Making Plans for Europe

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Autumn storm clouds over Vestfjord, Lofoten islands, Norway

Photo: Autumn storm over Vestfjord, Lofoten islands, Norway

For whatever reason, it’s been a pretty stagnant and boring summer (and year for that matter) for me so far.  I’ve hardly been able to get out of Santa Barbara and other than a few commercial assignments, I haven’t even touched my camera in months.  I’ve been trying to put something together for several months now, but I always seem to run into some sort of setback..  Finally now it seems I have somewhat of a haphazard travel plan materializing.

With Luck I should be back on the Lofoten islands around the last week of September.  It’s not exactly under the conditions I had hoped, to move there with a work visa.  But if I can manage to find a flat to rent, at least I’ll be able to continue with the application process.  If not, it might just forever remain an unfulfilled dream.  I know its a bit late in the year and I’m hoping autumn waits for me, but other engagements keep me here until then.  I had also hoped to hike another section on the Kungsleden or perhaps wander around Sarek national park in Sweden, but that will have to wait another year unfortunately.  So I’m looking at some other hiking options that I might be able to manage in October.  Been thinking about maybe crossing the High Tatra mountains from Slovakia to Poland, or perhaps something in Austria or Switzerland.  I Mainly just have to see how early the snow arrives and decide from there.  Otherwise I think I’ll pay another visit to Stockholm on the way down from Lofoten and maybe Copenhagen.  Then visit some friends in Germany and perhaps some old places in Czech Republic that I really like.  Hopefully I’ll catch some Christmas markets before going to Wales in early December or so, where I’ll stay a few more months.   As much as I seem to travel, it’s really been over 4 years since I did any proper ‘backpacking’ in the Euro sense of the word: hostels, trains, buses, hitchhiking, cities, etc.  I almost feel a bit nervous about it.

 

Empty stockfish drying rack, Lofoten islands, Norway

Photo: Empty stockfish drying rack, Lofoten islands, Norway

Scenic beach at Ramberg, Flakstadoy, Lofoten islands, Norway

Photo: Scenic beach at Ramberg, Flakstadoy, Lofoten islands, Norway

Snow covered rocky coastline at Stamsund, Vestvagoy, Lofoten islands, Norway

Photo: Snow covered rocky coastline at Stamsund, Vestvagoy, Lofoten islands, Norway

Berneray – Western Isles

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Sound of Harris, Berneray, Outer Hebrides, Scotland

Photo: White sand beach and view across Sound of Harris, Berneray, Outer Hebrides, Scotland

Berneray is the newest edition to my very short list of favorite places, places that I can just get lost in.  I spent a few days there of blasting gales in October last year and returned again to bring in the new year.  The wonderful small little hostel only feet away from the waters edge on the north of the island is my chosen abode.  Run by the Gatliff Trust, the hostel is an old croft house.  Rustic and homely, white washed stone walls and a thatch roof; the way a place must be on a lonely island out on the edge of the world.  The heat comes from a coal stove and one end of the room as the sound of rain patters against the small windows and the howling of wind creeps under the old wooden door.  Lights and candles burn late into the winter nights as strangers sit around sharing meals and stories, perhaps also a splash of two of Scotch.

As with most places in the part of the world, photography is more a game of patience than anything.  It’s a good time to slow down from the fast pace of life, maybe not check those emails for a week or two, it’s not gonna kill you.  All these photos are taken no more than 3-4 minutes walk from the front door.

 

Sunset over Sound of Berneray and North Uist, Western Isles, Scotland

Photo: North Harris silhouetted against the days last light

Berneray, Western Isles, Scotland

Photo: Calm waters and blue skies, just before the rain

Berneray Dunes, Outer Hebrides, Scotland

Photo: Dunes blow in the wind as rain approaches over the Sound of Harris

Dune grass, Berneray, Outer Hebrides, Scotland

Photo: An elusive sun lights up the dunes, mountains of South Harris rise in the distance

Ruins of derelict croft house, Berneray, Western Isles, Scotland

Photo: Abandoned croft at twilight

Lofoten Islands Hiking

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Reinebringen view Lofoten islands

Photo: View from Reinebringen, Lofoten islands, Norway

I’ve written several post about mountain hikes and camping on the Lofoten islands, but they’re a bit scattered across my blog at the moment so I putting links to them all here in one place.

