What does “northern light” mean to you? According to an old photographer’s rule of thumb, light from a north-facing window is said to be the best for portraits. In the northern hemisphere it will always be indirect light, which is soft and consistent throughout the day, creating a diffused, gentle look rather than something harsh or high contrast. Then there is, of course, a very different kind of northern light, that of the aurora borealis, which several of us at Viewfinders have written about and photographed.

Recently, though, I have been thinking about northern light in another sense. I have just returned from trips to Iceland and Sweden, where the quality of light feels noticeably different from that in Britain. That is, of course, when there is light at all in the colder months. When something is scarce you value it more. And looking back at my photos from these trips, I can see just how much attention I was paying to this fleeting, valuable resource.

In Iceland, we spent a day at Dettifoss, a huge waterfall, arriving just as the sun rose. The sun pierced the sky, hugging the horizon for the few hours of daylight, illuminating the columnar basalt, the churning water and the frost on the plants. It lit up the sheets of ice we picked up, making it look like golden stained glass. The day was cold and I was genuinely surprised at how long we had been walking outside (without totally freezing) when we finally got back to the car. It was as if had all been hypnotised by the light. 

Fast forward a few weeks, and we were in Stockholm during a snowstorm. I loved photographing the snowy city (while being careful not to slip), but when I look back over the images, I notice how often I photographed light itself. Indoor lights, festive lights, candlelight. But with a distinctly northern feel.

And here’s another kind of northern light: the traffic lights in Akureyri. The heart-shaped red lights are designed to encourage kindness between drivers in Iceland’s most northerly city.

All of this has made me realise, as someone who does not usually enjoy winter, the importance of different kinds of light. It one way or another, it brings comfort to the darker days. I can see how I am photographing more than usual during the colder months, as I have learned to seek out and appreciate the northern light, in all its forms.

Kirstin