Photographing the Oslofjord from a Boat

The light is the whole story here and it is extreme in both directions. At the summer solstice Oslo gets roughly eighteen hours and fifty minutes of daylight, sunrise around 03:53 and sunset around 22:43, so a late-evening departure is shot in long gold light. At the winter solstice there are about five hours and fifty-three minutes, sunrise around 09:15 and sunset around 15:10, and an afternoon cruise is a night shoot of a lit city from dark water. Pick the hour before you pick the boat.

Midsummer lightAbout 18 h 50 min

Best summer slotLate evening

Midwinter lightAbout 5 h 53 min

Best winter slotMidday, or full dark

Glass or open deckIt changes everything

Hardest subjectAkershus, because you are close

Glass versus open deck

A panoramic saloon is comfortable and it reflects. If photographs matter more than warmth, you want an open deck, and that means the wooden sailing ship from Rådhusbrygge 3 — two hours, blankets, heated deck, 4.5 from about 6,150 reviews, with open boarding and no guaranteed seat — or the silent boat from Rådhusbrygge 2, which has three open decks and is the only live-guided city cruise here, in English only. If comfort wins, the ninety-minute scenic cruise from Langkaia has the big saloon and the widest windows, 4.5 from about 6,690 reviews.

What actually photographs well

Dyna lighthouse. Small, isolated, and the one subject on the route with nothing behind it.
The painted cabins on the near islands — Lindøya and its neighbours, best in low side light.
The Opera House from the water, which is the angle the building was designed for and the one you cannot get on foot.
The container cranes at Sjursøya, if you are the kind of photographer who would rather shoot a working port than a postcard. Most of the good pictures from this fjord are.

Akershus is the hard one

You pass close under it in the first minutes and it is above you, which is the worst geometry there is. Either shoot it wide and accept the distortion, or wait until the boat is out and take it as a silhouette with the city behind. The route in order.

Insider tip

In June, book the latest departure you can find. The hour before a 22:43 sunset over the inner fjord does most of the work for you, and the deck is emptier than at three in the afternoon.

Open deck, two hours

A traditional wooden sailing ship from Rådhusbrygge 3, blankets and a heated deck, 4.5 from about 6,150 reviews, with a Bygdøy ferry ticket included. Boarding is open and no seat is guaranteed — on this boat, arriving early is how you get the rail.

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Frequently asked questions

When is the best light for photographing the Oslofjord?

Late evening in summer, when the solstice sunset is around 22:43 after about eighteen hours and fifty minutes of daylight. In winter, either midday or full dark, since the sun sets around 15:10. Season by season.

Which boat is best for photography?

One with an open deck. The wooden sailing ship from Rådhusbrygge 3 has one, with blankets and a heated deck, though boarding is open and no seat is guaranteed. The silent boat from Rådhusbrygge 2 has three open decks and is the only live-guided city cruise here, in English only. Wooden ships.

Can you photograph through the saloon windows?

You can, and on the big electric ships with panoramic saloons the view is excellent — but glass reflects, particularly at dusk when the saloon is lit. Step out for the islands. Deck and saloon.