Muench Photography Workshop - Day 2

January 22, 2020 - 3:52pm
Sakrisoy, Lofoten Islands, Norway

Today we were blessed with a beautifully clear day and intermittent snow showers. I am so grateful and am just in awe of the scenery here. If I could play my memories from the last 48 hours on a big screen, I wouldn’t be able to believe what my eyes have seen.

It’s honestly quite a challenge to make a decision about what to shoot with your camera because every direction there is snow textured concrete standing tall amidst the pink clouds with glistening water below it. There is so little time and so much to see and photograph. We photographed at 6 locations today. After eating breakfast we drove down to the poster child for the Lofoten Islands - that photo you see all over pinterest and instagram of the red cabins and the steep mountain behind. We went before sunrise (which mind you, is at 10am - now that’s a sleep in schedule I can get on board with!). It was perfect to go earlier because none of the crowds were there yet. We got first dibs at the spots on the bridge, and I lined up to perfectly capture the red cabins with the mountain to the left and the rocks below.

Cody helped me to set up my camera to do long exposures, where I was able to have the water between the rocks blend while the rest of the image remained in focus. From there, we walked further down and shot the harbor with the mountains behind, facing away from the sunrise to capture the reflection on the mountain and in the water.

The next location we went to was up on a different bridge, overlooking two huge mountains and a town below it with a giant lake (or fjord) in the foreground. By that time the sun had risen, and there were stunning pink and purple clouds hugging the mountains. Soon the shadows fell on half the mountain and we had to wait for the sun to move left.

Afterwards, we went to the next and what was meant to be our last location, which was a long(ish) walk (aka longer than usual because we’ve driven everywhere else). We walked through the snow covered mountains, unable to see where we were headed, and walked until it opened out into a  view of the ocean with a rocky cliff of waves smashing against it. Here, I really learned how to take a long exposure shot from Cody. There was lots of waiting, and trying to watch and time the waves with when they were going to hit the rocks and fill them in. Out of at least twenty tries, I only got one photo where the water filled in all around the rocks from giant waves. It was so cool to learn, and one of my biggest goals for this trip. We were told to wrap up as the sun started to set (two hours after rising). Dad and I were the last to follow, and as we started to leave Cody helped us set up for one last shot with a long exposure of the sunset and clouds.

The walk back was probably my favorite moment of the day, because on one side of the mountain, I was watching the setting sun glisten (and Cody said he hasn’t even seen the sun here in months), and on the other side of the mountain, where I was standing, it was snowing soft and beautifully.

It was that moment that made me realize how authentically unique and masterful this place is. The place where the sky dances, and where you can have a beautiful sunset and snowstorm at the same time. Tonight we are on Northern Lights lookout! Fingers crossed!!!!! Please, God!

On the way back we made an impromptu stop at the morning sunrise spot before the snow storm hit. Before we knew it the mountains were invisible and the snow was coming down hard. We found respite at the same coffee shop as last night, where I again ordered a double espresso. When we got back to the cabin, the storm had subsided, the sky was clear and Cody told us that if we wanted one more shot for the day there was a great one we could take walking distance from one of the yellow cabins. We all were enthusiastic, and there I learned how to shoot in the dark in prep for a potential Northern Lightings sighting. It soon turned pitch black and we retired to our cabins. We had such an amazing day, shooting from 9:30am til 3:30pm, always feeling enough variation and excitement, and thankfully not ever getting too cold! I am really encouraged by how much I learned and got to try things out today. The instructors are enormously helpful. I can only wonder how much knowledge I’ll have gained in 9 days! Tomorrow is supposed to rain, so I’m really thankful we made the most of today. Cod for dinner tonight! I’m a picky eater, so today’s adventure apparently doesn’t end with the sunset :)

p.s. Just got word I took 367 photos today!