Arriving on the Island of Lofoten in Arctic Norway with another photographer friend, I was keen to get out and explore straight away. We'd hired a car and had intended to photograph mainly in the early morning and evening light. However, daylight was simply too compelling, and we soon found ourselves out on the road to explore. There was less snow than anticipated, although this didn't deter from the colourful scenes we came across.

We were headed to the port of Ballstad to try and pinpoint possible sunrise or even sunset locations in the area and investigate what seemed to be an interesting spot. Initially, we were a little disappointed with the area's potential and put it down to a need to adjust our perspectives and not have too many preconceptions. We felt that there was an opportunity, though.

The next day, we were out most of the time. Heading back to our base, we passed the turning for Ballstad and decided to visit the area again at a different time of day. We also realised we'd missed a road that might offer photographic opportunities.

Light was beginning to fade as the sun set, however in this part of the world, it doesn't go dark quickly and there was still plenty of time to take photographs. Deciding to explore more of the area whilst we were there, we took a turn where houses and boats were located by the water. We had stumbled upon a beautiful photo opportunity; not only were there colourful houses and ships of differing kinds but as we continued around the water's edge, a magnificent mountain reflection presented itself in the calm, still waters. It was breathtaking and was a reward for not giving up and following our gut instinct.