Norway Photo Tour
September 7 - 15, 2022
Norway is Viking country, and it should be on every photographer's bucket list. It is unsurpassed in beauty. Phenomenal landscapes, dramatic seascapes, wonderful color, incredible night skies with the aurora borealis, and amazing light make Norway a top destination for picture taking. Beautiful villages and cities are nestled in breathtaking coves where elevated vantage points provide award-winning photographs. Glacially carved fjords define much of Norway's topography, and there are waterfalls everywhere. In addition, we take a cruise down one of the stunning fjords and have close photographic encounters with white-tailed sea eagles. Join Jim for an unforgettable photography tour that offers great imagery everywhere you look.
Please note on this tour you arrive in Evenes, Norway (EVE) and depart for home at the end of the trip from Copenhagen, Denmark (CPH).
What you will learn on this photo tour:
Using HDR at twilight and night
Landscape photography compositions
Using neutral density filters for moving water
Photographing birds in flight
Choosing the right shutter speed for action photography
Replacing the sky in post-processing
Understanding the histogram
Focus stacking
Itinerary
Day 1, Sept. 7, Wednesday
Depart from home so you arrive in Evenes, Norway (EVE -- Narvik Airport) in the heart of the Lofoten Islands on September 7. You can fly there in one long day from North America, but it's recommended that you overnight in Oslo, Norway and stay in an airport hotel on September 6. This will give you a chance to rest and arrive in Evenes fully refreshed. The Radisson Blu Hotel is connected to the airport by a walking passage, and this is the most convenient. Take a morning flight to Evenes, and upon arrival, you will be met by the local guide.
When our group is assembled, we take a scenic drive (with photo opportunities) to Svolvaer and to our lodging for the first night -- quaint and comfortable fisherman's cabins (we will have WiFi in all the cabins). Each cabin has two bedrooms and one bathroom plus a kitchen. One of the bedrooms is a double with two beds and the other bedroom is a single room with one bed. We typically put three people in a cabin -- two in the double and one in the single -- with the shared bathroom and shared kitchen. The cabins are on the waterfront and they offer beautiful views of the harbor and the mountains. You can take stunning pictures right out of the windows!
We will explore the town of Svolvaer for the rest of the afternoon and evening. Overnight lodging in Mortsund.
Days 2 - 4, Sept. 8 - 10, Thursday - Saturday
After early morning photography and breakfast, we drive through the stunning Lofoten Islands to the quaint fishing village of Reine, which is the epicenter of dramatic landscapes not only in Norway but in all of Scandinavia. Bright red cabins photograph beautifully against the sheer cliff faces of the craggy mountains, and everywhere you look there are great photographs. Over the next three days, we seek out many wonderful vantage points that offer classic images of villages, inlets, mountains, harbors, and beaches. This time of year gives us enough daylight hours for amazing photography as well as enough hours of darkness to photograph the night sky when the aurora borealis lights up the heavens. What an
incredible experience you'll have! Overnight lodging in Mortsund.
Day 5, Sept. 11, Sunday
After breakfast, seek out more spectacular landscapes in the islands. Dramatic sheer cliffs plunge down to the sea, and in any kind of light, the photography is spectacular. We'll shoot the area from sea level as well as from elevated heights for commanding views. Jim will conduct a critique session to give you feedback on your work as well as to suggest ways in which Photoshop could be used to embellish and enhance your images. Overnight lodging in Mortsund.
Day 6, Sept. 12, Monday
This morning we drive back to Evenes for the flight to Copenhagen, Denmark. After we check into our hotel, we will explore Nyhavn, the 17th-century waterfront and photograph the colorful houses and boats at sunset and twilight. The colors, the reflections, and the beautiful lighting all go into making classically beautiful photographs. This is a great place to create a panorama image where you stitch several frames together. Jim will explain to you how this is done. Overnight Phoenix Hotel, Copenhagen.
Day 7, Sept. 13, Tuesday
A lot of great photography awaits us today. In the morning we visit Round Tower for some very unique and graphically pleasing architecture shots. Then we photograph the beautiful Marble Church with its incredible domed ceiling. The interior looks awesome with an extreme wide angle lens. Next, we photograph the changing of the guard at Amalienborg Palace, and then after lunch, we take a train for a half hour ride to the incredible Frederiksborg Castle where we'll be captivated by the magnificent exterior architecture as well as the sumptuous interior decorations. It was built in the early 17th century for King Christian IV for his royal residence. This is a great place for HDR and wide angle lenses. We return to Copenhagen for more twilight photography. Overnight Phoenix Hotel, Copenhagen.
Day 8, Sept. 14, Wednesday
In the early morning light, we photograph the famous Little Mermaid, the icon of Copenhagen. We then visit the medieval clock tower for an aerial view of the city if you have the energy to climb the 400 steps to the top. The rest of the day is at leisure to photograph, download your pictures, and to select some images for Jim's critique. We meet a 4 pm for a final critique session, and again Jim will make Photoshop suggestions if he feels your pictures can be improved with digital techniques. Overnight Phoenix Hotel, Copenhagen.
Day 9, Sept. 15, Thursday
After breakfast, we transfer to the Copenhagen airport for our flight home, happy with the fact that we've taken wonderful photographs of subjects that can only be described as spectacular.
Tour cost: $5695
Single supplement: $1050
Includes:All lodging, all ground transportation, airport transfers, airfare from the Lofoten Islands to Copenhagen, round-trip train ticket to Frederiksborg Castle, entrance fees, breakfasts in Copenhagen, boat tour, welcome and farewell dinner, photo instruction and critiques on demand.
Not included: International airfare into Norway and out of Denmark, breakfasts in the Lofoten Islands, all lunches, all dinners except the welcome and farewell dinners, items of a personal nature, travel insurance, medical evacuation insurance, and alcoholic beverages.
On this photo tour, our accommodations in the Lofoten Island portion are in fisherman's cabins and each accommodation room has its own bathroom. For the three nights in Copenhagen, the single supplement means you'll have your own room and private bath as in a typical 4-star hotel.
NOTE: The international airfare you have to arrange is from home to Evenes Norway, and you will fly home from Copenhagen, Denmark. The flight from Evenes, Norway to Copenhagen, Denmark is included in the tour cost and Jim's wife, Dia, will book this for you.