Huskies are the most photographed animals on our tours and some of the hardest to photograph well. They are fast, they are excited before the start, and in midwinter the light in Lapland is low and short. Guests often come back from the trail with a camera roll full of blurred tails and the backs of other people’s hats.
This post is what we tell guests who ask how to photograph huskies sledding: how the winter light works this far north, a few simple habits that make the difference, and where on our own husky tours the best moments for pictures usually are. On all of them, photos taken with your own device are part of the experience.
In short: the best husky pictures are rarely taken from a moving sled. Photograph the team at the start line and after the ride, when you can stand still and get low; use the brief daylight of midwinter; keep your phone or batteries warm inside your clothing; and while you are driving the dogs yourself, your hands belong on the sled. On our Nulkki Husky Adventure (from 189 €, 4 hours, 5 km self-driving) you will have time with the dogs before and after the ride.
At a glance
- From: 189 €
- Experience type: Husky tour
- Duration: 4 hours
- Difficulty: Easy
- Book in Advance: Cut off: 12 hours before start time
- Included: A Husky Ride 5 Km (Self-driving); Detailed instructions on how to safely mush the Huskies; Information about Huskies; Photos taken with your own device; A Tour Guide in English (other languages available on request: (Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian, German & Finnish. PLEASE NOTE LIMITED AVAILABILITY FOR OTHER LANGUAGES) If another language is required. Please send us an email or WhatsApp after booking.); Winter clothing (Adult & Child size), overalls, boots & gloves; Cookies and juice; Pick-ups are included in the price within a 10 km radius of Rovaniemi city centre; Between 1 December and 10 January, drop-offs are included only to selected locations: Postmaster Hotel, Rovaniemi City Centre, Ollerovaara area and Santa Claus Village
- Cancellation: Free cancellation 24 hours before the activity. We will charge a cancellation fee of 100% if booking is cancelled less than 24 hours before the activity.
- Accessibility: Not wheelchair accessible; Not stroller accessible
The light you are working with
In winter the sun sits low in northern Finland, and above the Arctic Circle there is a period in late December when it does not rise above the horizon at all. The Finnish Meteorological Institute notes that in the northernmost corner of Finland the polar night lasts 51 days. Rovaniemi is on the Arctic Circle, further south, but around midwinter the daylight is still short.
That darkness is not black. Visit Rovaniemi describes how sunlight still reaches the upper atmosphere during the polar night, giving the snow blue and pink hues and a blue glow around midday. For photographers this is a gift: soft, even light, no harsh shadows, and snow that reads as blue instead of burnt-out white. The catch is that there is less of it, so a fast-moving dog team needs you to work with what there is.
Stand still: the start line is the best studio
The most expressive husky photos are taken when the dogs are harnessed and waiting to go. They bark, jump and lean into their harnesses, and you can stand on firm ground at their eye level. A few habits help:
- Get low. Crouching to the dogs’ height makes the picture about them, not about the snow.
- Look for the lead dogs at the front of the team; their faces tell the story.
- Leave space in the frame in the direction the team will run.
- Use burst or continuous mode if your camera or phone has it. Dogs blink, shake and turn their heads, and one frame in a series will be the one.
- Always ask the guide before approaching a team, and follow the instructions you get. Working dogs have their own space and routine.
Motion: freeze it or show it
A moving team gives you two choices. You can freeze the action with a short shutter time, which in low winter light means your camera will raise its sensitivity and the picture may get grainier. Or you can let the dogs blur a little and keep the sled and driver sharper by following the team with the camera as it passes. Both are valid; the frozen version shows faces and paws, the panned version shows speed.
With a phone, the simplest approach is to use the standard camera, tap to focus on the dogs, and shoot a burst as the team comes towards you. Avoid digital zoom, which costs sharpness quickly in low light. If you are the passenger in a sled, shoot forwards over the team with the camera held firmly against your body rather than at arm’s length.
