I can’t remember where I heard that, but it stuck with me. I have always been disappointed with the landscape images I have taken, one way or the other. I see the images up on 500px, Flickr and the rest, and kept thinking “I wonder if I could make a picture like that”. After a while it began gnawing on me, and when the opportunity presented itself, I just went for it.
I haven’t been photographing for that long, but that wasn’t going to stop me. I already had most of the gear (more on that in another post), and a burning need to get to the amazing location I saw in all the pretty pictures online. I started watching landscape photo guides on the B&H Youtube page, and started following a few semi-amateurs as well (Craig McCormick and Thomas Heaton, to name a few). What I quickly learnt was that there was one thing that mattered, the rest being down to luck: location, location, location. Location determines the composition, the composition is the groundwork for an impressive photo. So, if you want impressive photos, go to an impressive location.
Nice picture, sure, but hardly an amazing landscape.
Now, the issue with Finland (where I live) is that there are not many really epic locations for someone that loves mountainous terrain like I do. Sure, we have huge forests and tundras; our archipelagos are to die for; and the weather can make everything look amazing. But it’s all flat. From where I live, you need to drive a minimum of 6 hours to get to a hill that is more than 500 meters high. Not exactly what you see in pictures of Alaska, New Zealand, and Norway. Wait a minute… Norway?
Mountains, you said?
Norway is surprisingly close to Finland. After some quick planning, I realized I could drive over in a day, or take a half-day of plane rides to get to the parts I wanted. After a quick google, I decided on a trip around the Jotunheimen National Park. I’d fly to Bergen, rent a car, and drive more than 1000 kilometers during 9 days, visiting every great location I could find along the way. And boy, are there locations. Just a few examples:
Galdhøpiggen, the tallest mountain in Norway and the whole north of Europe
Sognefjord, the biggest fjord in Norway
Geiranger, a tiny city among the fjords, where cruise ships navigate near vertical walls of mountain and forest to get to the port
Fannaråkhytta, the highest hostel in Europe at 2060 meter over sea level.
So, I started planning. Where should I go? Where should I sleep? What should I take with me? Slowly the plan started to form, and on August 29th 2015, my flight departed from Helsinki-Vantaa airport.
In the coming weeks I’ll take you through some of the planning, the gear, and my tips for a trip like this. But most importantly, I’ll take you with me when I visit the amazing country of Norway, sharing some of the feelings and pictures I got along the way. Here are a couple of appetizers, please enjoy. I’ll catch you in the next one.
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