Autumn in the Lofoten Islands Photo Gallery

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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.

Isle of Skye – Coire na Creiche

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Waterfall at Fairy Pools, Coire na Creiche, Isle of Skye, Scotland

River at Coire na Creiche, Glenbrittle, Isle of Skye.  Better known as the location of the ‘Fairy pools,’ a series of crystal blue pools of water and waterfalls flowing out of the rugged peaks of the Black Cuillins.  It had been raining for a week strait prior to my visit so the ‘pools’ were are bit more like rapids than normal, but at least I got lucky with a bit of sun on a short November day.

Waterfall at Fairy Pools, Coire na Creiche, Isle of Skye, Scotland

Waterfall at Fairy Pools, Coire na Creiche, Glenbrittle, Isle of Skye, Scotland

Kungsleden Photo Gallery

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Kungsleden mountain landscape, Singi, Lapland, Sweden

Kungsleden photo gallery: Click here

I’ve created a image gallery from my hike on the northern section of the Kungsleden trail in Swedish Lapland.  Weather was pretty bad – Sept 17 was the first day I was snowed on – so most of the pictures are of clouds.  When I go back again one of these years, I think I would like to be there for the beginning of September.  Though I was told that the autumn/winter came early last year and that it was colder than normal, so maybe I just had a bit of bad luck.  Still, it’s an amazing place so I would not complain about going back and wandering around for a few weeks.

Panoramic landscape stock photography: Mountain landscape, Kungsleden, Lapland, Sweden

Outdoor lifestyle photo - Solo hiker on Kungsleden trail, Lapland, Sweden

Brecon Beacons Winter Photo Gallery

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Pen Y Fan at dawn winter snow, Brecon Beacons, Wales

Brecon Beacons December 2009 photo gallery

I’ve uploaded about 40 new photos so far from the mountains after the snow in December.  I made a few trips up Corn Du and Pen Y Fan and once up Fan Fawr.  Recently added photos appear at the top of the gallery, which I’ll still be adding to during the next weeks as I get more photos processed.  There’s also a few old photos from 2006, you can tell which ones they are as there’s no snow.

Fan Fawr with winter snow, Brecon Beacons national park, Wales

Corn Du – Brecon Beacons

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Panoramic landscape photography: Corn Du hidden in clouds, Brecon Beacons, Wales

View from Pen Y Fan of Corn Du partially hidden in Clouds, Brecon Beacons, Wales.  December 21, 2009

Super cold and lots of snow, but the winds were calm. The clouds were slowly blowing over the summits creating total whiteouts with occasional moments of visibility. Would have been easy to get lost if I wasn’t familiar with the area.

Lofoten Islands – Kjerkfjord

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Landscape travel stock photography: Kjerkefjorden, Reine, Lofoten islands, Norway

Kjerkfjord as seen from near Reine, Lofoten islands, Norway.

This is the light at around 1:30 pm on the afternoon of January 6, the first day since mid December where the sun once again appears on the horizon at 68˚ north.  Got lucky to have calm winds and mostly clear skies on this day.  Imagine more or less the same light like this lasting for hours.  Magical.

Brecon Beacons Winter

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We’ve had a fair bit of snow here in the south of Wales (and the UK as a whole, causing quite a bit of chaos) over the last week (snowing right now as well).  My current location is right on the edge of the Brecon Beacons national park, so it’s been nice to get up into the hills over the last days.  On Sunday and Monday I was up on Pen Y Fan and Corn Du.  Tuesday was a wonderful day up on Fan Fawr and this morning (Wednesday) was a dawn patrol run up Pen Y Fan and Corn Du again in hopes of a nice sunrise, which never materialized.

Brecon beacons national park winter snow december 2009 Panoramic landscape photo

Panoramic image of view from Pen Y Fan looking towards Cribyn.  Sunday was a day of 50-60  mph winds blasting across the summits and ridges throwing snow everywhere.  A layer of clouds sat about 200 meters above the mountains forming a constantly changing show of light and shadow.  A constant struggle to keep the lens free from spindrift – actually better to keep the lens hood off, as it would create some weird wind vortex that would bring more snow.

Brecon beacons national park winter snow december 2009. Pen Y Fan in clouds

Pen Y Fan concealed behind clouds as seen from Corn Du.  Monday was a much calmer day with slow moving clouds forming over the summits and then clearing again.

Black Cuillins – Isle of Skye

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Panoramic landscape photography - Black Cuillin Hills, Glenbrittle, Isle of Skye, Scotland

Black Cuillin Hills as viewed from Glenbrittle, Isle of Skye, Scotland.

Kungsleden – Sweden

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Kungsleden, Sweden: Panoramic landscape photo of autumn snow

September snow falls on mountains along the Kungsleden trail, Sweden.

Kungsleden

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Kungsleden trail, Sweden: Panoramic landscape photo from Tjaektja

Typical weather during my 10 days on the Kungsleden trail.  View from near Tjaektja hut, looking north up the Alisvaggi towards Alesjaure.

The landscape is totally amazing and beautiful, despite the weather.  Barren rugged mountains with rivers and waterfalls everywhere.  Most of the northern section of the trail is above the tree line.

(working on some small netbook, so not too sure about the color.  Hope its not too bad.)