Forests, frozen lakes, snow-covered trees, mills, frozen rivers, and above all snow, lots of snow. This and much more will be what we will photograph in the lands where the sun never rises. We will have more than 5 hours of golden light and about 3 hours of blue hour, in which the sun barely rises five degrees on the horizon. And with the arrival of night, with a bit of luck, the green lady, the northern lights, will be with us, a show that at this time of year intensifies more than normal.
For 8 days we will visit and photograph the places in this area of Lapland, which, although it may seem bleak and cold, is full of life. All this living adventures and unique experiences, such as snowmobile routes, walking over frozen lakes or walking through snowy mountains with very special trees.
Lapland is a region located in the north of Finland, which borders Norway, Sweden and Russia. Much of the territory is within the Arctic Circle, so in winter the days are extremely short, with around eight hours of daylight per day. During the winter season temperatures do not rise above 0º and can reach 50º below zero. Due to the latitude in which this region is located, the sun hardly has any curvature and only leaves the horizon 1-2 hours a day.
In addition, the extremely low temperature causes the snow to instantly adhere to the trees, accumulating in their crowns, creating curious shapes that can only be seen in these regions of the planet.
During the workshop we will focus mainly on the Kuusamo area and its surroundings, since it is where there is more concentration of mountains, natural parks and photographic locations. Among others, we will visit the area of Riisitunturin, Valtavaara, Syöte National Park or Oulanka.
First of all, at this time we have continuous golden and blue hours throughout the day, in addition, the activity of the northern lights is more intense during the winter, and since the nights are very long, we will have more possibilities to enjoy this phenomenon.
One of the main interests of this area are the trees of the mountains that are covered with frozen snow. This phenomenon happens due to the extremely low temperatures, which makes all the snow that falls freeze instantly, accumulating on top of the trees, giving rise to curious formations. The lowest temperatures in this area are recorded in November, so this is the best time to visit the area.
These days have been selected to make the trip because is when there is less portion of the moon, so the light pollution is less, making the northern lights stand out more.
This trip to Lapland is focused on landscape and northern lights photography, so both daytime and nighttime outings will be made.
Daytime photographs are planned so that the sun is placed in the correct position to take the photographs optimally, since depending on the location, it is better to go at sunset or sunrise.
Northen Lights, generally, are very fleeting nocturnal phenomena, for this reason we will pay special attention to the atmospheric conditions at all times to be able to observe them. The exact location to try to see them will be defined depending on the weather conditions, it is essential that the sky is as clear as possible.
The routes between locations are very short, which will allow us to make the most of each location without wasting time in transfers, they are also easily accessible so it is not necessary to have a great physical preparation.
Anyone who loves nature can come, both experienced photographers and photographers who are just starting out in photography, even people who simply want to enjoy these frozen lanscapes.
At all times the group will be accompanied by a professional photographer, who knows the area and the locations to be visited. He will give a personalized treatment to each participant and will be available to answer any questions that may arise throughout the trip.
This program is an approximation of the day by day, however, for reasons beyond the control of the organization, it could suffer variations. In this case, an alternative activity will be carried out.
The first day is a day of accommodation and preparing everything for the next few days. We will be waiting for you at the Kuusamo airport to take you to the accommodation.
In case the group arrives in the morning, we can go to see the sunset, and at night if the conditions are optimal, we will go hunting for northen lights.
The dynamics of each morning will always be the same, we will get up early and leave at the time we have stipulated the night before. The exact time is chosen by the participant based on the time they need to have breakfast and get ready.
This first day we will go to the Riisitunturi National Park, this is a very large area which could be divided into two zones, each with its charm and the lights that we will get on one side and on the other are different, so we will go a day to the east zone and another day to the west zone.
Once there is no light we return to the accommodation to have lunch.
If the conditions for observing the northern lights are good, we will choose the location with less cloudiness and we will all go together in the cars. In case the conditions are not optimal and we stay in the accommodation, editing classes will be given, we will review photos, talks about photography, exchanges of experiences…
This day we will visit the Oulanka National Park and its beautiful windmills, a snow-covered forest area with 2 watermills and a bridge. It is a river area, so there is a lot of humidity and areas of ice are created, it is highly recommended to wear some chains for the boots since there are some slopes.
When the light is gone we will return to the accommodation to rest and eat something, and then, if the weather conditions are suitable, we will go in search of auroras.
Today we will do a short trek, whoever wants it has the option to rent snowshoes, the route begins in an area with frozen lakes and dense forests, until finally reaching a hunter’s hut, which due to the strong wind that blows is surrounded by snow with very characteristic and interesting textures. At the end, we will return and wait for the sunset in a nearby area where we will find groups of trees with curious shapes, photographically it will give us a lot of play.
Finally, and with the last rays of the sun, we will go to the accommodation to eat and if the conditions are optimal, we will look for the auroras.
Today we will live an experience that you will surely remember forever. Nos dirigiremos a la zona de Kuntivaara donde nos encontraremos con nuestro guía para realizar un ruta de más de 100km conduciendo motos de nieve por uno de los lugares más desconocidos de Laponia. It is a special route, the company that organizes it only does it for photographic workshops, we will drive to the top of the Kuntivaara mountain, photographing unique places. Also, it is a special activity for us, we will make the stops we want with the time we need.
During the journey we will enjoy a lunch of soup and coffee so it is not necessary that you take anything to eat along the way. The activity lasts approximately 6 hours and at the end we will return to the accommodation.
As every day, if the conditions are ok, we will go in search of auroras.
We will follow the same plan as on day 2 but in this case we will go to the opposite side of the Riisitunturi mountain.
Today will be a relax day and we won’t get up as early as usual. We will visit a frozen waterfall that is in the area, several corners with streams and some very varied houses covered in snow. A surprise awaits you here, which we hope everyone will like and enjoy.
Is the last day, if the conditions are optimal, we can go hunting northen lights for last time. Early come back to the accomodation to collect our luggage.
Last day of the trip, at 8:15 we go to the airport, arriving around 9:30. In case an assistant has the flight before, the guide will accompany him according to the departure time.
All cabin have everything necessary to live in them, the intention is that each one cook their own food. However, if you prefer, we can go to eat in one of the nearby towns, it’s about 15 minutes by car.
Direct flights to Kuusamo are very difficult to find, it is advisable to take a flight to Helsinki and from there take a flight to Kuusamo. Kuusamo is a big city and there is usually more than one flight a day.
It is not possible to get to Kuusamo by train, but you can take a train to Kajaani and from there a bus to Kuusamo.
The guide will be waiting for you at the Kuusamo airport, which will be the meeting point for all. Then we will take the vehicle and go to the accommodations, that are approximately 20 minutes from the airport.
In order to make the trip there must be a minimum group of 4 participants, and the places will be filled in order of reservation.
| Group of 4-5 participants | 2070€ per person |
| Group of 6-7 participants | 1990€ per person |
| Group of 8 participants | 1890€ per person |
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