Photo: Winter arrives in the north, Vestvågøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. October 29, 2017. 14:55

It is hard to say exactly – when autumn ends and winter begins. Every year is slightly different, but usually sometime in the end of October or early november as the days grow darker that the weather becomes darker as well. This year autumn seems to have held on as long as possible. Yet, there is no escaping the arrival of winter here.

The weather of the weeks has now made that turn. Winter is here. I’m not as eager to go outside anymore – I actually haven’t done any hiking in several weeks – good I joined the Gym! Any thoughts of long nights alone in my tent are easily chased from my mind.

Winter does not have a single look, it is more of a mood and a feeling. Dark days and stormy nights. Wind and snow blowing sideways across your face. Running from the parking lot into the supermarket. And sleep, lots of sleep.

It likely wont be until after the new year that there is enough snow for me to pull out my skis. And even then, it is a fine balance between snow or rain.

Camera Info:
Nikon D800
Nikon 70-200mm f/4
180mm
ISO 250
f 5
1/160 seconds
WB Daylight

Photo: Twilight view over Unstad beach, Vestvågøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. March 3, 2017. 17:45

The original plan had been to head to another mountain on skis, but as we approached the route, there was far to little snow, so we headed for plan b, Kleivheia. The sun was already sinking into the horizon as we were halfway up the steep couloir, slowed by deep snow and some issues with my knee, which I injured skiing a couple weeks earlier. But the weather was too good to stay out of the mountains and rest, as I probably should have!

Arriving at the summit plateau, a fresh breeze was blowing and the sky was now filled with a beautiful winter twilight. Perfect! I stayed around and shot some images as the sky darkened and the village lights below became more prominent.

Then it was off to find a flat place for camp, not that easy of a task! And begin the wait for aurora, which would be filling the sky a few hours later.

Camera Info:
Nikon D800
Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8
19mm
ISO 100
f 10
.5 second
WB Daylight

Photo: Full moon illuminates winter landscape at Uttakleiv, Vestvågøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway. February 22, 2016. 19:38

This isn’t the image I wanted to take on this night.

With a perfect weather forecast coinciding with a nearly full moon, I decided to head up Mannen in hopes of shooting northern lights over Haukland or Uttakleiv or anywhere else they might show up. Getting a late start I raced the falling sun to try and catch some light over Haukland beach, just barely making it to a decent viewpoint before the sun fell behind the mountains.

As twilight arrived in continued to the summit of Mannen to begin my wait until darkness, and fingers crossed, northern lights! Not wanting to let any decent light go to waste, I continued shooting from twilight and into the evening. As the moon began to rise these clouds stared to form over Skolmen in the distance, traveling straight for me. Having already shot numerous images with clear sky this night, I though the movement of the clouds would add a nice element to the scene.

Keeping the same exposure, I shot two images at 14mm, one for the foreground and one to capture the clouds and the sky. I had originally tried with my 24mm tilt-shift lens, but it wasn’t wide enough for what the scene required.

I shot a couple more images after this, but was pretty much done by 20:00 as the clouds were no longer as interesting looking. And so I sat down and waiting for some aurora. By midnight the sky was still silent and I was finally beginning to get cold from all the hours of sitting in the open. And so under the bright moonlight I headed down the mountain.

I will try again for an aurora photo this winter, but I’m sure several more attempts will be needed until luck works out on my side…

Camera Info:
Nikon D800
Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8
14mm
ISO 100
f 5.6
92 seconds
WB Daylight
2 images – top, bottom