Lofoten Islands Photo Workshop

Lofoten - Arctic Exposure

In our Lofoten Islands Photo Tour, we spend a week photographing the incredible scenery of the Arctic archipelago. Norway’s Lofoten Islands are a dreamlike landscape of rugged mountain peaks rising up from the deep blue sea. Located 169 kilometres within the Arctic Circle, Lofoten is a land where the midnight sun circles the summer sky without setting, and does not rise at all during the dark months of winter, making for incredible lighting. With the northern lights dancing over the islands from September to April and the temperate currents of the gulf stream softening the deep freeze of the Arctic, Lofoten has become a coveted winter photography destination in recent years. And beyond the landscape, the coast of Lofoten is lined with scenic fishing villages and their traditional Rorbu cabins, often perilously situated along the rocky shoreline.

We will split our base camps between Sakrisøy in the Reine area, with glacial carved granite peaks at our doorstep, and Hattvika Lodge in Ballstad, Lofoten’s largest working fishing village to this day. In both locations, we stay in traditional Rorbuer cabins, used by generations of Lofoten’s fishermen. From each location, we are only a stone’s throw away from innumerable photo opportunities, and at times, we may simply choose to go and explore by foot. Should the weather cooperate with clear skies at night, we’ll have many locations within reach for photographing the dance of the northern lights as they fill the sky over snowy mountain peaks and wild beaches.

Highlights

Northern Lights – Aurora borealis nights when conditions allow

Winter landscapes – Amazing winter scenery, deep fjords, tall mountains and scenic Rorbuer cabins

Professional Photography Guides – All of our guides are professional photographers based in Iceland with years of experience leading photography workshops

Activity Level – Easy to medium

Small groups – Maximum number of participants: 10

Duration – 8 days / 7 nights

Schedule

2024

Date

Available

Guide

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February 10 - February 17, 2024

2 spots left

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Payment info
  • Deposit payment of $2,000 USD upon booking
  • Payment in full is required 90 days prior to the workshop starting date

Total price: $6,300 USD

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What's included
  • Accommodations in traditional Rorbuer fisherman cabins in Sakrisoy & Leknes for seven nights, each with two private rooms, a shared bathroom, kitchen and living room
  • Guiding by two professional photographers
  • Transportation during the workshop
  • All tuition and individual post-processing sessions
What's not included
  • All flights to and from Leknes Airport – please contact our office for any assistance
  • Insurance – we recommend participants have individual travel insurance
  • Meals, each participant will be responsible for their own food. There are several restaurants and supermarkets nearby
  • Alcoholic drinks and other beverages
  • Gratuity for your photography guide

Itinerary

DAY 1 – Arrival in Lofoten

As always, we will need to be flexible and adjust to the weather conditions to make the most out of the workshop and travel safely.

The workshop will officially begin and end in Leknes. We advise participants to schedule their arrival as close as possible to the first date of the workshop. Please be aware that most flights arrive in Leknes at around noon.
Pickup and drop-off will be available at Leknes airport or city centre.

The workshop will be divided between two locations: Sakrisøy, on Moskenesøy island, and Leknes, on Vestvågøy island

You will be picked up in the early afternoon in the town of Leknes. With sunset occurring at around 18:00, we will have some time to explore our surroundings and visit a beach or two as we slowly make our way west to our accommodations in the scenic yellow Rorbuer cabins on Sakrisøy island.

Meals are not included in this workshop. We can decide as a group whether we want to taste local cuisine in restaurants or cook meals ourselves. We will buy supplies for breakfasts and lunches, and always have the option of stopping for a bite to eat at a cosy cafe as we travel around the islands.

DAY 2 - 4 – Lofoten

Allowing for flexibility of local weather conditions, we will spend these days focusing on the western areas of Lofoten. We will shoot sunrises in the quaint fishing village of Reine, with the iconic peak of Olstind island rising from the fjord in front of us. Seek out unique areas of the coast to capture waves crashing against jagged rocks and visit Å, the last village on Lofoten, where we will watch the sun disappear behind distant mountains.

With the fantastic beaches of Flakstadøya island just a short drive away, we always have the opportunity to shoot something interesting, especially with the textures formed by a layer of black sand on Skagsanden beach. Further east, we also have the beaches of Myrland and Storsandnes, with an endless amount of locations in between.

At night we will keep watch for the northern lights. Each of our accommodation locations has scenic views of the nearby area, so if we are lucky with the aurora on several nights, we will be able to photograph a number of different compositions.

Days 5 - 7 – Lofoten

Leaving our base on Sakrisøy island, we head east to the town of Leknes on Vestvågøy, in the centre of Lofoten. From here, we will focus our attention on the scenic beaches of Uttakleiv, Haukland, and Vik, which we will hopefully find covered in a fresh layer of snow. We will take short walks to get to lesser-known viewpoints and explore hidden areas of the island.

The nature of winter in Lofoten requires a great deal of flexibility to the local weather conditions once on the islands. The workshop leader will use previous knowledge and experience of Lofoten to provide the group with the best experience possible.

DAY 8 – Departing Lofoten

The tour ends at 12:00 with your departure from Leknes airport.

For cancellation and refund policy for our workshops, please visit the Terms & Conditions page.

Lofoten photo gallery