Lofoten, Norway: #1 - light of the midnight sun

[Mike Buckley]

I recently returned from a vacation in Lofoten, which is an archipelago of eight primary islands in northern Norway, though only six are connected by a highway. We visited the five southernmost islands that are connected (though we did return home with some incredible chocolate made in one of the islands that can be reached only by sea or air).

All of Lofoten is above the arctic circle, so the sun never sets from late May to mid July. Everything I read suggested that the ideal time to go there for the first time is during that period of the midnight sun, especially if one has never experienced it and we had not.

Off we went, knowing that the land of the midnight sun, as wonderful as it might be, does not present the light that serious photographers pursue. There would be no magic light that occurs before sunrise and after sunset because the sun never goes below the horizon. For about 18 hours of the day, the sun seemed to be at about the same position that it would normally be between 10:00am to 11:00am during most places we have lived and visited during the summer. Even when the sun is at its lowest point in Lofoten, it's almost always obscured by a mountain unless you have climbed to the summit of another mountain. That means being there at 1:00am because Norway is on Daylight Savings Time, sometimes requiring hours of hiking before and after that time. So, we never did that.

Even so, the light of the midnight sun during the two hours before and after the sun's lowest point in the sky is very different than anything I have ever experienced. It's magical in its own way, though maybe only because it was new to me.

My wife and I decided to experience our first midnight sun at the beach in the village of Hov because it's very nice and provides interesting foreground materials for use in photos. Immediately after capturing the two images shown below, we celebrated experiencing our first midnight sun with what else -- a bottle of wine. (Nope, no broken glasses during the entire trip. )

EDIT: A third image captured at a different place has been added later in the thread.

Please click the images to view the larger size.

10 minutes before midnight (1:00am)



midnight (1:00am) with the sun to the right of the camera

[Donald]

Beautiful, Mike.

I love how you have composed and arranged all the 'bits' that make up the second image. In my opinion, everything in it just works wonderfully with all the other 'bits'. And the light! Well that is just gorgeous.

[John 2]

No dawn light or sunsets but still glorious light. Two nice images Mike.

[bnnrcn]

Very soft and nice colours, lovely How did you sleep without dark ?

[dje]

Yes the light is just lovely in these images Mike. Very nice indeed.

Dave

[Brownbear]

Yes, indeed especially beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing, all the more special because of your story.

I love the compostion of #2 but in this set #1 is my favourite for the gorgeous colours (and I see that the pink in the sky is reflected in the water), the beautiful rocks and the story. Beautiful romantic scene!

[Mike Buckley]

Thanks, everyone!

How did you sleep without dark ?

We were really concerned that my wife would have trouble sleeping. That's because just the glow of a computer monitor in our home office will wake her up in the adjacent bedroom. However, she had no trouble sleeping. Apparently the glow of the monitor is only a problem in an environment when everything else is dark.

On the other hand, I spoke with a Norwegian on one of our return airplane flights who had a terrible problem as a child sleeping and still has issues though less so as an adult.

[chauncey]

Color me green Mike for I do envy your travels and the resulting gorgeous images...treasure them always.

[FrankMi]

A super story and a beautiful pair of images. Scenes like these very few would ever see for themselves. Thanks Mike for taking and sharing these scenes!

[Shadowman]

Thanks, everyone!



We were really concerned that my wife would have trouble sleeping. That's because just the glow of a computer monitor in our home office will wake her up in the adjacent bedroom. However, she had no trouble sleeping. Apparently the glow of the monitor is only a problem in an environment when everything else is dark.

On the other hand, I spoke with a Norwegian on one of our return airplane flights who had a terrible problem as a child sleeping and still has issues though less so as an adult.

There's nothing like dozing off during the middle of the day, I think I could handle it easily.

[Shadowman]

Nicely captured and composed images.

[Mike Buckley]

Continued thanks to everyone!

I had forgotten about the image shown below. It was captured one day later than the above images, obviously at a completely different place though conveniently from the side of the highway. The sun was behind the mountain on the left side of the scene.

One hour after midnight (at 2:00am)

[Brownbear]

Beautiful!

I would like to ask if you know why you are managing to capture the true reflected colours of the sky in the water even though this is not always seen in others images.

Thank you.

[Mike Buckley]

Thanks, Christina!

I don't know the answer to your question about the reflection of the sky because I don't know what others do and don't do. I can only mention that whatever adjustments I make to the sky, I also make to the reflection of the sky to keep them properly correlated. I also always use a polarizer filter to achieve the look I want in both the sky and reflection, so perhaps that is something that others don't do.

[Brownbear]

Thank you. I guess I will have to find some water with a pink sky, somewhere, and check it out, with a polarizer filter.

Thanks, Christina!

I don't know the answer to your question about the reflection of the sky because I don't know what others do and don't do. I can only mention that whatever adjustments I make to the sky, I also make to the reflection of the sky to keep them properly correlated. I also always use a polarizer filter to achieve the look I want in both the sky and reflection, so perhaps that is something that others don't do.

[ied]

Beautiful scenery. I like #1 as it shows refection so well. I notice that all 3 images have interesting clouds / sky of which # 2 is very beautiful with a semi clear patch right above the house.
Irene

[Manfred M]

Two great images, Mike. Twilight that lasts forever, almost, at that time of year. It's nice having golden hour that lasts all night for landscape work, no rushing to catch light as the sun dips below the horizon, because it never does.

A landscape photographer's dream, assuming he / she can stay up that late and get some sleep when it is that bright out.

[Stagecoach]

Great series Mike, I'm sure there are more to come.

[Mike Buckley]

Thanks, everyone!

I'm sure there are more to come.

Good guess!

[wilgk]

These are truly lovely, so interesting to experience a new phenomenon like this & have such great images to bring home.
Wonderful adventures & wonderful memories.