17/05/2026
Only Locals.
I'm slowly making my way through c.12 weeks of images from the last couple of years in Lofoten for a book. I know it sounds daft but it's a little overwhelming to know where to begin sometimes so I leave it again another day. And another day. And so on.
Some of the things I've found are not only the makings of brilliance in their own right but after so much time here I've learnt exactly when the rare arctic light breaks, where it hits, and which spots require exactly which conditions to perfect the photographs.
This isn't really a commercial endeavour. A high calibre book takes years and years to perfect. It isn't the kind of thing you should expect to knock out in the early days. It needs to display imagery you've created. Not, seen somewhere and shot a version of. And not a collection of honeypots across the seasons. It needs to have meaning. Something learnt. Something found. Something of you. Something unique.
So moments like this stay dormant some more. Which is a shame. This was another special morning. Literally the most astounding localised light at a spot no one goes to. Still haven't seen any other photos from here 2 years on, save from the lovely folks I've taken here on my own phototours.
It's quite a personal thing actually, to take another photographer to something amazing that only you've found and photographed. But it's also a lovely feeling to give something of value away, to the right kind of person of course, and to see them enjoy and appreciate you passing the baton.
There's no greater feeling now than seeing one of my students produce a wonderful image from a place like this. I tend not to stand over people's shoulders all the time and after getting you going, you've got to be allowed engage in the landscape your way and be left to it. So when I see the images from workshops afterwards it can be a lovely surprise. A really warming feeling.
Just once in a while that becomes an "oh my god what a shot" moment. The kind of, yeh, they don't need me anymore kind of fond feeling. And that's a workshop leaders job. To make moments like this happen for whoever puts their faith in you 🙂
