Can anyone ever learn from their Polaroid mistakes? Traveling in Scandinavia with an instant camera might sound very ambitious to some: the weather conditions will most likely not be optimal for polaroid photography. Nonetheless, I didn’t even consider not bringing my SX-70 to Bergen. I wanted to capture the Bergen highlights through the lens of my vintage camera, even though I knew it would be challenging.
The polaroid mistakes I mentioned in the opening line refer, of course, to my diary from Gothenburg, Sweden. It was again March when I visited Sweden’s second-biggest city, and again the SX-70 was my companion. The sunny days fooled me, and I didn’t pay that much attention to the cold. However, the green tint visible on every shot I took in Gothenburg was proof that I underestimated the weather’s impact.
This time I thought I was better prepared. Bergen was extremely cold, and the weather was gloomy most days. On the other hand, I believed that due to my Gothenburg experience, I could better handle the shooting process. Well, no. Although I have some keepers to include in a future Polaroid zine, most images suffered from the cold.
That said, the Bergen highlights in this diary often betray how freezing it was in Norway. I’m proud of these images, probably because they were taken under difficult circumstances. And I’m glad to present them to you today.
*Some links are affiliate links. It means that if you buy something, I might earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
What’s on the Polaroid Diaries: Bergen Highlights
In this edition of the Polaroid Diaries, you will see 8 photos from Bergen, Norway. I traveled to Bergen with just one film, and this time it sounded more than enough. In previous diaries, I often wrote that I regretted not having more films with me. However, shortly before traveling to Bergen, I saw the weather forecast: cloudy skies, occasional snow, -10 C (14 F). It didn’t sound good. I packed my SX70, wondering if I would use it at all.
Luckily, the weather showed some mercy. I had two hours of sunshine one morning and another half-day shortly before departing. Therefore, although the Bergen highlights presented in this album show the weather’s impact, you can at least see some marvelous Scandinavian colors.
At the bottom of this post, I’ll share my settings for this Polaroid diary. The SX-70 performed smoothly under the extreme Norwegian weather, even though the film suffered a bit. But that’s, after all, part of the Polaroid photography fun, ain’t it?
So, since you nodded affirmatively (hopefully!), let me show you my Polaroids from Norway’s most picturesque city.
Polaroid Diaries: Bergen highlights
Every journey to Bergen, Norway, will probably start from the iconic Bryggen. Located in the city’s heart, Bryggen is the most famous landmark in town and probably one of the reasons why people visit Bergen. The colorful wooden houses at the port are stunning, and a stroll across Bryggen is one of the best things to do in Bergen. Although I walked a dozen times along Bryggen, the sun appeared only one morning. Needless to say, I grabbed my SX-70 and shot a photo.
Although Bryggen’s houses are an attraction themselves, it’s the tiny details that make the difference. Every time you look up, you’ll discover a bunch of details, ornaments, and small statues. Plus, the back alleys are filled with shops and history. The day the sun appeared at Bergen’s wharf, I kept an eye for an interesting detail. I wanted to add some flair to this diary, and I knew I had to shoot more than one photo at Bryggen. Soon, I discovered a little statue.
On this sunny day in Bergen, the forecast was “sunny until noon.” Afterward, heavy clouds would cover the sky, and snowfall was expected. And indeed, it happened. However, I wanted to make the most of this bright day and decided to visit Mount Fløyen. Fløyen is one of the seven mountains surrounding Bergen and offers stunning panoramic views of Bergen. To reach it, you’ll have to take the Fløibanen funicular. The station is located close to Bryggen, and in less than 10 minutes, you’re 320 meters above sea level.
And here’s a panoramic view of Bergen, taken with my Polaroid SX-70.
Six girls and four boys: Meet the goats of Mount Fløyen! Born in 2020, the ten goats of Fløyen are among the top Bergen highlights. They are friendly to people, and they enjoy strolling around the mountain. I knew I had to shoot a polaroid in the snowcapped Mount Fløyen, and I’m glad it turned out so nice.
