Here is the general plan of our time together.
Use this as a guideline and note that this schedule will be kept flexible and will change depending on weather and aurora potential.
For a typical day/night, you can expect long hours and irregular sleep. But for all your effort and lack of sleep you can expect amazing photos!
Plan on arriving in Evenes (EVE) on this day or the day earlier to avoid any possible flight delays or cancellations due to bad weather.
You are responsible for your own hotel fees this night (and the night before if you fly in on the 7th). The hotel to stay at will be emailed to you following registration.
We meet up at Evenes (EVE), get settled in our spacious minivans and start our Arctic adventure.
While driving southwest towards the Lofoten islands, we will all get to know each other and discuss our itinerary and the exciting days ahead.
If weather and time permits it, we’ll shoot sunset and Aurora Borealis as soon as arriving at our basecamp.
Each day and night will be planned based on current local weather and solar weather so that we can be at the right location at the right time, so an exact day to day itinerary is impossible to list right now. But you can use the info here as a general guide of what to expect.
Our vans will leave base camp bright and early to explore the historic villages and picturesque landscapes, chasing that unique Arctic light and exploring the stunning scenery.
Highlights will include locations such as Reine (possibly the prize jewel of Lofoten), Flakstad (Skagsanden), Fredvang, Nusfjord, Å, Ramberg, Selfjord and more.
The picturesque fishing villages surrounded by jagged granite mountains and colorful fjords will present endless photographic opportunities. We will be able to spend entire days exploring new angles and perspectives.
We will also explore Leknes which is real close to all the world renowned beaches. Locations could include Utakleiv, Haukland, Unstad, Vik, Ballstad, Vareid, Myrland and Valberg are all ideal for Auroral activity and unique Arctic light.
Of course, all of these locations will be dependent on Aurora potential, and again that is our main priority during our time together.
After the breakfast, we will transport you to Evenes Airport (EVE) in due time for your flight home, with the wonderful memories and images.
Complete travel information will be provided following registration.
Note: it is highly suggested to arrive at least 1 day in advance on February 8 (hotel not included that night) to allow for any potential flight cancellations or delays due to weather.
We are not based out of any particular hotel so you are free to stay where you want, provided it is in the very small town of Wall, SD.
More information will be provided following registration.
A complete list of What to Bring will be provided. This list will mention required and suggested items regarding camera equipment and clothing.
Keep in mind that this workshop takes place in early June when the weather can range from overnight lows on average around 46-56 F to daytime temps on average up to 83 F. Rain and stormy weather is always a possibility.
The tour is always dependent on weather, as the Arctic weather can indeed be highly unpredictable.
When it comes to the Northern Lights, while they are most likely to be seen between September and April, there is no guarantee that they will appear on a given day. We are visiting when it is a great time for the Aurora and it is our top priority on this workshop. We just can not guarantee that Mother Nature will cooperate and provide us with an amazing Aurora show.
There are always plenty to see and do if conditions do not favor any part of our original plan of Aurora photography and we will be maximizing our time together photographing the beauty of the area with and without the Aurora.
It is STRONGLY RECOMMENDED to purchase quality travel insurance.
Some companies allow for the purchase of Cancel for Any Reason Coverage that expands the list of reasons for your canceling to include things such as sudden work or family obligation and even a simple change of mind.
More information will be provided upon registration.
There is a paid option upgrade for a single room. However, in order to join us in the 2 vans we will be traveling in, any spouses/companions would need to be fully registered for the workshop as there is no room in the vans for those not registered.
In addition, transportation from Evenes to our base location would need to be taken care of by the spouse/companion too.
NOTE: As of the time of this page going live in November, 2023 there are no Covid restrictions to Norway. What follows is information from the 2023 workshop:
With this workshop still one year away as of the time of this registration page opening up, it is impossible to say what the Covid requirements will be in Norway at the time of the workshop.
With that in mind, it is highly suggested that you are up to date on any Covid vaccinations & boosters in case that is a requirement. Some countries have denied entry without proof of vaccination or have required quarantines when entering and there is no way to tell what will be in place in 2024 right now.
