Frequently asked questions

You send a free availability request with your date, place and type of shoot, and we check which suitable photographers are free. We then reply personally with a proposal that names the photographer, the package and the exact price. The booking is confirmed only when you accept that proposal.

Yes, the request is free and does not commit you to anything. It only asks us to check availability and prepare a proposal. You decide afterwards whether to accept it, and nothing is reserved or paid before you do.

Give the date or a range of dates, the town or area you will be in, the type of shoot and how many people will be in the photos. Add anything that changes the plan: a surprise proposal, a preferred hour such as sunset or an aurora night, whether you will have a car, a cruise ship’s time in port, or a place you have in mind. The more specific the request, the more precise the proposal.

As early as your travel dates are fixed, especially for summer weekends in the fjords, the aurora season in Tromsø and Lofoten, and the weeks around Christmas and New Year. Independent photographers take a limited number of sessions, and aurora nights and golden-hour slots go first. Earlier requests leave more photographers to choose from.

You can always ask, and short-notice requests are sometimes possible, particularly in the cities. Whether a photographer is free depends on the date, the place and the time of day, so we cannot promise it in advance. Send the request with your exact dates and we will tell you what is available.

Yes, mention the photographer by name in your request if you have seen their profile on our photographers page. If they are free on your date, the proposal can name them. If not, we suggest other photographers whose work suits your shoot.

Your booking is confirmed when you accept the proposal we send you. Until then nothing is reserved, and the proposal states what you need to do to accept it, including any payment terms. Check the date, time, meeting point and package before accepting.

Contact us as soon as you know, and we will ask your photographer whether the new date or time works. Whether a change is free, and how late it can be made, depends on the terms in your proposal. Aurora nights and sunset slots in busy weeks are the hardest to move, so the earlier the better.

Sessions through Fjordly start from NOK 2,500 for a short express shoot and from NOK 3,900 for a classic one-hour session. Proposal photography starts from NOK 6,500, family sessions from NOK 4,500, a northern lights session from NOK 7,900, and any shoot in a fjord or Arctic location from NOK 6,500. The full list of starting prices is on our pricing page.

Because each photographer sets their own package and price at or above the platform’s starting prices. The final figure depends on the photographer, the place, the date, the time of day, the duration and any add-ons. Your proposal states the exact price in Norwegian kroner before you commit.

The main factors are the duration, the location, the date and the add-ons. Weekends, sunrise or sunset slots, aurora nights, fjord and Arctic locations, ferries or long drives, several places in one session, video, drone footage and an extra hour all raise the price above the starting figure. For a detailed breakdown, read what a photographer costs in Norway.

Any session in a fjord or Arctic location, such as Geiranger, Flåm, Preikestolen, Lofoten or Tromsø, starts from NOK 6,500. The photographer usually travels further, often by car, ferry or on foot, and plans around daylight that changes week by week. The starting price for these places reflects that extra time.

Usually not: your own tickets for ferries, the Fløibanen funicular, cable cars, trains and parking are your cost, and the photographer’s travel is either included in the package or listed separately in your proposal. Fares and parking charges change, so check the current fare with the operator. Your proposal says exactly which travel costs are included.

Prices on Fjordly are in Norwegian kroner (NOK), and your proposal states the exact amount in NOK. If you pay with a card in another currency, your bank converts it at its own rate and may add a fee. Ask us if you need the amount confirmed before you accept.

Payment terms are stated in your proposal, including the amount, the method and when it is due. They can differ between photographers and packages. Read them before accepting, and ask us if anything is unclear.

Some photographers ask for a deposit to hold the date and some ask for payment in full in advance. Whether a deposit applies, and how much, is set out in your proposal. Nothing is charged for sending an availability request.

Cancellation terms are set per booking and stated in your proposal, so check them before you accept. Typically they say until when you can cancel without charge and what applies after that. If you think your plans may change, ask about the terms before booking.

You agree the place, the time and a signal with the photographer in advance, and they wait nearby looking like any other visitor. When you kneel, they photograph the moment and then usually continue with relaxed couple portraits. Proposal photography starts from NOK 6,500.

They take position before you arrive, typically with a longer lens a little distance away, and behave like someone photographing the view. You agree an exact spot and a signal, such as stopping at a particular railing at Fløyen or a rock on the shore. After the question, they walk over and introduce themselves.

