Get The Shot - Hamnøy
Hamnøy is a small fishing village towards the end of the Lofoten Islands, Moskenes, Norway. It is surrounded by beautiful blue water and rugged mountains, and features typical red, wooden houses.
Facts
Distance - zero
Difficulty - easy
Time – early morning
Season - winter
Elevation – sea level
Access
This serene Nordic fishing village is surrounded by majestic, rugged mountains. Access to the photo location however is surprisingly easy. The photo is taken from a road bridge with a pedestrian footpath. There is a small amount of space to park nearby, but be careful not to block private access to any fish drying racks, properties, or bus stops. There is an official car park on the neighbouring island of Kvalsøya, a short walk away on the western side of the bridge (the island with the orange huts.)
Photo location
This photo is taken from the Hamnøy Bridge where, close to the Hamnøy side of the bridge, there are views to the North overlooking the island with the red houses and with the red mountains in the background. The railings on the bridge are flat-topped, and to get this shot I strapped a Platypod to the railings to give a clear, unobstructed view with a wide-angle lens.
Map
Outline
This is an iconic view, accessible to all. There is no rough ground to the location on the bridge, but there may be snow or ice in the winter along with the possibility of a strong, cold wind from the sea. In bad weather there may be clouds obstructing the view of the mountains or their peaks. If this photo is taken in darkness there is artificial light in the village to be mindful of, but there is sufficient darkness that photos of the northern lights can be taken above the village from this viewpoint. My photo above was taken in winter, but this location is beautiful year-round.
Detail
As a location largely made famous by Instagram there has been a surge in tourism to this area. The result of this is that the bridge can be busy with photographers at the location. Being such an iconic view of the Lofoten Islands, seeing this place for the first time is an interesting feeling with a combination of wonder and awe, and familiarity. There is a supermarket on the nearby island of Kvalvika, and other activities, restaurants and toilets nearby. The nearest big town is Svolvaer.
How it feels
Being in such a recognisable location in terms of familiarity, despite the actual location not being known to many who don’t research it, gives a great feeling. This is a bucket list location and its great to check it off the list. The entire archipelago is amazing all the way down to Å, the town at the end of the road, and each village along the road through the Lofoten Islands comes with it’s own slight differences to the last. For those wishing to capture the rugged terrain of Arctic Norway, along with the midnight sun in the summer or the northern lights in the winter, this is a perfect location.
What to bring
The wind hits land at this photo locaiton with nothing to stop it for seemingly endless miles at sea, so it can be very strong and very cold at times. It’s important to dress for the occasion and bear in mind that in Norway the weather can change in an instant so warm, waterproof clothing is essential.
Gear
For this shot I used my Nikon D810 and Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8 lens, mounted on a Platypod Ultra with a 3 Legged Thing Airhed ballhead. The luggage I used for this trip was a Wandrd HEXAD duffel.
Settings
This shot was exposed for 1/250th at f/2.8 and ISO 100. The focal length was 14mm. The tripod wasn’t essential for this particular shot, but I also took some long exposures and it was useful to have the camera securely mounted and composed so that I could get the shot I wanted at the right time.
Accommodation
There are AirBNB cabins and rooms available throughout the Lofoten Islands and these tend to be the most cost effective option, as well as providing a sense of belonging when staying in a red wooden cabin.
The information in this post is geared around how I got the featured shot, and as such the information may or may not be true to other seasons.