Arctic Photo Guide

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Arctic Photo Guide

Guided hiking & photography tours in Tromsø, Norway. Chasing Northern Lights & Arctic Landscapes 📸
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04/08/2024

The Northern Lights season is getting closer! Who's ready for it?
September and October are the months that offer the best flexibility in regards to accessible spots and photography 📸

Less cold (yeah, it's not summer anymore!) means less frozen fingers, more stunning reflections over unfrozen lakes and rivers, gorgeous autumn colours and easier hiking conditions.

I still have a bit of availability on my Small Group Northern Lights Expeditions in September, and a bit more availability for both small group and private tours in October.
So if you were planning to join the guide who takes his guests where others won't find them afterwards, don't wait too long before booking, or I might end up being sold out 😅🤠

Here some pics from September and October 2023 to refresh your memories 🫡

www.arcticphotoguide.com/tours

31/07/2024

PUFFINS and MIDNIGHT SUN
Sounds like the recipe for a heavenly time right? Besides the fact that we've been out from 11:00 pm to 04:00 am 😅
But hey! Look at that light 😍

Around 20 days ago, we headed out along the fjord where I live, out of Tromsø, for a little "night" photography trip.
The weather was awesome with no wind at all and a mirrored fjord in front of us, graced from the soft light of the midnight sun.

As if this wasn't enough, the whole fjord was packed with Puffins 🤩 Here something to read about them in case you're interested: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_puffin
They are very beautiful birds to watch from up close, and the time just flew by so quickly while staring at them and taking photos of, that it got pretty late out there 😅

Headed back tired but with around a billion of pictures (most of them blurry of course 🫣), and once more great memories of life from up here. Here's some of them, hope you enjoy them 🤗

28/07/2024

It’s only end of July and still summer, but we all know it’s going to end sooner or later, letting September bringing the most beautiful colours we have up in the Arctic!

Especially the last two weeks of September, that’s when the foliage really kicks in. Can’t wait to get lost in this endless yellow again 😍
Are you coming up here by then, and would like to go hiking or photographing the best spots around Tromsø region?

Feel free to reach me by message here or by email at [email protected] like these lovely guests of mine did last year, for a private tour to the wild island of Senja.

www.arcticphotoguide.com

25/07/2024

Arctic Summer Night Photo Hike - part 2 ☀️
I can't really think of anything more beautiful than this honestly.
Do you?

If you haven't seen yet my post from yesterday, just go check it out on my page, to get the first part of this story!
When we reached the top of the mountain, around 01:00 am, the sun smashed straight on our faces, almost blinding us, literally.
The smile on our faces was clearly visible, though.

Powerful views, powerful moments, powerful images captured.
The sun hovering on the northern horizon, slowly but steady, the jagged mountains, the ocean... 🥰
You just can't go to sleep when outside it looks like this.
Living in the Arctic is not always dreamy and easy, but the good (few) days make it worthy🙏

24/07/2024

Midnight sun magic 🌞✨
Would you go hiking at night, with this endless light?

Summer up here has been quite amazing so far (although it's raining now while I write this 😅), giving us the opportunity to refill our vitamin D reservoir, 24 hours non stop.
And to make lasting memories 🥰

Hiking and Photography, that's what makes me thriving when out in Nature (well, mountain biking too eheh).
So what do you do when a couple of photographers wants to enjoy their time here, and the weather is like that?
You simply head out at night, easy!

We started hiking at 22:30, and got back down to the car at 05:00 am 🙈 We were definitely roasted the day after, but hey, that's how it works up here.
You don't sleep away summer nights, when they're like this 🫡
(I actually don't sleep away winter nights too because of the northern lights, but that's another story 😂)

These pictures are just from the first part of the hike, the ones from when we reached the top will follow soon!

