Norway - Lofoten

Intro

I finally decided to embark on a much-anticipated visit to the breathtaking Lofoten archipelago. Although I have been traveling to Norway numerous times throughout my career, I had never really taken the opportunity to focus on photography during those trips. In my honest opinion, Norway stands out as one of the most photogenic places you can ever visit, no matter what time of year it happens to be. Depending on your specific interests in capturing stunning visuals (mine, of course, revolves around the awe-inspiring landscapes), the real magic of this region truly begins in the south, around Stavanger and Bergen, and extends all the way to the north, reaching Tromsø. A particularly noteworthy feature of this incredible area is the line of mountains known as Skanderna (or Skanderna in Swedish), which spans across both Sweden and Norway. However, it's important to note that the views and drama found on the Norwegian side are undeniably more intense and captivating.

How to get here

You can reach the stunning Lofoten archipelago by various means of transportation, including by car, sea, or air. However, for the majority of travelers, I believe it is safe to say that reaching Lofoten by air is the most practical option. Personally, I opted to fly by plane, as driving would consume an excessive amount of time, even though it is indeed feasible. My journey took me from Copenhagen Airport to Oslo Airport, then to Bodø Airport, and finally landing at Leknes Airport. At this time, direct flights to the islands from Oslo are available, either to Leknes or Svolvær, offered by Widerøe airlines. Once you arrive at Bodø, you have the option to rent a car or take a boat, but be aware that the boat ride can take around 3-4 hours and may occur in sometimes rough sea conditions, so I personally didn't see the benefit of that option. The direct flight from Bodø to Leknes is relatively short, lasting about 25 minutes, but it is worth noting that it operates with a very small plane. Consequently, I had to leave my hand luggage outside of the aircraft to have it stowed along with the checked luggage, which was an unexpected but manageable inconvenience.

What to expect

I always have an idea of the landscape I want to shoot, so I did a lot of researching (Read Google) to find the magic time slot when I believed it would be perfect. My goal was snow capped mountains, snow in the surroundings but with snow free roads and good amount of day light hours, after my research i decided to go in early April since this is the time winter starts to loose its grip of Lofoten and spring is around the corner. But don’t let the word spring fool you, it can still be very cold and most hiking trails are still unexessive on higher elevations.

It turned out I nailed it, it was a perfect time and as a bonus its off season so almost no tourist. It was beautiful days with warm sunshine and colder days with dark clouds in a perfect mix.

Weather and Seasons

As I said before, don’t let the word spring fool you, the weather here can be very unpredictable since Lofoten is located in the Norwegian Sea/Atlantic and is well north of the arctic circle. I had days where a normal jacket was more than enough for shorter stays outdoor but most days demanded proper winter clothing. I live in Sweden so I am somewhat used to the cold but if you’re from a warmer place expect cold weather all the time (Around 0 degrees Celsius or 32 degrees Fahrenheit without the wind chill factor calculated). If you’re planning on taking night photos dress well since the nights are most defently cold.

• Winter (December - February): Winter in Lofoten can be very cold, with temperatures between -5°C to 3°C (23°F to 37°F). Even though the temperature is not extreme you must think of the wind factor. Its located in the ocean and the wind combined with moisture can be brutal. Winter also brings snow and darkness and what is know as Polar Night (7th of December to 5th January) days with almost zero sun hours in December. But the dark also makes it the best time to experience the Northern Lights.

  
  

• Spring (March - May): With spring comes milder temperatures, ranging from 1°C to 8°C (34°F to 46°F). You will still have snow capped mountains but the snow starts to melt on lower elevations.

  
  

• Summer (June - August): Summer is generally mild, with temperatures ranging from 10°C to 16°C (50°F to 61°F). Days are much longer with almost 24 hours of sunlight. This is also the time for the Midnight Sun (27th of May to 17th of July). Now is the time for hiking in the mountains.

  
  

• Autumn (September - November): Autumn is when its starts to get cooler with temperatures from 5°C to 11°C (41°F to 52°F). Leaves starts to change color and daylight starts to fade away.

  
  

I highly recommend Cody Duncans website 68 North for in deptht information about the seasons and Sunheron for excellent weather information such as sunhours, temperature and percipitation.

