Fred Weyman Wilderness and Landscape Fine Art Photography
Dancing Birches
White birch forests and reindeer occur throughout northern Scandinavia. This animated grove is near Narvik about 100 miles north of the Arctic Circle along the Norwegian highway that runs the length of the country. In addition to the seamless depth of the woods, the front row had just the right amount of separation from the main forest that that allowed the character of the individual trunks to stand out against the lush green background instead of being mixed in with the jumble of trunks. The typical Norwegian weather, overcast with light showers, provided cool shadowless light.
Reine at Midnight
Because of their warm even light, the hour or so before and after sunrise and sunset are photographers' favorite times of the day. However this far north, in the summer and winter, they occur at the same time. Reine, with it's glacially carved backdrop is perhaps the most scenic of the many small fishing villages in the mountainous chain of the Lofoten Islands.
Svartdalen
Named Svartdalen 'Black Valley' due to the dark surrounding mountains this part of Jotunheimen ("home of the giants") National Park is in the heart of the Norwegian mountains The milky blue color of the lake water indicates that the lakes are down stream of active glaciers, where the rock is ground so fine that it remains suspended even in the still lake water.
Luktvaten
I'm guessing that this lake was named "Warm Lake" because it is shallower than many of the other glacially carved lakes in the Nordland region of Norway about 40 km south of the Arctic Circle. Small farms with red buildings survive well north of here due to the warming influences of the Gulf Stream.
?, Lofoten Islands
? (pronounced as in awesome) is the last town at the end of the chain of Lofoten Islands. It was given this name because it is also the last letter in the Norwegian alphabet. Some houses in the tiny fishing village are visible in the lower left. Although located about 70 miles north of the Arctic Circle, it rarely snows at sea level due to the warm Gulf Stream currents. The warm waters also bring much rain and fog, but according to Audun Rasmussen, my innkeeper and hiking guide, I was fortunate to be there on some of the clearest days he had ever seen.
