Arctic Photography on Senja

February - March 2019
Having visited Tromsø and the surrounding area in early December 2018 when photography wasn't the main reason for being there, a return trip had to be planned and this is it. Will the weather be kind? You'll just have to find out.
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  • 67photos
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  • 2.0kkilometers
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  • Travelling to Gatwick

    February 26, 2019 in England ⋅ 🌙 11 °C

    So this is it - a return trip to Norway flying from Gatwick to Tromsø to begin a photography adventure well inside the Arctic Circle.

    The journey begins, however, with a drive down to Gatwick and an overnight stay in a B&B in Horley. I stayed here in December when the focus was on surprising my daughter, Penny, with a trip to see the Aurora, sight whales, ride a dog sled and more. That was a truly amazing trip but the focus this time is photography. All the gear is packed - and within the weight limits - so tomorrow it's to the airport when the trip officially begins.

    I arrived in Horley just as the sun was setting. There'd been clear blue skies all day and at one point when travelling down the M40 the car reported 21c ... in February, in Britain. It must surely be a dream. The sun was setting low over the airport buildings, offering a really atmospheric view driving along the dual carriageway towards my destination. It was worthy of a first photo but no opportunities to capture one, not whilst driving.

    Tromsø isn't quite so warm of course. Guess it'll come as a bit if a shock!
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  • Day 1

    Gatwick Airport

    February 27, 2019 in England ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    After a lovely meal out with Penny last night the day started with my friend Liz collecting me from the B&B and then catching up over coffee. Liz then dropped me off at the airport in good time to catch my flight.

    Check-in almost went smoothly and was only interrupted when the motor on the baggage conveyor seized leaving my suitcase neither here nor there, but somewhere in between. After a while the bag was retrieved and checked-in at another desk. Phew! The tripod was in there and also other photographic accessories so it'd be bad if the case didn't make it. Oh, and some clothes and other things were in there of course!

    The flight left exactly on time and is now somewhere over the North Sea - not in Britain nor in Norway. Just somewhere in between.

    The plane has wi-fi too, hence why this footprint is posted from a great height.
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  • Day 1

    Tromsø

    February 27, 2019 in Norway ⋅ 🌬 0 °C

    The plane landed in Tromsø pretty much on time, perhaps even a few minutes early. As the plane descended through the clouds the surrounding air was full of snow rushing by and my first thought was the weather down there must be horrible. The pilot announced the landing could be bumpy due to strong winds then the plane descended to its destination. On final approach there was a good deal of buffeting, then the wheels touched the ground and all that was now needed was to stop. But each time the brakes were applied you could sense the wheels were skidding along due to the runway being covered with snow and ice. Engine breaking did the trick however and soon I was picking up the keys to the car - a Skoda similar to the one hired in December but the next model up: four wheel drive automatic with winter/studded tyres and heated everything. Just the ticket, so eight minutes later I was parking the car in the underground car park beneath the city and five minutes after that I was checking in to the hotel.

    Dinner was at a very nice pizzeria 50m from the hotel and afterwards I took a stroll through the streets to take in the air which was .... cold! Was that a hint of the Aurora just then? Indeed it was, but only the merest trace through a gap in the clouds and only for a moment or two. Soon it was snowing quite hard and the wind bitingly cold which meant it was time for a coffee back at the hotel to warm up.
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  • Day 2

    A Morning in Tromsø

    February 28, 2019 in Norway ⋅ ⛅ -4 °C

    The hotel where I was staying is called the Smarthotel and one thing that's smart about it is it provides a constant supply of free tea and coffee 24/7. That's why I knew I'd get that coffee when I got back so after the warm drink and a bit of a chill out it was time for bed. Ok, I know, coffee's not for bedtime but hey, the hotel wasn't quite smart enough to include hot chocolate in the deal and I was happy, so there you go.

    After an excellent night's sleep, despite that coffee of course, I woke to find it snowing. I had a four hour drive to get to get to Senja and the weather forecast was for snow, so I wasn't pleased to wake to white flakes gently falling past my window. Oh dear!

    The breakfast buffet was excellent and I was joined at the table by a Swiss couple who were in Norway for photography but for a couple of weeks, and had seen the Northern Lights for the first time the previous night, when I got snowed upon. They were trying their luck about 45 minutes drive away and had (sort of) clear skies. We compared our Aurora photos (I had a couple on my phone from Iceland) then went our separate ways. It all made breakfast really enjoyable and was a great start to the day.

