Arctic Circle Magnets

The Artic Circle // Ice Queen original artwork - 1950s pin up woman as the icy queen of the Arctic ocean over a coordinates old map - Beautiful snowy beach and mountains lanscape Antartica like - Surreal nostalgic vintage collage by MsGonzalez

Wow. What else can I say to describe what it was like to be in Reine on this winter morning? After a few mornings of cloud, it finally cleared and we were treated to two continuous hours of sunset, with beautiful oranges and yellows to the south and pinks to the north. Just stunning. Location: Reine, Lofoten Islands, Norway Camera: Nikon Df with 16-35mm f/4 lens

We got very excited on the last night of our recent trip to Lofoten because it looked like everything was coming together. The sky was clear, the northern horizon was starting to glow green...and then this happened. Luckily we got a few beams before the clouds completely covered them up again!

I couldn't believe how many gorgeous sunsets I saw in Lapland. The sun seemed to be in golden hour for most of the day and became even more striking around sunset. What a great way to start an evening of northern lights watching! This shot was taken just outside the glass igloo village at Santa's Resort, Kakslauttanen.

Do you or someone you know love arctic animals? This Arctic Animal Conservation - Save The Arctic Circle design is for you. Threatened polar animals surrounding a circular graphic and message makes a great gift for wildlife lovers, conservationists and environmentalists alike. This design has distressed effects for a vintage look.

arctic animals

Morning in Nusfjord -- the lapping of the waves against the rocks, the cawing of seagulls, the absence of vehicles and busloads of visitors. It's a wonderful place to wake up and start the day. Location: Nusfjord, Lofoten Islands, Norway Camera: Nikon D750 w/ 24-70mm f/2.8 lens and Lee Big Stopper filter

Just a cool map design presented to you by the artists at Arctic Fitness

Join those who find uncomfortable thrilling, the Arctic Circle Running Club

Olstind Mountain aglow in the pink of a January sunrise in the Arctic. The sun hardly got over the horizon, but for the two hours that it sat there, it turned everything an otherworldly pink colour. It really was a sight to see.

The sea crashes onto the rocks of the island of Hamnøya in the village of Reine. This was sunrise on my second-to-last morning in the islands, and it was by far the most memorable day of our trip. For two hours, the sun sat just above the horizon to the south and lit up the entire fjord in pink.

arctic atomic ship

A tantalising hint of the aurora behind the clouds on Flakstadøya in the Lofoten Islands. Unfortunately these clouds were an ever-present part of our trip there so this was just about the closest we got to seeing the aurora. That said, there's no way we could complain, because Lofoten in January is one of the most stunning places in the world.

One of many forest-lined roads that snake through Finnish Lapland -- this one just north of the Arctic Circle outside Kemijärvi. Unlike many sections of road in the area, this one was not covered in reindeer seeking shelter from the ever-present mosquitos!

Reflections of the outskirts of the town of Svolvær. Taken on a late winter afternoon under the threat of a winter storm.

Arctic Monkeys quote

Curious and beautiful weathered iceberg in Hornsund, Svalbard, in the Arctic Circle. This photo was taken from the deck of the ex ice-breaker Polar Star. Camera was a Canon EOS 5D Mark II Featured in Groups, such as "Superbly Visual"

Auroras seen at the Fort Yukon Long Range Radar Site in Fort Yukon, Alaska above the Arctic Circle in Alaska. Lovely colors and to the eye, they were extremely bright and vivid.

Six months ago, I stood on the Hamnøya bridge in Norway's Lofoten Islands watching the entire world light up in pink as the sun peeked over the horizon at 11am. 11am in summer couldn't be more different! The dominant colours were blue and green and everywhere around there was the buzz of activity, whether it was the never-ending stream of cars across the bridge or the boats crossing underneath the bridge below. Some things stayed constant though -- the mountains, the rorbuer, and somehow, my location on the bridge so I could get the same composition in two photos six months apart. Location: Hamnøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway Camera: Nikon DF w/ 16-35mm f/4 lens (left half), Nikon D750 w/ 24-70mm f/2.8 lens and Lee Big Stopper fil...

What to do on a snowy afternoon when you've missed the other activity you planned? Hike up the side of a fjord through the snow! This was the view from the top of my walk from Svolvær in Norway's Lofoten Islands, looking out towards Kabelvåg and the Norwegian Sea beyond.

Reflections of the mountains surrounding Reinefjord, seen in the little harbour near the Statoil Station. Reine Rorbuer can be seen on the left side of the harbour.

Sometimes it's best just to forego organised activities and go for a wander in a new place. That's what I did in Svinøya, and not only did I get to talk to locals about the upcoming World Cod Fishing Championships, but I also got to see plenty of views like this one!

Barely two hours after the sun had risen on our first day in the Lofoten Islands in January, it started to dip back below the horizon. We stopped at a rocky beach on the side of the E10 (the main road through the islands) to capture this scene.

One of the many bridges of Reine -- this one stretching between Hamnøya and Little Toppøya. We saw this scene as we headed back towards the fjord for our third, and final, snorkelling spot.

My first glimpse of Reine after I arrived on the 12.30am ferry. It was so quiet -- no seabirds squawking, no fishermen unloading boats -- yet so brilliantly lit that the rock walls of the fjord were visible even though it was a new moon. Taken in: Reine, Lofoten Islands, Norway Taken with: Nikon D700 w/ 24-70mm f/2.8 lens

After shooting the sunrise in Reine, we had about an hour of sunset light before the sun disappeared below the horizon again. We decided to head towards Å at the very southern end of the islands to see what we could find. What we found was this amazing view in Sørvågen, a village a few kilometers away from Å. The snowfall from the night before was untouched and the light couldn't have been any better!

In the cold of an Arctic winter, I couldn't think of many better things than a sauna with a view like this one!

Fog begins to build up in the mountains surrounding Tromsø. As I stood at the top of the Fjellheisen cable car, I could see these mountains go from golden to shrouded in fog in a matter of minutes.

The rapids of Jäniskoski on the Juutua River near Inari in early July. Quite the difference from how I first saw it in mid-March! This image and many more will be featured in my upcoming "Guide to Lapland and Northern Norway in Summer." If you'd like to learn more, head over to http://www.lapland.travel.

Huge waterfall in Northern Norway (Malselvfoss, to be exact) or a giant field of fluffy meringue? You decide!

The coastline of the Lofoten Islands, as seen from the RIB boat that took me out snorkelling, could not have been more spectacular if it tried. The snowy frosting on top of the mountains just served to make it even more beautiful.

The sky lighting up in gold a few hours before sunset as I walked along the Juutua River in Inari.

I reckon this cabin has one of the best views in Lofoten in January, when the sun sits just over the horizon for hours at a time. The sun had been up for just less than 2 hours when I captured this scene. 15 minutes later, it was gone for the day.

A few lone seagulls, stragglers from the massive squawking group chasing the fishermen out to sea that morning, waiting for the afternoon's catch and a possible feed at the docks of Reinefjord.

Arctic Char

One of the many icebergs seen on an inflatable "Zodiac" cruise around Burgerbukta, in the Arctic Circle, Spitsbegan, Svalbard.