I’ve been off the grid for a bit while venturing into Alaska’s arctic for a little aurora borealis photography. March can be a great month to shoot the aurora, but temperatures can be cold. It’s been a while since I picked up my camera, and there is a certain series of motions one needs to get reacquainted with when photographing the aurora. Lots of little steps need to be reviewed and it seems that it takes a night to get back in the groove of things. This is all the more important when facing very chilly temperatures, like on my first night. It was minus 12-14 degrees, with a stiff wind out of the north at about 25mph. That equals about -43 degrees with a wind chill factor, and I don’t work near as efficiently at that temperature. Especially when sinking waist deep in snow drifts! On the second night, I fared much better with a little warmer temps, and a review night under my belt. The aurora displays were not quite as dramatic but I got a few keeper frames. The one below was taken at 2:30am this morning (3-7-2011).
Aurora over spruce trees. Canon 1Ds Mark III, 24mm f/1.4L II, 13 sec @ f/1.4, ISO 1000.
Wow, gorgeous capture! I was imagining what the displays must have been like up north when I saw them begin to come out here. I’m looking forward to the next few years as the solar activity is supposed to increase.
Thanks Eli, the next few years should prove interesting for aurora chasing. I hope to get out a few more times this year before the endless light closes that seasonal chapter–which won’t be long now!
masterful as usual! Let us know when ur back! Best
your neighbor(s)
Thanks neighbor(s)
I’m about to head out again in a few days for another round of winter fun. March is a great month for celebrating the last leg of winter.
Hi Patrick,
How far from home do you need to go to get these aurora images and are you camping out? Hotel Sienna?
Justine,
Those photos were taken a few hours north of Fairbanks, but there are lots of areas with spruce trees in the Fairbanks vicinity that serve as good locations for aurora shooting. And yes, hotel Sienna.
Justine,
Those photos were taken a few hours north of Fairbanks, but there are lots of areas with spruce trees in the Fairbanks vicinity that serve as good locations for aurora shooting. And yes, hotel Sienna.
Awesome shot Patrick. I am planning a similar trip up that way in the next week or so to get some aurora shots as well. I hope they are out as nicely as in this image. And looks like it will be five star hotel cherokee for me!
Erik,
Good luck in your ventures. Dress warm, nothing like 5 star traveling hotels.
Just want to say how much I enjoy your new “bigger” blog Patrick. When I want to surf the web your site is one of my first choices. You have just the right amount of human interest, photo details, “Alaska subjects” and “God Stuff”. Keep up the good work (and anyone who doesn’t think it takes work….well….is just insane!)
Dwight
Dwight,
Thanks for appreciating my photography and sharing your comments.