Tag Archive for: stamsund

Autumn in the Lofoten Islands Photo Gallery

Landscape stock photography: Reflections of autumn trees in Steinbakkvatnet lake, Hinnøya, Vesterålen, Norway

Photo gallery of Lofoten Islands in autumn: Click here

I’ve created a stock image gallery of Lofoten islands, Norway from September and October 2009.  Most of the pictures are from Moskenesøy, Flakstadøy, and Vestvågøy islands, with a couple from Vesterålen as well (such as the above photo of the lake).  I spent about 2 weeks at Stamsund, one of my favorite places in the world where I’ve returned to again and again since 2001 (I should probably just try and move there one of these days).  I rented a car for a couple days with a fellow traveler and Lofoten addict so I was able to get out to some of my favorite beaches at Utakleiv and Unstad, as well as the nearly tropical looking beach at Ramberg.  I also got to explore a few new areas, such as Gimsøy, where I had never previously been on my normal hitchhiking journeys through the islands.

My last few trips to the islands had always been in the late winter/early spring so I decided it was time for a change of scenery from endless snow to actually having some color in my photos.  Weather wasn’t always so good, hence the need to stay for 2 weeks just to get a day or two of sunlight and blue sky, but I think I had pretty good timing as far as the turning of the trees.  I think it’s always something magical to watch the snow level creep lower and lower down the mountains each night until one day the first big snow storm comes and turns the whole world white.

travel photographer: Scenic beach at Ramberg, Flakstadøy, Lofoten islands, Norway

Ramberg Beach, Flakstadøy, Lofoten islands, Norway

Travel stock photo: Snow covered rocky coastline at Stamsund, Vestvågøy, Lofoten islands, Norway

Autumn snow on rugged coast at Stamsund, Lofoten islands, Norway.

If you have any trouble seeing the below slide show, please let me know.

Night Comes to Lofoten

Lofoten islands panoramic landscape stock photo: view of Austvågøya and Vestfjorden in winter

View from the top of Stamsundheia above Stamsund, Vestvågøya towards the village of Henningsvær and mountains of Austvågøya.  The mountain peak in the center of the photo is about 16km away.  The second set of mountains behind that are about 35km away.  The Furthest distant peaks are the Norwegain mainland (Hamarøy I think) about 65km away, sperated by the mighty Vestfjord.

The night arrives slowly this far north due to the low angle of the sun.  In the weeks prior the the nearly 2 month long “day” of the summer months, night never really properly arrives, just a few hours of twilight.  Though here in March the night eventually comes, delayed enough that one has enough time to walk off a mountain after sunset with relative good visibility.

Lofoten Islands – An Evening Over Stamsund

One afternoon I took a hike up one of the hills above Stamsund to watch the sunset.  Wasn’t the best light I’ve ever seen, but at least it was mostly clear and the wind was relatively calm.  It crossed my mind to wait around a few hours in hopes of some auroras, but after waiting around for a little while, I decided it was far too cold for such an idea.  Maybe I will bring a sleeping bag up nextime.

Lofoten islands winter mountain photo: shadow of hiker across snowy landscape

While the hike up the mountains was mostly deep snow, the top was windswept and icy.  I made it to the top with a little bit of sun left, casting long shadows across the winter landscape.

Lofoten islands winter panoramic photo: Justadtind mountain peak at sunset

Panoramic of the mountain Justadtind (in the center of photo). 4 photos at 31mm stitched together.

Lofoten islands winter mountain photo: sun setting over mountains, Stamsund, Lofoten islands, Norway

In the far north, the sun never gets very high in the sky, making more of a low circle around the horizon as the day passes on.  Due to this relatively low angle of movement, the twilight time before/after sunset/rise lasts much longer up in the arctic than at milder latitudes.  In only another month in a half, the sun will set for the final time of the summer.  It’s amazing how long the days already are this early in the year.

Lofoten islands winter mountain scenic photo: Steinstind peak at sunset, Stamsund, Vestvagoy, lofoten islands, Norway

the mountain peak in the distance is Steinstind (the peak on the left is the higher one, though doesn’t appear so in the photo), the high point of the mountain ridge I was on.  this photo was from near Stamsundheia.  In summer it’s a nice easy hike along the ridge.

Lofoten islands, Norway: Person hiking along mountain ridge at sunset

panoraic photo: village of Ure and Vestfjord, Lofoten islands, Norway

View towards the village of Ure (below mountain in center of photo), with the islands and skerries off the coast of Steine on the left of the photo.

Lofoten – Coast

The Rugged coastline at Stamsund on island of Vestvågøy, Lofoten islands, Norway.

photo of rocky coastline and mountains, Stamsund, Lofoten islands, Norway

Nikon 85mm tilt-shift lens panoramic: stormy sea, Lofoten islands, Norway