All the info about my tours and requests for crazy tours here:
www.arcticphotoguide.com

07/07/2024

Why did I choose to call my company "Arctic Photo Guide" ?
Easy to guess that, my goal, is to guide around travellers who are passionate about photography 📸

Although I am more than happy to host whoever is a Nature lover, my long term plan is to try to target down to mostly photography oriented customers. It will take a long time, so don't worry if you don't own or don't care about cameras, you can still join my scheduled tours that are available on my website!

On Friday I guided a lovely couple who wanted to spend time taking photos at their pace, without the stress of following a set time schedule as it would be on a regular sightseeing tour.
It's no secret that landscape photography can take time: finding the right composition, balance the exposure, wait for the best light...
And what about getting a small framed print right away at the end of your tour?
How is that even possible? It's a secret 😜 My guests loved it! 🥰

So, nice people out there! Are you looking for photography tours?
I am now working on finishing my Photo Tours page where you'll be able to book me for private photography tours/sessions and read more about the two multi day tours that I'll be offering for next winter.

Stay tuned! 👇
https://www.arcticphotoguide.com/photo-tours

05/07/2024

Heia!! How's going everyone?!
I'm back home, to the land where the sun doesn't set for 6 months!
Then, suddenly, we enter complete darkness, and freeze to the bones for the following 6 months. How cool is that?
.....I'm kidding of course 😁

The midnight sun in Tromsø lasts from roughly the 17th of May till the 21st of July. After that, it will still take one month before we start to have the first bit of darkness late in the evening (mid-late August). Which means... 💚🐉

But lets's enjoy the summer vibes for now!
These shots are taken few nights ago around half past midnight, close to where I live. A special family time 🥰

20/05/2024

As some of you may have seen from my latest video, last week I had to do a quick trip back in Norway, to purchase a newer Toyota for next season!
This one will provide more comfort on the 2 rearmost seats which were a bit too cramped on my older Land Cruiser.
It still is an off-road truck so not as spacious and comfy as a minibus, but well who’s after the most comfortable tours is on the wrong page here then😅

I found amazing weather all the way from Trondheim (where I picked up the truck) to Tromsø where I live. 20 degrees during the day and constant light thanks to the arrival of the midnight sun! And what a light 🔥
The area in these pictures is located south of Narvik, and it’s by far one of my favourite landscapes in the north of Norway. I felt so blessed to be there and have such great conditions 🤩

Veeeery different story today instead, as it has been snowing again 🤣🙈
May is a funny month up here, it likes to joke with people’s minds 🤪
In 2023 we had the last snowfall on 2nd of June. When will that be this year? Maybe today was it? We’ll see 😅

09/05/2024

Ice Ice Baby!
Would you spend hours taking photos of this landscape in -20 to -30 Celsius? If yes, put your hands up 😆💃

The west coast of Svalbard archipelago is reached from the Gulf Stream, so the sea does not freeze like it does on the east coast instead. You will not find too much sea ice out of Longyearbyen, but the Adventfjord, where the town lies, does get sea ice during the winter, depending on weather patterns.

When I was there in late February, it was frozen for quite a big stretch and the ice blocks floating just in front of the town were a real treat for the eyes and for my camera sensor 🫶
The sunlight hitting the majestic mountain Hiortfjellet was the truly icing on the cake 😆

08/05/2024

NORTHERNMOST NORTHERN LIGHTS
You can't really get much further North than this, to take photos of the Aurora Borealis!

During my short stay in Svalbard, the choice for the accommodation went for Gjestehuset 102 - Svalbard
Being located at the southern end of Longyearbyen, this was the best place for being right out in the Nature off the door and with a reasonable price. Everything in Svalbard is really expensive.

On this particular night, I didn't even go out to take photos of the Northern Lights to be honest... I just wanted to take some quick shots of the mountains illuminated from the moonlight.
The plan was to stay out 10/15 minutes. It was late, I was very tired..
And Svalbard isn't the best place to see the lights either, as they are a bit too far north of the auroral oval, although with the right conditions they get to see pretty nice stuff as well up there, usually looking south (as you see in these photos).
Not to mention, the polar bear danger... I was not the most relaxed person on Earth out there alone I must say 😅
Bears in town are rare, but it can happen. Here I was literally just at the edge of the town, as it's forbidden to leave the town without polar bear protection/unarmed.

