Hetta is located in the municipality Enontekiö in the Northwest corner of Lapland and around 800 people live there. Climate is arctic. The average temperature in October about -2C (28F).

Hetta is located about 220km North of the Arctic circle, 35km South of the Norwegian border and right at the northern edge of Pallas-Ylläs national park.

In walking distance from our accomodation:
Shops and restaurants: 350m
Nearest lake: 500m (lake Ounasjärvi)

Here is a list for the camera gear you might want to bring. Some of it is needed, some of it is optional. If you are unsure about anything, you can contact me during and after booking. We can go through your current gear together and figure out if and what you might still need.

Tripod (needed)
Important for night photography and long exposure photos. The tripod will minimize camera shaking. Handheld photos in darkness will not be sharp. To adjust settings comfortably, the tripod should be nearly your height. If you don’t have a tripod, you can rent one for 25 Euros for your entire stay.

Camera (needed)
Most suitable will be a dSLR or mirrorless camera where you can exchange lenses. Your camera needs to have the option of manual focus and a complete manual mode which allows you to adjust aperture, exposure time and ISO separately. Pocket cameras with a zoom might be ok in some cases, you can contact me for that when booking.

Lenses (at least one needed)
For night and aurora photography you should bring a fast lens (meaning wide aperture, with a small f-number like f/2.8 or better) to make the most of the available light. Lenses with f/4.0 are doing fine also but you might have to crank up the ISO. Auroras often stretch all across the sky. To capture a big part of it, you want to have a wide-angle lens (24mm or wider).
For daytime photography it is good to have a basic zoom (24-70mm, 24-120mm or the like). The variety helps you to create diverse photo compositions.

Remote control (optional)
Use during night photography or long exposures. The remote allows you to take photos without touching the camera to avoid blurry photos.

Filters (optional)
If you want to take photos of smooth water or moving clouds, you will need a neutral density filter. A polarizer can be used f.e. to create better contrast between white clouds and blue sky. A graduaded ND filter will help to balance the light difference of ground and sky.

Head lamp / Flashlight (needed)
Will be important during the night. If you can get a head lamp with a red light option, it will be helpful.

Spare batteries (useful)
In cold nights your batteries will discharge faster than usually. It will be important to have at least two extra battery with you. Using hand warmers, you can revive the batteries to get the last bit of energy out of them.

To read more about aurora photography, check out my aurora guide ‘Fox Fires’, part 4.

Make sure you have the right clothing. With average temperatures around -2C (28F) you need to be prepared. Temperatures at night can be around -5…-15C (23…5F), at times colder. With most winter clothing plus some layers you will be fine. In case your clothes are not sufficient, a warm overall can be provided.

Bottom layer
Best is a woolen layer. For example, merino wool is excellent.

Middle layers
Another woolen layer and some fleece layers usually work well.

Top layer
Top your layers off with a winter jacket and winter pants, best for them will be windproof.

Shoes, socks and gloves
They will be essential as your toes and fingers will be one of the biggest challenges to keep warm and dry. Winter boots and wool socks will keep your toes warm. For your hands it is best to bring two pairs of gloves with you. A thin pair with which you are able to press the camera buttons, and thicker, windproove ones in case you get cold. Additionally you can bring hand and toe warmers, which can easily be purchased online.

Head, face and ears
Make sure to properly protect your head and ears against the cold wind. A woolen beanie, ear flaps and a scarf will help to keep head and neck warm. A windproof hat is good to have when being out during uncomfortable weather.

Hand/toe/body warmers
In case your fingers, toes or other body parts tend to get cold, it is good to bring warmers. There are many different brands, some sell variety packs like this one.

Thermos bottle
For hot juice, tea or coffee to keep you warm during our excursions.

Hand/Toe/Body Warmers
In case your fingers, toes or other body parts tend to get cold, it is good to bring warmers. There are many different brands, some sell variety packs like this one.

Laptop
To backup your photos from the camera and editing. If we are extremely unlucky with the weather, we will do some post processing in Lightroom.

Payments
15% due within 14 days after registration
85% due latest 30 days before tour start

Cancellation and refunds
Up to 60 days before tour start: Full refund minus an administration fee of EUR 100.00
59-30 days before tour start: 85% refund of the entire trip’s cost
29-15 days before tour start: 50% refund of the entire trip’s cost
Less than 15 days before tour start: 5% refund of the entire trip’s cost