Lapland Tapestries

Raindeer III

The Norwegian-Finnish border, marked by metal signs bearing the seal of each country, found mid-way across the Sami Bridge in Utsjoki, Finnish Lapland.

Two nights at Menesjärvi, two nights of clouds like these. I would have been happy staying for many more nights!

The Tenojoki (Teno River, or Tana River if you're on the Norwegian side) winds its way between Finland (on the left) and Norway (on the right). Seen from the top of Nuvvus Ailigas, one of three fells named "Ailigas" that watch over the Utsjoki region.

The midnight sun sitting well above the horizon at Lake Menesjärvi, near Lemmenjoki National Park in Finnish Lapland. I had two nights here and both nights had amazing clouds and midnight sun. I couldn't have asked for more!

Arctic Winter II

Actually, I'm not sure that most fishermen would consider this good weather for fishing. But when I'm fishing (or a passenger in a fishing boat, as I was here), I like it when it's clear with views like this all around! Taken on the Teno River around 10pm on a beautiful summer evening in Utsjoki.

The rapids of the Abiskoeatnu River in Sweden's Abisko National Park rushing towards the light of the midnight sun. While the sun was up at midnight, this evening in July was actually the first day the sun dropped below the horizon at Abisko for more than 50 days. This image and many more will be featured in my upcoming "Guide to Lapland and Northern Norway in Summer." If you'd like to learn more, head over to www.lapland.travel.

A solar storm on St Patrick's Day 2013 created auroras so strong over Finnish Lapland that they actually made the snow glow green! This was taken on a tour to Kätkävaara that I signed up for at the last minute in hopes of getting out of the city and really seeing the storm. I'm so glad I did! See more photos of the best auroras I've ever seen on my blog at: http://www.bootsandabackpack.com/celebrating-st-patricks-day-with-the-aurora-and-knee-deep-snow/ Location: Kätkävaara, Finnish Lapland Camera: Nikon D700 w/ 24-70mm f/2.8 lens

This design pulls influence from Scandinavian folk artwork and the cozy warmth of Christmas all over the world!

Reflections of blue skies over the Isokuru Gorge in Pyhä-Luosto National Park.

The ice of the 23rd Icehotel glows a deep blue underneath the brilliantly blue skies of Jukkasjärvi in Swedish Lapland.

The calm and perfectly reflective Teno River -- at least, until you get closer and realise just how quickly its currents are running. I captured this scene during golden hour as we drove from Nuvvus Ailigas back to Utsjoki along what is known as "the most beautiful road in Finland."

The gorgeous old Pielpajärvi Wilderness Church, located about a 4.5km hike away from the town of Inari. This church used to be in the centre of the main settlement in Inari. Now, the only part of that settlement that is left is the Wilderness Church, which has fortunately been kept in great condition. And why do I say "all hail" the church? Well, that menacing cloud arrived very shortly after I took this photo, and before I knew what was happening, hail was bouncing off the ground all around me!

The rapids of Jäniskoski on the Juutua River near Inari in early July. Quite the difference from how I first saw it in mid-March! This image and many more will be featured in my upcoming "Guide to Lapland and Northern Norway in Summer." If you'd like to learn more, head over to http://www.lapland.travel.

Who knew the fells of Ylläs formed a heart shape when combined with the steep slope of ? I found that out when climbing up Pirunkuru, whose name fittingly translates to 'the damn canyon,' on my trek up Kesänkitunturi.

Autumn - 8 seasons in Lapland - Scandinavian artwork

Frozen Abiskoeatnu Canyon in Abisko National Park. I couldn't even begin to imagine the roar of the waterfall in the summer in such a quiet, frozen environment…especially because the peace was so blissful.

For me, it's hard to think of summer in Finnish Lapland without thinking of Lake Menesjärvi. I hold my memories of my time there dearly; not only was the weather absolutely perfect, but the lake was one of the best places I found for watching the midnight sun traverse the sky in what should have been the dead of night. Can you believe I took this photo only minutes before midnight?

Recently, I wrote on my blog (at http://www.bootsandabackpack.com/menesjarvi-blissful-lapland-at-its-best/) about how Menesjärvi was the perfect spot to kick back and relax on a summer holiday. I mean, how could it not be when it featured scenes like this at 11pm?

