ARCTIC SOLSTICE  – LOFOTEN OUTDOOR PHOTO WORKSHOP

ITINERARY

The goal of this workshop is to experience the magic of the midnight sun while hiking to some of Lofoten’s most iconic mountain views. Along the way, instruction will be given on how to compose and photograph a variety of mountain scenes, as well as learning about efficient packing and choosing the right gear for the right destination.

Weather cooperating, we visit 3-4 mountains ranging from 400-600 meters in height. While none of the routes are difficult, a moderate level of physical fitness is required with at least some previous hiking experience.

On a typical hiking day, we will begin our journey around 21:00 and return to the car around 03:00. If the light is still good, we may visit an easier roadside destination before finally returning to our accommodation for some sleep.

As it will never be dark, we don’t plan on any camping. However, weather permitting, some open air mountain naps might be possible from time to time.

The nature of Lofoten requires a great deal of flexibility to the local weather conditions once on the Islands, so we will typically pick our planned destination only a few hours ahead of time. If the weather is too stormy and moody for the mountains, we will focus on coastal areas and hidden beaches of the Islands, taking shelter among the cliffs.

As this workshop takes place in the height of summer, the northern lights will unfortunately not be visible.

Day 1

Arrival on Lofoten: Saturday, June 18

You will be picked up in early afternoon in Leknes. We will first head to our accommodation to drop off baggage and pack our bags for hiking. As there is no night, we might begin our first hike this day if the weather is promising.

Days 2 – 6

We will switch our body clocks to become nocturnal. The majority of our outside time will be from mid evening until the early morning hours. We will typically attempt to sleep from mid morning to early afternoon.

Mountain hikes are planned for 3 days on this trip, allowing us some flexibility to wait for ideal conditions. Our goal is to spend the hours around midnight away from the road and up in the mountains.

Depending on the conditions each day, we will decide to head either east or west in search of the best light and conditions.

On rest/weather days, we will explore some of Lofoten’s iconic and easier to reach beaches and views.

Day 7

Departing Lofoten: Friday, June 24

The tour will officially end at 12:00 in Leknes. However, all attempts will be made to best accommodate transport to your departing flights or ferry.

WHAT TO BRING

Photography Gear

You will need a camera bag which is suitable for mountain hiking. This means it should not be overly heavy, while having enough room to carry your camera gear, extra clothing and some food/water.

Camera – Any camera welcome, but a full frame DSLR or mirrorless camera with manual mode will give you the best performance.
Tripod – A light tripod that you are able to take hiking is preferred.
Lenses – A selection of lenses from 14 to 200mm is recommended.
Filters – This is somewhat to shooting style, but I heavily recommend a set of neutral density filters, covering: 3, 6, and 10 stops.
Cable Release – Cable or remote camera release, preferably with ability to lock in bulb mode for long exposures.
Camera Cover – It is likely we will encounter some adverse weather on Lofoten, so you want to be able to cover your camera and keep shooting.
Lens cleaning – Some locations can be exposed to sea spray. I recommend a combination of pre-moistened disposable lens wipes (Zeiss and Nikon make some) and dry cleaning tissues. I find microfiber cloths don’t handle the maritime conditions and quickly become unusable.
Storage – Bring plenty of memory cards to last for multiple days of shooting.
Batteries – Bring enough batteries to last for several days of shooting.

Clothing

The focus of this workshop is to explore Lofoten’s scenic and wild mountains and valleys. While I will do my best to avoid as much bad weather as possible, we will likely end up with rain at some point.

This means you will need to be fully waterproof (upper and lower) as well as having enough insulation to handle potentially cool, damp conditions and wind.

Proper hiking footwear prepared for muddy trails is also a requirement for this trip, as we will be spending much of our time away from the road. In addition to good shoes, you will want to have extra socks on hand in case your feet do get wet. I would suggest having 2 pairs per day.

For a detailed clothing list, see my article: What to Wear

FINE PRINT

Travel insurance is mandatory. Sample insurance providers are. World Nomads, Medjet Assist, ADAC.

Travel insurance needs to cover any medical emergencies or accidents before, during and in transit to the workshop. Any situation which would require you to cancel the tour before or during the trip. Any loss or damage to your luggage or photography equipment.

Deposit is non-refundable.

Any cancelations will be fully refunded (minus deposit) up to 90 days before tour. After that, no refunds available.

Tour itinerary is subject to change due to any potentially unforeseen circumstances, such as weather cancelations, etc.

If tour itself is cancelled by the operator, then full refunds (including deposit) will be given to all participants.