Well, the destiny wanted me to stay out two hours after all, thanks to the appearance of my old friend Aurora 😆
Not the most intense lights, but I actually found them very fascinating over the stunning mountains, with a powerful combo of highlights and shadows created from the clouds hanging around.
I even used my 24-105 f/4 lens to take close up shots!
Rare stuff for my usual style that is full on wide angle 📷

06/05/2024

ARCTIC BLUES
If right after sunset the sky can turn pink above the Arctic Circle, a bit later on it fades over a blue tint. No need to say it is as pretty!

Longyearbyen is located in a very scenic area, facing the majestic mouintain Hiortfjellet. This mountain, to me, felt pretty hypnotic.
I couldn't help but feel attracted by its shape, which somehow reminds me of a pyramid, and with the changes in light it keeps on providing stunning interactions between shadows and highlights.

I could totally see myself spending hours staring at it, photographing the gentle light transition over those silky shapes...
Would you do the same? I'm thinking to organise a photo tour there for next winter, let's see, if I'll end up doing it or not.
Anyone would come and join me? Let me know 🤗

04/05/2024

ARCTIC DREAM
The main reason why I took a trip to Svalbard, was to capture its soft pastel colours in the sky over the fascinating landscape.
February is the best month to do so, up there. The light can be magical, as the sun is on its way back after the Polar Nights!

But we cannot control Nature. The day I booked a long snowmobiling tour we had zero visibility, the day I took these pictures instead, we had booked an ice cave tour... 🙄

Unfortunately there was no possibility of swapping the two tours, so we proceeded as scheduled. We headed over the headquarters of the tour company to get all the equipment for the ice cave tour, and once stepped outside, the sky was insanely pink!

I couldn't help myself but running like Forrest Gump away of the buildings and take some super quick shots of what was in front of me: my Arctic Dream.
It was like being in a fairytale. I really wish I had more time to get closer to the sea ice, but the rest of the group was waiting for me 🙈 Next time Nico, next time!

I'm still in awe when I look at these shots...

03/05/2024

The light in the Arctic is different, we say.
I don't think the pictures here need a long caption to prove so!

When the sun comes back after the long polar night, hovering low over the horizon for some hours, it gives a stunning soft light.
At lower latitudes, the light transition during sunrise and sunset is quite fast, unlike at higher latitudes where it's a much longer process. Golden hours do really last for hours in the Arctic, making for a dreamy playground for a photographer!

The freezing temperature of -20 Celsius passes unnoticed when you have the right equipment, letting you soak in the moment 🫶⛄️

01/05/2024

Human presence in harsh climates has pretty much always been a thing, as far back as we can go in history.
On this whiteout day, we didn't really see anything of the landscapes around us, unfortunately. Just some small details.
Some were natural, some were human made.

Let me know in the comments your thoughts and guesses about what you see in the pictures below! Blue water creeping through the ice and the brown cabin aside, that's easy 😅

30/04/2024

Probably most of who knows what Svalbard islands are and where they are, they've heard that there are more polar bears around than human beings.
However, bears usually keep distance from the town of Longyearbyen, and except few occasions, they're rarely seen next to it. Most of them live in the east coast of the archipelago which does not get the effect of the gulf stream, making for a better hunting ground over the sea ice.

So what else can you see of wildlife in the proximity of Longyearbyen? The beautiful (and a bit funny looking like) Svalbard reindeer! They differ from the continental ones, for their chubby look made from shorter legs and rounder head. Like a sort of Pony reindeer 😆

Here's a link for those who are more curious about them: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Svalbard_reindeer

29/04/2024

SVALBARD
In late February, I took a weekend visit to the northern most town in the world called Longyearbyen, and its surroundings.
Located on Svalbard archipelago (also known as Spitzbergen), it has a population of roughly 2600 inhabitants.
Why do they live there you may wonder?

