Lofoten Coast

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Lofoten islands, Norway

Photo: Stormy sky and sea on Lofoten Islands coast.  Sept. 2011

I think at some point this month I’ll make a post with a photo from every day from my last Lofoten trip just so everyone can get a better sense of what the days are like over a week or more.  (Hint: lots of clouds, rain, wind).  This image is from the first set I made and shows the conditions I arrived to.  I found a slightly sheltered area among the rocks that kept the wind down as good as could be in the situation.  The main problem was that I was facing into the wind with passing rain, so I could only manage an image or two before having to clean my lens.

Too Close to the Sea

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Utakleiv beach, Lofoten islands, Norway

Photo: Utakleiv, Lofoten islands, Norway. Oct 2011

I’m pretty good at watching waves, but there are times while trying to push things to the very edge that I wait a little too long and have to go running.

Here are a couple outtakes from being a little too close to the elements.  In the first series I managed to grab my tripod and hop away onto another rock with only slightly wet shoes.  In the second set I was able to shield my camera, but was basically given a salt water shower as the wave crashed over me.  I was in a safe place behind a small jetty, but had to dry myself off by the fire for a bit.

Photo out take

Stormy sea lofoten islands

Photo: Stormy sea along rocky coast, Stamsund, lofoten Islands, Norway. Oct 2011

Wave

Unstad – Lofoten Islands

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Unstad beach, Lofoten Islands, Norway

Photo: Last light at Unstad beach, Lofoten Islands, Norway. Oct 2011

Yttersand – Lofoten Islands

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yttersand lofoten islands norway

Photo: Yttersand, Lofoten Islands, Norway. Oct. 2011

Despite appearances of a pleasant sunny day, it was raining 6 minutes after I too this image.

Utakleiv – Lofoten Islands

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Utakleiv beach, Lofoten islands, Norway

Photo: Low tide and stormy skies at Utakleiv beach, Lofoten Islands, Norway. September 2011

Utakleiv is one of the places where I can return to again and again and always find something new.  The only thing that I never seem to see there is the sun.  I’m sure it does shine from time to time, just not whenever I happen to be around.  As much as I would like to take a photo of the bright sand and crystal blue water with a nice sky full of puffy white clouds, I think this will always remain hidden from me.

So I must be content with the dark, moody days at Utakleiv.  Always watching the sky to see how much longer I can shoot until the next rain shower arrives and I’m completely soaked.  Waiting for a lull in the wind so I can hopefully get a sharp image.  Timing the waves so I can stand right on the edge of the sea and not walk away with wet feet (though I often do).

I think I work best under these conditions, on the edge of the elements.  Bad weather makes good photos I keep telling myself, perhaps hoping that if I say it enough it will become true.  And perhaps to keep my mind from wandering to a warm fire and hot cup of tea as I stand there cold and wet waiting for light that may never arrive.

Here’s a few images from a couple different days in Sept/Oct.

Utakleiv beach, Lofoten islands, Norway

 

Utakleiv beach, Lofoten islands, Norway

 

Utakleiv beach, Lofoten islands, Norway

 

Utakleiv beach, Lofoten islands, Norway

Lofoten Islands – Autumn 2011 Photos

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Lofoten islands, Norway

Photo: Dark skies over Vestfjord, Stamsund, Lofoten Islands, Norway.

—-CLICK HERE— To go to the Lofoten autumn gallery.

It’s taken a few months, but I’m finally getting a few photos online (60 so far) from my Sept/Oct trip to the islands.  I’ll keep updating things over the next weeks as well, so keep checking back!

Overall it was quite a stormy, yet warm autumn.  Often there was a southwest wind which brings an awful misty rain much of the time, especially on the days I was hoping to go out camping.  Overall, Norway had the warmest November in 111 years.  There was one brief night of snow a week into October, but nothing like the cold I experienced in 2009.  So no pics of nice snow capped mountains this year.

I found myself struggling against wind and mist or rain nearly every day, often with only brief moments of better weather.  A few days into the trip a big gale arrived that cleared most of the trees of their leaves, leaving the forests mostly barren and ugly looking.   This led me to have a greater focus on seascapes that I was originally intending, but that is how it goes in the north.  And despite the weather, I still managed a fantastic afternoon up on Reinebringen and on my last night conditions were near perfect for shooting the best Northern Lights that I’ve seen thus far.

I often get asked for info about travel and photography on the islands.  My best piece of advice is to give yourself as much time as possible, the islands need lots of it.

