Moments
in the Wilderness
A year in the mountains and forests of the north.
Ethereal
I set out just after midnight, making my way up the mountainside. As I climb above the fog, a dreamlike landscape reveals itself. A gentle wind pushes the fog over the hill below me, creating graceful shapes. In the soft hues of dawn, it captivates me.
Into the Light
For a brief moment, the light breaks through the dark clouds and into the valley. After many years of trying, I finally find myself in the conditions I’ve dreamed of. For a few seconds, it’s as though time stands still — a moment of bliss.
November Glow
The old forest glows in the low November sun, the shape of each tree accentuated by the backlight. I let my gaze wander into the distance; the forest stretches far beyond what I can see, disappearing into the fog and continuing in my imagination.
Moon over Loametjåhkkå
It’s a cold midwinter morning. The full moon is about to set behind the mountains before me, as the January light paints the landscape in heartwarming colors. I scrape the ice off my lens to make the exposure. My fingers are numb from the cold, but my soul is glowing.
Stillness
I ski through a whiteout. The world around me disappears, and the only thing I can perceive is the shape of a lone birch tree. Beaten by many winter storms, it stands there — so delicate yet so strong. I find stillness in this quiet moment.
Midwinter Dream
After enduring a winter storm, the wind finally calms. The graceful midwinter light illuminates the Bårdde massif, the gentle shapes of its glaciers, and the rugged peaks rising above them. As they glow softly in the first light, I feel as though I’m dreaming.
Spirit
The weather clears, revealing the face of Låddebákte and the distant peaks of Gådok and Bielloriehppe. Snow crystals glisten in the air as clouds dance around the mountains. In this barren landscape of snow and rock, I somehow feel more alive.
The Sacred Mountain
After nearly two weeks without any photographic success, I am finally given this opportunity. I witness Sluggá, a sacred mountain for the Sámi, rising into the golden sky of the April sunrise. In that moment, I feel truly blessed.
A Sense of Spring
After a long winter, the ice has just melted away from the lake, and life returns to the forest. For a while, it’s as though spring is all around me. A female goosander accompanies me on this peaceful morning. I wonder if she can sense the beauty, too.
Serenade
I sit by the campfire, watching the mist dance over the lake. It’s the last evening, and a sense of melancholy settles within me. The black-throated loon calls in the distance; the gentle crackle of the fire beside me. Wilderness, I lose myself in its quiet song.
