Flakstadsanden

Flakstadsanden is a sweeping Arctic beach on the Lofoten Islands, where bone-white sand meets vivid turquoise water backed by dramatic snow-capped peaks. The contrast between tropical-looking surf and rugged mountain scenery is what makes this place so striking, and it photographs well in nearly any season. Work the shoreline to layer foreground wave action with the peaks behind, or step back to use the full curve of the beach as a leading line into the mountains. A wide angle lens handles the scale well, while a telephoto lets you compress the mountains closer to the water. Overcast light softens the scene and saturates the colors beautifully, but golden hour in summer, when the midnight sun hangs low, produces long warm shadows across the sand. The beach faces north, making it one of the better spots in Lofoten for Northern Lights photography when skies are clear in winter. Parking is available directly off the E10 road. (Flakstad, Lofoten Islands, Norway)