TlsPhotovision: THE MAGICAL AUTUMN OF THE NORTH

The last couple of years it has almost become a routine leaving Norway when the days are getting colder and shorter, searching for adventures in warmer places somewhere far away from home. This fall however, for many (good) reasons, I chose northern Norway for a different adventure, mainly a photographic expedition to the Helgeland coast and Lofoten.

If you have followed me on this blog, or seen some of my pictures and posts on SmugMug, Facebook or Instagram, you might have noticed that much of my photography are documentary oriented, and sometimes I want to share knowledge and experiences quite political. Nature and Landscape photography however, have always been a passion, at times almost an addiction. Trying again and a again (and sometimes succeed), to recreate some of those wonderful, breathtaking moments when the light of the "golden hour" is painting the nature in a magical hue like a creation of the great impressionists is a challenge, but can also be extremely rewarding.

Landscape photography is a tough kind of art for many reasons. First and foremost landscapes cannot be controlled or forced into a frame and organised the way you can do in a studio. Weather and light which is the most crucial elements in landscape photography is unpredictable and is demanding a lot of patience, time and planning, checking of weather forecasts, and trying to match weather and landscape to create the image you have been hoping for. "Good" weather is definitely not always sunshine, but can be rain, snow, fog or even a storm, depending on what you are looking for.

On this particular trip to Northern Norway, the golden autumn leaves, the crystal clear air which can be present this time of the year, when lower temperatures often means less haze, was the "partners" I hoped would help me get the images I was searching for. The landscape itself is already there, among the most beautiful and picturesque areas on the planet.

Even though I knew it was a bit early for the Northern Lights, the "Eurora Borealis" season, I was even hoping to have a night or two of this magic. Did I succeed? Scroll down and look for yourself.

A few words about the choice of camera gear and lenses. (If you don't like the technical side of photography, just skip this and jump to the picture section further down). You can shoot a nice landscape with your mobile phone. At least at daytime when the light is good. However, it doesn´t work as well when the light is getting dim, in late evening or at night, because the mobile sensor simply isn't big enough to collect enough light. A small sensor in such cases means muddy, noisy images and lack of detail. It you have the landscape shot of your life right in front of you, being able to catch it, print it and have it on a wall would be a good thing, right?, Well, then a real camera is the thing. Personally my experience is that full frame sensors (35mm equivalent) do the best job with landscapes, even though my m43 cameras from Olympus which have a highresolution mode, giving 50-80 megapixel files, can also make very good results if the light is not to demanding. With high contrast, (strong sunlight) or lowlight/night scenes, my Sony full frame camera definitely does a better job, with less noise and more dynamic range to work with. When it comes to lenses, any focal length can be used depending on what you are looking for. Most of the time I will grab a high quality lens that I know can give me the fine details, but some old lenses with a strange "glue" like my old manual nikon 50mm f1.2, can also give amazing results. The rule should be to know your lenses/gear and picking the right one for the job. If you're not like me with too much gear to choose from, it's of course much easier, since you just take what you have. And since landscape photography is a slow process don't forget the tripod. It slows you down all right, but that's a good thing if you want sharp images, and since you should take the time to be present in the moment, feel the sunbeams, the fresh air, the raindrops or the snowflakes on your cheek. Or maybe like me you will even get some magic lights of the North, the Eurora Borealis.