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michelepatrick

Aurora Time 1

Canon EOS 6D Mark II

settings

Aperture 4/1 ISO 2500 Shutter 20/1 Focal Length 16/1

upload_date

Jan, 2023

Views

662

Likes

+128

Awards

Contender in the Photography Awards

Honorable Mention in Green Machine Photo Contest

Peer Award

+158

Absolute Masterpiece

+10

Superb Composition

Top Choice

Outstanding Creativity

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Behind The Lens

Location

This photo was taken on a frozen lake near Yellowknife, Canada, outside the Blachford Lodge, on a cold January night.

Time

It was around 10 pm. We were at the lodge to see the northern lights and didn't see them the first two nights, so we were very excited when they came out this night. Quickly bundled up, grabbed the gear and some hot cocoa, set everything up, and started shooting. Thankfully the camera/lens did not freeze, though our thermos bottle and one tripod froze shut.

Lighting

At this point the aurora was so strong, I was shooting for only 15 seconds or so. I probably could have gone even less. Earlier, when it was weaker, I was up to 30 seconds/shot.

Equipment

My camera was mounted on a tripod, and the camera was insulated with some warmers.

Inspiration

I took several photos facing the other direction, away from the lodge, with nothing but sky, but decided some shots showing the lodge would be nice too, for some more interest.

Editing

I didn't do much, mostly tweaking the exposure so that the lights from the buildings wasn't too bright. I also lower the amount of blue because it looked like there were blue stars too.

In my camera bag

I normally just have the camera, a spare battery, maybe a second lens, and some snacks, but this night I brought all the batteries I had. Surprisingly the cold did not run the batteries down as much as I expected. I only have a tripod if I expect to do long exposures, such as this.

Feedback

Take as many shots as possible when the lights come out, you don't know how long the show will last for, and it's not always apparent whether a shot got blurred. And wear lots of layers and bring more just in case, and if you will be standing on snow all night, definitely have foot warmers. Keep your spare batteries in an insulated compartment. Always keep looking around during the night; the lights can be boring in one corner of the sky one moment, and very interesting the next.

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michelepatrick

michelepatrick

Aurora Time 1

Behind The Lens

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