29 July – 5 August
I’m a Graphic Designer and Digital Marketer by profession, but photography has always been one of my biggest passions.
Design and digital marketing are a big part of what I do professionally, but whenever I travel, I naturally become a photographer. I love observing new places, finding interesting perspectives, noticing light and colours, and capturing moments that I know I will want to remember later.
That is also why I wanted to start writing photography-related travel stories on my website. I don’t want to share only photographs. I want to share the stories, experiences and little moments behind them.
And Norway gave me plenty of those moments.
A New Camera for a New Journey
Just before this trip, I bought a DJI Osmo Pocket, and Norway became a wonderful opportunity to experience it while travelling.
I wanted something compact and travel-friendly. When travelling long distances, especially on a road trip, carrying a large camera setup everywhere isn’t always convenient. The Osmo Pocket was small enough to keep with me almost all the time.
Its compact and handy design made it easy to quickly take it out whenever something caught my attention.
I also found the internal storage and external storage support very convenient during the trip, especially because we were constantly taking photographs and videos.
Another feature I really enjoyed was the face detection and tracking. When we wanted to record ourselves during the journey, the camera could keep the subject in frame even when the angle or position changed. That made capturing our own travel moments much easier without always needing someone else behind the camera.
For me, it became more than just a camera.
It became part of the journey.
And with Norway’s constantly changing landscapes, there was always something I wanted to capture.
The Norway Road Trip Begins
We travelled through Norway from 29 July to 5 August, covering approximately 2,000 kilometres by road.
Our route took us from Oslo Airport to Voss, Flåm, Gudvangen, Bergen, Geiranger, Ålesund, the Atlantic Ocean Road and Kristiansund, before making our way back towards Oslo Airport.
We deliberately chose a road-trip style of travelling.
Instead of staying in one place for several days, we stayed somewhere different almost every night. This allowed us to experience different landscapes and atmospheres throughout the journey.
Some days were long driving days.
Some were relaxed.
Some were sunny.
Some were rainy.
And sometimes the best moments were the ones we hadn’t planned at all.
Oslo Airport to Voss
We started our journey on 29 July, when we picked up our car at Oslo Airport and began driving towards Voss.
The distance was approximately 310 kilometres, with around five to five and a half hours of driving.
As we moved away from Oslo, the landscape gradually began to change.
The roads became more scenic, the mountains started appearing around us, and the journey itself began feeling like part of the holiday.
By the time we reached Voss, we were already surrounded by the kind of scenery that makes you want to stop every few minutes.
We stayed in Voss for one night and spent some time around Vangsvatnet, the beautiful lake near the town.
It was peaceful and completely different from the busy city environment we had left behind.
This was just the beginning, but I already knew that Norway was going to give me plenty of photographs.
Voss to Flåm, Gudvangen and Bergen
On 30 July, we continued from Voss towards Flåm and Gudvangen, eventually making our way to Bergen.
The drive was around 220 kilometres, but the actual experience felt much longer because there was so much to see along the way.
We passed through beautiful mountain roads, waterfalls and valleys.
The Aurlandsfjord area was especially memorable.
One of the highlights was the Stegastein Viewpoint, where the fjord and surrounding mountains create an incredible panoramic landscape.
We also explored the Gudvangen and Nærøyfjord areas.
This was the kind of route where the destination wasn’t the only attraction.
The road itself was beautiful.
We would sometimes see something from the car window and immediately want to stop. A waterfall, a mountain, a small village, a reflection on the water or simply an unusual view of the road.
That freedom is one of the things I love about road trips.
You don’t have to photograph only the places that are marked on a map.
Sometimes the most beautiful photographs come from places you never planned to stop.
By the end of the day, we reached Bergen.
Bergen — Two Nights in the City
After spending so much time driving through mountains and natural landscapes, Bergen gave us a completely different experience.
We stayed in Bergen for two nights, which gave us time to explore the city without rushing.
We visited Bryggen, walked around the harbour, explored Bergenhus Fortress and spent time at the Fish Market.
Bergen has such a beautiful combination of historic architecture, colourful buildings, water and mountains.
We also took the Fløibanen towards Mount Fløyen.
Looking down at Bergen from above was one of those moments where the camera almost feels unnecessary because the view itself is so beautiful.
But, of course, I still took photographs.
And then there was the food.
One of the things I particularly enjoyed in Bergen was the seafood. After several days of travelling through the countryside, sitting down and enjoying fresh seafood in the city was a lovely part of the experience.
Not Every Day Was Sunny
Something I actually loved about this trip was that we didn’t have perfect sunny weather every day.
There were cloudy days.
There were rainy moments.
There were times when the mountains were covered by clouds.
And there were moments when the sunlight suddenly appeared.
As someone who loves photography, I found the changing weather fascinating.
Rain created reflections on the roads.
Clouds added depth to the mountains.
Mist made the fjords feel mysterious.
And when the sunlight finally came through, the entire landscape seemed to change.
It reminded me that beautiful travel photography doesn’t always need blue skies.
Sometimes the weather itself becomes part of the photograph.
