Winter Wonderland

This has been a crazy week where Lofoten has made us experience all kinds of weather situations and we got great shots.

In this month the islands are never wrong!

We were challenged by a hurricane and various ice storms but, it’s in these situations that the best light conditions are created to take epic shots.

We spent a week photographing all the most beautiful places on the Lofoten islands, an archipelago located inside the Arctic circle unique for its dramatic landscapes. Majestic snow capped peaks stand out in the middle of the sea creating enchanted fjords. The typical red villages that create a fairytale atmosphere by thinning the line between reality and magic.

At night the Arctic pink colors turn green, illuminated by the Northern Lights.
If these islands enchant you during the day, during the night they steal your heart!

If you want to experience this dream, we invites you to join one of our Arctic photography trips!

This trip was planned down to the smallest detail to be the right place at the right time based on the weather and the month of the year.

Day 1

This tour also started with a bang, as soon as the guys landed at Evenes airport the magical Northern Lights were already dancing in the sky.

Just outside the airport we enjoyed taking the first shots and our selfies under the most famous green light in the world, the Aurora Borealis.

After a couple of stops in typical Norwegian gas stations we reached our Rorbuer in the heart of the Lofoten Islands. Their position is truly strategic, driving an hour you can reach the best spots to the south and to the north.

Day 2

This is the day of the hurricane 😂, after going to buy food at the market and having a typical breakfast we spent the day studying photography, from the basics to the most advanced techniques.

The night was wild, with our cabins shaking and rocking in the strong wind.

Day 3

At 8am we left our rorbuer to reach our first spot, the famous Uttakleiv beach with its Dragon eye. A spot that never gets old, certainly one of the most beautiful on the islands.

The wind had finally changed, it was coming from the north and conditions were becoming perfect, the water was turning to ice and the scenery was getting better every minute.

After breakfast our adventure continues in a southerly direction where there are the most fairy-tale places of the Lofoten Islands.

At sunset “Gotophototour group” had fun among the various spots in the village of Hamnoy where the landscape is really surreal.

It’s always nice to see the amazement on the faces of the guys as they admire this scenery.

Before dinner, we did the first edit session in front of the computer connected to a large monitor inside our Villa.

Starting with a night shot of the Aurora Borealis, taken in the dragon’s eye spot.

The photo was composed of multiple shots using the double exposure and focus stacking techniques. So, after having seen how to do these techniques in the field, in front of the computer we studied how to put the various shots together and how to edit the photo.

In the end we edited starting from the raw files to the final photo a night scene taken in the Dolomites composed not only by focus stacking and different exposures, but also by the perspective blend technique.

The lesson was recorded and at the end, sent to the whole group.

After dinner the sky was very difficult, the wind was strong and it was difficult to reach the spots with our van but, above our red cabins, a hole was opened in the sky at the right moment and the Northern Lights showed themselves again making us go to sleep very happy.

Day 4

After breakfast we left our rorbuer to reach the fairy-tale village of Reine and it’s right in its bay where we waited for the sunrise.

Between one ice storm and another at the right moment a gap in the sky opened up giving a crazy Arctic light over the whole landscape.

After a stop for a hot coffee in Reine we went to Sakrisoy, another typical fishing village that differs from the others in the orange color of its houses.

From here with a short hike we reached the hill above the village, from up there the 360 degree view is incredible, you can see all three enchanted villages, Hamnoy on the right, Sakrisoy below and Reine on the left.

The wind was terrible up there, we weren’t able to take many shots but the group had a lot of fun, especially trying to resist the wind 😂.

Coming down the hill, the stop for the best fish burger in Norway was a mandatory before reaching our new spot for the sunset, that of Vareid beach.

We found some moody conditions in Vareid and the guys enjoyed taking dramatic shots playing with the rough waves and spiky mountains in the background.

After dinner, checking the sky and solar activity, a long and unforgettable night under the dance of the Northern Lights was foreseen, and so it was! What a night guys!

Already by 8pm a hole had opened in the sky and the group had already taken some great shots with the reflection of the Aurora Borealis on the wet beach but, after a couple of hours at Haukland beach we witnessed one of the most incredible shows that the Lofoten islands have to offer, everything turned green, the Northern Lights danced fast and mighty above us.

Between amazement and joy, the guys took so many beautiful shots and it’s always exciting to see that it’s with us that they have just made their dream come true.

Day 5

The sunrise this morning at Vik beach was impressive, the Arctic colors gave their best.

We continued the day towards the south, stopping in various spots where the light and the ice offered the greatest show.

The typical red cabin of Ramberg can never be missed, as well as the beach of Skagasend, the partially frozen lagoon along the road to Vareid and the remote village of Nusfjord.

The group had its fun playing with the ice and rugged mountains in the background, the landscape conditions being nearly perfect.

In the evening the sky was cloudy over all of Lofoten, so we were in our rorbuer to conclude the didactic program in front of the computer, studying and editing a night panorama, from the merging files to editing using PTGui as software as well as Photoshop and Camera Raw.

The lesson was recorded and at the end, sent to the whole group.

Day 6

It’s time to leave our red rourbuer to spend the last night closer to the airport.

After putting our things in the van, we left, stopping in the most beautiful spots, including the enchanting village of Henningsvaer which always amazes.

Our adventure ended with a fun dinner in a restaurant in Harstad.

Thanks guys it was an unforgettable week.

Day 7

Return home from Evenes airport.