Aurora
A rare and strong Aurora Borealis over Tallinn on 17.3.2015.
A rare and strong Aurora Borealis over Tallinn on 17.3.2015.
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Mar, 2015Views
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo on the sea shore of Tallinn, at the end of an old concrete communist relic pier. Luckily it was not too cold that night. One of the strongest auroras in years, people said, it was visible even from Tallinn. My first time witnessing a Northern Light, it was a breathtaking sight.Time
This was at around 9pm, I saw a few updates on my social media, that there are auroras visible from Helsinki so me and my boyfriend jumped in the car and drove a bit to where the beach ends and there's a good view towards the North over the sea.Lighting
I tried to get a little bit of the city centre lights in the left side of the image, but most of the light comes from the Aurora itself and the stars.Equipment
I used my Canon 6D, with the Canon 24-105 IS lens. Tripod, yes, manual focus, no IS on, because it's better to turn it off when you take long night exposures.Inspiration
I've always wanted to see the Aurora Borealis, and take photos of it, so it was an easy decision to get going even after a long working day...Editing
I reduced the highlights from the city lights a little bit and I reduced some of the noise, and I also brightened the image a bit. Otherwise, with auto white balance, it is pretty much what the camera captured. With the naked eye, the Auroras seem more white, than green or blue, but the camera catches the different wave lengths so we see a multitude of colors in the photos or videos.In my camera bag
I usually have the tripod in the car, and the camera with the main lens on. I have a Canon 6D and 24-105mm lens. Quite rarely, when I take nature photos, I take my 70-200mm IS USM with me.Feedback
Just watch out for aurora forecasts. If they looks good, get your tripod and warm clothes and find a dark spot. Out of town would be the best if you can get there. The annoying part is that the forecasts are not too precise, except for very short notice. So you have to be ready to go. If you don't live in the North, a trip of about a week in Lapland in February-March or maybe even April could be a good idea.
