For us northerners the winter season provides intense darkness each year. On the darkest of days we have 25% daylight (Göteborg). On New Years Day this year Kiruna had less than 1,5 hours total daylight. Uplifting, indeed.

The good news is however that already on the 21st December 2009 things started to look brighter - literally. After that we get a little more daylight for every day until it peaks at the other end on 21st June. The tables have turned - we now have the opposite situation with 75% daylight. In some places the sun simply never sets or rises. It just stays.

My point of course - sleeping. Or more accurately, the precise and delicate art of waking up. Personally I’d prefer hibernation between November and April but that not being an option for various reasons one must call for other, more drastic measures. Getting in bed with the iPhone and Philips.

My latest experiment then is having the iPhone track my sleeping pattern by movements during the night and wake me up when it sees fit. Philips then syncs by engaging its light slowly to blind the sleeping hormones. And at just the right time it turns on the radio on my favorite morning channel.

Does it work though?

On a bad wake-up day I feel just like Tare-Panda looks. So you bet I’ll try.

Next up in my camera bag will be the previously mentioned Gorillapod with weight bearing properties of 3 kg, which should be sufficient even with the 1,5 kilo telezoom. I never tried this kind of tripod, anyone have experience to share?

Then I’m considering a macro lens and was recommended the Sigma 105 mm f/2.8 of Åsa, the team member of the photo group that makes the rest of us look bad. Other useful equipment would be a wireless remote control, a portable reflector, polarizing filters and a lighting tent. If anyone have any of the above for sale or know where to find a good deal let me know.

Happy weekend!

PS. These are the places I’m looking at : Scandinavian Photo (lens, filters), Kaffebrus (remote control, tent, filters), Fotovideo (gorillapod, on its way.)