Lofoten Autumn Experience 2023

Dates: September 15th - September 22nd, 2023

Join me on this 8-day arctic adventure in Lofoten Islands in Northern Norway. Highlights of the trip include autumnal landscapes, jagged mountains, grand vistas, colorful fjords and the chance of experiencing the greatest show on earth, the Aurora Borealis aka Northern Lights. This is a tour with a small group of only 6 participants. This gives the optimal experience!

The Lofoten Islands are located at the 68th and 69th parallels north of the Arctic Circle in Northern Norway. This archipelago consists of seven principal islands and the area of land covers about 1,227 / 474 square miles, with a total of only 24,000 inhabitants. The natural beauty of this incredible landscape offers will present us with the possibility of exploring colorful fjords, jagged mountain peaks, unique beaches and the world-renowned Arctic light.

Our basecamps for the entire duration of the tour will be close to Leknes and we will visit world-class locations, and the likes of National Geographic, Lonely Planet and The Huffington Post have listed these very regions as one of the most scenic destinations on earth. One look outside your bedroom window, and you will understand why – incredible granite mountains rising straight out of the fjords, traditional fishermen cabins and the location just oozes of great Norwegian history.

If we are blessed with starry nights and clear skies, we will be able to capture the elusive and strikingly beautiful Aurora Borealis aka Northern Lights as she dances seductively on the night skies.

Speaking of weather, Lofoten is notoriously unpredictable. Conditions and light changes constantly, so please be sure to read our “must-bring” clothing and gear lists provided by email upon registration.

Dates: September 15th - September 22nd, 2023

Location: Lofoten, Norway

Available seats: 1/10

Difficulty level: Easy

Price: 3290 EURO (based on double occupancy - single room supplement is 500 EURO).

Registration deposit: 500 EURO (full payment required 60 days prior to the tour).

Arrival: Harstad, September 15th - no later than 10:45 am

Departure: Harstad, September 22nd - at any suitable time

Included: Professional photo guide, all tuition, individual post-processing sessions, transportation and accommodation in traditional cabins and sea lodges.

Not included: Any travel services required arriving and departing at and from the starting location in Harstad (EVE) airport. Any private insurances, taxes, levies, immigration, duty and visa fees where applicable. All meals and any personal items including alcoholic beverages, snacks, souvenirs and travel insurance.

Itinerary

Day 1:
Arrival at Evenes Airport where you are picked up your guide. From here you start driving out to basecamp in Lofoten. It’s a 3-hour drive with incredible view along the way. Easily one of the most scenic drives in Norway. Once settled in the cabins you will head out to shoot sunset at one of the beaches outside Leknes. We are located close to the famous beaches at Haukland and Uttakleiv. At night it might be possible to shoot the incredible aurora borealis if the weather permits.

Day 2 – 7

Due to the incredibly fast changing weather in the Lofoten Islands we never operate with a fixed schedule. Both me and my trusted co-guide Arild Heitmann are local and know the area like the back of our hand. In order to maximize your experience it is crucial to be in the right place at the right time. This means being very flexible and being able to read the weather systems.

However, we will cover all the well known spots from Å in the south to Henningsvær in the north. We will spend 1 or 2 whole days photographing the incredible area around Reine, famous for its small villages spread out across a string of small islands, surrounded by the most dramatic peaks. All the famous beaches will be visited; Skagsanden, Vareid, Vikten, Fredvang, Haukland, Utakleiv and Unstad. The picturesque villages of Nusfjord and Henningsvær will be explored. The highlights are endless and since we know this area extremely well we will also focus on lesser-known spots that are equally impressive.

Weather permitted, every night it will be possible to witness the greatest show on the planet; the northern lights! For reasons still unknown to scientists, the northern lights are at its most active around spring equinox. This means we have great chances of seeing this incredible phenomenon.

After shooting sunrise on day 7, we will check out from our hotel and move back to Evenes. Here we will wrap up the trip by shooting sunset at a mountain lake surrounded by jagged peaks. This is also a great location for the northern lights, so we hope to end the trip with a night time show on the night sky!

Day 8

We will make sure everyone gets safely to the airport full of amazing memories.

 

Booking - Enquiries

 

Frequently Asked Questions

  • The easiest way to get to the meeting point is via Oslo Gardermoen airport (OSL code). From there, you fly to Harstad/Narvik Evenes airport (EVE code). Domestic flights in Norway can be purchased from www.sas.no, www.norwegian.no

  • All of our tours, workshops and masterclasses are open to beginners as well as professionals. Our only criteria is that you have a great passion for photography, and have the energy and motivation to be on the go every day and night.

  • Since we are exploring the high arctic and northern Norway archipelagos, you have to be well equipped for all kinds of dramatic weather including rainfall. Bring comfortable, warm and waterproof outer layers such as Gore-tex, thermal underwear, crampons and water-resistant boots or even waders. A complete list of recommended clothes as well as camera gear will be provided upon registration. We don’t have clothes or shoes available for renting.

  • No. The winter months in northern Norway are known to generate a great amount of snowfall, but in September its too early for that. You will get explosive fall colours though.

  • Most likely yes. There is no guarantee, but September is one of the best times to photograph the Northern Lights and we will do our best to make sure you capture it on this trip.

  • The weather and climate in northern Norway is renowned for being extremely unpredictable because of it’s many local weather systems. This means conditions can change within minutes and kilometres, also resulting in very dramatic light and photographic opportunities. Lofoten has a much milder climate than other parts of the world at a similar latitude, such as Greenland and Alaska. This is due to the temperature of the water of the Gulfstream. The coastal climate results in mild winters and cool summer temperatures. Traditionally, January and February are the coldest months with an average temperature of -1 degrees celsius. In September however, the average temperatures are aprox 10-15 degrees celsius.

  • At the very least, bring your own camera, lenses, tripod and a laptop. A detailed list of recommendations will be provided upon registration. If you are considering upgrading or investing in new camera gear prior to the trip, feel free to ask us for advice.

  • We don’t operate with a fixed itinerary on any of our workshops. It’s a full-on photography tour/workshop, so the activities are planned around sunrise, sunset and night photography excursions. The whole archipelago is packed with locations, so the weather and light conditions will decide where we will go. That being said though, we have a list of locations we will visit throughout the week, but we don’t know which day or time of day we will visit that specific location.