Finnghal
FollowThis is my favorite capture from a wild camping at the west coast of Andøya Island in Northern Norway we did about two weeks ago.. Andøya Island is the north ...
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This is my favorite capture from a wild camping at the west coast of Andøya Island in Northern Norway we did about two weeks ago.. Andøya Island is the north tip of Vesterålen archipelago and it´s west coast is one of the most beautiful places in Europe. The combination of the ocean and mountains is very unique and you will easily fall in love.
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Action Award
Chatter Award
Zenith Award
Creative Winter Award
Top Shot Award 21
Legendary Award
Contest Finalist in Inspiring Landscapes Photo Contest
Hero Award
Contest Finalist in Our World At Night Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Nature And The Night Photo Contest
Runner Up in Covers Photo Contest Vol 40
Contest Finalist in Covers Photo Contest Vol 40
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Member Selection Award
Contest Finalist in The Night Photo Contest
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Magnificent Capture
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mikevangorder
September 12, 2017
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
The photo is taken from a mountain top above Høyvika, one of the most beautiful beaches on Vesterålen islands in Northern Norway.Time
I took the shot around 10pm, 02/09/2016 which is very late summer here in Northern Norway. Just little over one month after the "Midnight Sun" season ends. It is very special time of the year when you can still see some sunset colors on a horizon and the Aurora above it.Lighting
I am not a big fan of 50/50 composition but I really wanted to have everything in frame - the beach, the sunset on horizon and the Aurora. I have tried several compositions but this one was feeling pretty good, so I took my chances :)Equipment
I am using Canon 5D MkIII + Canon 16-35mm f/2,8 L for most of my landscape and Aurora captures. Sometimes I use Canon 70-200mm f/2,8 LII for close ups. A sturdy tripod from Manfrotto with a ball head is one of my essentials.Inspiration
I always look for great Aurora shots. I love to spend time alone in the darkness starring at the sky full of stars. If there is some Aurora activity, it is a nice bonus :)Editing
There is not much post-processing happening on my Aurora photos. I always try to bring it as close to what I have seen with my eyes as possible. Bringing back the real colors (about 3600K for Northern Light), contrast, curves and sharpness usually does the job.In my camera bag
Canon 5D MKIII, Canon 16-35mm f/2,8mm L, Canon 70-200,f/2,8 LII, Canon G7X MKII, extra batteries, NiSi filters, a tripod, a cleaning set, a tape, a survival knife, a head torch, a bottle of water and some snack, spare cloths. It depends in what terrain I go and how long is my trip.Feedback
In order to capture Aurora (or night sky), you need a tripod and a camera with Manual mode + lens with manual focus. Auto focus will not work since it will be too dark, so switch to manual focus and turn all the way to the infinity point. Take off your UV filter. The camera setting are different for everyone. It all depends on what equipment do you use. Best are ultra-wide lenses with wide aperture - f/2,8 or wider and a camera body with good image quality on high ISO. I always try to keep my ISO at max 3200 even my camera can go much higher and the quality will be still good. I am shooting usually at ISO 400-1600, shutter speed between 1-8sec. Longer shutter speed you use, more blurry Aurora you get and that is not what you want. You want to catch that movement! If the Aurora is average strong, I usually shoot at f/2,8, shutter speed 3sec and ISO 1600. It proved to be a good combination for me and for my equipment. Capturing Northern Lights is a tricky business and it takes good amount of practise and experimenting with your gear. Sometime you will need to work very fast and that requires that you know your camera and you are able to use it very fast in dark and cold conditions. Shooting Aurora requires lot of experience and you will need load of patience to get to the point when your images starts to look really good. I hope this will helps a bit :)