Lofoten Islands Arctic Winter Photo Tour

10.02.2020 - 17.02.2020 Lofoten | Cody Duncan adventure, excursion, landscape, light, nature, photography, travel, weather 4100 USD

In our Lofoten Islands Arctic Winter Photo Tour, we spend a week photographing the best landscape the islands have to offer. Norway’s Lofoten Islands are a near dreamlike landscape of rugged mountain peaks rising directly from the deep blue sea. Located 200 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle, Lofoten is a true land of the midnight sun, where it will circle the summer sky without setting – or not rise at all during the dark months of winter. With the northern lights dancing over the islands from September to April and the temperate currents of the gulf stream softening the deep freeze of the Arctic, Lofoten has become a coveted winter photography destination in recent years. And beyond the landscape, the coast of Lofoten is lined with scenic fishing villages and their traditional Rorbu cabins, often perilously situated on the rocky shoreline.

We will split our base camps between Sakrisøy in the Reine area, with glacial carved granite peaks just outside the door and Hattvika Lodge in Ballstad, Lofoten’s largest working fishing village to this day. In both locations, we stay in traditional Rorbuer cabins, used by Lofoten’s fishermen for generations. From each location, we are only a stone’s throw away from innumerable photo opportunities, and at times, we may simply choose to go and explore by foot. Should the weather cooperate with clear skies, then we’ll have many locations in reach for photographing the dance of the northern lights as they fill the sky over snowy mountain peaks and wild beaches.

ACCOMMODATION

We will split the workshop between two locations: Sakrisøy, on Moskenesøy, and Leknes, on Vestvågøy. We stay in the traditional Rorbuer which has two private rooms and they share a bathroom, kitchen and a living room.

ITINERARY

Day 1 – Arrival on Lofoten

You will be picked up in the early afternoon in Leknes. With sunset occurring around 18:00, we will have some time to explore and visit a beach or two as we slowly make our way west to our accommodation in the scenic yellow Rorbu cabins on Sakrisøy.

Lofoten Days 2 - 4

Allowing for flexibility of local weather conditions, we will spend these days focusing on the western areas of Lofoten. We will shoot sunrises in Reine, with the iconic peak of Olstind rising from the fjord in front of us. Seek out unique areas of the coast to capture waves crashing against jagged rocks and visit Å, the last village on Lofoten, where we will watch the sun disappear behind distant mountains.

With the fantastic beaches of Flakstadøy just a short drive away, we always an opportunity to shoot something interesting, especially with the textures formed by a layer of black sand on Skagsanden beach. Further east we also have the beaches of Myrland and Storsandnes, with an endless amount of locations in-between.

Lofoten Days 5 - 7

Leaving our base at Sakrisøy, we head east to Leknes on Vestvågøy, in the centre of Lofoten. From here we will focus our attention on the scenic beaches of Uttakleiv, Haukland, and Vik, which we will hopefully find covered in a fresh layer of snow. We will go on some short walks to get to lesser-known viewpoints and explore some other hidden areas of the island.

Day 8 - Departing Lofoten

The tour ends at 12:00 with your departure from Leknes airport.

Nights - Aurora Photography

At night we will keep watch for the arrival of the northern lights. Each of our accommodation locations has scenic views of the nearby area, so If we are lucky with Aurora on numerous nights, we will be able to photograph a number of different compositions.

Flexibility

The nature of winter on Lofoten requires a great deal of flexibility to the local conditions once on the Islands. Cody will use his knowledge and experience of Lofoten to provide the group with the best experience possible.

Meals

Meals are not included in this workshop. We can decide as a group whether we want to taste local cuisine in restaurants or cook meals ourselves. We will buy supplies for breakfasts and lunch, but always have the option of stopping for a bite to eat at a cosy cafe as we travel around the islands.

Good to know:

The Photo Tour will officially begin in Leknes and end in Leknes. Please schedule your arrival as close as possible to the first date of the workshop. Most flights arrive in Leknes around noon.

Pickup/drop-off will be available at Leknes airport or city centre.

Physical Ability:

The tour is open to all ability levels, but please note that winter on Lofoten generally involves lots of snow and ice. While this is not a hiking tour, we will be as active as conditions allow and make short walks to beaches and potentially hike up small 100-200 meter hills.

Getting to Lofoten:

From within Europe, SAS airlines fly to Lofoten from a multitude of destinations. From North America, Norwegian airlines offer good value flights to Norway from the west and east coasts, however, flights to Lofoten will have to be booked via SAS/Widerøe airlines. 

Cancellation and refund policy

If you cancel and the Workshop is otherwise filled, we will refund you the full amount you have paid towards the tuition, minus a $150 service charge. If you cancel and the Workshop does not fill, then you will be refunded according to the following schedule, based on the full fee of the Workshop:

Greater than 90 days from the start date of the Workshop: full refund minus $150 fee.

75 days: 75% refund

60 days: 50% refund

Less than 60 days: no refund

Refunds will be paid by the same method that the original payment was made.

Refunds will be initiated within 72 hours of the time that the request is approved.

Lofoten Islands Arctic Winter Photo Tour
Cody Duncan