Trucks passing under Southern Lights in Antarctica
Auroras dance over the road connecting McMurdo Station (an American research facility) with New Zealand's Scott Base. Trucks and work vehicles pass by, see...
Read more
Auroras dance over the road connecting McMurdo Station (an American research facility) with New Zealand's Scott Base. Trucks and work vehicles pass by, seemingly unaware, on their way to work on the ice shelf
Read less
Read less
Feb, 2016Views
1621
Likes
Awards
People's Choice in Your night sky Photo Challenge
Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Outstanding Creativity
Love it
Superb Composition
Superior Skill
Magnificent Capture
Top Ranks
Top 10 rank
Top 20 rankTop 20 rank week 1
Top 30 rank
Top 20 rank
Categories
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Discover more photos See all
Behind The Lens
Location
This was taken on the road connecting McMurdo Station (the United States Antarctic Base) to Scott Base (the New Zealand Antarctic Base) on Ross Island, Antarctica.Time
Strangely enough, this was taken right around noon even though it appears to be a night shot. It was shot during one of my winter seasons spent living and working in Antarctica, where we experience 24 hours of darkness for several months. The lack of sun does wear on you a bit, but the upside is the possibility of seeing auroras at any time of day!Lighting
I had not tried very many long exposure shots before this one, and outside in the freezing cold of an Antarctic winter was not the best place to try to figure it out. It was a bit trial and error and a bit luck that I ended up with the exposure and composition I was looking for.Equipment
I shot this with my Nikon D7000, a Manfrotto tripod and a Tokina 11-16 F2.8Inspiration
After three winters in Antarctica, I still didn't have a shot of auroras that I loved. Everything I captured seemed to be lacking something. When I set out with my camera on this day, I was aiming to try to incorporate another element to create a more cohesive composition. Vehicles were passing between the two bases, going about their usual work and the light trails added that extra dimension I was looking for.Editing
The main edit to this photo was enhancing the saturation and vibrancy to make the colors really pop against the dark background.In my camera bag
Since we have a limited access to mail in the winter, whatever gear I bring down with me is all I have for the season. This year, I brought a Nikon d7000, Nikkor 18-105,Tokina 11-16 F2.8, Tamaron 70-200 F2.8, a Nikkor 50 F1.8, a tripod, cable release, and a few off camera flashes. Mid-way through the season I decided I wanted to try some new lighting techniques and diy-ed some light modifiers with cardboard and sheets since I couldn't get them any other way.Feedback
When shooting auroras or stars, make sure to include something in the foreground. A shot is much more impactful with different elements mixed in the composition.
