Photo: Empty cod drying racks, Reine, Moskenesøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway.  September 3, 2014.  20:19

Some days of stormy weather finally caught up with us during the second week of our sailing trip around Lofoten in the late summer.  Over a particularly grim couple days we moored to boat in Reine.

Most of the time I just hung around on board, the desire to keep dry stronger than the desire to explore Reine by foot, a place I’ve been to numerous times anyhow.  But on the second evening, it seemed as if the rain might hold off for a bit, so I went out with the group for a bit of a wander.

The cod drying racks of Lofoten, wether full of fish in winter, or empty the rest of the year, are always something I find interesting.  This particular set of racks I had never come across before, and was immediately drawn to their shape.

With the fast moving clouds and the fading light, I knew I wanted a long exposure to soften the detail of the sky and bring out the shape of the racks on the barren rocks.  This is one of the ‘dark’ moments of Lofoten that I like to capture.

Camera Info:
Nikon D800
Nikon 24mm f/3.5 tilt-shift
24mm
ISO 100
f 11
30 seconds
WB Daylight
6 stop ND filter
2 images – top, bottom

Photo: View over Moskenesøy from Branntuva, Moskenesøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway.  Septermber 15, 2014.  15:10

Branntuva is lonely and rarely hiked mountain deep in the heart of Moskenesøy, with most of the upper part of the mountain trail-less.

After hiking Markan the previous day, Branntuva seemed like the next best target from my base camp at Fageråskaret pass. And unlike the day before, there was hardly a cloud in the sky this day, only a low fog approaching from the sea creating a light mist in the lower valleys.

Fromt the summit, there are fantastic view in nearly every direction, especially the overlook of Horseid beach.  But of all the choices, I found this scene of all these steep ridges leading towards the high peak of Hermannsdalstind to be one of the best.

Camera Info:
Nikon D800
Nikon 85mm f/2.8 tilt-shift
85mm
ISO 100
f 9.5
1/400 second
WB Daylight

Photo: Autumn mountain light from the summit of Markan (600m), Moskenesøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway.  September 14, 2014.  18:54

Waiting for sunset from the summit of Markan was one of the more memorable moments of my autumn travels on Lofoten.

It was one of those days that either turns out really bad or completely rewarding.  Luckily I had the reward this time, which is better than can be said for the last time I passed by Marken, hiking as fast as I could to keep ahead of an approaching storm.

On this afternoon it seemed as if rain would begin to fall at any moment, yet it never did.  All that happened was that the light got better and better until the sun was finally low on the horizon and the colors began to fade.

Camera Info:
Nikon D800
Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8
14mm
ISO 200
f 9
1/160 second
WB Daylight

Photo: Autumn light over Kråkhammartind from the summit of Markan, Moskenesøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway.  September 14, 2014.  18:35

It was already late afternoon by the time I reached my planned mountain camp at Fageråskaret pass, deep into the mountains of Moskenesøy.  I had passed this way the previous year – while running from a quickly approaching storm – and figured it would be a good base camp to explore a few of the nearby mountains.

Initially, I thought of heading up Branntuva, but after a few minutes heading cross-country towards the summit – there is no trail – it was evident that it would take more time than there was light left in the day.  And so I returned to the pass and began heading up the ridge towards Markan.

The weather hadn’t quite cleared as much as the forecast predicted, and I was worried that I would get rained out.  But as I ascended higher and higher, I noticed a bit of sunlight beginning to break through the clouds.

Reaching the summit, the light was fantastic.  One of those perfect combinations of stormy mountain light, but still mild enough where you can take photos!  I rarely have mountain days like this, and I don’t think I could have chosen a better peak than Markan on this day.  It was fantastic to watch the light travel across the near vertical peak of Kråkhammartind.

You can checkout the hiking guide for Markan – HERE

Camera Info:
Nikon D800
Nikon 14-240mm f/2.8
14mm
ISO 200
f 11
1/60 second
WB Daylight
3 image pano