Where the night's so bright, I gotta wear shades.

October 18, 2011 1:58 PM

The Midnight Sun is a natural phenomenon that occurs in the summer months near the Arctic and Antarctic Circles, where the sun remains visible at the local midnight. This short, time lapse film was shot in June 2011 over 17 days and incorporates 38,000 images. The photographer/videographer traveled over 2,900 miles throughout Iceland. Midnight Sun (SL-vimeo, via)

A trailer for this film was posted back in August.

posted by zarq (24 comments total)

Just watched this in HD on my tv. All 10 kinds of lovely it was.
posted by empatterson at 2:17 PM on October 18, 2011

What hath Koyaanisqatsi wrought?

No, that was actually quite lovely.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 2:32 PM on October 18, 2011

Whoa! That was cool.
posted by Mister_A at 2:36 PM on October 18, 2011

That was stunning! In his comments he urges everyone to "visit Iceland sometime during your lifetime", which he doesn't even need to say once you've watched the video. Reminds me that I need to see much more of the world - and not just big cities with cool record stores and bars.
posted by Slack-a-gogo at 2:56 PM on October 18, 2011

Iceland has been on my SO's list for some time. I think it would be weird to have to wear sunglasses even at midnight, lest I be made temporarily blind.
posted by wierdo at 3:15 PM on October 18, 2011

I'm off to Iceland.
posted by beagle at 3:17 PM on October 18, 2011

How beautiful!
posted by antiquated at 3:39 PM on October 18, 2011

About ten years ago I spent a couple of days in Narvik, in Norway, which was the northernmost point accessible with a Eurail pass. It was summer, and we we above the Arctic Circle, so the sun didn't set. It just moved around in the sky a little bit and then shimmied back the way it came. Unsettling, but delightful. Narvik was a very small town with a giant abandoned ski slope going up the mountain in the middle of it, and big rusty red rocks everywhere with lots of iron in them. Ww2 stuff everywhere. And that is all I remember of my time in Narvik except that, in general, the Scandinavians we met with were universally polite, spoke fluent English, and wore beautiful sweaters.
posted by bq at 3:55 PM on October 18, 2011 [4 favorites]

A few years ago I spent a couple weeks in Iceland, hiking, camping, and driving around the island. Since then I have become evangelical about telling people that they simply must visit this stark and extraordinary country at least once before they die. Yes, it really is that spectacular.
posted by googly at 4:35 PM on October 18, 2011

I spent my 24th birthday on Fair Isle. I watched the sun dip slightly, then climb back up. I couldn't process the wonderfulness of the whole thing at all.

(this had nothing to do with the 2/3 of a bottle of Glen Ord I'd got outside of, I promise. The hangover didn't start until 3pm the next day ...)
posted by scruss at 5:25 PM on October 18, 2011

Most of Iceland is below the Arctic Circle, so the Sun does dip below the horizon even in summer, but only for a short while, but it doesn't get dark. The golden hour of photography stretches for hours, and these timelapses make good use of it.

In the name of local patriotism, I feel the need to mention that I was born in, and have spent all my summer vacations in Narvik, so I'm glad you enjoyed it, bq.
posted by simen at 5:30 PM on October 18, 2011 [1 favorite]

I've been to the Canadian high arctic 3 times (Auyuituq, Quttinirpaaq and Alexandra Fiord) - the landscape, in conjunction with 24 hour sun is magic. Amazing place to spend a couple weeks; I highly, highly recommend traipsing around in the midnight sun.
posted by parki at 6:32 PM on October 18, 2011

Watching that video was the first time I have ever thought to myself, "I really wish I could see this on the big screen."

That was amazing. Amazing.
posted by meese at 6:44 PM on October 18, 2011

Lovely.

This thread won't be complete without reference to Heima (Sigur Rós awesomeness and scenery).

I travelled from Larvik Norwaay to Seyðisfjörður last month, and road tripped across shattered landscape to Reykjavik meeting the natives "who were universally polite, spoke fluent English, and wore beautiful sweaters."

It was wondrous, and I wish we could selfishly keep the place a secret from the rest of the world. Oh wait...
posted by marvin at 7:10 PM on October 18, 2011

I'm half Icelandic, born in Reykjavik, and was a baby when I came to the States. I have been back a couple of times, but I was born in November and have only ever been back in winter, so I've never seen a fully sunny day there.. It's like this at noon instead. Videos like this make me ache. Bad.
posted by hypersloth at 8:31 PM on October 18, 2011

(bittersweet though, so thanks for the post)
posted by hypersloth at 8:31 PM on October 18, 2011

Narvik was a very small town with a giant abandoned ski slope going up the mountain in the middle of it, and big rusty red rocks everywhere with lots of iron in them.

The ski slope in Narvik, is certainly not abandoned, but it's not in use during the summer months. The Norwegian Alpine Ski Championship were held in Narvik in 2010. Narvik is one of the few places where you can ski downhill straight towards a fjord (this picture is not a photoshop).
posted by iviken at 1:23 AM on October 19, 2011

Gorgeous! And in case anyone was wondering, the music is "The World Is Our __" by This Will Destroy You.
posted by celerity at 4:40 AM on October 19, 2011

I spent a lot of time in Iceland and every summer, I miss this.

(Of course, I *don't* miss that it's only about 45F outside and "summer" weather is considered only wearing ONE sweater.)
posted by sonika at 5:39 AM on October 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

I think it would be weird to have to wear sunglasses even at midnight, lest I be made temporarily blind.

You get used to it. This was taken at midnight in June. Note sunglasses and winter hat. In JUNE. Also note two layers and a jacket. Effin' ICEland.

What is weird is the first week in mid-August where darkness creeps in for a few hours and suddenly, everyone is walking around with giant bruises from bumping into the furniture in the middle of the night because WHOA you've got to turn the lights ON now. Seriously - there's this week wherein the entire city of Reykjavík has bruised shins.
posted by sonika at 5:45 AM on October 19, 2011 [2 favorites]

Damn. All kinds of heal in that place.
posted by Twang at 11:51 PM on October 19, 2011

Here's the (San Marcos, TX) band playing the song live (a bit quieter performance). It's found on 2006 EP Young Mountain.
posted by Twang at 12:32 AM on October 20, 2011

scruss: I spent my 24th birthday on Fair Isle. I watched the sun dip slightly, then climb back up. I couldn't process the wonderfulness of the whole thing at all.

I followed your link and then had to zoom out to figure out where I was. It had the alien effect that zooming in and out of the Mandelbrot set does: entirely new at each scale.

Which is somehow akin to the alien feeling of the Icelandic landscape--I felt equally out of context. I went on the "quick, you're on a layover, come spend money at the blue lagoon spa" tour they will happily conduct you on and got an all-too-brief taste. I must truly visit, sometime.
posted by clauclauclaudia at 4:05 PM on October 22, 2011

sonika wrote: You get used to it. This was taken at midnight in June. Note sunglasses and winter hat. In JUNE. Also note two layers and a jacket. Effin' ICEland.

Thank you. Now I have something to show my SO why it is that we should not, in fact, move to Iceland. She's from Florida, she doesn't deal well with the cold. ;)
posted by wierdo at 5:13 PM on October 22, 2011