EXPLORING  WINTER – LOFOTEN PHOTO WORKSHOP

February  14-21, 2016

Lofoten in winter. A time when waves wash over snow covered beaches and northern lights fill the sky above jagged, icy peaks rising directly from the sea. A place where the mountains can glow pink from sunrise to sunset, or where dark clouds herald the arrival of a fierce storm. The villages, with their scenic Rorbu cabins precariously placed on rocky outcrops, the sea lapping at their feet.

If you are reading these words, then you don’t need to be convinced on why you have to come to Lofoten, to the Islands that are called some of the world’s most beautiful over and over again. Join this workshop and you’ll have the excitement of preparing yourself for 8 days and 7 nights dedicated to photographing all that is winter on Lofoten.

The workshop’s guiding and instruction will be provided by Cody Duncan.

For booking or questions, contact: workshops@codyduncan.com

WORKSHOP DETAILS AND ARRIVAL

Group size: 6 participants + guide

Current Availability: Limited places Available

Accommodation: We will split the workshop between two locations: Ramberg, on Flakstadøy, and Unstad, on Vestvågøy.

Our accommodation in Ramberg is at Friisgården, a historically listed building located in the heart of the village. Accommodation will be in shared double occupancy rooms and shared bathroom facilities. No single supplement available.

In Unstad we will stay at Unstad Camping, a stone’s throw away from the famous surfing beach. Here we will share a cabin for our stay.

Physical Ability: The tour is open to all ability levels, but please note that winter on Lofoten generally involves lots of snow and ice. We will make short walks to beaches and potentially hike up small 100-200 meter hills if the group is interested.

The workshop will officially begin in Leknes at 14:00 on Sunday, February 14 and end in Leknes at 14:00 on Sunday, February 21. Pickup/drop-off will be available at the airport and in the city center.

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

PRICING AND BOOKING

Workshop price: 3,450 Euros TOUR NO LONGER AVAILABLE

Deposit: 865 Euros

The deposit is required to reserve your place on the workshop. Deposit is non refundable. Full payment is due 60 days before workshop.

Payments will be made by bank transfer.

Please note: Before booking any travel to Lofoten, make sure you have paid your deposit for the trip.

For booking or questions, contact: workshops@codyduncan.com

ITINERARY

Day 1 – Arrival

You will be picked up in early afternoon in Leknes. With sunset occurring around 16:00, we will head off to one of the famous beaches at Uttakleiv or Haukland, hopefully covered in a nice layer of snow. After dark, we’ll travel 45 minutes west to our accommodation at Ramberg. After dinner, we’ll keep watch for northern lights.

Days 2 – 5

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

Being centrally based in Ramberg, we will also have the fantastic beach of Skagsanden just a couple minutes away. There is always an opportunity to shoot something interesting here, especially with the textures formed by a layer of black sand. Further east we also have the beaches of Myrland and Storsandnes, with an endless amount of locations in-between.

On one of the days (weather permitting), we will take a private Rib boat ride to the isolated village of Vindstad. From here we have the option of making the 1 hour journey to fantastic Bunes beach, a place few people venture to in winter.

Days 6 – 8

Leaving our base at Ramberg, we will now head east to Unstad, the famous beach on the north side of Vestvågøy. Here, we will have no shortage of image possibilities right out the door, the rocky beach being the biggest draw of course. We will also re-visit the beaches at Uttakleiv and Haukland as well as explore some off-the-beaten-track locations.

Nights

Each night we will keep watch for the arrival of the northern lights. From Ramberg, it is a quick hop to Skagsanden beach, which is one of Lofoten’s better northern lights locations. If we are lucky with aurora on numerous nights, then we will venture further afield, to capture as much variety as possible.

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.

WORKSHOP PRICE INCLUDES

Accommodation – 5 nights in Friisgården, Ramberg, Flakstadøy. 2 nights in cabins at Unstad Camping, Unstad, Vestvågøy.

All main meals – breakfast, packed lunch, and dinner. (With the exception of day 1 – dinner only , and day 8 – breakfast only)

All transportation on Lofoten, including Leknes airport pickup and drop off in large passenger van.

Boat tour to Vindstad/Kjerkfjord (weather permitting).

Professional photography and location guiding by Cody Duncan, one of Lofoten’s most experienced outdoor photographers.

Complimentary downloads of both Cody Duncan’s eBooks: Seasons on Lofoten – Winter, Seasons on Lofoten – Summer.

NOT INCLUDED

Air travel to and from Leknes.

Insurance: travel insurance in mandatory for this trip. Tour guides and trip organizers will use their best knowledge to keep all participants safe, but will not be held responsible for any personal or equipment injury which might occur. Insurance needs to cover any emergency medical treatment and transport, related to the tour or not, which may occur.

Micro spike type device for shoes/boots are required. We will often be in the vicinity of ice and snow. These will help keep you on your feet.

Alcoholic drinks.

Snacks and food outside of designated meals.

Any drinks outside of designated meals.

Anything else not mentioned.

WHAT TO BRING

Photography Gear

Camera – Any camera welcome, but a full frame DSLR or mirrorless will give you the best performance in the low light of winter.
Tripod – A strong tripod that can tolerate the frequently windy and stormy conditions of winter.
Lenses – A selection of lenses from 14 to 200mm is recommended. A fast wide angle f/2.8 or faster is beneficial for shooting northern lights, should they appear.
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.

Clothing

You will need to be prepared for cold, winter conditions. For a detailed clothing list, see my article: What to Wear

ABOUT CODY

Cody Duncan is one of the most experienced photographers working on Lofoten today. Since first falling in love with the Islands as a young backpacker in 2001, he has now returned to Lofoten more than 20 times combined for well over a year spent on the Islands. In 2010 he created the website 68 North to showcase his ever growing Lofoten portfolio which has now become one of the best photography and travel resources available today. In 2015 Cody published the first two photography guides focused on the unique seasonal nature of the Islands, drawing upon his years of experience exploring hidden corners and lonely mountain tops across Lofoten.

Cody was born and raised in Santa Barbara, California. Spending many of his early years surfing the cold waters of the Pacific, just down the road from his childhood home. His early 20’s saw him turn his focus to the mountains, soloing numerous 4000+ meter peaks in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains. As his photography career developed, he soon found himself spending more time in the wild landscapes and turbulent weather of northern Europe. Cody’s images have been published by: National Geographic, Men’s Journal, Sunset Magazine, Lonely Planet Magazine, GEO Saison, British Airways High Life, BBC Countryfile, and numerous calendars, travel guides, and more.

Cody now lives in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.

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.