Creating a portfolio Northern Lights image from a remote mountain section in the Lofoten Islands
The midnight sun has returned to the Lofoten Islands. After a long and dark winter, it feels great to have long and bright days again. Though, the never-ending light means there’s a lack of sleep!
While the well-known locations are popular for a reason, I've been more drawn towards the no-name landscapes and dramatic atmosphere that describes the island. In this miniseries, the mysterious atmosphere is exactly what I've focused on.
I can’t believe that another year is over. Just like that. It felt like 2018 passed by in a blink. This has been a very exciting year for me where I’ve been able to keep expanding my business CaptureLandscapes, meeting new like-minded people, explore new terretories and spend a big portion of the year guiding photography groups around some of the most scenic places our planet has to offer.
Having a white Christmas has always been what awakes the Christmas spirit in me, even when we have celebrated in the tropics it has been an calming feeling to know that back in Norway the cold, fresh snow has covered the land. Even though I love summer and sun, the Norwegian winter has a special place in my heart.
Many of you might already have seen the video already, as it has gone viral the last few days. The video shows how six photographers all take portraits of the same guy, but they are each given a different story of the mans background. It's fascinating to see how different the results turned out, yet it makes a lot of sense if you give it some thought.
It's easy to forget that the grand landscape is filled with small details. All these details combined is what creates the landscape that makes our jaws drop, yet we rarely pay them any attention. Noticing these scenes opens the door to a completely new world. A world that can be both beautiful and frightening. A world you normally don't notice. Yet a world worth discovering.
Two weeks ago we had a spectacular night, better than any I have ever seen here in the east. The lights where dansing above is and we even got a touch of purple Aurora in the sky. To make the night even better, there was no wind, giving beautiful reflections in the lakes.
Being creative is one of the hardest parts with photography. Humans in general are really good at finding excuses not to do something, and photographers are no exception. Both you and me have used the bad weather as an excuse not to go out more than one time. If it’s raining or in general bad weather, I often use this as an excuse and stay inside working on pictures rather than going out taking them.
Lately I have noticed a trend on various social media and blogs. It seems to be a great way to engage and most people seem to fully agree with the thread starter. Complaining about how awful and bad all social media are has never been more popular!
As I love exploring, I often find myself enjoying beautiful scenery. Sometimes it's close to home, other times it's on the other side of the globe. My camera is always packed and ready for use, but I don't always take it out of the back. Why? Just as with people, every place is unique. Just as with people, not all places look as beautiful on an image as they are in reality.
A couple weeks ago, a friend and myself decided to go photograph a rather unique mountain in our "local" area. We had been there the week before to do some scouting, exploring different angles and figuring out the angles of the sun. Since we were aiming to shoot both sunset and sunrise, we chose to camp up in the mountain rather than taking the steep hike in the middle of the night.
