Colorful aurora suspended over spruce trees. Canon 5D Mark III, Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8, 25 secs @ f/2.8, ISO 1600.
I’m often asked about where to go to photograph the aurora in the Fairbanks area. Really, all is necessary is an interesting foreground, and any given clump of trees can serve that purpose well. If you go to some of the higher domes in the Fairbanks area, it is often windy, and can lack trees or foreground subjects. This is not intrinsically bad, but it is not necessary to be high on a ridge to capture good aurora photos.
2013 is reported to be a great year for aurora borealis photography because the sun is at a peak in the 11 year solar cycle. This has inspired many to make quests to destinations that offer high aurora viewing probabilities. In Alaska, Fairbanks becomes a landing point for many because of its northern latitude and a chance to see the aurora. I released my first eBook a few weeks ago titled “How to Photograph the Northern Lights” with the express purpose to empower photographers with the information to make their journey a success.
With that book project behind me, I’m now getting ready to get back in the field myself with hopeful anticipation for some clear skies and dancing northern lights. March is a great month to photograph in Alaska. Night time temperatures are still pretty chilly, but the sun pours forth a little warmth during the day. I’ve got a few new lenses to put through an aurora photography test and will hopefully have some comments to share about them in a few weeks. Specifically, I’ll be testing the 21mm Zeiss f/2.8 and the Rokinon 24mm f/1.4.
If you are at all serious about attempting to shoot the northern lights, check out my eBook. How I wish I had a resource like that when I first started. It would have saved me not only many hours of trial and error, but many dollars as well.