If the day I did a 7 hours snowmobile trip the weather would have been more gentle with me, I could have figured it out, why they even live over there 😅
But as you can see in the pictures below, there was nothing but white to be seen. That's the Arctic, after all.
More to come in the next days 😎

24/04/2024

Once the Northern Lights season is over, it’s quiet for a while in Tromsø.
Usually some more visitors start to arrive towards late May, for summer activities.

Probably most of you who have been here have tried a hot dog from the famous kiosk Raketten (the rocket)!
Well, each year, once the spring comes and there’s no more long queues for hot dogs, it’s time for the seagull Buzz to claim his hot dogs 😂

Tromsø’s newspapers are quite funny sometimes, indeed 🤣
(The article is in Norwegian and requires a subscription to read it).

Funny news apart, it’s been quiet on my page as well lately.
Had to do some management stuff (yes, the annoying part!) and it’s also holiday time now, for us pale Northern Lights guides, after a long winter 👻

More content coming back in here from the next weeks 🤗

Hugs
Nico

06/04/2024

5th of April - END OF THE SEASON!
After 7 months of Aurora chasing, the last tour didn't disappoint.
Such wonderful conditions to finish the season with!
Completely clear sky once again, dancing lights above a frozen fjord and a nice bunch of people to spend my last tour with 🥰

Thank you everyone for following along, I won't be silent until September, no worries 😆
If you're planning on visiting Tromsø this summer, I'll be offering my Arctic Landscapes Hikes from July 1st until August 18th.
So, plenty of summer content coming here from now on 🌞🏔

My booking calendar for next season is also open now, and I can only tell you that seats are selling fast, so do not wait too long in planning your next visit here if you wanna join one of my tours😅

Are you passionate about photography?
Next season I'll have a bit less availability for "regular" tours in favour to offer a bit more availability for pure photography tours.
There will be 2 multi day tours, one from November 10th till 15th, and the next one from Febraury 24th till 28th.
Two very unique experiences, for maximum 4 people.
More details about these tours will come in the next weeks 😎

https://www.arcticphotoguide.com/photo-tours

05/04/2024

4th of April
Who got to meet me, or has been reading my website, knows that I'm Italian (from the surroundings of Venice).
Yesterday, the 4th of April, was my 8th anniversary of life in Norway! Wow, already 8 years since I moved here😳

The Northern Lights decided to remind me about one of the reasons why I've been living up here so far. And damn if they took it really seriously! One of the best displays of aurora of my life.
The sky literally exploded when it wasn't even dark yet, and kept on firing up for a few hours later on.
Speechless 🤯

04/04/2024

3rd of April
The awesome weather is back in Tromsø, still can't believe how great these last two weeks have been!

Last night I took my lovely guests to one of my favourite spots around, as some of you may know, the "porridge fjord" 😁
Clear sky, no wind, super warm -7 C, fresh fluffy snow and awesome views. And the Northern Lights? Well, those made us waiting a few hours before they decided to appear 😅

With a perfect timing, once we had dinner, I started explaining the science behind the aurora and slowly they started flaring up in the sky. Such a sweet display and shapes they made!
Mind that those upper colours, purple and blues, are not really visibile to the naked eyes, but you see the shapes of them as a hue of white/grey.

The nights are getting brighter and brighter, only 2 tours left for me! 🤪

03/04/2024

2nd of April
Mother Nature didn't stay on our side last night unfortunately, giving us clear sky but no Northern Lights.

We drove all the way south-east of Tromsø (around 140km one way) reaching the beginning of a national park that is home to brown bears, wolverines and lynxes.
Once dressed up to withstand the -17 C we had a cozy time by the bonfire, having soups and telling stories 🔥
We even heard some noise coming from the forest, who knows what it was 🙈 Hopefully just an Arctic hare or a moose and nothing else 😅

Despite the unsuccessful outcome of the evening, my guests have been so positive and enjoyed the time in Nature, knowing that there's nothing to be done with it.
Not every night the Northern Lights dance wild in the sky!

