Abandoned Industry & Landscape in Northern Norway Photography Workshop 2026. Photo: Bjørn Joachimsen.
This workshop explores the visual and historical intersection between abandoned industry and the northern landscape of Northern Norway. The focus is on decommissioned industrial sites, extraction landscapes and residual infrastructure, and how these structures interact with light, weather and terrain.
The workshop emphasizes slow, deliberate image-making, analog methodology and long-form photographic thinking. It is designed for photographers who wish to work deeply with place, history and landscape rather than surface-level documentation.[Salangen, Senja & Kåfjord, 24-28 August 2026]
Key Information
Dates: Monday 24 August – Sunday 30 August 2026
Base: Multiple bases (Bardu · Senja · Kåfjord region, Northern Norway)
Number of participants: Maximum 6
Registration deadline: 24 May 2026
Workshop fee: EUR 1,250. Early Bird Discount: 10% off the workshop fee for registrations completed by 1 March 2026
Link to practical information • Link to registration form
The purpose of this workshop is to create an environment where you can develop your photography skills, which will be valuable when photographing during your travels—whether capturing people, architecture, or landscapes. Bring your digital or analog camera and join me in exploring the rich photographic opportunities in Northern Norway.
A workshop is more than just taking photographs—it is a community for learning, inspiration, and shared experiences. I work with a small group of a maximum of six participants, ensuring close guidance and personalised feedback throughout. I emphasise professional development, mutual inspiration, and a welcoming social environment.
Photographic Focus
Abandoned industrial sites: mines, processing plants, silos, harbours and transport infrastructure
Industrial decay and entropy in dialogue with landscape
Scale, silence and absence
Long-term industrial narratives rather than isolated motifs
Regional Context & Key Locations
Abandoned Industry & Landscape in Northern Norway Photography Workshop 2026. Photo: Bjørn Joachimsen.
Salangen (Sør-Troms)
Salangen represents early industrialisation in Northern Norway, closely linked to mineral extraction and maritime transport. The ruins of Salangsverket form one of the most important early industrial sites in the region, offering complex structural remains, layered decay and strong spatial rhythm.
The Storhaugen mines, reached via the old construction road from Seljeskogen, extend this narrative into the inland landscape. Here, mining remnants and crushing facilities are embedded directly into terrain, creating a strong visual dialogue between industrial intervention and nature. The industrial chain concludes at the coast with the quartz silo at Sjøvegan, a stark and isolated structure positioned between sea, infrastructure and abandonment.
Abandoned Industry & Landscape in Northern Norway Photography Workshop 2026. Photo: Bjørn Joachimsen.
Senja
On Senja, industrial history is inseparable from exposed coastal geography. The ruins of the nickel mines at Hamnreflect a short but intense industrial period, now fragmented and weather-beaten, shaped by wind, sea and time.
The graphite works at Skaland represent a later and more large-scale industrial phase, where substantial structures allow for precise studies of form, repetition and scale.
Tungeneset and Okstindan at Senja. ©Bjørn Joachimsen.
In contrast, Tungeneset and views toward Okstindan provide an open landscape counterpoint, emphasizing geology, horizon and light, and allowing participants to explore spatial tension between industrial presence and pure landscape.
Abandoned Industry & Landscape in Northern Norway Photography Workshop 2026. Photo: Bjørn Joachimsen.
Kåfjord (Nord-Troms)
The copper works in Kåfjord are among the most historically significant industrial remains in Northern Norway. Spread across valley floors and mountain slopes, the ruins illustrate how industry was forced to adapt directly to topography.
The surrounding Kåfjorddalen canyon landscape, including Ørndalen and Tørrfoss, introduces a raw geological dimension. Deep cuts, water movement and vertical rock formations create a visual language of rupture and erosion, forming a final synthesis of industry, landscape and time.
Methodology
The workshop is built around a slow, field-based working method:
Emphasis on observation before exposure
Careful composition, structure and negative space
Project-oriented thinking rather than image accumulation
Working with weather and light as integral elements
Continuous dialogue between place, history and visual interpretation
Fieldwork is combined with group discussions and contextual analysis of sites.
Equipment & Technical Approach
Large format, medium format or 35mm film cameras
Digital camera
Tripod required
Light meter (spot meter recommended) if you bring an analog camera.
Simplified Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Evenes – introductory field session at Evenestangen – transfer to Bardu
Day 2: Salangsverket, Storhaugen mining landscape and coastal industrial sites around Sjøvegan
Day 3: Inland mining sites and mill ruins – transfer to Senja
Day 4: Skaland graphite works and Hamn nickel mine ruins
Day 5: Landscape-focused fieldwork at Tungeneset and coastal Senja
Day 6: Kåfjord copper works and canyon landscapes in Kåfjorddalen
Day 7: Final field session in Kåfjord. – transfer to Tromsø and departure
The itinerary may be adjusted in response to weather, light and field conditions.
