Midnight Sun - Lofoten Islands, Norway

It might be hard to guess the time of day from this photo, but this was taken at 2 a.m. in the middle of the night.

Earlier that day, I had come from the other side of this bay and climbed up into the mountains, leaving some of my gear behind late in the evening before continuing toward Hermannsdalstinden, the tallest peak in the Lofoten Islands.

During summer in northern Norway, you completely lose track of time. The sun never truly sets. It drops low in the sky but never disappears below the horizon, surrounding you in constant daylight. I climbed the peak around midnight and reached the top while the sun hung low above the horizon, creating this incredibly dramatic light.

After climbing back down, I pitched my tent at this beautiful spot where I took this photo.

The trip was absolutely mesmerizing, but also brutal for my sleep rhythm. That night, I woke up at 3 a.m. with the sun hitting the tent head-on. I was sweating, and every time you wake up, your brain assumes it’s morning because of the sunlight, even though it’s still the middle of the night. Getting proper sleep was extremely difficult on this trip.

But I’m very glad I experienced Lofoten during this time of year. The light was absolutely beautiful.