Bergen to Geiranger — Into the Fjords
On 1 August, we left Bergen and started our journey towards Geiranger.
This was one of our longest driving days — approximately 370–390 kilometres, taking around seven to eight hours or more, including ferry crossings.
The ferry journeys were part of the adventure.
There is something unique about travelling through Norway when the road suddenly ends at a fjord, your car goes onto a ferry, and a little later you continue driving on the other side.
As we travelled deeper into western Norway, the landscape became increasingly dramatic.
And then we reached Geirangerfjord.
It was difficult to describe the scale of the landscape.
Huge mountains rise around the fjord, with waterfalls flowing down the cliffs and the water stretching between them.
We explored Geiranger village and visited viewpoints including Flydalsjuvet and Dalsnibba.
Every viewpoint seemed to give us another perspective.
For someone who loves photography, it was almost impossible to stop taking pictures.
Geiranger to Ålesund
On 2 August, we continued from Geiranger towards Ålesund.
The distance was much shorter — around 70–90 kilometres — and the drive took approximately two to three hours.
After the dramatic landscapes around Geiranger, Ålesund felt completely different.
The city has its own unique character, with beautiful architecture, a harbour and mountains surrounding it.
We explored the Ålesund harbour and old town, and later went to Aksla Viewpoint and Fjellstua.
From above, Ålesund looked beautiful.
The colourful buildings, water, mountains and city streets created so many interesting compositions.
I found myself looking at the city through a photographer’s eyes again — noticing shapes, colours, lines, reflections and the way the landscape and architecture came together.
Ålesund to the Atlantic Ocean Road
On 3 August, we left Ålesund and continued towards the Atlantic Ocean Road, eventually reaching Kristiansund.
The journey was around 180–220 kilometres.
This was one of the highlights of the entire road trip.
The landscape changed again.
The dramatic fjords gradually gave way to the open Atlantic coastline.
Then we reached the famous Atlantic Ocean Road.
The road stretches across small islands and skerries, connected by bridges, with the ocean surrounding you.
The Storseisundet Bridge was especially impressive.
Driving across it and seeing the ocean around us was an unforgettable experience.
We stopped at different viewpoints along the Atlantic Road to enjoy the scenery and capture photographs.
The weather wasn’t perfectly sunny, but that didn’t make the experience any less beautiful.
In fact, the clouds, wind and ocean gave the photographs a much more dramatic feeling.
It was one of those places where the road itself became the destination.
The Long Drive Back
After spending the night in Kristiansund, we began our long journey back towards Oslo Airport on 4 August.
This was approximately 510–530 kilometres, taking around seven and a half to eight hours.
It was a long drive, but by this point, the road trip itself had become one of my favourite parts of the journey.
We had travelled through so many different landscapes in just a few days.
Mountains.
Fjords.
Lakes.
Cities.
Waterfalls.
Bridges.
Coastlines.
And roads that seemed to disappear into the landscape.
We stayed near Oslo Airport/Gardermoen that night, and on 5 August, our Norwegian adventure came to an end.
What Photography Added to the Journey
Looking back at this trip, I realise that photography changed the way I experienced Norway.
Without a camera, I might have simply looked at a beautiful landscape and moved on.
With a camera, I stopped.
I looked again.
I noticed the light.
I noticed the reflections.
I noticed how the clouds were sitting on the mountains.
I noticed the tiny houses surrounded by enormous landscapes.
I noticed how a winding road could become the main subject of a photograph.
Photography makes me slow down.
It makes me observe.
And that is one of the reasons I love it so much.
My professional career is in graphic design and digital marketing, where creativity is often connected to a purpose — a brand, a campaign, a client or a business objective.
Photography gives me a different kind of creative freedom.
There is no client brief.
No deadline.
No required layout.
Sometimes, I simply see something beautiful and want to capture it.
2,000 Kilometres Later
When I think about the approximately 2,000 kilometres we travelled, I don’t really think about the number.
I think about the experiences behind it.
The first mountain roads from Oslo to Voss.
The peaceful Vangsvatnet.
The fjords around Flåm and Gudvangen.
The incredible views from Stegastein.
The colourful streets of Bergen.
The seafood.
The ferry crossings.
The dramatic Geirangerfjord.
The beautiful city of Ålesund.
The Atlantic Ocean Road.
The Storseisundet Bridge.
The rain.
The clouds.
The unexpected stops.
And thousands of photographs and memories.
Norway reminded me once again why I love travelling with a camera.
You don’t always need perfect weather.
You don’t always need a perfectly planned photograph.
Sometimes, you just need to be there, look around and notice what is in front of you.
Until the Next Journey
This Norway trip was more than just a holiday for me.
It was a journey through some incredible landscapes, but it was also a creative experience.
As a Graphic Designer and Digital Marketer, I spend much of my professional life creating visual stories for brands and businesses.
Through photography, I get to create visual stories for myself.
And that is why I want to continue sharing photography and travel stories here — not simply as travel guides, but as personal experiences seen through my camera.
Some places are meant to be visited.
Some journeys are meant to be photographed.
And some memories deserve to be told as a story.
Norway was one of those journeys.