In spring this year I hosted my first multi-day photo tour which took place on the island of Öja, more known as Landsort - and that photo tour was so much fun! Landsort is located in the southernmost part of Stockholm’s archipelago and has a lot to offer both for photographers as well as for nature lovers! Birdwatchers come to the island regularly since it is a popular nesting location for thousands of birds. For me, this island is also an amazing location for landscape photography due to its diverse nature. Landsort has dramatic cliffsides and bays that are great for seascape photography, a primeval forest with interestingly shaped trees and a picturesque fishing village called Storhamn. Beside this, the island is home of Sweden's oldest lighthouse, built in 1689, which is omnipresent on the island. The lighthouse alone is already a great subject to photograph from many different angles!

The first day - introduction and first sunset shoot

The photo tour started on Friday afternoon when we headed to the island by ferry. From the boat, we got a first impression of the rough coastline of the island. After arriving on Landsort, we checked in at the hotel, which already is one of the highlights of the tour. We stayed in the old pilot’s lookout with an amazing view over the island and on the lighthouse. The first picture above is taken from the hotel’s top floor.

We kicked off the workshop with an introduction of the equipment that I usually use for my landscape photography. Among other things, I explained in what situations I use which lenses, the use of filters and when I use my tripod. We also had time to explore the island’s cliffsides for capturing interesting rock formations at the shore before dinner.

Some of the guests arrived later, so we waited until we were complete before heading out for shooting the sunset. For the first sunset I chose to show the guests one of my favorite photo spots on the island. It is located in a small bay by the village with some interesting rock formations in the water and an amazing view on the lighthouse. There are many possibilities to create interesting landscape photos at that location! Since we had participants with different experience levels in photography, I started by explaining the basic camera settings and the setup that I usually use when photographing landscapes. I clarified for example how to control aperture, exposure time and ISO in order to create the photos that you imagine. We also talked about some of the basic compositions that you can use in landscape photography, for example the rule of thirds, empty space and leading lines. On that first evening, we were lucky with the weather conditions and experienced some dramatic clouds at the sky with the setting sun lighting up the scenery. We had the chance to take some amazing photos of the lighthouse in the bay. Right after the sun has disappeared on the horizon, we were even able to take some nice shots during Blue Hour.

When we headed back to the hotel, we got together with all guests on the top floor of our hotel and enjoyed the atmosphere with an amazing view over the island. We also used the time to edit some of the photos that we took during the day. I showed my workflow in Adobe Lightroom, explained how I use the program to edit my photos and what aspects are important to me when editing. I also clarified some of the main sliders in Lightroom as well as the use of the histogram when shooting landscapes. All in all, and it was an amazing first evening and we were all looking forward to the second day.

The second day - from sunrise to sunset

The next day started with an early wake up call for shooting the sunrise at around 5.00 AM. For some of the participants that was too early, some other guests joined to head out to the photo spot. I showed the guests another great photo location at the coastline of the island. We went to an area at the shoreline where you can find some coastal ponds. Those ponds are filled with rain or sea water and surrounded by land, completely or partially isolated from the sea. The different layers of water and rocks gives the chance for great compositions. We were lucky and the sun came out for sunrise so that we had an amazing light and for some great shots.

After the shooting we went back to the hotel to get some rest before having breakfast with everyone. The main activity during the day was a hike through the little village, ancient forest, marshland and the coastline of the island. On the hike we had the possibility to photograph the sparse vegetation on the island, interesting trees, the first spring flowers and the coastline of the island. During the hike we took the time and discussed different techniques you can use to create landscape photos that stand out. At halfway on the hike we had barbecue together and then went back to the hotel.

In the evening we had dinner together and went out for the next sunset shooting afterwards. This time we went to a location that is typical for the rough coastline of the island. Landsort is known for being very windy since it’s the most southern island of Stockholm’s archipelago and therefore exposed to the Baltic Sea. And that evening was one of those windy days - the waves crashed into the rugged coastline and created a very dramatic atmosphere. Those conditions provided great possibilities for all kinds of compositions and subjects to showcase the characteristics of the island. After the shooting, we went back to the hotel, enjoyed the amazing view from the hotel’s top floor and had some interesting discussions before closing the day.

The third day - last sunrise shoot and farewell

On the last morning we went out for sunrise with some of the guests that didn't join on the first morning. We went to the same location as on the first day, the coastal ponds, and again we were lucky to catch beautiful sunlight with the first minutes of the day. It was a great closure of the photo tour and we had the chance to take some amazing photos of the coastline.

After everyone got some rest, we had breakfast together, headed back to the mainland with the ferry and concluded the photo tour.

Overall, it was an amazing Landscape Photo Tour and I really enjoyed hosting it. We had great conditions to take outstanding landscape photos - it was pretty cold during the mornings and the evenings though. I was lucky to have curious guests and really enjoyed sharing my passing with them. I am already looking forward to my next photo tours to some of the most inspiring and fascinating locations in the Nordics!

Cheers, Julien