Photo: Late August setting sun about to return behind the mountain as summer fades, Flakstadøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. August 19, 2026. 20:40

I have not seen many sunsets this summer. And in a few more days the sun will return to setting behind the mountain as summer begins to fade from Lofoten. Looking at the weather forecast, this image will probably be my last setting sun until it returns again in April next year. Until then, my valley will receive no more northern sunlight in the evenings.

I can already see a moderate amount of yellowing of the birch leaves beginning to occur on my drive into Leknes. They have closed the Nappstraumen tunnel again for free flow of traffic – now it’s back to a leader car with one passage per hour in each direction. And the first Northern lights have already been seen in the darkening night sky.

Summer is over and Autumn has made an early arrival. Though looking back, this year’s summer has already been over since mid June. It is just now that this is little hope it might return.

Camera Info:
Nikon Z8
Nikon 24-120mm f/4
37mm
ISO 100
f10
1/500 Second
WB Daylight

Photo: Morning sun shines bright in sky over Nappstraumen, Lofoten Islands, Norway. July 19, 2024. 03:18

I couldn’t post another grey, cloudy images this week. Not because it hasn’t been grey, cold, and cloudy almost the entire time, but mainly because I haven’t even taken my camera out of the backpack. I’m writing this post Thursday evening as a rain cloud covers all of Lofoten and gale force winds are forecast to arrive overnight, before a windy and rainy Friday. I actually had to look at my phone to see when the last time I saw the midnight sun was, as it seems to have faded from memory. July 5.

So this week’s photo is a memory of what summer could have been, instead of what is – you can see the last two weeks’ posts for that.

The night of July 18/19 is the latest I can see the very top of the sun skimming the horizon throughout the night. This photo was taken a few hours later with the sun rising in the sky again. But in only a few more weeks, even this photo won’t be possible anymore as the sun begins its journey south, with Lofoten losing roughly 1 hour of daylight per week – or night growing 1 hour longer per week – whichever way you want to look at it.

Landscape wise, the bright fireweed is already lining the road on my way into Leknes. And with the grey, cold, and windy weather, it feels like autumn has already arrived. I’m already getting slightly hesitant about my annual September hiking plans for Sweden, as it would be no fun hiking in this, if it continues. For whatever reason, a lot of stories about people hiking the Lofoten ‘long crossing’ have been popping up on my Instagram feed. And I must say, it looks pretty miserable! I’m glad I have a warm-ish house to sit in while I can complain about the weather outside. Perhaps I’m getting too old to enjoy being wet and muddy for a week – in addition to carrying too much camera gear that won’t get used.

Camera Info:
Nikon Z8
Nikon 24-120mm f/4
75mm
ISO 100
f8
1/500 Second
WB Daylight

Photo: Tourist fishing boat sits alone in the empty sea, Nappstraumen, Lofoten Islands, Norway. July 10, 2026. 13:52

As Lofoten approaches its last week of the midnight sun season, the sun, unfortunately, still remains an elusive guest in this grey and cool summer Lofoten is having. Tomorrow should be nice and sunny, before clouds then return to dominate most of next week. The high pressure that is cooking western and southern Europe is keeping the north cool and cloudy. As it goes.

I was planning to post a more colourful photo today, of what these mid-July nights could look like, but rather, here is what this year’s mid-July is actually looking like. And this was already after the weather had improved somewhat and the mist cleared away from the sea. Vestvågøy’s highest mountains should be visible in the background, but instead there is a wall of cloud.

As I wrote last week, this is actually perfectly normal weather for Lofoten, though perhaps just not the weather one is hoping for. For now, my bbq remains in the cellar, and my plans to paint the exterior of my house remain on hold until I see an optimistic forecast with several continuous days of sun.

Camera Info:
Nikon Z8
Nikon 100-400 f/4.5-5.6
100mm
ISO 200
f7.1
1/800 Second
WB Daylight

Photo: Willow Ptarmigan – Rype in Norwegian – enjoying the evening summer sun, Flakstadøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. May 18, 2026. 23:05

With Lofoten’s roads filling up with motorhomes and the mountains with hikers it is good to remember that most of Lofoten’s breeding birds are ground nesting. And in the case of the common gulls – sometimes this nest can be in the middle of a parking lot. Not always the best of locations.

When out hiking or camping at this time of year it is important to be mindful of where you walk. Even when I’m going out to take photos of the flowers in the fields outside my house, I have to be careful where I step, even though I’m generally aware of where most of the nest are, some can be extremely well hidden amongst the growing grass and flowers.

The Ptarmigan in this photo is just a visitor. What you can’t see because of the lighting is a common gull – Fiskemåke – sitting on a nest in the grass on the edge of the rock. Even knowing it’s there, I have to look closely. Though as soon as I walk out into my backyard, I’ll receive a close dive-bomb by one of the parents – which trade of pooping on the roof of my sauna as they keep watch from the chimney.

The Ptarmigan here was a tolerated visitor on an otherwise claimed piece of property. Had ravens or crows made a visit, they would have quickly been mobbed away. But for now, most of the birds are at peace with each other. Once the chicks hatch in a another week or two, then all peace ends and the fight for survival begins.

Camera Info:
Nikon Z8
Nikon 180-600 f/5.6/6.3
250mm
ISO 280
f5.6
1/1000 Second
WB Daylight