Getting around

I would say that renting a car is truly the only real and viable option while staying in the breathtaking area of Lofoten. You can conveniently pick one up right at the airport upon your arrival. However, please note that Leknes is a VERY small airport, and as such, external services like rental car companies are not staffed all the time. Therefore, it is highly recommended to book in advance to avoid any potential inconveniences, even if I suspect that they will generally be present when there is a scheduled arrival. Inside the same building or room—yes, it's not bigger than a simple room—you will find small desks with well known rental car dealers. In my particular case, there was a very friendly girl who was there waiting for me. I had spoken to her earlier by phone to ensure that everything was okay, which made the process feel personalized and reassuring. When it came time to return the car, the car key drop-off was just a simple mailbox located in the same spot. Overall, it was a very charming experience that I must say is nothing like renting a car at the larger, busier airports.

There is one major road in Lofoten, the E10, which starts in the south at Å and goes north thru Lofoten and than further into mainland Norway.

From E10 you can take different side tracks and most roads were easy to drive on in April.

Generally I would say the Norwegians are good in keeping their roads clear of snow.
If stopping along the road be careful and make SURE you actually have solid ground under the snow, you will be surprised how often I took one step outside the car and ended up with snow up to my knees !

What to wear

It really depends on what specific activities you’re planning to engage in during your adventure, but from a photographer’s point of view, it is essential to dress warmly. Even on seemingly sunny days, I found that my hands became painfully numb in a surprisingly short amount of time. When you factor in the biting wind, staying warm becomes even more crucial, as it can turn your outdoor experience into an uncomfortable ordeal. Always remember, especially when heading into the great outdoors, layering upon layering is truly king when it comes to maintaining comfort.

I recommend at least the following:

• Good hiking boots

• Thermal underwear

• Hiking pants

• Something warmer over your hiking pants

• Really good gloves, preferably thinner ones under a pair of thicker ones

• Hat

• Something around your neck against the wind

• Down jacket

Where to stay

Lofoten isn’t big and since there is only one major road the location where to stay is key ! Leknes airport and Leknes town is well situated in the centre of Lofoten, making it a well balanced starting point for adventures bort to the north and the south.

Expect to be on the road for many hours during your stay. I decided to stay outside of Leknes for a more comfy feeling and ended up with Solsiden Brygge in Ballstad. As everything in Lofoten, don’t expect London, most things here are run by locals and so are the hostels except a few options. Solsiden Brygge is lovely located at the dock with small fishing boats and fish drying in the air.

When I was there it was in the process of being renovated (Since it was off season) but I was upgraded to a already renovated room which was wonderful. I had nothing to complain about while staying here and highly recommend it, but don’t expect Hilton service, if you do then go to a Hilton but I would pick Solsiden Brygge any day !

Photography

So what to keep in mind when it comes to photography? First you must keep up with the weather and northern light forecasts. I use an app called Aurora Alerts but there are many to choose from. Regarding the weather yr.com is the place to visit. And you really need to keep an eye on these two before heading out.

If you have never done photography this far north its good pratice to have a large zip-bag for your camera.

It will get very cold and if you bring it indoors there is always a chance condensation, placing the camera in a zip-bag will make the condensation stick to the inside of the bag and not your camera.

Batteries also takes a punch by the cold so keep them in a pocket close to your body and they will last longer. Pointing out places where to take photos is almost pointless since there is a spot around every corner, but i have pointed out a few of my favourite places easily accessed by car down below. Famous places to go are:

• Hamnöy Bridge

• Skagsanden beach

• Uttakleiv beach

• Reine horn

Good to know

Lofoten Islands

Lofoten is an archipelago above the Arctic Circle that consists of seven principal islands arching off mainland Norway. Its located over 100 kilometers above the Arctic Circle.

Power Outlets

The plug type in Norway is Type C / Type F with 230V supply voltage and 50Hz. Any type of international to European adapter will work.

Payment

Norway is an extremely card-based country. Cash is rarely used and some shops/restaurants prefer not to accept it at all. Legally places like restaurants have to accept cash, but they may not keep a cash register and so may not have change. Most supermarkets takes cash.

Even though, it might be handy sometimes to have some cash available in case the bank terminal stops working, recommended is Norwegian kroner.