Give them an ordinary reason to be at the spot at that hour, such as a sunset walk, a ride up the cable car, dinner nearby or a planned aurora trip. Avoid over-dressing for the cover story, and keep messages with us and the photographer on your own phone. The photographer can adapt if you arrive late or approach from a different side.

Yes, proposal photo and video starts from NOK 8,900 and adds footage of the moment and the time around it. Whether it is filmed by the same photographer or a second person depends on the package in your proposal. Mention video in your request so we only suggest photographers who offer it.

Yes, but plan it as a night with a flexible spot rather than a fixed scene. The photographer watches the forecast and drives to where the sky is clear, and the aurora may be strong, faint or absent. Many couples plan the proposal in good light earlier in the trip and keep the aurora night for portraits; see proposals in Tromsø.

Good proposal spots combine a view, a clear place to kneel and some privacy at your chosen hour. Fløyen above Bergen, the fjord viewpoints around Geiranger and Flåm, the beaches and fishing villages of Lofoten and the Opera roof in Oslo are common choices. Our guide to proposal locations in Norway compares them spot by spot.

Talk to the photographer about a back-up plan when booking: a second date, a sheltered spot, or a later time the same day. How weather changes are handled depends on the terms in your proposal. For a full plan, see our Norway proposal photography guide, or the city pages for Oslo and Bergen.

The aurora season in northern Norway runs roughly from late August or September to early April, when the nights are dark enough. The lights need a dark, clear sky, so cloud cover matters as much as any aurora forecast. A northern lights photoshoot starts from NOK 7,900; see also northern lights sessions in Tromsø.

No. Nobody can, because the aurora depends on solar activity and clear skies, and both change by the hour. The photographer checks the forecasts, chooses a direction with the best chance of clear sky and may drive some distance to find it. How a night without aurora or with full cloud cover is handled is stated in your proposal, so read it before booking.

The photographer uses a tripod and long exposures, asks you to hold still for a few seconds, and lights you softly with a small lamp so your faces are sharp against the sky. The session usually lasts several hours, including the drive, waiting time and warm-up breaks. Our northern lights photoshoot guide explains how it works.

Dress for standing still in the cold: thermal base layers, a warm mid-layer, an insulated jacket and trousers, a hat, gloves and winter boots with a good grip. Temperatures are often below freezing on the coast and colder inland, where clear skies are often found. A plain, bright outer layer photographs better than black. More advice is in what to wear.

North of the Arctic Circle the sun stays above the horizon for weeks in summer: in Tromsø roughly from late May to late July, in Lofoten for a slightly shorter period. The low sun around midnight gives long, warm light, so late-evening sessions work well. There is no aurora in this period because the sky never gets dark.

In Tromsø the sun does not rise above the horizon from roughly late November to mid January. It is not completely dark: around midday there are a few hours of soft blue and pink twilight, which suit portraits. Sessions are planned around that window or for the evening aurora.

Usually not. The photographer normally drives you, or agrees a meeting point outside the city, and the transport arrangement is stated in your proposal. Winter roads in the north can be icy and dark, so if you drive yourself, allow plenty of time and check the road conditions.

It depends on the package: an express session is about 30 minutes, a classic one about 60 minutes, and premium, honeymoon and fjord or Arctic sessions around 90 minutes. Northern lights sessions run for about three hours, while multi-location sessions, photo tours and full days last from about 2.5 hours up to a full day. The duration is stated in your proposal.

You agree a precise meeting point before the day, usually a hotel entrance, a landmark near the first spot, a cable car station or a ferry quay. In the fjord villages it is often the harbour or a car park near the viewpoint. The meeting point and time are confirmed with your booking.

Wear clothes you feel comfortable in, in solid or softly patterned colours that suit each other rather than match exactly. Bring a windproof layer, since it is often cooler and windier by the water and on viewpoints than in town, and choose shoes that can handle wet rock, gravel paths or icy streets. Our guide on what to wear goes through colours and fabrics by setting and season.

No. Most clients are not models, and the photographer guides you with simple prompts such as walking, turning towards each other or looking out over the fjord. The first minutes are for getting comfortable, and the photos usually improve as you relax. See couple photoshoots in Norway for how a relaxed session runs.

