A photographer friend and I had organised a return trip to the Lofoten Islands in Norway. We hired a car and joined forces to explore the parts we’d previously enjoyed and investigate new possibilities. I had hoped to find some tufts of grass providing foreground interest rather than the boulders on which I had previously spent time balancing; now, I wanted something different.
Our journey took us along a long, straight road beside the sea. Light was beginning to fade, as were my hopes of finding tufts of grass! We came across a cafe, which turned out to be a glass-blowing business. It was definitely lovely and warm inside, and out of the strong, cold wind.
The coffee on offer was only from a vending machine, and we decided to finish for the day and head back towards our accommodation. As we headed to our car, my eye caught the reflection of a mountain in a puddle. I crouched low, trying to capture the entire mountain range in the puddle’s frame, but the foreground was just muddy asphalt. The angle felt flat. On looking around, I came across another, larger puddle, which gave a bigger, more expansive reflection of the mountain peak. The wind rippled the water’s surface, creating a slightly distorted, almost impressionistic rendering of the scene.
I may not have found my tufts of grass, but I had seen a perspective in the puddle that I really liked! It was the perfect gift from the elements.