 

Reinebringen, Lofoten islands, Norway

Photo: Hiker on Reinebringen with Kjerkfjord in background, Lofoten Islands, Norway

Lofoten Islands Travel Article

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Reinebringen View Lofoten Islands Hiking

Photo: View over Kjerkfjord from Reinebringen, Lofoten Islands, Norway. Oct. 2011

A few months back I wrote an article about the Lofoten Islands for a new travel website.  As I’ve been on the road, I never got around to posting a link, so here it is finally.  Give it a read and let me know what you think.  Though please don’t try and tell me I have a future in writing.

SWITCHBACK TRAVEL – Lofoten Islands by Cody Duncan

Lofoten islands article

 

Lofoten Islands mountain landscape

Photo: Maervoll, Lofoten Islands, Norway. Oct. 2011

Northern Lights Over Lofoten Islands, Norway

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Lofoten islands, Norway Northern Lights

Photo: Northern lights fill sky over Lofoten Islands, Norway.

October 8, 2011. It was my final night after another two weeks on the Lofoten islands.  There had been a couple minor displays of the northern lights but for the most part these nights were cloudy and stormy, blocking any aurora that would normally be visible.  Finally on my last night the conditions seemed perfect; clear sky and only a calm breeze.  As the hours of darkness passed I would take a look outside in hopes of aurora.  8:00, nothing.  9:00, nothing.  10:00, nothing.  10:30, a bit of something!  Fingers crossed.

By 11:00 the night sky was filled with the best aurora that I’ve ever seen.  Horizon to horizon, the whole sky was dancing with light for a full hour.  I stood out on the edge of the sea, waves gently crashing ageist the rocks, and photographed into the night.  And it was one of those moments I wished I had 20 arms and 10 cameras, as there was so much going on I didn’t know where to point my camera first.  Needless to say, it was a good farewell I was given by the north.

Lofoten islands, Norway northern lights

Photo: Aurora Borealis over mountains of Lofoten Islands, Norway

 

Lofoten islands, Norway aurora borealis

Photo: Aurora Borealis over mountains of Lofoten Islands, Norway

 

Lofoten islands, Norway northern lights

Photo: Northern Lights fill sky, Lofoten Islands, Norway

 

Lofoten islands, Norway northern lights

Photo: Northern Lights in sky over rocky coastline at Stamsund, Lofoten Islands, Norway

 

Travel Updates – In Wales

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Northern lights lofoten islands october 2011

Photo: Northern lights over Lofoten Islands, Norway.  Oct 8, 2011

It’s been quite a bit of time since my last post.  I’ve been on the road for the last 2.5 months in northern and eastern Europe.  I really tried to get some blogging done, but every time I pulled out the crappy little netbook that I had, I felt more like throwing it in the ocean than trying to get any work done.

The trip started with 2 weeks on the Lofoten islands, with a spectacular display of the northern lights on my final night.  I next spent 25 hours on 3 train to reach Stockholm.  Then I took the overnight ferry along with hoards of drunk Finns to Helsinki and immediately took another ferry to Tallinn, Estonia.  I had meant to travel through the Baltics about 5 years ago, so this part of the trip was long overdue.  I spent 2 weeks heading south via Riga, Klaipeda, and Vilnius before an epic bus ride to far south east of Poland.  In Poland I hiked around the Biesczszady and high Tatra mountains, taking advantage of an unusually warm and dry autumn in Europe this year.  After Poland was a journey through the Czech Republic, visiting some old favorite cities of Olomouc and Cesky Krumlov.  Finally it was another 2 weeks in Germany visiting old friends and a bit of bouldering.

I’m in and around Wales for the next couple months.  Will make a journey out the the Western Isles for the new year again and maybe another journey in late Jan out to Orkney.  I’m also working on possible plans for a Lofoten trip in Feb.

The blog should more or less be back to normal now (not that many people read it anyhow) and I’ve lots of photos and stories to post from the last couple months.

Tallinn, Estonia

Photo: Main square, Tallinn, Estonia

 

High Tatra mountains, Poland

Photo: High Tatra mountains, Poland

 

Frankenjura Bouldering

Photo: Bouldering, Frankenjura, Germany

PDN Great Outdoors 2011 Contest Winner

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PDN great outdoors contest winning image 2011

My image from Haukland beach, Lofoten Islands was selected as a finalist in the 2011 PDN Great Outdoors photo contest.  It was printed in the Sept. issue and now the contest website is live.  I’m quite honored to appear next to quite a few other photographers whom I myself admire.

CLICK HERE:  for 2011 PDN Great Outdoor photo contest

Not to promote myself too much, but if you’re interested in purchasing a print of this image: CLICK HERE