Tromsø and the Beautiful Fjords
I'd never been to Norway before, and I'd generally been neglecting the far north. That's a real shame, though, because the 4 days I spent above the Arctic Circle really drew me in. I traveled to the city of Tromsø to see the northern lights (see this article), but because the weather mostly showed me only its overcast face, I had plenty of time to drive around the area during the day and soak up the beautiful winter landscape. Though writing "during the day" is a little odd, because in December the polar night reigns here. That doesn't mean it's dark the whole time, though. From about 10 a.m. there's a kind of twilight, and if you're lucky with a clear day, there's a beautiful red glow in the sky that can linger comfortably until 2 p.m. I experienced one such day here, and it was a very photogenic sight.
But let's take it in order. Tromsø is a city 400 kilometers above the Arctic Circle, home to just under 70,000 inhabitants. It's known for its large number of wooden buildings in the city center, for the two bridges connecting the main island with the mainland, and for the Arctic Cathedral, built in 1965. This structure shouldn't escape a photographer's attention, because it's extremely photogenic. It stands out especially when lit up at night, when the large stained-glass windows at the back come out beautifully.
I only reached the city in the early evening of the first day, so after I'd walked through the center and taken a few photos of the beautifully snow-covered buildings, the main church Tromsøkatedral (built in 1861) and the harbor, I could hardly wait for the next day, when I planned to head north in a rented car.
I got up first thing in the morning and, passing through the villages of Kvaløysletta and Kaldfjord, drove all the way to the village of Grøtfjord. Here I was captivated by the peculiar atmosphere of the snow-covered mountains, the small windswept beach and the handful of colorful houses down by the water. I approached Grøtfjord from a hill, stopped, and spent a long time photographing the beautiful view that opened up here. I spent just as much time down on the beach, where the brown grass poking out of the snowdrifts created a beautiful colorful contrast with the blue sea and the snow-covered crags. On the way back I also stopped in the little town of Ersfjordbotn. This place has a truly magnificent view of a narrow bay surrounded by rocky slopes, and it seemed ideal for photographing the northern lights. And indeed, I later managed to take a few shots here (see this article). But by then it was already about 2:30 p.m., real darkness had set in, and I headed back to Tromsø.
On the morning of the third day I decided to head south for a change, specifically via Hundbergan and Laksvatn to the village of Lakselvbukt. From Tromsø all the way to Laksvatn runs a main, fairly busy road, so it pays to turn off from time to time and drive down to the water. The whole way I drove through gorgeous scenery that tempted me to shoot constantly. It was all heightened by the fact that fresh snow had just fallen, and the strange Nordic light gave the landscape a fantastical touch. I kept the camera on the tripod the whole time and made long exposures. Often several minutes long (using a very dark ND filter), to achieve billowing clouds and a perfectly smooth water surface.
On the fourth day, in order to watch the northern lights, I decided to travel all the way to the little town of Koppangen. It's about 150 km from Tromsø, which meant roughly 2.5 hours of driving on icy roads. On the way between Laksvatn and Nordkjosbotn I came across a rest area by the main road with a magnificent view over the landscape. I lingered here a long time, admiring and photographing, because the view in every direction was breathtaking.
An equally photogenic landscape also awaited me between Oteren and Lyngseidet. But by then I was driving almost "in the dark", so I had to shoot even more cautiously and with even longer exposures. Still, photographs of dusk in these fantastic settings of mountains, water, giant boulders and snow have an atmosphere all their own. Now and then the wind died down completely, absolute silence settled over the surroundings, and the water turned into one enormous mirror, beginning to reflect and multiply the mountain giants that rose above it. It always lasted only a few seconds before a gentle breeze arrived and rippled the surface. For such fleeting moments it's worth traveling thousands of kilometers and spending hours searching for the ideal spot to shoot. Such moments are rare, and unforgettable in life.
Tip 1: Definitely rent a car, so you can see as much of Tromsø's beautiful surroundings as possible. Other transport would be quite complicated here. But at the same time, don't be afraid to stop anywhere along the way and explore the area a bit on foot too. I'm really looking forward to heading out on a multi-day hike in Norway myself.
Tip 2: The daylight twilight is short, so set out early, so that by 9:30, when a little light begins to appear in winter, you're already in a nice spot ready to shoot. If you're also in this area to watch the northern lights, take food for the whole day with you, so you can drive to a nice spot and wait there for a possible evening light show.
Tip 3: There's also a beautiful view of the Arctic Cathedral right from the bridge leading into the city center.
Tip 4: Another very interesting building is the library in the city center. It's definitely worth photographing.
Gear: You definitely mustn't be without a wide-angle lens with a polarizing filter and a tripod. I also recommend an ND or graduated ND filter and a remote shutter release, so you can shoot long exposures even during the day. If, like me, you go to these places in winter, don't forget good winter clothing, especially boots, and also gloves you can operate your camera gear in.