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Friday Photo #672 – Moose Crossing

Photo: Car quickly breaks as moose crosses E10 at Storeide west of Leknes, Vestvågøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. February 17, 2025. 9:21

With the whole of Lofoten covered in a nice layer of winter snow, while I myself am stuck at home fighting off a cold instead of perhaps my first ski trip of the season, its time for my annual winter driving post.

Winter Driving on Lofoten

Already, the local newspaper, Lofotposten, has been full of ‘bil i grofta,’ ‘car in a ditch’ articles since the roads got icy last week. And with moderate to heavy snowfall over the last days, the pace of the articles has increased to multiple incidents per day. Yesterday, there was even a headline out of a Tromsø newspaper: (tow truck driver) Pulled the same Chinese couple out of the ditch 7 times in one week. If you are renting a car on Lofoten this winter, I highly suggest getting the full insurance packages, as it is getting very dangerous on the roads these days with drivers who should be nowhere near a car in winter.

The main winter driving hazards on Lofoten these days will be:

Your own driving abilities – Especially if you are new to driving in snow.

Other tourists – Anything from inexperienced drivers driving in the middle/left side of the road (very common), turning the completely wrong way on roads/roundabouts, randomly stopping in the middle of the road, driving on sidewalks, and basically anything else you can imagine. Learn how to recognise other rental cars, as they will be one of your biggest hazards while driving on Lofoten.

Weather – There will be days where you NEED to stay in your rorbu or hotel. Do not put yourself or others at risk, not to see anything but blowing snow anyhow.

Wildlife – Moose are common in the mid and eastern areas of Lofoten, and even more so into Vesterålen and Ofoten. numerous moose vs. car crashes happen every winter. Avoid driving at night when possible.

In this week’s photo I was on my way to drop-off clients at the airport in Leknes when I spotted a family of moose on the side of the road up ahead. Luckily I was right next to the large pullout at Storeide and so I had a safe place to stop – Never stop in the middle of the road! I rushed to put on my telephoto lens as fast as I could before hopefully trying to walk somewhere for a better angle. But before I even got the door to my van shut I could see the large bull moose heading up towards the road, right into traffic. And so I shot a series of images the best I could from my distance. The best composition was unfortunately blocked by a passing car heading towards me. At least this was a decent image to talk about winter driving on Lofoten in this week’s article.

Camera Info:
Nikon Z8
Nikon 100-400 f/4.5-5.6
400mm
ISO 1250
f5.6
1/1600 Second
WB Daylight

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Friday Photo #666 – Aurora Fire

Photo: Northern lights over beachside campfire, Flakstadøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. September 27, 2025. 21:48

I must admit that I’ve been rather lazy as far as northern lights have been concerned this year. Mainly because the weather hasn’t been all that cooperative – even during my hike along a section of the Kungsleden trail in Sweden in mid September and construction along both my road and Nappstraumen tunnel limit times when I’m able to leave my house or where I can access. And there is still a long winter of guiding ahead anyone, with many late nights I’m sure.

But as my friend and co-guide Alex arrived a few days before our autumn photo workshop, the clouds decided to clear and I was shooting aurora Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. Saturday was even a nice enough day for my last BBQ of the year. Which makes sense as this September turned out to be the warmest one in Lofoten since 1934! Even now into mid October the weather is unusually mild, though a bit more on the rainy side now. I still haven’t changed to winter tires yet, but most likely will the next time the rain stops for a few hours.

As I shoot aurora at my beach quite regularly, including the previous night, I decided it might be good to do a little more lifestyle shooting and build a fire on the beach. I generally try and avoid any light pollution which might disturb others during northern lights – something that is becoming an increasing problem at many of Lofoten’s beaches as people sit in their rental cars with bright headlights shining across the landscape. But as my village is more or less closed to non-residents due to the road works, there was no one else around this evening.

And so we did out best to stand still as statues for the several second exposures, running back to check the cameras, and then try again. Once the aurora increased in intensity we put out the fire and shot the beach as normal. But I think these campfire images are more interesting, at least for my familiar location.

Camera Info:
Nikon Z8
Viltrox 16mm f/1.8
18mm
ISO 2500
f2
3 Seconds
WB Daylight

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Friday Photo #665 – Mountain Layers

Photo: View towards Skottind mountain peak from Kollfjellet, Flakstadøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. October 5, 2019. 17:28

Autumn is short in the north and already by early October the autumn color is slowly beginning to fade from the landscape. The leaves from the trees are the first to disappear, blown away from the frequent autumn storms. the grasses though, remain for a little while longer until they are eventually blanketed in winter’s snow.

