Visit from Germany

Thomas Krumenacker, a German journalist and wildlife photographer visited Flatanger for the first time in the end of January. Here is what he says:

Having heard much about the photographic opportunities in Ole’s hides in Flatanger, I contacted the “Eagle man” on rather short notice in December to arrange a 3-days-stay for the winter. Usually being booked a year ahead, Ole found a time-slot for me from January 29 to 31. “What can you expect in three days”, I was thinking. But as I had not more time due to job-obligations, I took the risk and headed from Berlin to Trondheim, continuing by train to Steinjker and being picked up by Ole there.


I was hoping for a decent picture or two of Golden Eagle. Far from it: In three days I got more excellent pictures of this superb species than I managed in many weeks of searching in other strongholds of the species in the German and French Alps. The Eagle Hide arranged just perfectly by Ole and at least one, sometimes two adult Eagles visited the site up to three times per day feeding on red fox or Willow Ptarmigan we offered to them.



Having travelled a lot and arranging hides for workshops myself, I have to say that Ole’s level of professionalism is unmatched by anything I saw so far. The feeding site is located in a wonderful remote and natural habitat enabling many different settings for photography. The bait consisted of prey the Eagles feed on naturally, Ptarmigan, Fox, Grouse etc. The hide is extremely spacious, comfortable and cosy. The arrangement of the bait allowed for photography with focal length’s from 500 millimeters down to 70 millimeter!


A boat trip of several hours on the beautiful and wild Sorfjorden was cold but extremely productive. No less than 22 times White-tailed Eagles came to pick up fish Ole was throwing for them. Again, excellent opportunities for “Wide angle”-Photography with a focal length of 70 millimeters allowing us to portray the birds in their wild and unique Fjord-habitat. On my last evening Ole picked us up and we went to the mountains to witness the spectacular phenomenon of Northern Lights, Aurora Borealis. You cannot get more in three days.


After returning home I published a few photos from the trip on the wire of Reuters News Agency for which I am working and it took only a few hours until the first journals and magazines called me to ask for more information about where one could take such stunning pictures.



Those three days in the end of January were so productive that I decided to organize photographic workshops from Germany and France to Flatanger next year. We start next winter with a week targeting Golden Eagle, Dipper, White-tailed Eagle and others. In spring 2013 we will organize a workshop to shoot Capercaille, Black Grouse, White-tailed Eagle, Slavonian Grebe and others. A gallery with pictures from this trip can be found on my website: www.krumenacker.de. Soon there also more information on the workshops.