Norway

Why Visit Norway - one of the nordic countries

Norway is where nature operates at a scale that makes you feel appropriately small. The Sognefjord stretches 204km inland between walls of rock rising over a kilometre straight from the water. Trolltunga — the "troll's tongue" — is a horizontal rock shelf projecting 700m above a glacial lake. The northern lights over the Lofoten Islands reflect in the dark water below fishing villages that look unchanged since the Viking age. And in summer, the midnight sun means you can photograph landscapes at 2am in golden-hour light. Norway doesn't do subtle.

● The Lofoten Islands — the classic image of red wooden rorbuer (fishermen's cabins) reflected in still water, with dramatic snow-capped peaks rising behind, is one of the great travel photographs in the world. It's also genuinely what Lofoten looks like. The light here in winter, with low sun angles even at midday, is extraordinary for landscape work.

● Drøbak and the Oslo Fjord — a less obvious choice, but the small towns along the Oslo Fjord offer a quieter, more intimate version of Norwegian coastal life. I found some of my favourite Norway photographs in Drøbak — a summer evening walk along the fjord with the light going golden at 9pm.

● The Flåm Railway and Nærøyfjord — the train journey from Myrdal to Flåm descends 866m through some of Norway's most dramatic scenery, including the Kjosfossen waterfall. The Nærøyfjord below, one of the world's narrowest fjords, is best seen by kayak or small boat.

● Northern lights, September–March — Tromsø is the standard base for aurora hunting, but the Lofoten Islands and Svalbard offer better backdrops. The key is staying for at least five nights — aurora hunting requires patience and the willingness to be outside at 1am in -15°C.