I still remember this rainy afternoon hike up Kollfjellet for a few years ago, mostly because I forgot my rain jacket and had to hide under a small rock for a while as a rain shower passed overhead. But eventually the rain ended and I was alone on the broad, grassy summit of the mountain. The main view from the peak is the fantastic view over the colorforl water of Kilanpollen to the north.

On my way down from the summit in the fading light this subtle scene caught my eye. I liked the way the golden grass contrasted with the deep blue clouds to frame the distant mountain of Skottinden in the soft evening light. Just a couple quick photos before I continued my journey down the mountain before.

Camera Info:
Nikon D850
Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8
56mm
ISO 100
f13
1/10 Second
WB Daylight

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Friday Photo #664 – First Snow

Photo: A dusting of autumn snow on the distant Himmeltindan in evening twilight, Flakstadøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. September 23, 2025. 18:30

Monday’s autumnal equinox brought the official start of autumn in the the northern hemisphere and already by Tuesday morning a dusting of snow had arrived to the higher mountains of Lofoten. a brief moment of cold in what has otherwise been a rather mild, if not hot, September on Lofoten this year, with multiple days over 20˚c. And even the forecast for the weekend is showing 15˚c and sunny skies. Winter is not here yet!

On Tuesday I waited until it looked like the rain had mostly cleared up before wandering down to my beach just for a photo or two. The weather radar over Lofoten had been down, so unfortunately, weather forecasting at the moment is not as easy as normal, and the passing rain showers are just a guessing game. This is probably going to lead to some wet clients in next week’s photo workshop here on Lofoten.

Despite a fair amount of winder of the last week, I was pleasantly surprised to find the beach seaweed-free. The waves were crashing nicely around the rocks and normally I shoot here with a wider angle. But since I was hoping to be able to see the snow on the mountain summits, as little as there was remaining by the early evening, I shot a little longer to give a little more emphasis on the distant mountains. I also wanted to take away emphasis on the water itself, so I decided a long exposure would be better than trying to capture any movement of the waves, which didn’t look particularly interesting at this focal length anyhow. So a 30 second exposure to smooth the water seemed best, which also helped blur the moving clouds as well. I probably could have gone with an even long exposure, but I was simply too lazy to do so…

Camera Info:
Nikon Z8
Nikon 24-120mm f/4
54mm
ISO 100
f7.1
30 Seconds
WB Daylight
10 Stop Neutral Density Filter

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Friday Photo #660 – A Glimpse Of Light

Photo: A faint midnight aurora over glowing horizon of late August, Flakstadøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. August 29, 2025. 00:10

After weeks of clouds, rain, and wind this August, last finally showed a weather forecast for a cloudless sky. The aurora season has already started here on Lofoten and so I was optimistic for my first shots of the season. while the northern horizon still glows bright at this time of year, the hours around midnight to two am are sufficiently dark for any moderate aurora activity to be visible, especially if it heads in a more southernly direction. And so I kept a close watch out the window has the evening hours progressed.

Around 23:30 I saw a first faint glow of green over the mountains of Himmeltindan and so I grabbed my camera and headed down to the beach. I actually drove down instead of the 2 minute walk, because I was hoping I’d eventually drive elsewhere as the night progressed. But it didn’t

The faint soon disappeared. Though that is being generous, as it was barely visible anyhow. From time to time, a little green would brighten here and there, mostly keeping low to the glowing northern horizon. I stayed on the beach until well after midnight until I decided it wasn’t going to be my night and went home – though still keeping an eye out the window for a little while longer.

Had this been April, I wouldn’t have even bothered going out. But for my first aurora of the season, I guess I need to put in a little bit of effort, even if that effort is just standing on an empty beach for an hour.

The weather still looks good for the next days, so maybe tonight or tomorrow I’ll have a little more luck, and a better picture to post for next week.

Camera Info:
Nikon Z8
Nikon 20mm f/1.8
20mm
ISO 640
f2.2
2.5 Seconds
WB Daylight

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Friday Photo #659 – Aurora Season

Photo: September northern lights – aurora borealis rise into sky over Myrland beach, Flakstadøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. September 2, 2024. 00:41

I had been hoping this week’s photo would be of my first northern lights of the season. After weeks of rain and cloudy skies, some clear skies were finally in the forecast last night and so I was optimistic for an early season aurora photo. But as the sky darkened near midnight, it was aided by a giant cloud that seemed to sit over my valley until after 01:00. I could see elsewhere on Lofoten some northern lights were spotted, but it wouldn’t be so for me. And with rain returning this afternoon and throughout the weekend, it will probably be some days before I spot my first green in the sky.

