Tromso, Norway - any tips for landscape locations?

[photonico]

Hi gang,

I will be traveling to Tromso mid november to photograph landscapes during the day and northern lights during the night. Not sure when I will be sleeping at this stage :-)

Do you know of any good locations for the day shooting part around the area ? am looking for vistas with fjords, lakes, waterfalls…. taking into account the low angle of the sun at that time of the year.

Thanks in advance for your tips ! Google maps links are welcomed :-)

[Bjørn J]

Hi,

I hope you will have a car while you are here in Tromso. If you want fjords and wild mountain landscapes, then the island Senja, about 3 hours drive from Tromso, is spectacular. Especially the outer parts like Husoy, Mefjord, Gryllefjord.
An alternative closer to Tromso are the islands Kvaloya and Ringvassoy - these are the places I travel to for shooting northern lights. Plenty of fjords and mountains, an hour drive from the city. But there are not many great waterfalls around here.
The mountain range called the Lyngen alps are also a great place for landscape photography, and spectacular when the northern lights explodes over them!
Remember that after the 25th November you don't see the sun for the next two months, but during that period the (lack of) light can be very beautiful.


Bjørn J
www.arcticphoto.no

[photonico]

Thanks for the tips Bjorn!
Yes, will have a car and will definitely check out locations you indicated.
Seems like the weather right now is pretty bad - forecast for next week indicates a lot of snow. And I'm going the week after so keeping my fingers crossed.
What do you usually do if weather is cloudy over tromso? Any weather pattern I should be aware of ? In which directions would you go?
Checked out your website, congratulations on your work!

[Bjørn J]

You're right, the weather forecast does not look good, especially for seeing the northern lights.
But conditions can change quickly here, I don't trust the forecast for more than 2-3 days.
Sometimes the weather is better further east, off the coast, especially when the snow and winds come from south and west.
An option is driving further east to the Finnish border, or even go further into Finland. The sky is often clearer there.
Welcome to Tromso, I wish you luck here!

Bjørn J

[photonico]

Hey Bjorn,

Do you know by any chance where that picture was taken from ?

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/visit-us/whats-on/temporary-exhibitions/wpy/photo.do?photo=2876&category=12&group=1

It stays "Kattfordeide" but I can't find the location on google maps...
How is the weather right now in Tromso? Looking at webcams, I see a bit of snow on the houses, should I bring the snowboots?

thanks in advance for your help!

Nicolas

[Bjørn J]

The photo is taken on Kattfjordeidet, half an hour drive from the city Tromso, on the island Kvaloya. Here is a link to a map:
http://kart.finn.no/?lng=18.61223&lat=69.65667&zoom=13&mapType=finnvector&markers=18.53042,69.65214,r,Brukerdefinert

The red pin in the centre marks his location. You can see the small lake that is in the photo. The city Tromso is on the far right on the map.
Kattfjordeidet is a popular location for seeing the auroras, as it's far from city lights.

Weather forecast is not very good, snow and sleet ahead. But it might change quickly.
And yes, bring snowboots, warm gloves and a thermal suit or a down jacket. A torch or a headlamp is also useful.

Bjørn J