I’m sure that a lot of us are missing traveling to postcard-perfect places during the holidays, especially winter locations that are fitting for the season. However, with travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 still ongoing across the globe, most of us won’t be going to any of these destination anytime soon.

Still, we can still dream about the next time we are able with the help of some beautiful photography. Among them are the surreal scenes captured by Switzerland-based Jennifer Esseiva in the Lapland region of Sweden back in January 2019.

As someone who has never been to that part of the world but keep hearing about it around this time of the year, I really find Lapland fascinating. A great deal of that is due to some of the most stunning photos I stumble upon out there. This collection by Esseiva in particular checks out all the things that make Sweden’s famous Arctic region famous for being a winter wonderland!

A showcase of vibrant winter colors

When we speak of winter, we typically just think of everything covered in white, so much so that it’s tempting to render the contrast by shooting in black and white. However, these dreamy snaps prove that nature also gifts us with winter scenes dripping in vibrant colors. We just have to know where and how to capture them.

Esseiva shows us that shooting vast, snowcapped landscapes at night can yield spectacular results, especially with clear night skies. She was able to find one of the best spots to give viewers an idea what the Lapland winter looks like, with a bit of magic added.

By shooting long exposures on a moonlit night, she was able to capture a beautifully illuminated vistas blanketed in white and set against an otherworldly blue sky with a sprinkling of stars.

A surreal light show as a bonus

Another noteworthy detail of Esseiva’s captures is the ethereal slivers of green seemingly painted in the night sky by the Northern Lights.

I’m especially fascinated at the experience of shooting winter landscapes with this unique natural phenomenon as a bonus. Just the thought of seeing the amazing light show is exciting for me. I think it’s the cherry on top for photographers who want to capture surreal winter landscapes!

If you have a winter shoot to include in your next holiday bucket list, I’m sure the Lapland experience will be high up on your list! Remember, the Swedish Lapland is home not only to beautiful winter landscapes, but also polar night and midnight sun — other stunning natural phenomena that are interesting to capture!

Liked this set? Don’t forget to visit Jennifer Esseiva’s website and Behance portfolio to see more of her impressive travel and landscape photography.

All photos by Jennifer Esseiva. Used with Creative Commons permission.