Stora Sjöfallet

February is a very special month in the solitude of Swedish Lapland. The dark weeks of the polar night are over. Now the coldest time of winter begins, and days are getting longer. In the mornings and in the evenings the warm rays of a low sun create impressively illuminated scenes. This photograph was taken in the wild and unspoiled National Park Stora Sjöfallet, named after a waterfall. The dense morning fog still hovers above huge Lake Akkajaure, while the peaks of nearby mountains glow in the morning light.

Stora Sjöfallet National Park is part of the unique UNESCO world heritage area Laponia, which also includes other parks, such as Muddus, Sarek and Padjelanta – an area where the indigenous Sámi people still live as reindeer herders.