Bye explained that rural areas in Scandinavia are facing depopulation due to the decline of farming. Many young people flock to the cities, leaving behind the rural way of life. Bye says many of the former farms have become vacation homes or are just abandoned. She said the homes give her a nostalgic, melancholic feeling, which is conveyed in her photos above.

“The feeling you get when surrounded by mountains so steep and tall and an ocean so crystal clear and turquoise blue, it makes you feel incredibly small and in awe,” she said. “It’s also very appealing to photograph abandonment in those surroundings— the weathered look of the houses are in direct correspondence with the mighty nature surrounding them.”

Photographing the Abandoned Homes Above the Arctic Circle (PHOTOS) | The Weather Channel

very cool