First frost

Morning mist over a lake in Sweden
Canon EOS-1D Mark III, 17-40mm, f/4, 25 sek @ f/22, ISO 100, Hoya polarizer

During the night I realised it would be a cold morning. Already as the sun set, mist started forming and dew made my sleeping bag moist. As light started to appear in the horizon I was already up to welcome the new day. As I had foreseen, the first frost of the year covered the mossy shore of my lake in south west Sweden. I filled my memory card with images, before getting into the car and headed for home, ten hours away. It had been a long drive during the last twelve days, but the photographic result was very fulfilling. Scandinavian nature never lets you down.

A night in Sweden

Sunset reflection in a Swedish lake.
Canon EOS-1D Mark III, 17-40 mm, f/4, 6 sek @ f/22, ISO 100, Hoya polarizer

My last sunset in Sweden for now. After a long journey through beautiful Scandinavian nature, the colours of my last sunset was the icing on the cake for me. I spent the night under the stars, next to a big fire. I even heard both the Little, and Ural Owl during the night.

Adder

European Adder (Vipera berus) portrait, Sweden
Canon EOS-1D Mark III, Sigma 150mm, f/2,8, 1/320 sek @ f/2,8, ISO 250

Walking in a pristine coniferous forest, nature reserve in Sweden, I almost stepped on this beautiful young Adder. The snake had been basking in the sun and was extremely aggressive, but as I almost stepped on it I can easily understand why. Unlike other snakes I have encountered it just would not back of. It stood its ground and tried its best to reach my fingers as I was manoeuvring to get some decent shots. I used the macro to get as clean an image as possible and focus on the typical shape of the viper iris.

Bothnian Bay

After sunset at the Bothnian Bay, Finland
Canon EOS-1D Mark III, 17-40mm, f/4, 6sek @ f/22, ISO 50

Driving through Finland and into Sweden I was able to shot the sunset on the Finnish side of the Bothnian Bay, and then the sunrise on the Swedish side the next morning. The sea here is very sweet, and in normal winter the entire ocean freezes.

Autumn colours

Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris) in rowan, Kajaani, Finland
Canon EOS-1d Mark III, 500mm, f/4, 1/1250sek @ f/4, ISO 400

While driving through northern Finland I was amazed by the overwhelming colours of autumn everywhere. Especially the rowan and aspen trees where screaming with colours. It seems it was a good year for rowan berries, and the thrushes and waxwings were feeding happily.

Three nights - three of the big

Wolverine (Gulo gulo) in unspoiled nature on the border between Finland and Russia
Canon EOS-1D Mark III, 500mm, f/4, 1/250 @ f/4, ISO 400

On the last morning I was lucky enough to get the third of the big predators in Scandinavia out in the open. The Wolverine is usually not showing itself when the bears and wolves are around. This means it came out quit late in in the morning and in rather good light. I couldn't help myself and had to post two pictures today. Both images reflect in a way the philosophy of my photography; up-close and personal or in their natural habitat. But, of course, I got some nice fullframe portraits too.

Tail of a running Wolverine (Gulo gulo) in Finland / Russia
Canon EOS-1D Mark III, 500mm, f/4, 1/30 sek @ f/10, ISO 400

Fight!

Bear (Ursus arctos) chasing two wolves (Canis lupus) in Finland / Russia
Canon EOS-1D Mark III, 500mm and 1,4 ex, 1/60 sek @ f/5,6, ISO 800

The wolves where constantly circling the bears, and finally this one had enough and tried to chase the intruders away. However, after a little while the wolves were back, now four at the same time. The bear had to retrieve leaving the carcass for the hungry pack.

4711

Wild Wolf (Canis lupus) in Finland / Russia
EOS-1D Mark III, 500mm f/4 with 1,4 ex, 1/60 sek @ f/5,6, ISO 800

Unfortunately it is not the number of wolves in Scandinavia, but the number of kilometres I have been driving the last 12 days. But it was all worth it. In just a short stay I have experienced wild wolves, bears, wolverines and eagles, not to forget nice people, beautiful sunsets, sunrises and autumn colours. Finland and Sweden have left so many great impressions that I am already longing to go back. There are also too many pictures to share with You in one blog so I have decided to post one picture a day for the rest of this week, starting with my best wolf shot. The light was not perfect but the animal could not been better. Wolves are the best!

Change of plans

Tawny Owl by Karlstad, Sweden
Canon EOS-1D Mark III, 500 f/4, 1/30 sek @ f/4, iso 400.

The talks in Kuusamo went well and I am now technically on my way home. However there have been some change in plans and I am now staying in Finland a couple of days to work with a pack of wolves in autumn colours, so the reindeer is of. Last night was rather rewarding with five wolves showing. There will be some pictures later. I have also had nice sightings of bears and wolverine.

For now I like to share this image of a Tawny Owl I found in Karlstad on my way to Stockholm. I was trying to find a good view of Vänern when this beautiful bird of the night showed itself in a barn wall. The sun had already set but the clouds reflected som nice light.

Talks in Finland

One of my most popular images of a grizzly bear in Katmai national park, Alaska
Canon EOS-1D Mark II, 300mm f/2,8 + 1,4x, 1/1250sek @ f/6,3, iso 200

The following two weeks I’ll be on the road, with the Kuusamo Nature Photo festival as a highlight next weekend. There I’ll be having a talk on Friday evening and Sunday morning. Both talks will be about trips I’ve taken, and the wildlife I’ve met. Friday I’ll be focusing on birds, with images from, Sweden, Croatia, Spain and Alaska. I will of course include other wildlife in this talk and I guess my meeting with fishing bears at Katmai will be on of the highlights. In Sundays talk I’ll keep inside Norway, with lots of images from my local area, but also many other parts of my amazing country.

After Kuusamo I will travel northern Scandinavia for a couple of days hoping to capture autumn images from this part of the world. (This is actually my first visit to Finland.) Going down south I’ll stop a couple of days in Forolhogna national park to work with huge wild reindeer in heat. I’m hoping to offer you some nice treats from this on my return.

Naturepl

Inquisitive Gull shot wide, Norway.
Canon EOS-1D Mark III, 17-40 f/4, 1/1000 @ f/4, iso 200

For long I have been aiming to widen my horizon and start offering my images to an international audience. Of course I already have BBC Wildlife Magazine, and lately also the Daily Mirror on my customers list, but now I believe I’ve taken a step further. I have just signed a contract with the prestigious stock agency Nature Picture Library in Bristol, UK. They will distribute my work worldwide, while Samfoto still will have the Norwegian marked covered. Have a look at the Naturepl website her. The quality of their images is extremely high, but I hope I can add some work that will be noticed.