Fall 2021 - So Far

October 1st, 19:06

After a crazy year and a half things are finally starting to look like something normal. The winter of 2020 we had something called a solar minimum  so there was less Auroras than usual. Now the solar activity is picking up again and we’re looking forward to guests being able to visit us again and go chasing again. 

September 15, 23:49

September and October are great months to visit Tromsø and to see the Northern Lights. They are also the best months to see and to take photos of the Milky Way. 

September 15, 23:21

September 28, 20:56

September 29, 21:08

October 1st, 21:06

We hope to hang out with you on beaches, on the tundra and every dark place in between where we can see, enjoy and take photos of the Aurora and the starry sky. And of you under them.

October 1st, 21:17

October 3, 01:00

And we hope for many opportunities to see the lady dancing and dancing. We need more dancing this year. 

September 15, 23:50

September 15, 23:54

September 28, 23:14

September 28, 23:32

September 28, 23:32

September 30, 01:18

We have had our first trip over the border into Finland. As usual we found a starry sky and Aurora and while it was rainy and cloudy on the coast. 

October 10, 23:10

Fisheye Schizophrenia

Every time I pull out my fisheye lens my mind goes into schizophrenia. One part says: "This will be great!" and, another part says: "Fisheyes are overused, the images look cheesy and lensy and the effect is cheap and over-used!"

My teacher at Concordia University Mark Ruwedel, a distiguished landskape photographer and a fantastic teacher, didn't like images that looked "lensy." 

Sorry Mark. Sometimes I must be allowed... 

Or do you prefer this one that is shot with the narrower 14mm lens? 

The season has started!!!!!!

Finally the Aurora season is here! I'm stoked! 

Just outside our door, in our garden we witnessed the first Aurora show this season. I believe this season is going to be a great one. 

Corona!

All the photos were taken between 22:45 and 23:00 the night of August 28, 2014. The nights are not completely dark yet, but dark enough to see the Aurora for a few hours.

  I was wearing T-shirt when I shot these photos. A bit strange, and a lot of fun.

Please share the good news!

Driving to Finland and back, only to find Aurora in our back yard.

Yesterday was one of those challenging nights. Clouds and more clouds, and some snow and rain.
Everywhere.
I talked to the local weather guy and he said my best chance was Skibotn or Kilpisjärvi. So we drove to Skibotn to find rain, then to Kilpisjärvi to find clouds. Finally we gave up and headed home.

Just when we made the last turn, where we could see our beloved Tromsø, we saw a light on the sky. And no it wasn't a cloud lit by the city lights. It was HER! Lady Aurora! We stopped at Berg just outside town. We had a show that lasted 45 minutes.

Troll marshmallows makes an excellent foreground. 

And so does trees.

Guess What Waited for Me When I Got Home in the Morning?

The last week has been great. I've been shooting time lapses, and have lots of pictures to process. I think I have grown a little spoiled. Aurora has been dancing non stop this week, the weather has been very nice; cold and clear. 

Last night we waited until 9 pm until we saw her. Aurora danced for us for about 30 minutes before she almost stopped. 

 There were still activities but, very little.

We waited and waited. At 12:30 am, my guests were cold enough and wanted to go back. So we did. We were a short hours drive from Tromsø. After dropping the guests at their hotels, I went back home. Guess what I saw when I got out of the van at home at 2:15 am? You got it: Aurora. She was dancing. Partying. telling me who's in charge.

Aurora seen from my drive way.

Corona 

Corona saying good night.

Does it take a Tottenham supporter?

Sunday was windy.

And snowy.
And cloudy.
In Tromsø.

The weather forecast predicted clouds from here to Bottenviken. Officially there should not be a clear sky in the region. A few brave ones headed out with me.

We managed to find a little bit of clear sky, we saw the stars, for a little while, and then it was over. The clouds rolled in and we headed back.

Monday was windy.

And snowy.
And cloudy.
In Tromsø.

Again the weather forecast predicted clouds everywhere. We didn't believe them and headed out in the dark and not so unknown.  After a few hours drive we saw this:

Clear sky, stars and a very very weak Aurora. We wanted more. But we only found more of the same:

At the end the clouds caught up with us, it started snowing and we headed home.

Tuesday was windy.

And rainy.
And cloudy.
In Tromsø.
The weather forecast predicted clouds from here to Bottenviken.

This time we had a Tottenham supporter with us. Tottenham is playing against Tromsø on Thursday so he is here to see both Aurora and his team. Tottenham lost badly their last match, and Aurora has hardly been seen the last days. Despite this we all had a good feeling. We headed out in the dark and well known.

She was there... Aurora came... Sometimes it takes a Tottenham supporter...

 This is what I like to see. Photographers shooting away:

We were up on the tundra, far away from fjords and steep mountains so I made some variations over a bush:

And the Northern Lights Route, E8:

Absolutely Magic

After struggling the last days with clouds and little solar activity Aurora made a magic appearance last night.
The weather forecast had told me that we had to go inland to find a clear sky. When we came out in the night after the theory part, Aurora was there already. We drove 15 minutes and set up the cameras.

 Aurora was still a bit shy and hiding behind the clouds. The sky was fairly clear right above our heads, But not where Aurora was. We hoped for her to rise in the sky.

Slowly she did. 

So much that we decided to move to another location. 

The famous Ersfjord.

Still Aurora kept getting bigger and bigger, going more to the south. So after a while we drove to  the Restaurant at the End of the Universe

I was speechless. There are no words to describe this.