Lofoten’s light

I had been looking forward to this place, eagerly awaiting the breathtaking views of jagged peaks rising straight out of the ocean, rugged coastlines, cute fishermen cabins, the aurora borealis, and the raw Arctic splendor. All of it was true—and even more beautiful in person. The landscapes were spectacular in every direction. The villages of Reine, Hamnøy, and Sakrisøy, enclosed by fjords on one side and battered by ocean waves on the other, sit in one of the most dramatic natural settings on Earth.

First rays of morning light near the village of Reine

What I didn’t anticipate—and what will stay with me the most—was the exceptional light. From my first sunrise, I could tell that light in Norway was in a league of its own. Once you get into photography, you learn how essential light is to make a great image; bad light can flatten even the most beautiful landscape. But in Lofoten, so far north and above the Arctic Circle, the light becomes softer and more diffused, filtered through a thicker layer of atmosphere. At this time of year, the days are short, yet the light you do get takes your breath away.

Purples shift into pinks; oranges melt into yellows, deep blues fade into pale sky tones, and golden glows stretch across the horizon. For someone from the tropics, light at this latitude feels surreal. You start hoping for clouds, because when sunlight bathes them, the sky resembles an impressionist painting. And after darkness, some auroras will transform the sky into a dome of curtains and coronas in neon colors.

This is an imperfect and incomplete collection of images from someone who could never truly do this place justice—but playing and trying, that’s magic.

my first aurora