Chasing Giants: Photographing Whales in Northern Norway
Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been fascinated by whales - their size, the migrations, and the mystery of their life beneath the surface. It’s been 8 years since my last time seeing them up close, and recently I finally made my way back to Northern Norway, where winter seas turn into one of the world’s most magical whale-watching stages.
What I didn’t remember from last time was just how wild and technically challenging it would be to photograph them.
The Arctic Setting
Northern Norway is both harsh and beautiful. The days are short, the wind cuts deep, and the sea never really settles. Sitting low in a RIB, I’m almost at water level - an incredible perspective for shooting, but also a constant effort to keep my balance, stay warm, and focus.
When the whales appear, everything else fades away. In that moment, nothing matters except what’s happening right in front of me.
The Gear I Chose
For this trip, I brought two bodies:
Sony A1
Sony A1 II
And three lenses:
Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS
Sony 16-35 f/2.8 GM II
Sony 300 f/2.8 GM OSS
The combo I ended up using every day was Sony A1 II and 70-200 f/2.8.
This setup gave me speed, resolution, and versatility in a compact package. I also brought the Sony FE 16–35mm f/2.8 and the Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 out on sea, but I didn’t use either of them.
Fast gear, but even the best autofocus doesn’t always know what to do with a whale. No visible eye, no clear shape, no predictable movement. Tracking works until a wave comes along, and then focus runs away with the wave. It’s humbling, demanding, and incredibly exciting. Sometimes the ocean looks empty, and the next second a whale rises right beside the boat, too close for a photo, but close enough to steal your breath.
I ended up using a mix of custom-area tracking with a wide rectangle placed low in the frame, and old-school center-point AF, firing in short bursts whenever a whale appeared. What makes whale photography addicting is also what makes it frustrating: you never know when or where they’ll appear.
You scan endless grey water, waiting, waiting… and then suddenly they’re right next to you. Sometimes too close to even shoot.
This trip was made even more special by the people I shared it with. I spent four unforgettable days on the water with See and Explore, traveling with my good friend Lisa Sihlberg who share my Arctic enthusiasm. We also met up with Eeva Mäkinen, Natasha Klein, and Daniel Ernst - and we even shared one day together out at see with the whales!
Thank you all for the good times and a special thanks to Oddgeir and co at See and Explore for making this trip memorable.
