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Friday Photo #616 – Winter Roads

Photo: Northern lights shine in sky over icy Myrlandsveien road, Flakstadøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. November 27, 2023. 22:13

Already in October, a Finnish tour bus full of passengers slid off Lofoten’s ice roads and multiple other cars have made it to the infamous ‘bil i grofta’ newspaper headline. Even a police car up in Finnmark while still driving with summer tires ended up sliding on ice: which according to Norwegian police themselves – no matter what the season, it is the driver’s responsibility to have appropriate tires for road conditions. In Nordland, Troms, and Finnmark the period for winter tires is October 16 – April 30. However, should icy/snowy conditions present themselves outside of this period, it is your responsibility to have correct tires. If it was you or I off the road with inappropriate tires for conditions, we would have a temporary loss of our driving license. The police have said they will investigate themselves about the incident… 😉

So, with November, and increasingly winter driving conditions just around the corner for Lofoten, this is my yearly reference to winter driving and safety on Lofoten. You can find the follow article below:

Winter Driving On Lofoten

With all the hype around the solar maximum this year, the coming winter is probably going to be the busiest ever on Lofoten. And that means many inexperienced winter drivers on Lofoten’s narrow and winding roads. I would roughly guess that a majority of traffic in western Lofoten will be tourists in rental cars, and probably basically every car driving around at night as people hunt for northern lights – rain or clear weather, snow or storms. And it will probably be sometime in mid February when I wonder why I work terribly long hours as a photo guide, when I could earn just as much money in a few hours driving a tow truck picking up rental cars from the side of the road.

If you are reading this, please drive safely! There might be some days during your trip where it is simply not safe to be on the roads. There is no shame in sitting around your cabin or hotel and waiting for conditions to improve. And if the weather is that bad, you’re probably not missing out on much anyhow. Weather caused travel disruptions are frequent throughout winter on Lofoten, so be aware that you might need a plan B, C, or D if severe weather hits at an in opportune time in your travel.

I almost forgot to write about the photo! With a nice full moon light I had been photographing the aurora over Nappstaumen and Himmeltindan looking towards the northeast. As the activity slowly increased and the aurora rose overhead, Looking west down the road from my current location provided a nice shot without having to drive anywhere else. Without the moonlight, I don’t think this image would have worked, is I feel in needs the bright snow to balance out the foreground and mountain. Ideally I should have been in a better location with a cleaner view to the west, but at the moment, this was the best I could do.

Camera Info:
Nikon Z8
Sigma 14mm f/1.8
14mm
ISO 2000
f 2
1.6 Seconds
WB Daylight

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Friday Photo #615 – Red Aurora

Photo: Colorful northern lights rise into the sky over Storsandnes beach, Flakstadøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. October 7, 2024. 21:06

Since one image was not enough, here is another photo from the fantastic October 7 aurora display on Lofoten. While globally overshadowed by the October 10/11 display that was visible across most of Europe and the US, this ‘smaller’ aurora was better photographically for Lofoten’s high northern latitude.

And we were quite lucky here on Lofoten, as it has basically been rainy and stormy every day for the last two weeks since then. While I generally like autumn auroras, the weather this year is proving to be a bit problematic in regard to clear night skies. When the weather statistics for October are published, I suspect this year will have been rainier than average, as by my rough calculations we have already almost met the average rainfall already by the middle of the month, with the forecast not looking to improve very much next week.

Camera Info:
Nikon Z8
Sigma 14mm f/1.8
14mm
ISO 1600
f 2
3 Seconds
WB Daylight

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Friday Photo #614 – Just Look Up!

Photo: Just look up! Colorful cascading aurora corona fills the sky, Lofoten Islands, Norway. October 7, 2024. 20:38

It has been a crazy week for northern lights watchers! Last weekend brought strong auroras to Lofoten on Sunday and Monday nights. The Sunday aurora arrived quite late in the evening, while the Monday aurora was beginning already as it became dark.

Monday evening I rushed out of my house down to the Storsandnes beach once I could see a little green in the sky, which then completely exploded with color shortly after my arrival around 20:15. By 20:25 the whole sky was dancing in colorful aurora, with reds visible to the eye.

Storsandness was actually not the best location, as the aurora was quite far south in the sky, behind the 700m mountains which rise over the beach. But even looking straight up was incredible enough! The image is uncropped at 14mm and the cascading corona fills the entire frame. Crazy! It was one of those nights where you didn’t know where to look as it was dancing around the sky.

But Sunday and Monday were just a warmup for what was to come. Earlier in the year on May 10/11 was a ‘once a decade’ type solar storm, with aurora visible across much of Europe and even down to California and the southern US. Yesterday and today, October 10/11, was another such ‘once a decade’ aurora event. Perhaps even bigger than May. My brother at 33˚ latitude in southern California was able to see a red glow in the sky.

For Lofoten, it was actually too big! Combined with a partially cloudy sky, the northern lights were actually too far south for Lofoten to receive a spectacular show. So while they were visible across most of Europe and the US again, it wasn’t as spectacular in northern Norway as the weekend’s show had been. One of the rare times when bigger is not necessarily better in the far north.

