Covid era, it is now over. Lofoten is currently as busy, if not more, than ever for the winter photography season. Some days it seems as if every single pull out along the E10 is filled with multiple photo groups, even including random places that I’ve rarely ever seen people at before. It is crowded out here these days!

For those of you who might of read my article about Norway’s new-ish driving regulations for commercial guiding, I have thus far seen no sign of enforcement during the last month, and the roads of Lofoten are as full as ever of rental vans and international workshop groups. Currently, there are only three licensed tour operators among the dozes of others here on Lofoten. Though a bus driver that crashed a bus full of Italian grannies off the road last weekend seems to have gotten fined, this is a rare event.

Beyond workshop and tour groups, there are a lot of individual travelers as well. I’ve written previously, but if I was an individual photographer, I would avoid February on Lofoten these days, unfortunately. While one might get lucky at times, you will more often than not have to deal with crowds at every location in which you wish to shoot. Though perhaps this is normal for many locations around the world these days, and maybe I’m one of the rare ones that remembers Lofoten winters pre-2015. The Corona years were a nice memory of the old days on Lofoten, but now that is over for sure!

I’m not quite sure why February is peak season on Lofoten. January is more atmospheric for the feeling of the arctic winter, with still enough daylight for productive photography days. While March is typically has calmer and more reliable winter conditions overall, though this has been changing somewhat in recent year, as winter overall on Lofoten has become less reliable – even Senja and Tromsø are now receiving extended periods of mid-winter rain these days.

So, this weeks photo is an average morning on the Hamnøy bridge this February. Some days are busier and some less. But it seems there is always at least one person standing on the bridge 24 hours a day, sun or sideways rain, waiting for that perfect moment…

Head over to my Instagram account for (almost) daily postings of the local conditions here on Lofoten: @distant.north

Camera Info:
Nikon Z7 II
Nikon 24-120mm f/4
91mm
ISO 100
f 5
1/60 second
WB Daylight

Friday Photo #528 – Light or Conditions

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Photo: Olstind mountain peak rises into misty winter light over Reine harbor, Moskenesøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. January 29, 2023. 12:11

It is the middle of February and the winter photography season on Lofoten is well under way as individuals and tour groups chase the best arctic light across the islands. I myself will barely sleep for the next month as I show my own groups around Lofoten and Senja. February is high season for photography on Lofoten – where as I’ve written numerous time before, there is hardly a tripod to be seen in summer. Which I personally find strange, as summer is beautiful on Lofoten!

Much of my time this winter will be spent surrounded by the iconic views of Moskenesøy and west Lofoten, helping my clients get the best possible conditions at the classic photo locations and exploring new locations as the clouds and light shift across the islands; Looking for perfect light and perfect conditions. And, when lucky, both at the same time!

Though it winter, this can sometimes be a rare phenomenon – dramatic light and perfect weather conditions for a location. Take the two images here, taken just two days apart on my first workshop of the year in January. The image above is a classic shot from the Reinehalsen viewpoint with Olstind perfectly reflecting in the harbor. But the light is boring and flat. The second image, taken the day before, was a brief moment of dramatic light as the sun emerged from the clouds between snow showers. But it was windy and the waters of the bay unsettled. Without the reflection, I always think this scene fills a little empty and unbalanced – too much blank water filling the scene.

Ideally, I would have liked the light of the 2nd image with the reflection of the first. But, that can sometimes be a rare thing on Lofoten. So you try bother versions and see which one you like best. In this case I prefer the first image – relatively boring light, but better overall conditions for the scene.

Head over to my Instagram account for (almost) daily postings of the local conditions here on Lofoten: @distant.north

Camera Info image 1:
Nikon Z7 II
Nikon 24-120mm f/4
41mm
ISO 100
f 8
1/30 second
WB Daylight

Camera Info image 2:
Nikon Z7 II
Nikon 24-120mm f/4
38mm
ISO 64
f 9
1/40 second
WB Daylight

Photo: Olstind mountain peak rises into sunlit passing snow showers over Reine harbor, Moskenesøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. January 28, 2023. 11:42

Friday Photo #527 – Winter Storm

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Photo: Crashing waves at Myrland beach during winter storm, Flakstadøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. February 8, 2023. 12:56

I powerful storm swept over Lofoten on Wednesday causing damage and road closures across the islands. Included in the damage was a smashed rear window on my van – not sure if caused by wind alone or if something hit it. Either way, it was a shock to walk outside Thursday morning, happing that my road had now opened after several days of closure, only to see my van filled with glass and snow. It then took most of the morning and afternoon to come up with a temporary solution until it can get properly fixed in two weeks.

Some of the highest windspeeds recorded Wednesday were 47.3 m/s at Svolvær airport, 39.2 m/s on Skrova, and 37.5 at Leknes airport. Just for reference, hurricane speed winds are anything over 33 m/s. So it was a windy day on Lofoten! But beyond the wind, the warm southern air also brought torrential rain, with one location on Austvågøy measuring 229.6mm of rain in 24 hours.

