Hundreds of years ago before people understood atmospheric science, or any science for that matter, different cultures interpreted the mysterious northern lights as a blessing, curse or whimsical game originating from the spirit world. Although we still don’t fully understand many of the mysteries of the universe, we do know why curtains of green, purple and magenta light slowly wave across the arctic nighttime sky.
The genesis of this otherworldly display happens as electrically charged particles, called ions, are released from the sun’s corona, creating what is known as the solar wind. As these particles approach Earth, most are deflected around the planet by the magnetic field that prevents the solar wind from dissipating our fragile atmosphere into space.
However, where the magnetic field is weaker near the North and South Poles, some of the particles loop in and collide with gases such as oxygen and nitrogen in the upper atmosphere. The energy released during these collisions creates softly blowing curtains of colored light, typically between altitudes of 60 to 150 miles. This spectacle of ionic energy is only visible at night in more northern or southern latitudes and becomes stronger as solar wind kicks up with increased activity on the sun’s surface.
In my view, understanding how all that works doesn’t negate how magical it really is. In fact, I think knowing how it all works makes it even more meaningful. Just think for a minute all the truly awe-inspiring things we have here on this little blue planet of ours and all the miraculous things that had to line up for everything to evolve the way it has; a paper-thin biosphere that supports all life with oxygen, water, flora and fauna, a single large moon that keeps us spinning on a steady axis, a planetary tilt that bestows seasons, diverse geography, astonishing landforms, and an iron core that creates that really cool magnetic field that gives us Aurora Borealis!
What does all this have to do with Norway? That’s easy—it’s one of the absolute best places to see and photograph the aurora. Although there are other notable places like Alaska and Finland to enjoy and photograph the aurora, Norway offers uniquely stunning landscapes to pair it with—or to simply photograph on their own.
This year’s tour to Senja Island and the Lyngen Alps reinforced that conviction even more. Our week-long journey around this corner of Norway yielded a variety of photogenic opportunities, some planned and some unexpected, and thankfully a few good aurora displays as well. Of the roughly 20 locations we visited during the week, a few stand out as the favorites.
From our charming lodge at Nordkjosbotn, a small town nestled in the Lyngen Alps at the end of a 60-mile fjord, we set out to the Signaldalelva (Signal River Valley) to capture landscapes and river scenes at the foot of Otertind mountain, a 4,400 foot pyramid that was carved by glaciers and then apparently hacked a couple times by the ax of a giant Viking god. This stunning mountain rises 4,300 feet above the valley, providing a wonderful backdrop for a variety of foregrounds, including intricate ice formations amongst gentle rapids of cold, clear water. If conditions are favorable, Otertind is also an awesome location to pair with the aurora.
Farther to the north in Sommarøy, a new location for this year’s tour, we stopped at the aptly named “Little Beach”, a small cove that provided unexpected opportunities for geologically-focused coastal landscapes. Here, we found broken granite blocks accented with seams of quartz paired with soft sand and turquoise water. In the distance, snow-covered mountains under a beautiful sky completed the images. Discovering the photogenic foregrounds here was another reminder that many locations may not look like anything from the road, but once you stop and get out of the car, a whole new world can open before your eyes. Such was the case on several occasions all week, where time stood still amid quiet creativity.
After Sommarøy, we boarded a ferry to continue our journey to Senja, a large, mountainous island characterized by dramatic peaks and fjords on the west side and more pastoral landscapes in the east. This sparsely populated island has avoided the brunt of numerous tour groups, leaving most shooting locations relatively untrammeled. Our hotel in the small fishing town of Mefjord provided the perfect base for exploring Senja. Here, the chef can practically cast a line out the kitchen window and within minutes, you’ll have the best cod, halibut and salmon cooked to perfection and sitting in front of you.
One of the most photogenic locations in all of Norway resides here on Senja, and we took full advantage of it on 3 different occasions. Called Tungeneset, this small rocky peninsula has yielded some of my personal, all-time favorite photographs. What makes this location so special is the combination of angular rock formations, massive boulders, mirror-like splash pools and dynamic wave action set against 2 primary backdrops of 2000-foot peaks to the south and the impossibly jagged 1300-foot-high Devil’s Jaw to the north. Whether morning, noon or night, high tide or low tide, this place never disappoints. In our case, we visited Tungeneset on 3 occasions over the course of 2 days. Yes, it’s that good!
On day 2, we decided to head up to Krokelvvatnet, a small lake on a mountain pass to photograph ice patterns and a small cascade that was unexpectedly flowing due to warmer than average temperatures over the previous weeks. From that high point in the mountains, I noticed that the horizon to the southwest was surprisingly clear. After double checking the azimuth of the sunset, a spectacular sunset back at Tungeneset seemed certain. And at these northern latitudes, the sunsets (and sunrises) are exceptionally prolonged as the sun climbs and falls with more lateral motion than vertical motion. On this day, we enjoyed well over an hour of golden light as the sun slowly descended through the gap of clear sky on the horizon.
On the second night at Mefjord, after another plate of perfect fish, we performed the customary check of the aurora forecast and cloud cover. Thankfully, the conditions lined up to provide a third night of aurora activity, warranting another visit to Tungeneset, but this time at night. Needless to say, capturing an aurora in the glassy reflection of those splash pools with dramatic mountains in the background was perhaps the ultimate photographic experience. On a personal level, I think we all could feel the same sense of awe and wonder that those first peoples of the arctic felt centuries ago. Even with all our knowledge, modern clothing, equipment and apps to predict the aurora with, the experience connected on a much deeper level. Regardless of our knowledge of the aurora, it was in one word, sacred. Between these highlights of our tour of northern Norway, we photographed numerous other gems, including flawless beaches with mountain backdrops, frozen lakes and creeks with intricate ice formations and stunning skies beneath geometric peaks. Along with all the other aspects of Norwegian culture and convenience, this area is hands-down one of the best landscape photography locations on the planet. Can’t wait to see you there!