StayLapland · From 59 €
Arctic Paws — 2 km Family-Friendly Husky Ride at Lapland Winter Park
Easy · Cut off: 15 minutes before start time
Cold hands, cold batteries
Batteries lose charge faster in the cold, so keep your phone or spare camera batteries in an inside pocket close to your body and only take them out to shoot. Thin liner gloves under warm mittens let you use a touchscreen for a moment without exposing bare skin. When you come back indoors, leave the camera in its bag for a while so condensation forms on the bag rather than inside the lens.
Breath is the other enemy of a sharp picture: breathing out in front of the lens fogs it or puts a cloud in the frame. Hold your breath for the moment you press the shutter.
When not to take pictures
On a self-driving tour you are the musher. Your guide gives detailed instructions on how to mush the team safely, and those instructions come first. We would rather you remember the ride than photograph it one-handed. Ask at the briefing when it is fine to take the phone out; usually the moments before the start and after the finish are the right time.
The dogs also have a working rhythm. Our partners at the Kuoksa Husky Park describe dog mushing as a year-round lifestyle in which daily care of the dogs is the cornerstone, and they adjust their work to the dogs’ needs. Respecting the guide’s word around the team is part of that.
How this shows up on our tours
Our husky tours in winter run at the Kuoksa Husky Park, where our partners Tails Ahead Sleddogs organise dog sledding tours with StayLapland from November until April, and at Lapland Winter Park.
- Nulkki Husky Adventure: from 189 €, 4 hours, a 5 km self-driven ride through the Kuoksajärvi forest. Included are safety instructions, information about huskies, photos taken with your own device, winter clothing, and cookies and juice. In bad weather the tour can be arranged as a shortened guide-driven experience for safety.
- Arctic Paws: from 59 €, an approximately 10-minute guide-driven ride of about 2 km at Lapland Winter Park, followed by a photo and meeting opportunity with the dogs. As a passenger, your hands are free for pictures. Thermal clothing and pick-up are not included.
- Kuoksa Husky & Reindeer Adventure: from 349 €, 5 hours, a 5 km self-driven husky ride plus a 2–3 km reindeer sleigh ride, then open-fire salmon soup in a teepee.
All our husky options are on the husky activities page. If you want to see how the dogs train before the snow arrives, read husky cart training in autumn and our explainer on the husky cart tour.
Weather limits you should know
For safety, the Nulkki Husky Adventure may be cancelled or rescheduled in extreme weather. The product page gives the temperature limit as -35°C, and -25°C for small children. It is not suitable for children under 3, and children under 13 must be accompanied by adults paying the full price.
Frequently asked questions
Can I take photos during the husky ride?
Photos taken with your own device are included on our husky tours. On self-driving tours, follow your guide’s safety instructions first and ask at the briefing when it is fine to take pictures.
Which husky tour is easiest for taking pictures?
On Arctic Paws at Lapland Winter Park the ride is guide-driven, so you sit in the sleigh with your hands free, and there is a photo and meeting opportunity with the dogs afterwards.
Does the guide take photos for us?
On our husky tours the product pages list photos taken with your own device. If you want a professional photographer, our Northern Lights hunts include professional DSLR photos.
Is winter clothing included?
On the Nulkki Husky Adventure and the Kuoksa Husky & Reindeer Adventure, yes: overalls, boots and gloves in adult and child sizes. Arctic Paws does not include thermal clothing.
What happens in very cold weather?
The Nulkki Husky Adventure may be cancelled or rescheduled in extreme weather; the temperature limit is -35°C, and -25°C for small children.
Ready to book?
StayLapland · From 189 €
4 hours · Easy · Cut off: 12 hours before start time
Questions before you book? Email booking@staylapland.com or WhatsApp +358 40 128 7846.
You may also like
- Arctic Paws — 2 km Family-Friendly Husky Ride at Lapland Winter Park — from 59 €
- Kuoksa Husky & Reindeer Adventure — from 349 €, 5 hours