    I decided to spend a little time in the city before I began my journey because while we ate our breakfast and chatted the snow had stopped, the clouds parted and it had become a lovely day. Having packed-up and checked-out I decided to take a stroll in the sunshine, pick up a few supplies and only then retrieve my trusty steed from the underground nuclear bunker .... err, I mean car park, of course. I must say though, it did look as though it might double-up for use in times of Armageddon.

    The panorama in this footprint was taken before I had a coffee (yes, more of the stuff) and if you zoom in near the other end of the bridge you can see the triangular church which Tromsø is known for. Soon I'd be driving across that bridge on my way to Senja but at the back of my mind I wondered if the weather would actually be okay and if I really should have left sooner, because snow was forecast after all. Too late to worry about that now!
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  • Day 2

    Travelling to Senja

    February 28, 2019 in Norway ⋅ ☀️ -3 °C

    It didn't take long to drive out of the city, Tromsø isn't all that big really so once across the bridge you turn right and head southward or, using traditional navigation techniques, toward the sun.

    The roads here aren't as quiet as Icelandic roads but they're not busy and once I'd crossed the bridge at Finnesness and started to cross the island of Senja, there was hardly any traffic at all.

    Any fears of bad weather and snow were unfounded - the conditions remained sunny and dry and even got better the further I drove. By the time I'd crossed Senja and almost reached my accommodation for the next three nights, the sky was perfectly clear and the late afternoon light simply gorgeous. It was cold of course. In Tromsø I think it was about -2c but as I crossed Senja the car showed -12c. Yep, it was that temperature when I stopped and took the photo with my hire car on show. Strange - it didn't actually feel that cold to be honest.

    I took the journey at a steady pace, no rush and kept strictly to the speed limits as I believe speeding fines are high in Norway. Anyway, why rush past all that stunning scenery?

    The first two photos here were taken when I stopped at a viewpoint and the second two as I traversed Senja. It seems Norway and Iceland are cast from the same mould as there is a sad lack of stopping places even when a view cries out for one.

    As I neared my destination for the day I suddenly realised that having that coffee before I left was probably not such a good idea. The light suddenly became amazing and now I wondered if I had enough time to take advantage of it.
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  • Day 2

    Arriving at Skaland, Senja

    February 28, 2019 in Norway ⋅ ☀️ -4 °C

    As I drove up that road (final photo of the last footprint) the golden light on the snow was amazing and it only confirmed why I'd wanted to visit an Arctic region again, but now I wondered if I'd be too late to catch this light at the location I knew was not far past the end of the tunnel - The Bergsbotn Viewpoint.

    You'll have just seen the view from there because the main photo of this footprint is the view I saw when I arrived ... and remember, apart from any Aurora photos that might come my way, all photos in this blog are taken with my phone. That view was awe inspiring and I set my tripod and camera and stayed capturing images while the light changed as the sun set and the colours on the mountains and reflections in the water continually changed. It is true to say on this occasion there definitely was (perfect) light at the end of the tunnel.

    Eventually I had to drag myself away to go to my hotel about ten minutes further on and when I arrived the sunset afterglow was in full swing. A quick phone panorama then I quickly picked up my key, checked meal times (only until 7pm), found my room then left to see if there were photo opportunities to be had. I drove back along the fjord where the water was calm and acting as a mirror against majestic snow-brushed mountains. I couldn't believe what I was seeing, I had only just arrived and had already been given perfect conditions in which to play. I am so lucky.

    It was almost completely dark as I drove back to the hotel for my meal but I arrived in good time for good food.

    The day wasn't over yet however ...
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  • Day 2

    Aurora Came to Dance

    February 28, 2019 in Norway ⋅ ⛅ -3 °C

    No, the day certainly wasn't over yet. I finished my meal then went outside to check the skies. The app I have on my phone had already suggested the chances for the Northern Lights tonight were good. So when I looked up there they were, dimly shimmering in the northern skies.

    I quickly went inside and layered up, picked the wide angle lenses I needed, checked the spare battery and travelled back towards the Bergsbotn Viewpoint - where else?

    Along the way I stopped where I'd taken the reflections photos earlier and here's what I saw. I stayed here a while until the lights died down then headed for the viewpoint. The lights were almost gone now but every now and then they would appear again so I stayed up there for quite some time, taking photos when the opportunity arose and basking in the -10c temperatures of a cold evening. I have photos from there of course and you can see them when I've processed and printed them. I processed this one especially for you to see.

