Friday Photo #533 – Skrei Season

/0 Comments/in , , /by

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 #531 – Winter Shadows

/0 Comments/in , , /by

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

/0 Comments/in , , /by

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

/1 Comment/in , , /by

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

/1 Comment/in , , /by

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 #523 – Reinebringen Winter

/1 Comment/in , , /by

Photo: Winter view over Reine from Reinebringen, Moskenesøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. December 11, 2022. 11:58

Late last week a pair of hikers required helicopter rescue from the summit of Reinebringen as they were unsure of their ability to descend from the summit. It was a cold and windy-ish day, but nothing too extreme by Lofoten standards, though the short days of early winter makes hiking a bit more risky simply due to the limited hours of light and reduced margin of error should a rescue be required; The Sea King helicopter is located in Bodø, while the alpine rescue team is located in Svolvær.

At a modest 448 meters high, it is easy to underestimate Reinebringen – and even more so since there is a stone stairway all the way to the top, making it perhaps Lofoten’s most popular hike in summer. Winter, however, is a different story.

Under usual winter conditions on Lofoten, Reinebringen is not a safe hike to attempt. And there are multiple signs at the base of the mountain warning so.

The upper 1/3rd of the mountain, below which much of the time hiking is spent, consists mostly of steep rocks slabs which release frequent avalanches, even well into the spring – when rockfall also becomes an increased danger. The steps themselves will be covered in snow in most places, if not entirely, especially on the upper portion of the mountain where wind blows deep snow into the gully where the steps are located. The wind also means the snow on the upper, steepest part of the mountain can often be hard and icy, much more so than lower down.

On Friday Photo #518’s post with an image taken from this same day, I wrote that the storms passing at the time meant Reinebringen would probably not be a safe hike for the rest of the winter. A warm-ish and rainy holiday season, followed by multiple days with a cold south-east wind blowing straight into the mountain has also added to the danger, as most of the upper mountain snow is probably quite icy and hard by now. Any new falling snow will likely be quite avalanche prone for the foreseeable future.

Beyond the avalanche risk of the mountain, the hike itself is quite steep and exposed. Once crossing into the upper half of the route, there are many places where one would not want to fall. And tragically, the mountain has taken two young lives in the last year alone: December 2021 and June 2022. Reinebringen’s 448 meters and popularity should not be underestimated.

So, with all of the above saying Reinebringen is a danger hike in winter and should be avoided, how am I posting a photo of a winter view from Reinebringen? Well, specific winter conditions and very little actual snow meant the hike was less risky than usual for winter. One benefit of living on Lofoten full time is that I can observe the changes in weather and the mountains. I knew this was the first snow of the winter and only a small amount had fallen, while the weather remained cold and stable after the storm had passed. So this was a rare opportunity for a winter visit to Reinebringen in conditions that were fairly predictable and safe.

And importantly, never be afraid to turn around. I had actually made a visit to Reinebringen in late November. There was no snow present, but Lofoten had been in a deep freeze of clear, windless days. A thin layer of frost was covering everything from sea to summit. I started up the steps, which felt fine. But around step 30-40 I turned around to test the feeling of the steps on decent. Even with spikes on my shoes, they were quite slippery and caution was needed. The thought of having to descend 2000 steps in such manner seemed like a difficult and dangerous task. And so I continued down the 30-40 steps and back to my van. A cappuccino at Bringen cafe was a better idea than Reinebringen on this 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
27mm
ISO 100
f 8
1/20 second
WB Daylight

Friday Photo #522 – First Sun

/0 Comments/in , , /by

Photo: My first sunlight of 2023 as the sun partially rises over the Vestfjord, Hamnøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. January 4, 2023. 12:25

After a stormy holiday season with lots of wind and rain, the weather has finally cleared just in time for the return of the sun to Lofoten! Wednesday I headed towards Reine to try and catch a glimpse and there she was, shining over the southern horizon of the Vestfjord.

This winter season has been the shortest polar night since I moved to Lofoten in early 2016. My last sun sighting was December 11th (Friday Photo #519) from the summit of Reinebringen – which you should no longer hike this winter season, and there was a helicopter rescue there yesterday of stranded hikers. And the return of the sun on Wednesday, January 4. So 23 days between sightings of the sun. Not too bad, as I’ve periods of up to two months some years.

With the sun now having crossed the horizon, the days will begin to feel much lighter. Though the rising of the sun is still somewhat slow, roughly 0.1˚ per day. It will be another week, January 13th, before the sun is fully 1˚ above the horizon at its highest when viewed from Reine. So this is the time of year when Lofoten’s snow covered mountains glow red and pink throughout the day in one continuous motion from sunrise to sunset.

There has also been a wonderful full-ish moon filling the twilight sky over Lofoten the last days, of which I have much better images than a boring closeup of the sun – which could have been taken anywhere, at anytime of day, really. But I was happy to see the sun again, so pictures of the moon can wait, as they are not as time sensitive. So perhaps next week’s post will be a nice picture of the moon over some mountains. If nothing else more interesting occurs between now and then…

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
400mm
ISO 100
f 5.6
1/1000 second
WB Daylight

Friday Photo #519 – Last Sun

/0 Comments/in , , /by

Photo: My last visible sun of 2022 from Reinebringen, Lofoten Islands, Norway. December 11, 2022. 12:04

On Sunday I made a second trip up Reinebringen again. I figured since I had already put in the effort of breaking trail all the way to the summit on the previous Friday, I might as well take advantage of my own path!