Reinebringen hiking and info: CLICK HERE.  Reinebringen trailhead is located near Reine, on Moskenesoy.

Justadtinden hiking and info: CLICK HERE.  Justadtinden trailhead is located at Hagskaret, between Leknes and Stamsund on Vestvagoy.

Steinetinden hiking and info: CLICK HERE.  Steinetinden trailhead is located in Stamsund, on Vestvagoy.

Bunes Beach camping and info: CLICK HERE.  The ferry to Bunes Beach is located in Reine, on Moskenesoy.

 

 

Justadtinden Lofoten islands

Photo: Summer afternoon on Justadtinden, Lofoten islands, Norway

 

Lofoten islands hiking Justadtinden

Photo: Saviors of my knees, Justadtinden, Lofoten Islands, Norway

Unstad Beach Lofoten Islands

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Unstad Beach Lofoten Islands

Photo: Snow covered Unstad beach, Lofoten Islands, Norway

A hunch, as well as some minor understanding of Lofoten weather patterns (if such a thing can exist) led me out a of a never ending snow storm to the relative calm at Unstad.  The light was nearly gone from an already short January day, but there was enough.

Unstad Beach Lofoten Islands

Photo: Storm clouds over Unstad beach, Lofoten Islands, Norway

Lofoten Islands Winter Sunrise

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Lofoten islands norway winter sunrise

Photo: January sun shines through empty stockfish racks, Lofoten islands, Norway

These two images are from the 6th of January, when the sun does not fully rise above the horizon on the Lofoten islands.  Normally we’re used to sunrise in the east, sunset in the west.  However, north of the arctic circle, this isn’t really true.  In winter, the sun rises and sets towards the south, where as in summer, it sets towards the north.  In relation to this is that the sun travels much more parallel in relation to the horizon – I wont go into the numbers right now, maybe some other time I’ll bring out the astronomy nerd in me.  So, the result of this for the viewer, or photographer, is that the sun appears to rise and set very slowly.  Or in more practical terms, sunrise/sunset lasts a lot longer that here in California.  On the case of the 6th of January, the sun travels along the southern horizon for about an hour before disappearing once more.  Yep, that’s it, 1 hour of sun for the day.  Just a few days previous, New Years for example, there is no sun at all.  Though it is not far below the horizon, giving a magical twilight light if the skies are clear.

 

Lofoten islands norway winter sunrise

Photo: January winter sun on horizon over Vestfjorden, Lofoten islands, Norway.

Ågvatnet – Å I Lofoten Norway

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Ågvatnet lofoten islands norway

Photo: Ågvatnet cloaked in winter snow.  Jan 2010

In my last post I wrote about returning to Ågvatnet to try and make a ‘better’ version of a photo that I like very much, and was good for a 20 year having only ever taken a high school photo class, but by today’s standards is a bit lacking.  Ågvatnet is the small lake behind the village of Å I Lofoten, which is the westernmost village, and end of the road, in the Lofoten islands.  It can be a gnarly tourist trap in summer  – the road ends in a parking lot after a 1.5 lane tunnel and it can be stuffed to the brim with motorhomes on a nice July afternoon.  So I usually avoid the area at this time of year.   Though that being said, I’m not usually on the islands in the summer anyways.

Anyhow, here’s a few images of the lake during other parts of the year: winter, spring, and autumn.  The autumn image is the closest I’ve come to my first photo, yet as you can see the boat is not exactly in top form.  The Rainbow towards the left of the image is from the rain that would soak me in another minute.

