Norwegian photographers Emil Sollie and Mats Grimsæth had a dream to combine a northern lights image with a surfer lit with studio flashes. Read their story from the adventure and enjoy the amazing photos.
The photography was carried out in Lofoten, a small town along the coast in northern Norway. The waves wash in constantly and the place is known for its dramatic northern lights.
The idea for these fantastic pictures came from the Norwegian photographers Emil Sollie and Mats Grimsæth who for two years planned how they could carry out this spectacular photo shoot in the most beautiful light show the world can offer.
"To be able to photograph a surfer in the light of an aurora borealis, it is necessary for many elements to fall into place at the same time," explains Sollie. "This is one of the most technical shoots I've done and the most difficult to complete."
Emil and Mats used the ELB 400 for the photography in the northern lights. The device was placed in a waterproof case so that Mats, lying in the water, could light the surfer as close as possible.
“It was very dark and difficult to see. We are overjoyed that we managed to complete the assignment.”
The image contains both action and long exposure. “We left the shutter open for 6 seconds and thanks to theshort duration time of the ELB 400 Action Head, the surfer was rendered sharply. The ELB 400 in combination with the Transmitter Pro was the perfect flash for the job.”
Emil also tested lighting surfers in daylight using two powerful battery-powered studio flashes. The combination of the power of 2 Ranger RX and the Transmitter Pro remote control made it possible to light the surfer from the beach during Hi-Sync photography! Sollie and Grimsæth met for the first time in Portugal in 2014 and they immediately started sketching their joint idea.
The only thing they needed was a skilled – and not least, willing – surfer who could consider coming along on the adventure. "I could not in my wildest imagination believe that we would complete the project with Mick," says Mats. "All of a sudden we were on our way to Lofoten with a world champion!".
After a couple of days of waiting for the light, the northern lights arrived at midnight on the third day and the photography could start "You can probably understand the feeling," says Fanning. "To jump half asleep in my wetsuit and at the same time be completely enthralled by the spectacle. I will remember this forever!”
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