Northern Lights

The Aurora Borealis, otherwise known as the Northern Lights was visible here again last night. This is only the second time I have seen it since I got here in early December. A few clouds obscured the view but the streaks of light burst through enough for us to catch some different colors and light patterns.

 

I have finally learned how to take pictures at night. Still not perfect but much improved.

Things I have learned about taking pictures at night:
1. Tripod is a big help to keep camera steady
2. Must use manual focus
3. Focus the camera on infinity before I leave the nice warm cabin and don’t touch the focus or the zoom for the entire shoot
4. Use the live view instead of the view finder to frame the photo
5. Use lowest ISO possible to reduce noise
6. Set up the camera as much as possible before going out into the cold darkness. Once I am out there, I can not adjust anything with my mittens on and taking them off is just not an option when the temp is -20.

These things are probably pretty basic but never the less, all are important for good night time photos.

Our favorite Aurora sites:
http://softservenews.com/Aurora.htm
http://www.gi.alaska.edu/AuroraForecast