Aurora Residency

AURORA RESIDENCY

Photography Workshop for 2026

Local Scenery

We know this little corner of the Arctic so very well. We have so many beautiful locations within 15 mins drive of the cabins. Some are in the forest, some are on the water, and some are on the ice. There's also a possibility to travel in search of scenery further afield, and even pop across the border to Sweden for the evening. Mostly, we want to stay local. We know how the weather works here and it's lovely to be so close to a warm cabin and a hot choccie after a big night of shooting the sky.

Photography First

This photographic workshop is designed around capturing a handful of amazing aurora shots, and getting you in the right place when the aurora arrives. We'll be sleeping in late most mornings, and then making the most of aurora activity at night. There will be some opportunity to shoot scenery in the daytime, but likely very limited as our schedule is focused on night photography. January has long nights and short days. That means we could find ourselves shooting auroras at either 5pm or 3am. And we intend to be ready for any potentiality.

Starting in Narvik

The Aurora Oval goes right over the top of Tromsø and Narvik, which is why even a modest aurora event looks spectacular from this part of the Arctic. Lots of other places will tell you that auroras are seen through the winter, but they need a bigger event to kick off before the lights move higher above the horizon. On any given night that we have clear skies, we will be ready and waiting for aurora activity.

Arctic Conditions

To really enjoy this trip you'll need to be comfortable with cold conditions. We will help you prepare and shop for good gear before joining this workshop, with an emphasis on good snow boots and warm gloves. We intend to be out in the cold for hours at a time, and will rely on quality clothing and an open fire to keep warm. When you book on the tour we'll send you a packing list with information about what to expect, and some suggestions on stores in Oslo that sell excellent gear at great prices. Having a few days in Oslo before the tour gives you a chance to shop around and choose from lots of quality outdoor winter gear. And it's a lovely city too!

(Moonlight aurora shoot near Narvik)

TIMELAPSE BOREALIS

One focus for this workshop will be to get a handle on putting together your own timelapse videos of the aurora. Ewen has immense experience in shooting and assembling timelapse content, and can help you master this powerful creative tool.

THE LONG TWILIGHT

The first question I get asked for this itinerary is whether we’ll have any daylight to work with at all?

There will be some daylight, but something more like "post sunset" mood. The sun officially returns to Tromsø on January 21, so it'll be just out of sight for much of this trip. That means some lovely gentle light for slow shutter photography. We will definitely have a chance to explore our local areas during the daytime, plus time to process our photos and review images from previous nights.

This tour design runs in January so we get maximum aurora opportunities. We are planning for late nights and late checkouts so we can get a sleep-in after chasing aurora into the small hours.