02/04/2024

01st of April
If the morning started with a snow blizzard as a good April's fool, the evening...did not fool us at all!

The weather was a bit different than the forecasts, but luckily not too bad. As we were heading away from the clouds, the northern lights suddenly broke loose in the sky and I had to do an emergency stop 😅 What a stop!

Later on, we relocated to a quiet spot by a frozen lake to set up camp, and the lights only kept on going, and going, and going... With wonderful colours, thanks to the equinox effect.

01/04/2024

01st of April
Well, it started like a proper April's fool!
After a whole week of sunshine and blue sky every day, I woke up to a snow blizzard outside 🙈

Perfect weather to experience how the conditions are usually up here, and how true is that "There is not such a thing as bad weather, only bad clothing!"

So here are the pics from a delightful Arctic Landscapes Hike, where one moment was snowing horizontally, and the next was nice and sunny 😏 Perfect beach weather!!! 😜

̊turaldrisur

31/03/2024

29th of March
What a gorgeous combo of high pressure and good solar wind we had in the past week 😍

Beautiful weather, beautiful Northern Lights, beautifully lucky guests visiting Tromsø and getting such treats!
Friday night was just perfect, we headed out to a quiet spot away from the crowd, by the time we got geared up the lights began (it wasn't even dark yet) and they lasted for a couple of hours, giving us then the time for a peaceful dinner by the fire.

The days are now getting longer and longer, and the night will soon disappear, in 2 weeks.
One more week of tours for me, let's see what we will get more!

29/03/2024

28th of March
Blessed from wonderful weather, we headed out on the west coast of Tromsø, to one of the prettiest sandy beaches in the area.
As soon as we arrived, the Northern Lights were already shining up in the sky above our heads, and they only kept growing more and more as the darkness settled in!

The perfect timing continued and they faded down after a while, allowing us to have dinner without throwing the soups over us for looking at the lights 😂
But later on, as it often happens with me, when they saw me packing up, they came back in full force again! 💥

28/03/2024

27th of March
After a few nights not being out guiding, I couldn't be luckier than having such a show!
Well, my guests too, can't really complain 😄

The weather forecasts weren't so optimistic, solar activity wasn't particularly high too...yet look what a fantastic treat Mother Nature served us! For those that think you need a high KP...here's KP1 😂
Also, did I say in the last posts that I rarely go often to the same spot? Well, third tour in a row, that I go there 🙈

There really are not so many places available in some areas, and with the mass tourism we are having now, it's a battle for the spots in between guides...
On the bright side, there are only 2 weeks left of the season, the struggle is almost over 🫣

Planning on coming here but don't like the crowd?
September and October are much quieter months, plus, I'll have another interesting and very special tour option for next season.
Stay tuned, the booking calendar will be opened from next week!

25/03/2024

25th of March
Why staying under the clouds, if somewhere else the sun is shining and the views are stunning too?

Today I started my Arctic Landscapes Hiking tour heading out towards one of the classics around Tromsø, but the sky was so grey over there, that it really felt a shame to leave the sun behind us...Turn around, and relocate to a less known area but as stunning!

That's what I love of running my own tours, I can decide where to take my guests based on the conditions we have. Of course, this is not always possible. But today, it was 😎

As a classic for my private hikes with families and kids, the way up is just a boring way up (besides the views!), but the way down, hey boys! That's a lot of fun rolling down the snowy hills 😆

24/03/2024

23rd of March
For as much as I love the moonlight, well, this time I really hated it!
And, we in Tromsø at 69 degrees North, were also too far North for the strongest lights that actually happened at much lower latitudes, like 62 degrees or so🙈

We've been receiving some goodies from the Sun in the past 2 days, and this has caused the northern lights to be seen at very low latitudes, and much more than what we have seen up here.
The full moon didn't really help at all in seeing what was happening here, as it was more the colorful type of Aurora rather than the strong and vibrant one for the naked eyes.
The moonlight does help our eyes in perceiving more the green colour, but it does wash away a lot the reds, which were in abundance...even on cameras, barely noticeable! Such a shame...

