FKA Northern Lights Photo Workshop in Swedish Lapland 28.02.27

Short profile for FKA Northern Lights Photo Workshop in Swedish Lapland 28.02.27

Aurora Borealis photo workshop in Swedish Lapland (Abisko National Park)

Aurora Borealis:
Aurora Borealis is one of the most fascinating astronomical natural phenomena. The impressive auroras are best experienced in the far north of Scandinavia. The golden rule applies here: the further north you go, the higher the probability of being able to admire the Northern Lights, even when the sun's geomagnetic activity is low. Anyone who would like to experience the fascination of the Aurora Borealis live and capture this special moment photographically can embark on an astronomical expedition to the Earth's auroral oval. Those at home in the middle geographic latitudes will not be able to see it, as the geomagnetic activity of the solar storms is not strong enough there on average.

Auroral activity:
The proportion of day and night hours is kept in a balanced and pleasant equilibrium. Sunset takes place at around 18:00 and sunrise at around 6:00. Auroral activity occurs slightly more frequently around the equinox on March 20 and September 23 (Russell-McPherron effect) than in the other months of the auroral season. The aurora frequency statistics show that in northern Sweden, the aurora borealis can be seen on a total of 7 nights out of 10 nights with a clear sky.
All aurora photography workshops offered by Eugen Kamenew since 2017 have so far always been a photographic success. All workshop groups have actually been able to experience auroras for at least 1 night out of 5. There have also been aurora groups that have seen auroras every 5 nights! This statistic is not surprising, as Abisko National Park has the highest probability of seeing auroras in the world. Lake Torneträsk has the lowest probability of precipitation in the whole of Sweden (blue sky over Abisko), as the neighboring mountain Nuolja (1169 m.) keeps the clouds away (this also corresponds to the translation of its name). Despite these promising statistics, there is of course no 100% guarantee of an aurora sighting.
The phase of the moon (new moon) is optimal for aurora visibility and photography. The absence of disturbing moonlight or weak moonlight makes the time window around the new moon phase ideal for aurora photography.

Ideal night sky:
The carefully selected location in the open countryside of Abisko National Park is ideal for aurora photography. Far away from the disturbing artificial light sources of human civilization (Bortle Scale 2), the aurora can be observed and photographed here in all its colourful facets on a starry night. The advantage is obvious. As the Abisko National Park has hardly any disturbing artificial light sources, participants can take wonderful pictures at any time.

Weather statistics:
The good weather statistics, which have been compiled over 20 years from many satellite data, prove a high probability of visibility and the possibility of a successful photographic capture of the aurora borealis. Based on this scientific data, northern Sweden, and in particular the Abisko National Park, clearly stands out with its good weather conditions. The western low-pressure areas from the Atlantic Ocean are held back by the north-south running mountain massifs of Norway. The break-up of the clouds over the Scandinavian mountain range provides a rain shadow for the Swedish interior.
March and September are the least cloudy and driest months of the entire aurora season. The lowest amount of precipitation in Sweden falls precisely in these months. The highest probability of an absolutely clear night sky in northern Sweden is in March (55%) and September (51%). This makes Sweden the absolute winner compared to other Arctic regions of the world such as Alaska, Canada, Iceland, Norway and Finland. The moderating influence of the Baltic Sea, the inland lakes and especially the Gulf Stream make the climate in Sweden significantly milder than in other places at the same latitude.

Your accompanying photographer:
This astronomical photo expedition will be accompanied by award-winning astrophotographer Eugen Kamenew. The freelance expedition photographer was awarded the "Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2014" award by the Royal Greenwich Observatory in London and the BBC Sky at Night magazine. The space agency NASA published his pictures on its website APOD (Astronomy Picture of the Day). In 2020, he was awarded 1st prize in Astrophotography at the renowned International Photography Award (IPA2020) out of 13,000 participants.
Eugen Kamenew studied "Cinematography + Photography" at Hawaii Pacific University and received a degree in sociology, specializing in media studies, from the Philipps University of Marburg. As an author, he regularly writes articles for magazines such as "FUJILOVE", "ASTRONOMIE - das Magazin" and "Sky + Telescope". In the book "Fascination Astrophotography: Basics, Projects, Masterpieces" he shares his experiences as a lecturer. As an aurora photographer, he has been to Scandinavia several times to capture this unforgettable natural spectacle. He has been offering successful aurora photography workshops in Absiko National Park since 2017.

Workshop

Procedure:
Dinner will take place either in the Kungsleden restaurant or in Bistro Storstugan, both in STF Abisko Turiststation. Dinner is not included in the workshop price.

-Day 1 (Sunday, February 28, 2027)
17:00 - 18:30: Welcome and program presentation north of the Arctic Circle in the conference room STF Abisko Turiststation.
18:30 - 20:30: Dinner (not included in the price)
20:30 - 02:30: Aurora borealis photography under a clear night sky.
20:30 - 23:00: Time-lapse photography at night under an overcast night sky.

-Day 2 (Monday, March 1, 2027)
17:00 - 18:30: Introduction to aurora photography: Learn all the tips + tricks for successful aurora photography in the STF Abisko Turiststation conference room.
18:30 - 20:30: Dinner (not included in the price)
20:30 - 02:30: Aurora borealis time lapse + star trails under a clear night sky.
20:30 - 23:00: Under an overcast night sky, post-production on your own laptop in the "Giellan" conference room. Creation of a 4K time-lapse video (time lapse) and star trails from the aurora photos.

-Day 3 (Tuesday, March 2, 2027)
17:00 - 18:30: Aurora photography without the disturbing influence of moonlight. Perfect conditions for aurora photography.
18:30 - 20:30: Dinner (not included in the price)
20:30 - 02:30: Aurora borealis time lapse + star trails under a starry night sky.
20:30 - 23:00: Under an overcast night sky, post-production on your own laptop in the STF Abisko Turiststation conference room. Creation of a 4K time lapse video and star trails from the aurora photos.