    Eventually the predicted cloud cover arrived and took the lights away. I stayed a little longer but then it was around 11.30pm and time to warm up. Funnily, I never felt cold at all.

    What an amazing day and what have I done to deserve this, to experience the wonders of our planet in the way I have done today?

    I really hope you've enjoyed today's journey with me. Wow!
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  • Day 3

    Different Day, Different Weather

    March 1, 2019 in Norway ⋅ ❄️ -1 °C

    The clouds that brought the show to an end last night also brought snow and this morning there was a dusting over the cars - not just the cars of course but white on in white is kind've hard to spot! I had set the alarm for an early rise to catch the morning light, but having peeped out of the curtains at much too early o'clock I could see that a little longer in a cosy bed was all that was needed until breakfasttime. I made it so.

    You can see the grey clouds hanging heavy which when combined with a snowy landscape can make for some lovely images. Clear blue skies, like yesterday, aren't the favoured conditions for photography - there needs to be something more such as moody clouds, dramatic light after a storm or simply fantastic light like yesterday afternoon. The scene yesterday from the Bergsbotn Viewpoint was amazing, but a few clouds lit by the sunset-orange tones of the moment wouldn't have done any harm at all. It was still truly wonderful to see though.

    So, what will today bring? Snow showers are forecast therefore anything could happen. Let's find out.
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  • Day 3

    Sand, Snow and Meeting New People

    March 1, 2019 in Norway ⋅ ❄️ -2 °C

    My plan for today was to travel northwards from Skaland and explore the coast to find photographic locations en-route, or i-rute as they say in Norway. I didn't get very far though.

    To start the day I decided to go to the beach at the end of the Fv251, or turn right out the hotel and keep going until you can't. I'd spotted this as a possible location before the trip and as it was only ten minutes away it seemed like a good idea.

    I spent way too much time here trying to find photographic compositions that simply didn't become apparent. I should have cut my losses and moved on because I ended up spending way too much time here. I have photos but I'll be surprised if they come to much.

    The highlights of this location were the sign for the toilets, the toilets themselves (check the photos) and the people I met here.

    I never thought of landscape photography as a social event but here I met a German couple who'd rented a house for two weeks using Skaland as a base for their photography. We chatted for ages about where we'd been, photography and photo related stuff. It was amazing how many locations in different countries we'd both been to. They left and I attempted a couple more photos, got nowhere then as I walked back to the car, I met another German who was on a Senja photo trip. Again we chatted for a while and I was amazed to discover he intended to walk up a mountain that night and would be camping there to hopefully catch the Aurora and maybe the sunrise tomorrow. When I mentioned the cold his answer was, "It's probably warmer in my tent than sleeping in the car." Okay, he was twenty-something but even so, neither of those choices would ever have been on my list of things to do in Norway in winter. I was kind've impressed though, even if I did think he was bonkers.
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  • Day 3

    Tungeneset Viewpoint

    March 1, 2019 in Norway ⋅ ☁️ -1 °C

    I drove away from the beach, passing my hotel then turning left to go through a long tunnel to pop out at Steinfjord. Not all that much further on from there is the Tunganeset Picnic Site but I think it sounds better if you call it a Viewpoint because you go there to view the Devil's Teeth mountains ... oh, and have a picnic I guess. The phone picture here gives the general idea but the reason photographers visit is because of the large rock pools which are great for reflections. Sorry, I should have taken a reflection shot for you and I neglected to. I ended up staying here until I needed to go back to the hotel to eat: Mexican buffet - really good.

    I took a number of 'proper' photos here and one which I particularly like and will undoubtedly enter into competitions. You see, while I was taking my photos there were other photographers there too then they left, leaving just one who was concentrating on photographing the waves breaking over the rocks. He ended up posing in one of my photos for me and was the perfect solitary figure on the rocks, with the Devil's Teeth behind. I really like it and hopefully you will too.

    My 'model' was also from Germany, travelling on his own because his wife 'hates the cold.' I wonder how many German photographers are left in Germany right now.

    The second image here represents me trying to capture the evening light over the mountains. I almost didn't include it because I don't think it's all that good, but hopefully I have better versions on the 'big' camera.

    So far then, not such a good day as yesterday but still some success and not a wasted day by any means ... and enjoyable too. Where did the time go?
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