Lofoten Islands Photo Tour (Norway)
January 28 - February 5, 2026
The Lofoten Islands in Norway is a dream come true for landscape and nature photographers. Surrounded by rugged mountains, picturesque fjords, and charming fishing villages, the islands offer endless opportunities for stunning and award-winning shots. In winter, the blanket of white snow makes this beautiful place even more majestic. At this time of year, there is a good chance of seeing the aurora borealis dancing across the sky, and Jim will share with you the best camera settings to catch this remarkable celestial event. You'll never forget the visual drama of the traditional fishermen's cabins in red set against a backdrop of surf-swept beaches and towering mountains! And if you have a drone, this is the perfect place to fly it and photograph from an aerial perspective.
What you will learn on this tour:
How to expose for snow
What camera settings are best for the Northern Lights
Composition technique
Sky replacement in post-processing
Smoothing the ocean with long exposures
How to do HDR when hand holding the camera
Jim's method for choosing the best white balance
Itinerary
Day 1, Wednesday, Jan. 28
Arrive this day in Oslo, Norway and walk 5 minutes from the terminal to the hotel. Meet Jim and the group in the lobby of the hotel at 5pm to discuss the upcoming tour and to enjoy a welcome dinner. Overnight Radisson Hotel, Oslo.
Day 2, Thursday, Jan. 29
After breakfast we fly from Oslo to Leknes in the Lofoten Islands. The flight time will be announced as we get closer to the departure date. On SAS airlines it is about a 90 minute flight and most flights arrive around noon. Upon arrival, we will be met by our local guide. With sunset occurring at around 5pm, 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. Overnight on Sakrisøy Island with spectacular views of rugged snow capped mountains.
Days 3 - 5, Friday - Sunday, Jan. 30 - Feb. 1
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. We'll 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 include a number of different foregrounds.
Days 6 - 8, Monday - Wednesday, Feb. 2 - 4
Leaving our base on Sakrisøy island, we head east to the town of Leknes/Ballstad on Vestvågøy in the center 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 with respect to the local weather conditions in the islands. Our local guide will use previous knowledge and experience of Lofoten to provide us with the best experience possible. Overnight Hatvika Lodge.
This morning we a last chance to photograph sunrise on the beautiful Lofoten Islands, and after breakfast we transfer to the airport for our return flight home, knowing we seen and photographed one of the most beautiful places in the world.
Cost: $6750. Includes 8 nights lodging based on double occupancy, welcome dinner, all ground transportation, services of a local English speaking guide, entrance and park fees, photo instruction, critiques on demand.
Single supplement:
Not included: International airfare to Oslo and the flight from Oslo to Leknes, all meals (you have a choice of eating in local restaurants or shopping for groceries and preparing your meals in our cabins), alcoholic beverages, trip cancellation insurance, and medical evacuation insurance.