As of early February 2022, Norway eliminated its quarantine requirement for travelers, but travelers do need to provide a negative Covid test no more than 24hrs prior to arriving in Norway and again at point of entry.
Only time will tell as to what restrictions may be in place when we arrive - as we get closer to the workshop we will have a better idea on entry requirements.
We will be following all requirements regarding Covid that Norway has in place during the workshop.
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Photography has always been a huge part of my life starting at the age of 12 when I had my own black & white chemical darkroom. That early interest launched a full-time professional photography career that began in 1990 and continues today.
For the first 17 years of my career I was a photojournalist based in New England. I am a digital photography pioneer and began teaching digital photography to photojournalists in the late 90’s, helping bring digital cameras to two different newspapers. I was awarded the 2003 New England Press Associations Photographer of the Year award for my work at the Cape Cod Times. During my time as a photojournalist, I also photographed weddings & portraits, as well as corporate & commercial assignments.
In 2006 I decided to leave all of that behind and move West, where I am now a fine art landscape & nature photographer, educator, and publisher. In addition, I also accept select luxury resort & architectural photography assignments.
I teach numerous field & classroom workshops throughout the year as well as online courses and I provide occasional free online webinars. You may have already seen my videos for software companies such as Skylum and ON1. My passion for sharing and teaching what I have learned during my long career is evident in my down-to-earth and encouraging approach with my clients.
I am sponsored by Olympus / OM SYSTEM as an OM SYSTEM Ambassador. One does not need to shoot with Olympus / OM SYSTEM gear though to take my workshops.
I live in Bozeman, Montana with my fiancee and fine art painter Whitney Hall and our two blue heeler cattle dogs.
You can find me online on Instagram and YouTube at @mattsuessphoto
Dr. Kah-Wai Lin was born in Malaysia, but he has lived in other parts of the world for most of his life. He holds a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree from Lviv National Medical University, Ukraine and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in medical science from Karolinska Institute, Sweden. Since 2012, Dr. Lin has made his home in New Jersey, USA. Following a successful research career at Princeton University, Dr. Lin followed his passion and became a professional landscape photographer.
To date, Dr. Lin has explored and photographed some of the most diverse and remote places in over 30 countries, and he has been leading hundreds of photo tours and workshops throughout the world. He has been presenting over 250 seminars around the world, i.e. USA, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong and China, on behalf of Phase One, Fujifilm, Sony, NiSi, Fotopro and Skylum. On social media, Dr. Lin has over 300,000 followers on Facebook and Instagram.
Besides, Dr. Lin received over 200 awards at international contests and exhibitions including multiple gold medals. Most notably, Dr. Lin was awarded the 1st place at the International Photography Award 2015. He was named top 10 exhibitors in the world by Photographic Society of America in 2015 and 2016. In 2016, Dr. Lin was honored by the appointment as Artist-in-Residence of US National Park.
Dr. Lin is the Goodwill Ambassador, and the former vice president of Photographic Society of America (PSA), one of the biggest and oldest international photographic organizations in the world. Dr. Lin is the founder and former president of PSA Metropolitan Chapter (New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania); the founder and former president of Photographic Society of New Jersey; the representative and honorary advisor of many photographic societies around the world. Dr. Lin also operates a camera & telescope store, Stetinden Photo, in New Jersey.
Dr. Lin is the director of Global Elite Photographers; official photographer of Phase One Camera; ambassador and education advisor of NiSi Filters; ambassador and global marketing advisor of Fotopro Tripod; ambassador of f-stop; ambassador and global marketing advisor of FeiyuTech; pro team of Spiffy Gear; pro team of Red River Paper; ambassador and international liaison officer of Studio of Masters; and panda ambassador of World Wildlife Fund (WWF). He is also sponsored by BenQ and The Heat Company.
In recognition of his photographic excellence and invaluable contribution to the photographic community, Dr. Lin received over 80 honor and distinction titles by photographic organizations worldwide, as well as the Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition from US Member of Congress.
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