Norway Photo Workshop Adventure
Norway Photo Workshop – Winter in The Lofoten Islands
Come join me on this Norway Photo Workshop Adventure that you will never forget! We will explore one of the most amazing winter photography locations on the planet, Norway’s own Lofoten Islands. Located above the arctic circle, these islands are home to some of the most spectacular seascapes in Europe. Additionally, because of its latitude, you have a greater chance to see the Northern Lights here than most places on the planet. During our 7 day adventure, we will split our focus between the famous town of Reine and the mountainous beaches of Leknes. This will put your right at the heart of some of the most incredible photographic location in the world!
Trip Dates
February 11th – 18th, 2021
Tuition Costs
$3950
Group Size
8-12
Difficulty Level
Easy/Moderate
Norway Photo Workshop – Winter in The Lofoten Islands
Our photo adventure in the Lofoten Islands will base just outside the town of Leknes for the duration of our workshop. There are multiple daily flights from Oslo to the Leknes Airport (LKN), giving you plenty of options to choose from when it comes to getting to this incredible part of the world. We will be staying in a series of fully renovated Rorbuer cabins that come equipped with not only private bathrooms in each room (with heated floors), but a living room area and full kitchen. It is here that we will make our own meals each night, allowing all participants to not only choose what they wish to eat, but save a little money in the process (eating out in Norway is VERY expensive).
When we are not out chasing the northern lights at night, we will be exploring a series of incredible fjords, beaches, inlets, lakes and mountain scenes through the region that stems from Leknes to the town of Reine and beyond. In addition, we will spend time photographing a number of the gorgeous red and yellow cabins that line the fjords in this part of the world. The Lofoten Islands are a photographers paradise and I can’t wait to show you why it is one of my favorite places to photograph in the winter.
What is Included?
- All Ground Transportation
- All Hotel Accommodations
- All Photo Education
What is Not Included?
- All Flights
- Meals & Snacks
- Travel Insurance
Norway Photo Workshop – Winter in The Lofoten Islands
With two photo instructors present for the duration of the workshop, you will have plenty of opportunity for one on one instruction to further the skills that you feel you need to work on. If the workshop is full and you wanted to be added to the waiting list, click HERE.
* please read the workshop F.A.Q. section on this page to learn more about visiting Norway and check out our cancellation policies if you have any questions.
The Lofoten Islands of Norway
Areas to Explore
Norway Photo Workshop
- Leknes
- Reine
- Hamnoy Bridge
- Agvatnet Lake
- Utakliev Beach
- Haukland Beach
- Skagsanden Beach
- Ramberg
- Flagstad
- Mortsund
- and more...
What Will You Experience?
Norway Photo Workshop
Join the Workshop Waitlist to learn more about any upcoming adventures...
Join the Workshop Waitlist to learn more about any upcoming adventures...
F.A.Q
Absolutely! Although I might be a bit biased 😉 While there are a number of photography workshops being offered in places like the Lofoten Islands of Norway, none of them offer a similar experience. Not only have I been working as a photo workshop instructor for 16 years, which included time leading trips for National Geographic, but I have spent the last 7 years exploring the Northernmost parts of Norway, namely the Lofoten Islands and Senja. I work hard to make sure I meet each of my clients at their own level, providing ample 1 on 1 time while we are out in the field. This helps to make sure that you get everything possible out of this workshop experience!
The workshop starts of February 11th, 2022 in Leknes, Norway where we will pick you up at the airport when you arrive. If you prefer to arrive a day early, we can also pick you up from your hotel in the area the morning the workshop starts.
The workshop ends on February 18th, 2022 in Leknes, Norway where we will drop you off at the airport after a final sunrise shoot. Look for a flight to leave Leknes after 12 (Noon) to make sure we have enough time.
You will fly into the Leknes Airport (LKN) located above the Arctic Circle in Northern Norway. You must first fly to Oslo (OSL) and then purchase a domestic flight using SAS Airlines to get to Leknes.
While the Lofoten Islands are located above the Arctic Circle, the temperatures found here are fairly nominal when compared to Winter in many other locations around the globe. You can expect it to usually hover around 32 degrees Farenheit or 0 degrees Celcius on average. However, at night, the temperature can dip just below freezing. All in all, it isn’t nearly as cold in the Lofoten Islands as many people expect.