What a view! This was the scene at the top of the ski lift up Mt Nuolja in Abisko National Park, looking back towards the Abisko Turistation, Lake Torneträsk, and the town of Abisko. This image and many more will be featured in my upcoming "Guide to Lapland and Northern Norway in Summer." If you'd like to learn more, head over to www.lapland.travel.

Even under threatening skies, the Ylläs Scenic Route lived up to its name, giving tree-framed views of the fells in the distance.

It's not often you find a lone tree in Finland -- it's usually surrounded by hundreds, if not thousands, of others -- but this pine on top of Lampivaara Amethyst Mine was one of those few loners.

The sun sets on a gorgeous winter's day in Jukkasjärvi as people go for evening strolls across the frozen Torne River, the source of all the ice for the world-famous Icehotel.

How gorgeous is this? I was lucky enough to get perfect weather for two nights running during my stay on the shores of Lake Menesjärvi, and it could not have been more beautiful. The midnight sun -- to the right of this frame -- made the clouds light up in different colours for hours on end and the lake was so still that it looked like this jetty was just floating in the sky. This image and many more will be featured in my upcoming "Guide to Lapland and Northern Norway in Summer." If you'd like to learn more, head over to www.lapland.travel.

Auroras dance over the Porjus Station House in Swedish Lapland. They were still clearly visible even though it was full moon!

The skies over Abisko National Park and Mt Nuolja light up a brilliant pink on one of the first days Abisko had witnessed a sunset in over two months. The sun set after midnight and wasn't down for long, but for me, after having been under the midnight sun for more than a month, it was a huge change!

Can you find the two fishermen trying to catch a late-night snack? Their reflections are easier to spot than them! I don't blame them for being out so late and enjoying the outdoors. After all, that's what summer in Finland is all about -- provided you have enough bug spray, that is!

To me, this photo is Finland. Sure, in winter there would be a bit more snow on the trees, but regardless of the season, and regardless of where you are in Finland, there are always tall trees all around you, and there is always gorgeous light. Here, it's the light of the midnight sun, captured around 12.30am near Lake Ahvenlampi in Luosto.

When we first hiked 400m up a hill in Kâtkâvaara, Finnish Lapland, to see the northern lights, our guide pointed out north and told us that was the direction the lights would come from. Then we turned south and saw this! The lights stretched from horizon to horizon that night…it was stunning.

Snowflake

Flying high above Sweden's first national park as well as the Laponia World Heritage area. What an awesome place! It's hard to believe that the waterfall in the foreground -- Stora Sjöfallet, the namesake for the park -- used to be the largest in Sweden before the lake system was dammed for hydropower. Apparently all of the rocks would have been underneath a thundering cascade. It's sad it's gone, especially since I would have thought the government would want to keep the centrepiece of its original national park. It was still a mesmerising sight, but I had to wonder about what used to be as we hovered thousands of feet above.

This windswept, icy plain is actually the frozen edge of the Gulf of Bothnia in the Luleå Archipelago. The pack ice was piled up for meters above the frozen surface and the wind blew snow in our faces no matter which way we turned. It was barren but stunning at the same time. And yes, that is a hovercraft! How cool is that?!

Like so many places I'd visited in Lapland, Porjus (near Gällivare in Swedish Lapland) featured a perfectly calm lake that reflected the sun as it slowly dipped towards the horizon. While this looks like it could be midnight sun, this photo was actually taken around 9.30pm; now that the midnight sun period has finished, Lapland is losing light at a rapid 20 minutes per day! This particular place in Porjus is also a special place for me, since I have now visited it three times (twice in winter and once in summer), and it was the first place I ever visited in Lapland. You could say that it was the catalyst for the many Nordic adventures I've had over the last few years!

A gorgeous little spring babbling through the forest just in front of the lodge where I stayed in Äkäslompolo (Lodge 67ºN).

The trees weren't bothered by the steep angle of Kesänkitunturi's slopes, although they were perhaps more sensible than I was, since they stayed out of "Pirunkuru" -- which in English, means "damn canyon"!