Norway and the Aurora Borealis

Photography and Words by Sandra Jordan

The Lofoten Islands, situated approximately 200km above the Arctic Circle,  is one of the wildest and most visually stunning spots in Norway.  Sculpted by glaciers and the extreme elements of the Arctic, with picturesque villages, traditional wooden fisherman’s cabins, fjords, sheltered inlets, white sandy beaches and the wide open ocean, it is a photographer’s paradise and a stunning place to spend time in.

The sea dominates life on Lofoten and the fishing industry is very much it’s lifeblood. From the middle of February to the end of April millions of Arctic Cod arrive from the Barents Sea, ready to lay eggs. The cod is prepared immediately after capture. After gutting the fish, it is either dried whole, or split along the spine leaving the tail connected. It is dried by the sun and wind on wooden racks, called flakes, on the foreshore. After hanging on the flakes for three months, the fish is then matured for another two to three months indoors in a dry and airy environment.  Sixteen million kilograms of cod is hung out to dry on fish racks every year in Lofoten.

I am very drawn to quiet, peaceful, remote places and the Lofoten Islands and Arctic Norway fitted the bill perfectly, I had also for many years wanted to witness the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights).  On my first trip they were proving very elusive and I didn’t see them once in the whole 3 weeks I was up there. Venturing further north on my second trip to the area around Tromso, renowned as one of the best places to view the Lights, proved much more fruitful and I was lucky enough to see the Aurora on six nights.  It is an utterly mesmerizing sight to see, something I would highly recommend to anyone if they get the chance.

I am currently exhibiting work from Arctic Norway alongside photographs from my recent trip to Morocco until 6th September 2012 at 10 Grosvenor Street, London  W1K 4BJ.  Monday – Friday 9 am – 6pm

Website www.sandrajordanphotography.co.uk , Twitter SandraJJordan, and Facebook.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

 13

14

15

16

17

18

19

Website www.sandrajordanphotography.co.uk , Twitter SandraJJordan, and Facebook.

BIOGRAPHY

Two of Sandra’s great passions in life are travel and photography.  She embraces travel and fine art photography as one, exploring and encapsulating the world in a single frame.

For the past 15 years Sandra has been working in commercials production in the film industry where working with some of the film industry’s best cinematographers has helped her to keep her enthusiasm for the medium alive, translating their advice and techniques into stills photography.

Intrigued by foreign countries and cultures and drawn to simple photographs of line, texture and form, Sandra finds the peace within an image in an otherwise quite hectic world. She likes the idea that once she has taken a photograph, the place may never look the same again.

Shortlisted for National Geographic Traveler Photography competition and Astronomy Photographer of the Year, her photographs have been exhibited around the UK and abroad.

Currently she lives in London and, film work permitting, travels whenever she can.