-Day 4 (Wednesday, March 3, 2027)
17:00 - 18:30: Image analysis of the aurora photos taken, 4K time lapse videos and star trails in the group.
18:30 - 20:30: Dinner (not included in the price)
20:30 - 02:30: Aurora borealis time lapse + star trails under a clear night sky.
20:30 - 23:00: Under an overcast night sky, post-production on your own laptop in the STF Abisko Turiststation conference room. Creation of a 4K time lapse video and star trails from the aurora photos.

-Day 5 (Thursday, March 4, 2027)
17:00 - 18:30: Presentation of the final project by each individual in the group.
18:30 - 20:30: Dinner (not included in the price)
20:30 - 02:30: Aurora borealis time lapse + star trails under a clear night sky.
20:30 - 23:00: Under an overcast night sky, post-production on your own laptop.

Note:
Please note that the program may change depending on the weather. If the night sky is overcast, we will work on the post-production indoors in the seminar room. If the night sky is starry, we will practice photography on the shore of Lake Torneträsk.

Arctic clothing:
Arctic clothing can be rented for a fee from STF Abisko Turiststation. E-mail: abisko@stfturist.se
If it is very cold, it is possible to warm up at STF Abisko Turiststation, especially as the auroras will be visible literally on the doorstep.

Target groups:
Aurora photographers, aurora borealis enthusiasts, astrophotographers, travel photographers, amateur astronomers, space enthusiasts, time-lapse photographers, long exposure and low-light photographers, people in astrophotography (people + space), landscape photographers, wildlife photographers (Abisko National Park is the habitat of moose, snowy owls, arctic foxes and many other Arctic species).

Equipment:
Any SLR or system camera with a manual "M" setting for aperture and shutter speed and a manual focus is perfect for astrophotography. A sturdy tripod for long exposures, cable or radio release, sufficient memory cards and fully charged batteries should also be brought along. Electronic heating sleeves for heating the lenses are a must for de-icing the lenses at sub-zero temperatures. Such heating sleeves can be purchased in almost any photo store for astrophotography. Since you will be photographing all night under a clear sky, such lens heaters are highly recommended.
Headlamps with red light are very convenient for astrophotography. They have two advantages: Firstly, the astrophotographer has free hands and secondly, the red light of the headlamp does not ruin the adaptation time of the human eye to still be able to see faint celestial objects in the night sky. A thermos flask is always an advantage if you want to photograph outdoors for a long time. Weatherproof, warm arctic clothing and extremely warm hiking boots are recommended, as the temperatures in the north of Sweden are freezing at this time of year. There are of course weather forecasts, but there is still no guarantee of a clear sky. I have attached a checklist where you can simply tick off the points you need.

Venue Hotel STF Turiststation Abisko:
In the Abisko National Park, this accommodation welcomes you just 700 m from Lake Torneträsk. The hotel offers single or twin rooms. You can also enjoy Lappish cuisine and free access to the sauna. Abisko train station is a 5-minute walk away. Abisko STF's restaurant will delight you with its panoramic views of Lake Torneträsk and the surrounding mountains. In the morning, you can enjoy a breakfast buffet with organic products. In winter, the bar offers après-ski drinks. Wi-Fi is free of charge in the public areas. The Kungsleden hiking trail leads past the "Abisko Turiststation". You can hire your hiking or skiing equipment at the hotel. The location of this accommodation is one of the best in Abisko!

Included services per person:

• Lectures and information on relevant topics in the field of astronomy, aurora photography, image analysis, design, etc.
• Daily update on weather and aurora activity in a WhatsApp aurora group.
• If the night sky is clear, 5 x use of the seminar room, 1.5 hours each time (17:00-18:30), i.e. a total of 7.5 hours working with your photos (using the "Planetarium" software, creating 4K time-lapse videos and star trails)
• If the night sky is overcast, 5 x use of the seminar room, 2.5 hours each time (20:30-23:00), i.e. a total of 12.5 hours working with your photos (operating the "Planetarium" software, creating 4K time-lapse videos and star trail recordings)
• Under a clear night sky, 5 x outdoor photo practice for 6 hours each (20:30 - 02:30), i.e. 30 hours with auroras in ideal weather conditions.
• Post-production on the "Aurora-Borealis" project with my support on my own laptop in the conference room. The presentation to our aurora group will take place on the last day.
• Small group of maximum 8 participants. Of course, partners who are not involved in the workshop but just want to enjoy the aurora visually are also welcome to participate.
• If STF's public fireplace on the beach of Lake Torneträsk is free, the instructor will try to light a camping fire.

Venue:

Conference Room
STF Abisko Turiststation
ABISKO TURISTSTATION 2
981 07 Abisko, Sweden
Phone: +46 10 190 24 00
Website: www.booking.com/hotel/se/stf-abisko.de.html
E-mail: abisko.groups@stfturist.se

Important notice:

Eugen Kamenew is your accompanying photographer and photo instructor. He is not a tour guide and therefore not responsible for the organization of the trip and the stay itself. All additional requests and activities outside the official workshop program cannot be coordinated, organized and carried out by him and must therefore be implemented on your own.

Participants are solely responsible for their own health and safety in a harsh Arctic environment. Equipping oneself with arctic clothing and arctic footwear is also the responsibility of each individual. The photo instructor therefore accepts no liability for misjudgements, poor planning or misconduct on the part of the participants.

Some of the paths in the area run over snow accumulations and require a minimum level of physical fitness. The group needs about 30 minutes to reach the photo location.