We had a great time anyway, on another private tour with a family, and guess what? The weather wanted that I actually ended up going in the exact same two spots where I had been the two previous nights as well!
For the whole season, I had been around there only one time before, perfect example of how different my office is most days 😅

23/03/2024

22nd of March
I had a private tour with a couple, which allows maximum flexibility.
The weather was supposed to improve late around 23:00-24:00, on the coastal area North west of Tromsø, so we started the tour a bit later!

On one night where the weather forecasts have been correct, the solar wind unfortunately decided to take a break, leaving us with very faint auroras and a "wasted" clear sky 🙄

The pictoresque small bay where I took my guests made for pretty views and a quiet shelter from the cold winds, showing us some faint, but pretty, Northern Lights!

22/03/2024

21st of March
Spring Equinox! Winter is on its way out!
Nah, not so much up here yet 😄

As I wrote on my last post from the night before, we had something boiling up in the pan.
But when it comes of space science, things cannot be predicted entirely and it turned out that the incoming solar winds from a coronal mass ejection (also known as CME) didn't have the best geomagnetic configuration, just partially.
This resulted in indeed colourful auroras, but not much of its actual potential. Most likely stronger auroras happened early in the evening, when it wasn't dark yet.

The near full moon did wash away part of their visibility to the naked eyes, altough those purples/magentas are more fun for photographers than the human eyes anyway.

Some high clouds rolled in later on, making the perfect ground for disturbing even more the sight with our eyes, but created that stunning moon halo 🌝

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Monday	11:00 - 17:00
Tuesday	11:00 - 17:00
Wednesday	11:00 - 17:00
Thursday	11:00 - 17:00
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Arctic Landscapes Hikes! Are you craving lush nature, turquoise sea and a break with a view for your summer? You can either use your imagination, or join me in July and August on my day tours. Book on my website, link in bio! A 5 hour trip starting from Tromsø, mixing sightseeing and a light hike, with picnic included. Picnic with a view, and me, Nic ✋🏻 DISCLAIMER: the dog is not included. He’s too old now for hiking, but he accepts biscuits as alternative. #arcticphotoguide #tromsø #norway #northernnorway #arctic #landscapephotography #hiking #hikingadventures #hikingtour #sightseeing #smallgrouptours #adventuretours

When you’re in Italy on vacation but…you gotta fly back to Norway and buy a new truck for your company! A 1150 km roadtrip from Trondheim to Tromsø with the best possible weather ❤️☀️ And Gratulerer med dagen vakre Norge!! 17th of May is Norway’s constitutional day 🇳🇴 #arcticphotoguide #norway #roadtrip #newtruck #smallgroups #adventuretours #newadventures

Driving under the Northern Lights 💚

Just a quick clip from few nights ago, while I was taking photos I thought it was so nice to see that car down there on the road cruising on its way, under such a beautiful display of aurora 🤗 #arcticphotoguide #tromsø #norway #auroraborealis #northernlights

Rocking the fjords! . #odda #norway #norge #norwegian #hordaland #fjordnorway #fjords #norwegianfjords #hike #hiking #reflection #drone #dronevideos #nature #sunsetporn #sunset #waves #dronestagram #droneporn #art #artofvisuals #natureart #mountains #summervibes #utpåtur #utpåturaldrisur #utno #visitnorway #trolltunga #speilbilde

Live the life you want to live! This is a small part of my next video project about my last trip to Lofoten islands, up north, veeeery north above the Arctic Circle. During the day amazing landscapes, during the night amazing #northernlights ! Stay tuned! #lofoten #lofotenislands #arctic #surf #surfing #arcticsurf #norway #nordnorge #norwegian #wilderness #drone #dronevideos #autumnvibes #artwork #videography #surfer #norge #mittnorge #visitnorway #nordland #auroraborealis #skywars #inspiring #beachwaves #caribbeansea #exploremore #livealifeyouwillremember #extremesports #scandinavia

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