Yes, mention everyone who will be in the photos, including pets, in your request. For young children, a short session at a time of day that fits their routine works better than a long one. Check the pet rules on the ferries, trains and cable cars you plan to use; for families, see family photoshoots in Norway.

Let the photographer know as soon as you can. Sessions usually end at the agreed time because photographers often have other bookings, so arriving late can shorten your session. In the fjords, allow for ferry timetables, queues at the quay and narrow roads behind tour buses.

You and the photographer decide together whether to shoot as planned, move to a sheltered spot, change the time or reschedule. Light rain can still produce good photos, but heavy rain or strong wind usually means moving the session. The rescheduling terms are set out in your proposal, so check them before booking.

Bergen is known as one of the wettest cities in Europe, and rain is possible in any month. Showers often come and go, so photographers plan around the gaps and know sheltered spots such as the wooden passages of Bryggen. A plain or clear umbrella works well in photos. Our Bergen photoshoot guide includes rainy-day plans, and couple sessions in Bergen shows what a wet day can look like.

The photographer checks the forecast and advises you, usually the day before and again on the day. The terms in your proposal state how weather changes are handled, for example whether a new date is offered without charge. Safety comes first on hikes, exposed viewpoints and winter roads.

Low cloud can lift within an hour or sit in the fjord all day, and nobody can predict it with certainty. The photographer can move to a lower viewpoint, the shoreline or a village where the mountains are not the whole story, and mist on the water can look atmospheric in its own right. If the view matters most, keep a spare day in your plans.

There is no single best season: summer brings long days, green fjords and open mountain roads, autumn brings colour and the first aurora nights, winter brings snow and the aurora in the north, and spring brings blossom along the fjords and returning light. Our guide to the best time for a photoshoot compares the seasons and times of day.

Not all of them. Some mountain roads, such as Trollstigen and the road up to Dalsnibba above Geiranger, close in winter and usually reopen in late spring or early summer, depending on the snow. Check the road authority’s information for your dates, and the photographer will suggest alternatives if a road is closed.

It changes a lot with the season and the latitude. In summer the sun sets very late in the south and not at all in the far north, so golden light can last for hours; in winter the days are short and the light stays low all day. The photographer suggests a time for your date and place.

Fjordly covers cities, fjords and Arctic destinations, from Oslo, Bergen, Stavanger, Trondheim, Ålesund and Kristiansand to Tromsø, Lofoten, Geiranger, Flåm and Preikestolen. Every destination is on our locations page. If your place is not listed, ask anyway in your request.

Yes, starting at your hotel or rented cabin is common, especially if it has a waterfront, a terrace or a view worth photographing. Some hotels have rules about photography on their premises, so ask them first. Mention the address in your request so the photographer can plan the route.

Yes, a multi-location session covers two or more places in about 2.5 hours and starts from NOK 8,900. For longer itineraries, such as a day along a fjord or across Lofoten, a Norway photo tour starts from NOK 12,000. Distances in Norway are long and ferries run to a timetable, so nearby places leave more time in front of the camera.

Many fjord routes include a car ferry crossing or a sightseeing boat, and both run to timetables that change with the season. The photographer plans the session around the crossings and tells you which departure to take. Check the current timetable and fare yourself, and allow time for queues in summer. Our fjord locations guide covers the logistics.

Often, yes, in ports such as Bergen, Ålesund, Stavanger, Geiranger, Flåm and Tromsø. Give us the ship’s arrival and all-aboard times in your request, and the photographer will plan a session close to the quay with a safe margin. On busy cruise days, popular spots fill up, so an early slot is quieter.

Travel to the meeting point is either included in the package or shown separately in your proposal. For fjord and Arctic locations, the photographer’s ferry, fuel, toll or parking costs are often listed as a travel cost. You see the full price before you accept.

Yes. The hike is about 4 km each way with roughly 500 m of ascent, and most people take around two hours each way. It is best from about May to October; in winter and early spring the trail can be icy and snowy, and it is recommended only with a guide. Good shoes and a warm layer are essential; see elopements at Preikestolen.

Not quite. Norway’s right to roam (allemannsretten) lets everyone walk and stay on uncultivated land, but it does not cover gardens, farmland, private yards or the area close to houses and cabins, and nature reserves can have their own rules. Organised or commercial activity may also need the landowner’s consent. The photographer knows the usual practice locally.

