The sky is the limit
I only just arrived in my new home country Finland, when the Nordic lights danced into the dark skies, creating a spectacle I could have only dreamed off before...
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I only just arrived in my new home country Finland, when the Nordic lights danced into the dark skies, creating a spectacle I could have only dreamed off before. It was breathtaking to watch, and even more spectacular being able to photograph it. The people around the campfire added something amazing to this photo. A true Finnish experience.
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Jan, 2016Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo of the Nordic Light was taken in Jakobstad, Finland. A smaller town on the west coast of Finland.Time
It was about 9pm in the evening when it was truly dark and the Nordic lights appeared out of nowhere. But dark means really dark here as the place where I took the photo is further away from any light pollution.Lighting
Lighting is exactly what makes photography so special and so unique. Chasing and capturing the light in all its forms and shapes is what defines us as photographers. There truly is all kinds of lights available from artificial all the way to natural light, but capturing it at the right time with the right settings is like a skill on its own and what truly sets your photograph apart from so many others. It needs dedication to understand the light, to find the right light and to capture it at the right moment.Equipment
I used my Canon 5D mark II with my 24-70mm L series lens f2.8. A tripod was a must here due to the long exposure.Inspiration
I have always been inspired by nature and then especially chasing these very natural forms of lighting like lightning and nordic lights. After I chased many storms in Northern Australia for many years, I just recently moved to Finland. I knew a lot about the Northern lights and have always been fascinated about them. Once I was here in Finland I did some research in order to help me track some of the solar storms that produce these magnificent Nordic lights. And I was only here for a few weeks when one of these solar storms had reached earth and the skies exploded here with the green northern lights. I races to the closest beach with all my gear and as I stood there with my feet in cold sea water, I hoped for the best as this was my first time trying to capture it. I knew I wanted a huge reflection photo and somehow that night I managed to capture some true breathtaking nordic light photos.Editing
I just ended up cropping a little but otherwise the photo is truly original.In my camera bag
In my bag I always have my 2 canon camera bodies. My Canon 5D Mark II (full frame sensor) as my main one and my canon 7d (crop sensor) as my second and back up camera. For lenses I always have my canon lenses 24-70mm f 2.8 and my 70-200mm f 2.8 both L-series. Then I also carry my prime 50mm canon lens. In my bag I always have my remote control as well as spare batteries and spare memory cards. Also a small torch which can be very helpful when photographing in the dark. And of course, my tripod is always there.Feedback
Photographing the nordic lights needs some dedication. It means going out later in the evenings and it needs patience and persistence. These lights move at at a good speed as well. So when you go out, make sure you are well prepared to stay out for a long time in the cold. Also make sure your equipment is prepared and set up ready to go. Make sure you have your remote with you as you will be shooting with longer exposures. But it is in many ways it is a game of trial and error, but longer exposures between 10 to 20 seconds long and an aperture of f5.6 and 8 have given me some great results. It all depends on how dark it is and how bright the nordic lights are. So often it has happened too that I couldn't see it with my eyes, but my camera was able to pick it up through long exposures. So it sure is worth going out there and chasing these nordic lights. Check out some websites that help predict the nordic lights as they are of a great help. But otherwise just get out there and practice away. There is nothing more rewarding than finally coming home with that one perfect shot!
