Land of extremes
Stian Klo makes the most of living close to the photographer’s paradise of Norway’s Lofoten Islands
I’m a landscape photographer based in Harstad, Northern Norway. Having grown up in the Arctic it’s only natural that the unspoiled scenery and unique light of the region have been a source of inspiration for my photography.
I’ve been interested in using photography to capture the beauty of nature since I was little, but it wasn’t until 2011 that I decided to take things seriously. My images have been published in magazines including National Geographic, and used in advertising campaigns and calendars.
I know the Lofoten archipelago like my own backyard, and together with my friend Arild Heitmann, who’s an award-winning astrophotographer, I run specialist photography tours on the Lofoten islands, and the neighbouring islands of Senja and Vesterålen (www.lofotentours.com).
My normal set-up is my Nikon D800 with my 14-24mm f/2.8 and a Fotodiox 145mm circular polariser. For long exposures, I tend to use a LucrOit filter holder with various filters from Formatt Hitech, mostly the sixstop neutral density (ND) and 0.9 soft grad. I also use Lee’s setup and filters for my 16-35mm f/4 lens, as well as Singh-Ray’s LB Colorcombo polariser, which is just insanely good – I wish that it was available for the 14-24mm lens.
Incredible light
In terms of the best times of day and conditions for photography, I never shoot in harsh daylight or if the skies are clear. I love