And so, this week’s image is my first aurora from last year, taken on the early morning hours of September 2. This is actually somewhat late for my first aurora of the season, but last year was a rainy autumn as well, which this year seems on track to repeat, unfortunately.

And realistically, while the northern lights become visible from Lofoten starting around August 16/17 at the earliest, the sky is still too bright for much photography and the aurora will mostly only be visible higher in the sky. By the first days of September though, the northern horizon has faded into a deep amber glow with sufficient darkness for the aurora to be visible from the horizon.

It might not be something people think about, but early season auroras actually become visible further south at first – assuming sufficient solar activity, and work their way north. This is because, at the moment, the sky is simply darker at 65˚N than 68˚N. The further north sky won’t pass the darkness of the southern sky until the autumnal equinox, at which point the high north becomes darker, eventually reaching the polar night north of the Arctic Circle.

For example, The Lofoten Islands, at 68˚N have a slightly longer aurora season than Tromsø which is at 69˚N. Tromsø’s sky stays brighter longer in the late summer, and gets brighter earlier in the early spring.

Camera Info:
Nikon Z8
Sigma 14mm f/1.8
14mm
ISO 2000
f2
6 Seconds
WB Daylight

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Friday Photo #656 – Curlew Twilight

Photo: Curlew in July midnight twilight, Flakstadøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. July, 21, 2025. 23:53

I haven’t had much luck with the Arctic Skuas in my neighbourhood this year. I have seen them flying directly over my house on several occasions in the last weeks, but anytime I head out to the moorlands to take a look, just silence… Silence from the Arctic Skuas at least, but the neighbourhood is still alive with life for the next few weeks as various types of young fledgling chicks gain strength for their long migrations south.

The curlew parents fly around in an attempt to distract you from their chicks, which sit absolutely still in the bushy heather attempting to remain unseen. The young chick from the curlew in this image happened to be just along the side of the trail as I was passing by. Had I been a hungry fox, it would have been an easy meal. But I was more interested in getting a nice shot of the parent, as it was obvious I wasn’t having any luck with the Skuas on this evening.

With the sun soon setting combined with a layer of fog out to sea, it was getting dark-ish for wildlife photography at midnight. The curlew was often in front of mountains and other vegetation most of the time as it flew around and landed on various small outcroppings. This was too dark and pushed my ISO up to 25600 at times. It wasn’t until it finally landed in an area overlooking the sea where I could get more light from the brighter open background and distant mountains. I could also drop my shutter speed a little as well as the bird luckily remained still for long enough to get a few shots.

The following morning as I was walking to the shower, two of the Arctic Skuas flew right outside my bathroom window… Perhaps I should just sit on the toilet for my future wildlife photography attempts.

Camera Info:
Nikon Z8
Nikon 180-600mm f/536-6.3
300mm
ISO 2800
f6.3
1/640 Second
WB Daylight

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Friday Photo #655 – Summer Harvest

Photo: Norwegian Marshmallows – Plastic wrapped hay bales from late July grass cutting, Flakstadøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. July 23, 2025. 03:16

The grass cutting in my area was late this year, not occurring until this week. Though reading the local news, it seems the cool and wet start to this year’s summer led to a smaller yield than normal. So perhaps they waited a little longer for a bit of extra growth. Or perhaps they were just busy during the week+ or sunshine and 20˚c summer days Lofoten has experienced recently. Though now as August approaches, it looks like the weather may be shifting with more rain and wind on the forecast.

I don’t know why, but I like to photograph the hay bales each year. By the time the cut the field the wildflowers and grasses are already too overgrown for the field to looking very nice as a photographic subject itself – This from late may until late June, after which the grasses grow taller than the flowers.

I usually go out at sunrise – 03:16 in this case, and wander around the fields. There has also been a lot of fog in my area the last week, which would ebb and flow throughout the day, but occasionally clear during the very early morning hours – the ‘clouds’ in this image are from clearing sea fog, not actual clouds.

