Tromsø: En fotografisk reise gjennom vinterens skjønnhet

Last weekend, I was in Tromsø. It was fantastically beautiful when we first arrived there. The storm Ingunn caught up with us, so it ended up being a day and a night spent flying, sitting in queues, and staying at a hotel. The hotel stay was excellent; we met friendly people, and everyone made the best of the situation. It was incredibly reassuring that everything went smoothly on Friday. We had a precise flight and a precise landing in a lovely city that was winter-clad, cold, and warm at the same time.

Fantastic Tromsø

Tromsø is fantastic; the city itself and many of the buildings are located in Tromsøya. Surrounded by fjords on all sides and tall mountains now towering white against the sky.

Look out and capture the experiences

Whether I’m in the city or out in nature, I always look around me. I look out to discover and explore what is around me. There’s a curiosity that grips me, and also the hope of finding a motif that I can immortalize. A little memory, a little treasure, something that touches the heart. And in Tromsø city, I actually found something. We were inside a shop, but I found it a bit dull, so I went out onto the street and looked around. Right nearby, I saw the sign “No stress.” And under the sign stood a girl with red hair looking at her phone, while a couple walked hand in hand. I thought all three pieces fit well together, and composed a picture then and there.

Beautiful walk to Telegrafbukta

On Sunday, we took a walk to a place called Telegrafbukta.

Wikipedia describes Telegrafbukta as follows:

“Telegrafbukta is a beach and a popular park area on the southwest tip of Tromsøya in Tromsø. The place is ironically referred to as ‘Tromsø’s Gran Canaria.’ In the summer, the beach can sometimes boast double-digit bathing temperatures. The park is located near the Tromsø Museum.”

Composition and editing

There was a lot of snow when we arrived there, but there were beaten tracks we could walk on, and many people were out. So, this is a popular area. I’m always on the lookout for photo subjects, and it’s about being consciously attentive in every moment. Because I hunt for photographic treasures.

Shoot with my iPhone

And even though I only had my phone with me, it’s an excellent tool! Many times, I find it surpasses other cameras. It’s so easy to carry everywhere, and when it simultaneously manages to capture the light optimally for a good picture, then it’s only my ability to compose that determines whether the picture turns out good or bad. Do you want to learn more about photographing with an iPhone? Then I recommend the iPhone Photography Academy. (#commissionsearned) I’ve taken many courses there myself and learned incredibly much both about the iPhone and about how to compose good pictures.

About the picture below

I took the picture below from Telegrafbukta. I’m keen on the rule of thirds when I photograph, and I always try to place one of the elements, preferably the one I want to be a focal point, in the golden ratio. I’ve tried that here too.

The bottom edge of the outermost boathouse lies approximately in the golden ratio. I also like that there are two people there; the outermost person on the right stands where she does makes the picture balanced. Light is essential, and here it reflects from the low winter sun and down into the water. I post-processed the image and used High Dynamic Range to bring out contours and colors even better. Below is the original image.

Here you can see how we can change a picture for the better by editing it afterward. I used Snapseed to edit the picture.

Reading material for inspiration

Being a mindful photographer or in Norwegian, being a conscious attentive photographer. Yes, that’s what we are when we hunt for photo subjects. In the presentation of the book “The Mindful Photographer,” (#commissionsearned) it says:

“Being present is key to mindfulness and to taking great photographs. This helpful guide will show you the way.”

I highly recommend this book to you if you are interested in being present at the moment and want to learn a tool that really calms you down. Mindful photography is a completely unique tool, and you can do it anytime, anywhere.

About links in the article

Some of the links in this article are #commissionsearned. This is because I want to earn a little bit on blogging. So if you think my articles are good and you want to buy one of the products I refer to, then I hope you will click through the links in the articles.