Learning Outcomes
Participants will:
Produce a coherent body of work focused on abandoned industry and northern landscapes
Develop stronger compositional discipline and observational skills
Gain insight into industrial and post-industrial narratives in photography
Strengthen long-term, project-based photographic thinking
Gain experience working under demanding environmental and weather conditions
Workshop Philosophy
This workshop is not about spectacle or volume. It prioritises presence, restraint and interpretation. Abandoned industry is approached not as ruin tourism, but as historical residue—quiet, unresolved, and deeply connected to landscape, labour and time.
Group Size
Small group with limited participants to ensure individual guidance and concentrated fieldwork.
Language
English
Canyon in Kåfjord.
Photo: Bjørn Joachimsen.
What can you expect from me?
I will be present and available for you throughout the workshop.
I will provide professional guidance and assistance during the entire workshop experience.
I will share all of my photography knowledge and skills with you.
What do I expect from you?
You should dedicate all available hours to working on your photography.
You should follow the planned teaching programme during the workshop.
You should work independently and on your own initiative.
You should actively seek guidance when needed.
You should remember to charge your camera batteries before each workshop day.
You should contact me before, during, and after the workshop if you need help of any kind.
Practical information
Dates: Monday 24 August – Sunday 30 August 2026
Start: 24 August (arrival in Evenes)
End: 30 August (departure from Tromsø)
Base: Multiple bases (Bardu · Senja · Kåfjord region, Northern Norway)
Instructor:
Bjørn Joachimsen
Accommodation
24–26 August: Fjellkysten Guesthouse:
Price per night including breakfast:Single room: NOK 1,228 per person
Budget single room: NOK 1,314 per person
Double room (separate beds): NOK 1,521 per person
Dinner is available at the guesthouse for approximately NOK 250–400, featuring traditional Norwegian cuisine based on local ingredients.
26–28 August: Hamn i Senja
Price per night including breakfast:Single room: NOK 2,219 per person
Double room: NOK 1,220 per person
28-30 August: Håkon Gjestehus, Olderdalen
Price per night including breakfast:
Single room: NOK 1,145 per person
Apartment (2 persons): NOK 1,900 per night
Breakfast is included.
Dinner is available for approximately NOK 250 per person.
Håkon Gjestehus serves traditional Thai cuisine.
More detailed information about accommodation will be published at a later stage. Participants and interested photographers are welcome to contact bjorn.joachimsen@gmail.com at any time for further details.
Travel
Participants book their own travel.
Recommended flights for the workshop:
Monday 24 August 2026: Oslo Lufthavn → Evenes Lufthavn, Norwegian DY362 (departure 13:20, arrival 15:00)
Sunday 30 August 2026: Tromsø Lufthavn → Oslo Lufthavn, Norwegian DY385 (departure 18:55, arrival 20:50)
Shared transport will be organised from Evenes Airport upon arrival and throughout the workshop, including the transfer to Tromsø Airport at the end of the workshop.
If you wish to extend your stay before or after the workshop, you are free to do so. In that case, you must arrange your own transport to and from the airport.
Please wait to book flights until your workshop place has been confirmed.
You must have valid travel insurance that covers the trip.
What to Bring
Good shoes
Clothing for various weather conditions
Camera, along with any additional lenses and accessories you have. Contact the organiser if you are unsure about your camera equipment
Extra camera batteries and memory cards
Camera filters (if you have them)
Please contact the course organiser well in advance if you plan to leave parts of your camera equipment at home.
Contact: bjorn.joachimsen@gmail.com if you are unsure whether your photography equipment is suitable.
Fees, Registration & Participants
Number of participants: Maximum 6
Workshop fee: EUR 1,250
Early Bird Discount: 10% off the workshop fee for registrations completed by 1 March 2026
Registration deadline: 24 May 2026
You will find the registration form below.
Abandoned Industry & Landscape in Northern Norway Photography Workshop 2026. Photo: Bjørn Joachimsen.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
Fotograf Bjørn Joachimsen.
Bjørn Joachimsen is one of Norway’s most experienced photography instructors and workshop leaders. Born and raised in Northern Norway, he has photographed the landscapes and industrial sites featured in this workshop for more than 25 years. His long-term relationship with the region gives him an in-depth understanding of its light, weather, terrain, and historical layers—knowledge that forms the foundation of this workshop.
Bjørn is an experienced documentary and landscape photographer with over 20 years of professional practice. His teaching focuses on observation, composition, visual structure, and long-form photographic thinking, helping participants develop coherent bodies of work rather than isolated images. He has extensive experience as a photography educator and workshop leader, and places strong emphasis on method, visual discipline, and understanding place through sustained photographic engagement.
Portfolio: www.joachimsenphotography.com
Photography & Courses: www.fotografjoachimsen.no
Facebook: www.facebook.com/joachimsenphotograpy
Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/joachimsen/
Instagram: @joachimsenphotography
