Fred G. Redmon Bridge Aurora
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this image from the rest stop off I-82 above Selah, Washington. There is a view point you can walk out to and see the bridge closer. I-82 runs over the bridge.Time
For this shot it was almost 3 am on June 23rd, 2015. I had been chasing auroras that night and not having much luck with the numbers so I headed home. On the way home I decided to make one last stop and check the sky. It was well worth the last minute stop.Lighting
The lighting at this location is not ideal and I have shot this bridge under many different conditions, but I always have to contend with the orange lighting cast onto the bridge from the sodium vapor lights at the rest stop behind me. It can be a pain, but I do love the look of the bridge in the aurora shot and some of my other lightning and meteor shower storms I have of this location.Equipment
I used my Nikon D600 with my Rokinon 14mm lens mounted on my tripod and triggered with my remote. I use the Rokinon 14mm lens a lot for my night photography because I love the low coma issues in the corners compared to other lens used at night.Inspiration
I was out chasing auroras this night and made one last stop to try and get some good shots at the bridge on my way home. It worked out great!Editing
Yes, I had to do some post processing in Photoshop to contend with the sodium vapor light cast onto the bridge. Those lights at that location can be a pain, but I shoot there quite a bit and have gotten pretty good and removing most of the orange on the scene. But in the end, the lights from the rest stop help illuminate the scene since my head lamps definitely would not reach the bridge.In my camera bag
I have a lot of items in my bag: Nikon D600, Nikon 50mm, Minolta 58mm with nikon adapter (completely manual), Tamron 150-600mm, Rokinon 14mm, and Tokina 11-16mm. Lots of ND Grad filters, Polarizer filters, Vixen Polarie Star Tracker and mount, Step up rings for my filters, lens cloths, wireless intervalometer remote, extra batteries, head lamps and probably other little things.Feedback
For auroras I shoot a shorter exposure than I normally do for my other star shots. This allows for more definition in the aurora spikes. Since I am at a lower latitude than places like Alaska, the aurora stays on the horizon and you usually only get spikes. They can become very blurred together with a longer exposure than 13 seconds. For this shot I used my tripod and also my remote. Want to reduce the amount of shake as much as possible so stars are sharp. It is good to practice with your lens in the daytime to learn your prime focus spot on your lens. Each one is different even at infinity. Then bump your ISO up a little and open your aperture as far as you can go. The bigger the better. Snap that shot!!