Norway is a maritime nation with a millennia-long seafaring tradition. As you can easily imagine, the sea’s presence in Bergen is strong and largely contributed to the local identity. In Bergen, you can visit the city’s beautiful Maritime Museum and also the Bergen Aquarium to admire up close various species. And while in the following photos, the sea will be more present, this one is dedicated to the people that lost their lives in the sea.
Hence, here you can see one statue from the iconic Sailor’s Monument in downtown Bergen. You can find it in the Sentrum at the beginning of the pedestrian shopping street. Alternatively, you can see the Sailor’s Monument in Google Maps here.
Gladly, the day I took a fjord trip to Mostraumen was bright. Unfortunately, it was very cold, and being on board felt freezing. I spent most of the time on the deck trying to shoot photos and a video and, of course, to shoot some Polaroids. Yes, I tried to shoot polaroids with an extremely strong wind against the SX-70 and temperatures well below the freezing point. As I wrote in the beginning, one will never learn from their Polaroid mistakes: for Polaroid lovers, it deserves to shoot unique landscapes even if they know they won’t work.
So, in the first image, you can see the waves from the boat’s lower point. The fjord cruise is about to start -and it was the absolute Bergen highlight.
If the first photo from the fjord cruise was challenging, I think the second one I took was ten times more ambitious. I stood against the wind and tried to capture the Norwegian fjords. The landscape was stunning, and although everything was against having a keeper, I decided to risk it. I had two images left on the film, and having even an unusable image for this diary sounded like a must. The green tint is everywhere, but so are the fjords…
Late in the afternoon, after the cruise was over, I strolled a bit around Bryggen. Despite wearing gloves, my hands were full of scars due to the extreme exposure to the cold wind. I decided to take it easy and walked past the Bergen Fortress. Somehow, I ended up at the famous wharf at Skutevik. The light was sweet at this spot, and I decided to shoot some colorful wooden houses standing on the water. So, here’s my last shot from the Bergen highlights.
And that’s it with the polaroids from Bergen, Norway.
The camera settings of this Polaroid Diary
Since I had to deal largely with the intense weather, the camera settings didn’t bother me as much as they should. Actually, the most valuable Polaroid tip I can offer is that you have to be really fast after shooting a photo under such conditions: you’ll have to put the image in your pocket in nanoseconds. Never forget that your pocket is part of your Polaroid gear!
Under such weather conditions, the photos cannot develop properly. It is, therefore, a must to store them quickly in a relatively warm place. The pocket of your jacket is one -and preferably, an inner pocket. And although, as you can see in the Fjord polaroids, the green tint is everywhere, it’s not that visible in the rest.
Regarding the exposure, I mainly kept the wheel in the middle. The only time I overexposed was in the panoramic photo of Bergen from Mount Fløyen. After seeing the results, I think that I should have overexposed the two pictures from the cruise and also the panoramic one. Due to the distance, some extra light might give me a better overall look. Plus, it might have hidden the greenish tint…
Last but not least, a word about scanning and presenting the Bergen polaroids. There’s no post-processing in the images apart from a +20 in sharpness for web optimization purposes. I didn’t post-process the colors, the exposure, or the white balance; everything is straight out of camera results.
And that’s it with the 25th edition of the Polaroid Diaries featuring Bergen highlights taken with the Polaroid SX-70.
Don’t forget to subscribe to the mailing list below if you want to see more Polaroids, camera reviews, and instant photography tips.
And check out my Polaroid Zines.
*You can buy the newest (and freshest) films and Polaroid cameras directly at Polaroid’s official websites.*
The US Store | The EU Store | The UK Store
**If there’s no availability in the official stores, search for second-hand Impulse AF cameras on Amazon.
More Polaroids: The complete Polaroid diaries
Polaroid Camera reviews: My Now+ review, Polaroid Sun 660 review & Polaroid OneStep+ review
Pin it for later
Sharing is caring. Share the Polaroids from Bergen, Norway, with your friends.
Last Updated on July 8, 2023 by George Pavlopoulos