Ågvatnet lofoten islands norway

Ågvatnet lofoten islands norway

Ågvatnet lofoten islands norway

10 years

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Lofoten islands, Norway

Photo: Boats at rest in Ågvatnet, Å I Lofoten, Norway.  2001

I know the above photo kind of sucks.  I shot it 10 years ago within a couple hours of stepping foot on Lofoten for the first time.  It’s taken with an old Nikon FE and a crappy 35-105mm lens on Fuji Provia 100, hand held sometime shortly before midnight.  I made a print of it, where it hung on my wall for 5 years before I was able to return again.  Over the years I’ve tried to take a ‘better’ version of this photo, but I’ve never encountered proper conditions.  Despite all its faults, it’s still one of my favorites.  I can remember those moments with stunning clarity; it was the point where I knew I had ended up someplace special.  With luck and hard work, Lofoten will be my home by the end of the year.  Something I’ve dreamed about all those years, yet never managed to make much progress towards.  Maybe I just needed to get a little older.

stamsund

Tuolumne Meadows Yosemite

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Tuolumne meadows yosemite landscape

Photo: Sunset from a flooded Tuolumne Meadows over Lembert Dome and Mount Dana, Yosemite national park. June 23, 2011

Over the weekend I was on a short camping trip with my dad and brother.  While I’ve taken trips with each of them individually in the last years, it’s probably been 10+ years since the 3  of us sat around a campfire together.  Highway 120 to Tuolumne Meadows just opened last weekend, so we were some of the first to enjoy summer in Yosemite’s high country this year.  The sky was cloudless and the sun was hot.  Snow seems to be melting quite fast and the river are quite big at the moment.  These first two photo’s show the current conditions of the meadow which is quite flooded at the moment.  Mosquitoes still haven’t arrived in the high country, but were quite viscous at the campground.

It wasn’t really a photo trip for me so I didn’t shoot too much.  Though I still managed to get myself up at 4:00 am on a couple days and go looking for images.  Didn’t end up with anything interesting.

Tuolumne meadows yosemite landscape

Photo: Sunrise from a flooded Tuolumne meadows, Yosemite, California.

Tuolumne meadows yosemite landscape

Photo: Dawn reflection on Tuolumne Meadows, Yosemite, California.

Hadselfjorden – Norway

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Hadselfjorden vesteralen norway

Photo: Autumn storms over mountains of Vesterålen while traveling on Hurtigruten ferry through Hadselfjorden, Norway. Sept 2009

I think Hadselfjorden is not really a fjord but a straight, separating some of the Vesterålen islands and a bit of Lofoten as well.  But in Norwegian, if its made of salt water, and you can see land from it, they call it a fjord. Forget about firths, bays, straights, bights, coves, channels, etc.  Fjord it is in Norway. (Yes, I know this is not totally true.  I’m attempting to be slightly humorous.  No need to correct me.)

I usually have pretty good luck with dramatic light and stormy weather while traveling along the Norwegian coast, making it one of my favorite ways to get up and down the country.  Maybe its just always stormy.  These images are from one autumn afternoon while traveling on the Hurtigruten from Sortland to Stamsund. 

 

Stormy seas of Hadselfjord, Vesteralen, Norway

Dramatic skies over rising mountain peaks of Vesteralen viewed from Hadselfjord, Norway

Steep mountains rise from sea, Lofoten islands, Norway

Dramatic light over mountains of vesteralen as viewed from Hurtigruten

Moonrise over Vestfjord

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Full moon rising over Vestfjord, Stamsund, Lofoten islands, Norway

Photo: Full moon rises over Vestfjord on a calm autumn evening, Stamsund, Lofoten islands, Norway.  Oct 2009

The last month has been pretty slow for me so I’ve been processing some older stuff to send into my agencies.  Mostly its crap that I passed over for a reason, but I’ve found a few decent images here and there.  I think looking back on work after a year or two gives a different perspective than that of immediately after the trip.  Perhaps the separation of time means I look more at the image alone, without the added memories or emotions that may be associated with it.  Or maybe I was simply going for a particular look or theme immediately after a trip.  Whereas now I can look back and figure if its a halfway decent photo, I might as well see if my agency wants it.  Though I’m sure there are slightly more productive things that I should be doing, like writing a business plan that will hopefully allow me a work visa for Norway.