Northern lights in the Brooks Range. Canon 5D Mark III, Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8, 15 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 1600
It is hard to resist the lure of Alaska’s arctic. It’s immense, wide open, unpopulated spaces, pure white snow, and rugged mountain vistas are the gift of wilderness that refreshes the soul. For me it was the last venture and quest for some aurora borealis photography before the darkness is consumed by constant sunlight. Even now, it was hardly dark at midnight, but still well below zero. I took this shot of the northern lights as they swirled overhead of Mt Sukakpak, in one of my favorite regions of the Brooks Range. Hindsight corrects all photographic errors and omissions, and this short journey, in spite of lots of experience, showed me how I could improve on some imagery. However, that will have to wait until late August, when Alaska’s skies grow dark enough for those shifting green curtains to show themselves again.