Summer still has a long way to go on Lofoten – at least another month hopefully! But with the cutting of the fields, and now the setting sun as well, it begins to feel like the inevitable turning of the seasons is upon us, and the first autumn storms are not far away. Which I’m not quite sure why, as before I moved here, August was when I usually preferred to visit, as there was at least a bit of darkness for camping. And still for some weeks, the days are longer here than anywhere on the continent during midsummer, so it’s not like it’s really dark now. Perhaps it is just the observing the slow change of seasons and light, and knowing the summers are short here in the north – so you want to hold on to the sun for a little while longer.

Camera Info:
Nikon Z8
Nikon 24-120mm
39mm
ISO 100
f11
1/50 Second
WB Daylight

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Friday Photo #653 – Mountain Sunset

Photo: Evening sun over Slettind mountain peak, Flakstadøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. July 14, 2021. 23:18

There is just over a week remaining for this summer’s midnight sun season. It has mostly been a cool and grey summer so far, though not without some nice days here and there, now it is finally looking like a longer spell of sunny and warm weather will arrive after the weekend. Maybe Leknes will hit 20˚c for the first time this year – a bit of a slow start! Though I was down in Germany over the past week, so got to experience a mini heatwave of 35˚c in Berlin at my arrival – I think I prefer Lofoten’s 12˚c!

Two weeks ago – Friday Photo #651 – I posted a similar view of this mountain, taken at almost on the same date and same time, only 3 years later that this photo – today’s image being from 2021, and the other week’s from 2024.

I’m not sure which perspective I like better. In this image the mountain is much more prominent and the sun in a better position. And perhaps the background is a little more balanced, with mountains on both sides of the frame. With next weeks forecast, there is a rough prediction for some sea fog, which I had if ff651’s image, though it did not rise up to the lake. Perhaps if the fog comes in a little higher, this could be an interesting perspective with the mountain looking like a volcano rising out of a sea of fog – though I just have to not get lost getting there in the mostly trail-less terrain and short scramble up a steep ridge,

Camera Info:
Nikon Z7 II
Nikon 14-30mm f/4
14mm
ISO 100
f10
1/80 Second
WB Daylight

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Friday Photo #652 – New Chicks

Photo: Common gull chick stands in driveway between vehicles, Flakstadøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. June 30, 2025. 19:28

You are being closely watched if you are on Lofoten at the moment. Not from people or any technology, but from the local birdlife. And if you walk in the wrong location, you are likely going to be made aware of the all seeing eyes in the sky as you are dive bombed and screeched at by angry parents.

Like every year, there has been an exponential increase in the already lively bird activity in my neighbourhood. And since it’s no longer spring and horny seagull season, we are onto the next stage of life in Lofoten’s short summer: new chick season. As I’m writing this now, I can see 3 young gull chicks occasionally make an appearance on the rock outside my office window – the same rock as the photo below with the curlew standing atop.

And it’s completely normal to see a pair of gull chicks walking along the edge of the parking lot in Henningsvær or an oyster catcher family in a round a bout in Leknes so you might be attacked just walking down a sidewalk or parking your car. Nature or village, it doesn’t matter to the ground nesting birds.

Growing up in southern California I only knew seagulls as birds that liked to eat trash, steal your food if you were near the beach, and try to poop on you when riding your bike. It was an adversarial relationship between a young me and the seagulls. Little did I know, there are actually many types of birds that I would just call a seagull. And only after moving to Norway, I discovered that the various gulls don’t like each other that much either. It turns out that the large gulls that would try and steal my french fries also like to eat the young chicks of the smaller gulls. Hence the noisy nights at this time of year.

It seems there is something of a peace between several of the birds in my neighbourhood, as the oystercatchers, Curlews, and common gulls don’t seem to predate on each other’s chicks. While the larger herring gulls and black-backed gulls, along with the ravens and crows will be quick to gobble up an unguarded chick should they get the chance.

In the photo below of the curlew on the rock, there are actually 3 common gull chicks at the base. One of the gull parents sits on my sauna, keeping a watchful eye, though doesn’t seem bothered at all by the curlew; whose chicks are also somewhere wandering around in the deep grasses. When the curlew eventually leaves, a parent gull will fly down and feed the 3 hungry chicks.

Camera Info:
Nikon Z8
Nikon 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3
370mm
ISO 1100
f6
1/800 Second
WB Daylight

Camera Info:
Nikon Z8
Nikon 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3
600mm
ISO 1100
f6.3
1/800 Second
WB Daylight

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