With the sun’s increasing activity as it heads towards it’s solar maximum next year, hopefully this is a sign up things to come. And not just for aurora watchers in the far north, but middle European and North American latitudes as well.

Camera Info:
Nikon Z8
Sigma 14mm f/1.8
14mm
ISO 2000
f 2
1.6 Seconds
WB Daylight

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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

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Friday Photo #609 – Aurora Season Begins

Photo: Northern lights – Aurora borealis shine fill sky in late summer twilight, Flakstadøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. September 2, 2024. 00:43

After a slow start – due to weather, not lack of solar activity – I finally photographed my first northern lights of the 2024/2025 aurora season. I’m not sure if this is the latest ‘first aurora’ for me, but it is much later than normal, which is usually sometime in the last week of August. This year, it was mainly several weeks of near constant rain-filled sky that kept the aurora away for me, though some friends in other parts of Lofoten did get lucky a bit earlier.

Both Sunday and Monday nights provided clear sky and northern lights. And last night, even with a forecast of clouds, was my 3rd aurora of the week/season. Sunday night occurred quite late and I did not go down to the beach until after midnight. While Monday was much earlier and I think I was back home before midnight; having to be in Leknes early the following morning did not leave much motivation for a late night either.

If you missed Sunday or Monday night, no worries – the northern lights will be in the sky over Lofoten until April – weather permitting of course…

Camera Info:
Nikon Z8
Sigma 14mm f/1.8
14mm
ISO 200
f 2
6 Seconds
WB Daylight

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Friday Photo #603 – Trashing Lofoten

Photo: Bags of trash left in open at parking near popular beach area, Flakstadøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. July 20, 2024. 17:15

This is one of those articles which I don’t like to, and shouldn’t have to write. But I unfortunately do.

It is peak tourists season on Lofoten here in late July and the streets are full of traffic and in the evenings it seems every possible roadside pullout is filled with motorhomes and camper vans participating in Norway’s generous camping laws. This summer will likely be the busiest ever on Lofoten, and the pressure among the local community can be felt. While there are always the usual summer ‘tourist chaos’ articles in the local newspapers, the intensity, and frustration among a small, but vocal portion of the local population seems quite high this year.

Much of the frustration stems from the failures of the Norwegian government to adequately deal with the increase in tourism – increases that the government itself has promoted. There is no tourist tax of any sort in Norway. Lofoten was supposed to be a trail program of some sort, but so far nothing has been implemented. This leaves small municipalities of 1000 people to more or less fend for themselves and supply the infrastructure for 1 million visitors. Moskenes municipally is one of the poorest in Norway and has been on a special government oversight list for more than a decade. Norway might be rich, but Lofoten isn’t.

The same applies to the roads and tunnels of Lofoten. The E10 might be an European motorway, but much of it feels like some small country road in the middle of nowhere that receives little traffic. Already this summer there have been multiple car crashes (and fatalities), in which the poor standard of Lofoten’s roads are likely a contributing factor. In the Nappstraumen tunnel which I pass through almost daily, I regularly see glass and plastic in the roadway from vehicles hitting their mirrors together – and last summer I was even directly behind one such incident which sent glass flying all over my van.

I could go on and on with the reasons the local population feels frustrated. But now I will switch to when I get annoyed: laziness and self entitlement.

Road trips in my van or a rented van is my preferred way to travel. I regularly travel around northern Norway and have made several (rental) van trips to Scotland over the last years. I reference Scotland, because it too has similar ‘right to roam’ laws as Norway’s Allemannsretten.

One thing I would never think of doing is just leaving my trash on the side of the road in some isolated area. And as much as possible I attempt to dispose of any garbage in convent area for the local services, and not some hard to reach location where trash collection might be infrequent. If I had enough room to carry the trash to a location, I have enough room to take it back to where it was purchased.

The picture here is what ended up being left in at the parking for Myrland beach over the course of a week or so. Inside was packaging from Germany and Sweden (and Norway). If you can carry a water bottle and tin of beans 3000km from Germany, it can be taken a few more kilometres down the road to the nearest trash bin. This is pure laziness and selfishness. You have camped for free in a beautiful location, and then just leave a bag of trash for someone else to deal with. WTF!

The people who left the trash here will likely never read this or even care. Nothing can get in the way of their convenience and laziness. But many such situations happen daily on Lofoten. And the local population is becoming frustrated. I will not be surprised if there is a total ban on van/motorhome camping implemented within the next few years, ruining the ‘wild’ Lofoten experience for all future people, just because a few inconsiderate people have been too lazy to take away their own trash…

Please enjoy your free camping in beautiful Lofoten. But don’t expect me or my neighbours to clean up after you. Leaving no trace is a key part of the freedom of Allemannsretten. If you are leaving trash, then you are abusing Norway’s generosity.

Camera Info:
Nikon Z8
Nikon 24-120mm f/4
31mm
ISO 100
f 6.3
1/640 Second
WB Daylight

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