Our home base will be a number of incredibly comfortable and picturesque red cabins, located 15 minutes south of the city of Leknes. This will be our basecamp for the duration of the trip, allowing you to completely unpack your bags and get comfortable in your new cabins. Each room in the cabins will have its own private bathrooms with heated floors along with a shared living and kitchen area.
The cabins we stay in have full kitchens, giving us the ability to make our own meals. This way we are not tied to any sort of meal schedule or timing of any of the local restaurants in Leknes. Every two or three days we will stop by the local grocery store and stock up on items for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. These stores have everything you would find at your local large grocery store in North America or other parts of Europe.
The Lofoten Islands are one of my favorite places in the world to witness and photograph the Northern Lights. We will be so far North, that even low aurora activity is often visible given the right conditions. However, for a truly magical experience, we will want clear skies, cold temperatures, and significant solar flare activity coming off the sun. None of this is guaranteed but is highly likely this time of year.
While in the Lofoten Islands, our main focus will be a mixture of landscape/seascape scenes along with photographing the northern lights whenever possible. You will want a camera that has full manual controls of your ISO, Shutterspeed and ISO and a fast wide-angle lens. In my gear bag you will find the following gear:
- Sony a1
- Sony 14mm f/1.8 GM
- Sony 12-24 f/2.8 GM or 16-35 f/2.8 GM
- Sony 24-105 f/4
- Sony 70-200 f/2.8 II (Optional)
Additionally, you will want to bring some filters such as a polarizing filter and microspikes to help you easily walk around on snow and ice.
The truth is that we don’t know just yet. As we get closer and closer to the workshop dates, we will have a better picture of what entry requirements we will have as well as what COVID restrictions or pre-cautions we will have to take into account.
Meet Your Instructors & Guides
Colby Brown
Owner/Photographer/Author
Colby Brown is a photographer, photo educator and author based out of Eastern Pennsylvania. Specializing in landscape, travel and humanitarian photography, his photographic portfolio spans the four corners of the globe and all 7 continents. Not too long after picking up his first digital camera in 2006, Colby was leading workshops for National Geographic in South America, further spurring his love for both travel and photo education. In 2011, he founded The Giving Lens, an organization that blends photo education with support for various non-governmental organizations (NGO) and causes around the world, such as child education, clean drinking water projects, and women’s rights.
Pedro Kin
Workshop Manager/Photography Instructor
Pedro is a Portuguese landscape photographer based in Slovakia but you’ll often find him in the most scenic mountains, forests, and fjords of Europe. Favoring the cold landscapes and the unspoiled nature of northern Europe, the higher latitudes do not stop him from going after the perfect shot. When not traveling the world with his camera, you can find him back home teaching workshops, testing new gear and experimenting with photography.
Speaks: English, Portuguese & Spanish
Testimonials
I originally signed up for the workshop with Colby to become more familiar with my Sony mirrorless camera. I had not anticipated seeing the Northern lights but Colby’s experience with chasing the aurora gave us a number of opportunities. He managed to get us to(...)
I had the pleasure of going with Colby to the Lofoten Islands, Norway in February 2016. I greatly benefited from Colby’s extensive knowledge and his willingness to answer any photography question from mechanics to style and the realities of the business.(...)
This was my third workshop with Colby, after winter and summer Iceland workshops, and I keep coming back for a reason! Colby's way of focusing on the individuals and teaching on a personal level really helps tackling whatever I'm struggling with and helps me(...)
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Cancellation & Refund Policy
No one wants to miss out on a trip of a life time…but things do happen. In those situations, the following applies…
The first thing to note is that deposits are not refundable, but they are transferable. In addition, all cancellations are subject to a minimum of a $150 service charge to cover PayPal transaction fees. In most situations, we ask for the remaining balance of a workshop is to be paid 120 days from the start of the workshop in question. If you wish to cancel within 120 days from the start of a workshop and we find someone to fill your spot, you would be entitled to receive a refund (minus your deposit and the $150 processing fee) or transfer to another workshop with no penalties or fees.
If we don’t find someone to fill your spot, what does your refund window actually look like?
120 Days or More...
Your deposit will be transferable to another Colby Brown Photography Workshop without issue.
90 to 120 Days
You will receive a refund of 50% of the full tuition fees minus the non-refundable deposit.
Less Than 90 Days...
If you wish to cancel within 90 days of your workshop starting, you are not entitled to a refund.