For a private photoshoot in ordinary public places such as streets, parks and shorelines, a permit is not usually needed. Private properties, churches, stave churches, museums and hotels set their own rules and may require permission or a fee. If you have a specific site in mind, check with that site directly.

Some photographers offer drone photos or video as an add-on, where the rules and the place allow it. Drone flying in Norway is regulated by the Civil Aviation Authority (Luftfartstilsynet), with no-fly areas around airports and restrictions in some national parks, nature reserves and towns. Ask in advance; rules and local restrictions apply, and the photographer will check what is possible at your location.

The number depends on the package: as a guide, an express session typically includes around 20 edited photos, a classic session around 40 and a 90-minute session around 60. Longer sessions and full days include more. The exact number is stated in your proposal.

The delivery time is stated in your proposal and agreed before you book. It varies between photographers, with the length of the session and with the season. If you need a few photos quickly, for example to share an engagement, ask whether a small preview selection is possible.

Photos are usually delivered digitally, often as a private online gallery or a download link, in high resolution. The exact format and how long the gallery stays online depend on the photographer. Download and back up your photos once you receive them.

Yes, the photos you receive are selected and edited by the photographer, typically with colour and exposure corrections in their own style. Heavy retouching, such as changing body shape or removing people from the background, is not usually included. If you need it, ask before booking.

Usually not: most photographers deliver only their selected, edited photos, since the editing is part of their work. Some offer additional unedited files on request. If this matters to you, ask before accepting the proposal.

Many photographers offer extra photos, prints or albums, but it depends on the individual photographer. Ask in your request or after the session. Prices for extras are set by the photographer.

They are independent professional photographers who work in Norway. Each one sets their own package and price at or above the platform’s starting prices. You can browse their profiles, portfolios and languages before you book.

Every photographer is reviewed before joining Fjordly. We look at their portfolio, their experience with the type of session, the languages they speak, their knowledge of the places they work in and their reliability. Only photographers who meet these criteria are suggested in proposals.

Languages vary from photographer to photographer and are shown on each profile. Most work in English as well as Norwegian, and some speak other languages too. If you need a particular language, say so in your request and we will take it into account.

Yes, each photographer’s profile shows examples of their work. Your proposal names the photographer, so you can look at their portfolio before deciding. If you want to see a particular kind of session, such as aurora portraits or families, ask us.

Local knowledge is one of the criteria photographers are reviewed on, and we suggest photographers who work in the area of your shoot. They know where the light falls at your time of day, which viewpoints fill with cruise passengers and which ferry to take. If you have a specific spot in mind, tell them in advance.

Yes, wedding photography starts from NOK 25,000 and elopement photography from NOK 12,000. The photographer covers the photos; the legal side of marrying in Norway is arranged separately, and foreign couples should check the current rules with the Norwegian authorities. Our elopement guide and the pages on eloping and weddings in Norway explain the options.

You can apply through the page for photographers. We review your portfolio, experience, languages, local knowledge and reliability. Photographers who join set their own packages and prices at or above the platform’s starting prices.

The copyright usually stays with the photographer, and you receive the right to use the photos for personal purposes. The exact scope of that use is set out in the photographer’s terms. If you need something wider, discuss it before booking.

Yes, sharing your photos privately and on your personal social media is normally part of personal use. Many photographers appreciate a credit, but check their terms for any conditions. Avoid applying filters that change the edit if the photographer is credited.

Some photographers like to show selected photos in their portfolio or on social media, but this should be agreed with you. If you prefer your photos to stay private, say so in your request or before accepting the proposal. This is especially relevant for surprise proposals and families with children.

Commercial use, such as advertising, a company website or paid promotion, usually needs a separate licence from the photographer. State the intended use in your request, for example if you plan to use a solo traveller photoshoot professionally. The licence terms are then set out in your proposal.

We use your details to check availability, prepare your proposal and pass on to your photographer what they need to carry out the session. For a surprise proposal, tell us how you want to be contacted so nothing reaches your partner.

At popular places such as Bryggen, the Geiranger viewpoints or Preikestolen in summer, it is not always possible to avoid other people entirely, but photographers choose angles, times and positions to keep backgrounds clean. Early mornings and days without cruise ships in port are the quietest. Removing people in editing is not usually included, so ask if it matters to you.