Lightshow
The northern lights made a spectacular show in April of this yar.
The northern lights made a spectacular show in April of this yar.
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Jul, 2015Views
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Awards
Featured
Contest Finalist in Contemplating The Aurora Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Social Exposure Photo Contest Vol 1
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
Outstanding Creativity
Top Choice
Superior Skill
Magnificent Capture
All Star
Top Ranks
Top 10 rank
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 2Top 10 rank week 1
Top 20 rank
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in Northwestern Montana, half an hour south of Glacier National Park off the side of the highway in a canola field.Time
This photo was taken around 12:00 am on a terribly cold spring morning. The aurora had been giving off low 5kp and I rushed out to this spot that I had been wanting to shoot for some time. I arrived just in time to see the most powerful aurora I had ever witnessed. Not taking the time to dress appropriately for a Montana spring morning was the best choice I could've made.Lighting
For this location I wanted to expose the willow tree so that it wouldn't be just a silhouette against the night sky, so I brought my trusty flashlight along, but upon arrival I realized that the building across the highway had a night light on its peak that cast just the right amount of light on my foreground. The rest was just Montana's night sky doing its thing.Equipment
I shot this photo with a Canon Rebel T2i with an 18-55mm kit lens and a $20 tripod. Someday I will be upgrading, but for now I firmly believe that it's the photographer who makes the photo, after all, not the camera they use.Inspiration
This beautiful state that I live in is the only inspiration I need. I have a 16 mile commute (one way) to work every day and I pass this location on every trip. I am the kind of person who sees photo opportunities everywhere I go and this was no exception. I have always admired the lone willow standing alone in the center of a canola field, and when the northern light started putting on a show, I knew it would be the night to capture "the one."Editing
The only post processing I had to do on this particular photo was cloning out a night light on a distant barn that was shining through the grass at the base of the tree. I did a minor white balance correction because the light on the building across the highway had a very slight green tint to it making the willow slightly less yellow than I would have liked.In my camera bag
I am a light packer. I currently carry only my T2i for a body and three lenses. My primary landscape lens is currently the 18-55mm kit lens that I used for this photo. I also have a 75-300 canon lens for my equestrian sports photography, and a Prime canon 55mm lens for portraiture. Other equipment includes a pakpod and targus (used on this photo) tripods. I also have two different remote triggers- one that stays plugged directly into the camera and one that is attached by the shoe and can be triggered from up to 20ft away. I always have at least two spare memory cards on hand, and a backup battery, especially when it is cold.Feedback
Always be ready. Check the aurora alerts before you go to bed and any time you get up during the night. Learn the science behind how they are tracked and familiarize yourself with ovation mapping. As a self-taught photographer, the best advice I can give anyone for any kind of photography is this- Don't just sit around waiting for someone to tell you how- go out and do it. Experiment with every setting on your camera until you know what they will do. Get off of auto. If the camera does all the work you will never achieve the results you are looking for! The camera only captures an image as good as the person behind it.