For Lofoten and safety, this is considered ‘stay at home’ weather. Ferries, flights, and buses were canceled. And the E10 was closed by rock slides and landslides in several location, isolating parts of Lofoten. Also in such windy conditions, lots of pieces of buildings can be blowing around, making it dangerous for both driving and walking. On my drive to Stamsund this morning to fix my window, I could see a lot of debris near the road which had blown from somewhere.

Even if you can’t speak Norwegian, it can be a good idea to checkout the local newspapers (Lofotposten or Lofot-Tidende) and their facebook groups if you see in your weather forecast that a big storm is approaching. These storms are generally forecast and observed for several days before they hit Lofoten, so the local papers will send out warnings and announcements when necessary. Any road closures with be shown on the traffic information map on Statens Vegvesen’s website.

But, as wild as the storm was in reality, without any visual reference, many the ocean for Lofoten, the storms don’t actually look that stormy in photos. I was on the wrong side of the islands to photograph the biggest of the waves, and I would only consider the waves in the above photo as medium: visually somewhat stormy yes, but not too powerful or high. This image is a complete failure to represent to ferocity of the day.

Additionally, when Lofoten receives such weather, the sky is often just grey. Boring flat grey. And in this case, filled with rain. Had I not included a moderately stormy looking beach in the foreground and just photographed some mountains instead, it would look like it was just taken on a boring rainy day.

Head over to my Instagram account for (almost) daily postings of the local conditions here on Lofoten: @distant.north

Camera Info:
Nikon Z7 II
Nikon 24-120mm f/4
60mm
ISO 1000
f 5.0
1/400 second
WB Daylight

Friday Photo #526 – Eye Of Uttakleiv Storm

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Photo: Winter waves wash over the rocky coastline concealing the Eye of Uttakleiv, Uttakleiv, Vestvågøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. February 24, 2022. 15:32

I had originally planned another image of the full moon for this weeks post. But as the evening light faded I could see waves crashing over the small rocky islands off the coast from my house – the rocks I use as a gauge to see how stormy the sea is. And so with Lofoten well into winter, I thought I might talk about weather and timing for certain locations in Lofoten. And specifically for today, the famed ‘Eye of Uttakleiv.’

Where is the Eye in the above image? Well, that is specifically the problem I want to talk about with timing and weather. In the case of the above image, the Eye in concealed beneath the waves and tide of a stormy winter’s day. While I like the image itself well enough, had my intent been to photography the Eye on this day, I would have been out of luck. It was simply too stormy and the waves were crashing too high, even at low tide.

In general, I think the stormier the better for seascapes, particularly at Uttakleiv. But if one was hoping for a photo like the image below, a stormy day often won’t work. Or, I should be even more detailed and say that that a storm from a southern direction, bringing a southern swell and waves, will likely work for the Eye. With the above image, the storm and swell was out of the north, which crashes directly into the bay at Uttakleiv.

If you have have a few days on Lofoten and the ability to select locations for ideal conditions, it can be useful to use and app/website like windy.com to check the swell size and direct as it hits Lofoten. If you want stormy coastal conditions, head to parts of the islands where the swell is impacting directly. If you want calmer coastal conditions, head to the opposite side of the islands. Although, since you can’t move the Eye of Uttakleiv to another location, if it’s on your photo list, you’ll want to keep an eye out for a calmer swell on that part of Lofoten.

Head over to my Instagram account for (almost) daily postings of the local conditions here on Lofoten: @distant.north

Camera Info:
Nikon Z7 II
Nikon 14-30mm f/4
17mm
ISO 31
f 13
10 seconds
WB Daylight

Photo: Calm winter conditions at Eye of Uttakleiv, Vestvågøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway.

Friday Photo #525 – Winter Full Moon

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Photo: Winter full moon over Ristind, Vestvågøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. January 5, 2023. 11:58

After the storms of the new year passed the weather of early January calmed just in time for the return of the sun, which I first saw on January 4th this year. At the same time was also a bright full moon filling the sky over Lofoten. And while I was happy to see the sun, I found it more interesting to shoot the moon.

Part of this is due to the fact that January sun is ‘south’ of Lofoten, barely rising over the water of Vestfjorden. So there’s not really too much you can do while shooting the sun, as its in an awkward location. The full moon offers much more variety in early winter, and being opposite the sun, if often in a more photogenic location during the midday twilight.

I wrote last month in Friday Photo #518, how I tried to shoot the full moon over Kirkefjord from Reinebringen, but didn’t quite succeed on the only day with suitable weather for that attempt. Conditions in January were no longer suitable for hiking Reinebringen, so I didn’t put in the effort for anything special. Though I knew the moon would shine over the mountains on the northern side of Vestvågøy during the day, so I kept an eye out for this.

I shot the moon here over two days. This first day produced slightly nicer light as the southern horizon was clear, allowing for a hint of alpenglow to shine over the mountains, Ristind in this image. Compositionally, with the multiple jagged peaks of Himmeltindene and Ristind, I found it easier for a long telephoto image, than a medium wide shot showing more of the landscape, as it was hard to light up all the mountains with the moon also in a location which felt balanced.

Head over to my Instagram account for (almost) daily postings of the local conditions here on Lofoten: @distant.north

Camera Info:
Nikon Z7 II
Nikon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6
350mm
ISO 100
f 5.6
1/80 second
WB Daylight