Another reason for a second trip is that Reinebringen is generally a dangerous and risky hike in winter, so it is rare that I am there for a winter view. It is only since I live in Lofoten and monitor the conditions every day that I felt it was safe enough to head up in winter conditions. And this is mainly because there wasn’t that much snow – What looks like full winter is actually only about 20cm of snow in most places, and less so higher up as the storm which brought the snow was quite windy. Luckily after the storm last week, the temperatures remained well below freezing, which, combined with the lack of sunlight of the polar night, means the little snow hasn’t melted away like normal.

Currently another storm is passing over Lofoten and there is considerable avalanche risk. I will not go anywhere near the mountain in such conditions as most of the route is below slabby rock cliffs rising high overhead which are prone to frequent avalanches. It is likely now that Reinebringen won’t be safe-ish to hike again until later in the spring.

Today’s post in not about Reinebringen though, but the sun instead. And more specifically, the December sun around the first days of the polar night on Lofoten. When I was on the mountain I posted an Instagram story showing the few and a few people commented that they were surprised I could see the sun, as shouldn’t it be the polar night already? The answer is yes and yes.

The polar night is really just a sunrise that never quite arrives. So instead of continuing to rise above the horizon higher and higher until solar noon, when the sun begins to loose elevation again. During the polar night, sun sun simply begins so set, at solar noon, before it has even risen above the horizon.

The sun’s ‘high point’ will be lower and lower below the horizon each day until it reaches its lowest point on the winter solstice, December 21st this year. Below the arctic circle, this movement of the sun is visible. For Lofoten, northern of the arctic circle, all of this takes place below the horizon, until the sun returns again in the first week of January.

If I had been standing in Reine on Sunday, I would not have seen the sun. But, like mountains peaks get the sunrise before lower elevations anywhere in the world, being on Reinebringen allowed me to see the sunrise. The only difference is this was the sun’s highest altitude of the day, so it never rose high enough to be visible at sea level.

This was also my record for latest visible sun of the year. The previous one being December 8th. It’s been a fantastic winter so far, so hopefully I get an early sun as well after the new year!

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
14mm
ISO 100
f 8
1/50 second
WB Daylight

Friday Photo #518 – Winter Moon

/0 Comments/in , , /by

Photo: Winter full moon over Kirkefjord from Reinebringen, Lofoten Islands, Norway. December 9, 2022. 11:26

Winter has finally arrived on Lofoten! After what was a calm and ‘dry’ November, the first proper storm of winter finally swept across the islands on Tuesday and Wednesday, leaving about 30-ish cm of snow from sea to summit. Luckily, the storm was a quick one and the calm and clear weather has returned. Combined with the full moon of the last days, the fresh snow now makes it possible to walk around at night without much need for a headlamp – which is good, because Lofoten is now in the period of the Polar night.

Seeing the full moon the last few days, I had ideas of a photo in mind. I missed it a couple years ago because I was too late to begin hiking, but this time I (kinda) planned a little better, or at least one part of the image I wanted! The full moon over Kirkefjord.

I only 1/2 succeeded. I got the left/right placement of the moon correct. Thanks to PhotoPills I knew the moon would be over Kirkefjord at about 11:30, and so I planned to be at the summit of Reinebringen before that. Only thing I didn’t get right is that the moon was way too high in the sky – But that part of the images is out of my control anyhow – I can’t move the moon down! Though some might use photoshop for an assist in that regard, I don’t. I saw what I saw. Better planning next time…

The weather had also been clear yesterday, so I had hoped a few people would have gone up Reinebringen before me. But as I arrived at the bottom of the 1978 steps which lead to the summit ridge, there were no footprints. So I cleared a nice trail to the top, at times though thigh deep snow drifts. Luckily I planned to arrive early, so I reached the summit in time, despite the slow progress.

Even though it wasn’t quite a success, for the image I had planned, it was still absolutely perfect winter conditions in the twilight light of December.

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
61mm
ISO 100
f 7.1
1/40 second
WB Daylight

Friday Photo #510 – Reine Autumn

/0 Comments/in , , /by

Photo: Olstind mountain peak reflecting in Reinefjord in autumn color from Reinehalsen viewpoint, Reine, Moskenesøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. October 2, 2022. 08:42

It felt like an early autumn this year in Lofoten and by now the October winds have stripped nearly all of the trees bare. But it also was a bright and colourful autumn while it lasted, with the birch trees much more vibrant than the previous couple years. And finally, after a mild finish to September and start to October, the first dusting of snow finally arrived last weekend.

It was also somewhat of a backwards autumn this year, at least in regards to September, which experienced fantastically mild and sunny weather with many days over 10˚c and cloudless night after cloudless night of dancing northern lights.

It was also a poor summer as well, so maybe it finally rained itself out by the time September arrived. August should normally average 55mm of rain. This year Lofoten received 190mm! Making this August the 3rd wettest month (in total precipitation) in the last year. Yet in the opposite direction, September should Normally receive 128mm or rain. This year only 50mm of rain fell. This actually makes this September the driest month in the last year.

So it was a terrible summer followed by a fantastic start of autumn this year on Lofoten. By now though, the ‘normal’ autumn weather seems to have taken hold as regular spells of rain and wind sweep across Lofoten and most of northern Norway. With the sun lower on the horizon each day, the islands now wait for winter’s arrival.

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
30mm
ISO 100
f 7.1
1/80 second
WB Daylight