Camping in a Lavvu in Laponia

Our last day and night were spent in the open at Sápmi Nature Camp in the Laponia World Heritage Area, outside Gällivare and Jokkmokk. The temperature was around minus 20 degrees so not quite as cold as previous days. The Lavvu tents have stoves and with sleeping bags and duvets we were warm. When we arrived at 1pm, the sunlight was golden through the pine trees and, being an almost full moon night, was bright enough to walk and photograph with no problems throughout the evening. The Northern lights were not very active but enough to give atmosphere for the compositions.

Sápmi Nature Camp is operated by Lennart Pittja who grew up in a reindeer herding family in Unna This is grazing land that has been used by Unna Tjerusj for thousands of years. He told us all about the history of the Sami people including recent politics and all about reindeer - their winter life and migration to the mountains.

JokkMokk - Northern Light Display

With the temperature at -33 degrees, our evening photography session was a bit limited in time and ability to twiddle knobs but certainly the Northern Lights did us proud. My favourite shot is the second in the series but have learnt that it doesn't fit FB dimensions so please click to get full set

x

Aurora borealis Reykjavik

Delighted the Northern lights didn't let me down as, just like my last visit to Iceland, they danced for us soon after our arrival in the city. Not as spectacular as the 2014 ones that Sue and I witnessed (see https://pin-sharp.blogspot.is/2014/02/northern-lights-iceland.html), but still a good display.

Seasonal Greetings

Wishing everyone the best for the festive break and for 2016.  

Hopefully there will be some new toys in the Christmas stocking and lots of opportunity to use them in the coming year..

Rejoicing in my good fortune to be healthy, well fed, with all my family around me and  able to enjoy life in safety and comfort. 

Hoping for a more equal and peaceful world in 2016.

Taken on Lofoten Islands Feb, 2015 (foreground lit by a full moon - this year it is a full moon on Christmas Day)

Northern Lights over Utakleiv Beach, Lofoten Islands

Saturday was completed with a fabulous display of Northern Lights. We photographed these first from Utakleiv Beach and then moved to Haukland for a second shoot (images to follow). There was a near full moon lighting the mountains and reflecting off the crest of the waves.

Aurora Borealis, Lofoten Islands, Norway

Posting these Aurora shots a bit out of sequence but I know one or two folk will be wanting to see them straightaway - sorry to make you even more envious. Not the most spectacular display I have seen but the location made up for it. 

Northern Lights at Myvatn

Monday March 3rd.  We went to bed on Sunday night - our last in Iceland, believing there to be no chance of an Aurora display that night as there was thick cloud and some snow showers. At 3.30am the telephone rang in the room as the Northern Light display had started. Hurridly unpacking tripod and warm clothes from my case, went outside to witness another great display though this time in the more traditional green with small amounts of purple. We had to leave the hotel at 6.30 am so there was only a limited time to photograph them this time.

Aurora borealis

I have just published a Website Gallery of the brilliant northern lights that we witnessed on our first night in Iceland. Auroral displays appear in shades of red, yellow, green, blue, and violet. The lights appear in many forms from patches or scattered clouds of light to streamers, arcs, rippling curtains or shooting rays that light up the sky with an eerie glow. This set was taken at Grindavik Iceland Thursday 27th February 2014.

Northern Lights Iceland

 Just over 2 hours after arriving at our hotel near Keflavik, the display started while there was still some residual light in the sky. Retired to bed 3 hours later with the display still there and changing. Here are a selection grabbed from the many. It was the best display seen by our guide this winter. I particularly like the Angel of the North flapping her wings.