Henningsvær is home to one of the most juxtaposed football pitches on the planet, with its green expanse nestled within the jagged rocks of a peninsula at the southern end of a Lofoten fishing village.

Facts

Distance - none
Difficulty - very easy
Time - late afternoon
Season - Summer
Elevation - sea level

Access

There is parking beside the football pitch, which is easily accessed by following the main road leading into town, back out again and turning to go over the causeway beside all the moored boats and fish processing plants, then turning right where the sign for the stadium (Stadion in Norwegian)

Photo Location

This photo is taken by drone, with the operator stood within line of sight on the path to the lighthouse beside the football pitch.

Map

Outline

This is generally an easy photo, but because of the Arctic location beside the North Sea it is common for very strong, cold winds to blow from the south. Care must be taken to fly the drone within its limit of capability and not to endanger yourself or others in trying to get the shot.

Detail

There are plenty of places to stand to operate the drone as there is a path to the west side of the pitch that goes to the lighthouse at the southern end of the peninsula. During the colder months the wooden fish racks will be covered with drying cod, accompanied by a smell you won’t miss. The town is beautiful, with typical Norwegian architecture that goes hand-in-hand with fishing villages. In fact the name of the town incorporates the word ‘vær’ which translates to ‘fishing village’. Henning is the male name accompanying the town’s name, first recorded way before the football pitch existed in 1567, following the first record of the settlement in 1556.

What To Bring

This is a simple photo with no walking required, so it’s only necessary to bring whatever you need to protect from the weather when you arrive.

Gear

I shot this with a DJI Mavic Air 2.

Settings

The exposure triad for this shot is 1/320th second, f/2.8, ISO 100.

Accommocation

Lofoten is frequented by tourists and has plenty of camp sites and hotels. There are good options for Norwegian cabins and apartments on AirBNB. I can recommend Svinøya Rorbuer as a great base from which to explore the Lofoten Islands, also offering a restaurant and tours.

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.

Henningsvær Stadium, Norway