From a distance, the Lofoten Islands
appears as a continious mountain wall out in the
Norwegian Sea, which the Atlantic Ocean is called in
these parts. It’s just a short flight or ferry ride
strait north of Bodø at 68 degrees north and consists of
a “row” of islands going east to west from the
mainland near Narvik, nearly all interconnected by
bridges or tunnels. Inhabited by 25.000 people it’s
quite a thriving community and the place is packed with
tourists during the summer when you have the midnight
sun. The best light for black and white photography is
probably early spring. The area is quite compact so you
could travel all over the place in a day, but I tend to
have my base at Ramberg (30 minutes west of Leknes) and
concentrate on nearby images from Flakstadøya and
Mosknesøya. The beauty of the landscape, fjords and
steep mountain walls, represents a special challenge to
landscape photographers. You want to move in close on a
subject, but the scenary takes your breath away.
