The first lights emerge
Apr, 2016Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
I was driving north as fast as possible to outrun the clouds in a night the lights were dancing. This was taken in a farmer's field somewhere out in rural north central MN.Time
Trying to find a place to stop - hollering aloud in the car for an opening in the trees to the north - I found this spot about 1:30 am.Lighting
I wanted a little foreground for perspective but needed the open space for composition. It was so dark I didn't even know there was no fence - and the deer just feet away from me were snorting and huffing at my encroachment on their space. At least I THINK they were deer.Equipment
Nikon d750, Tamron 15-30mm, and my heavy old Manfrotto tripod.Inspiration
I am absolutely addicted to night photography. There is so much amazing things happening while the rest of the world sleeps. I am completely addicted to "green crack"Editing
Some. Usually my first edits are in leveling the horizon. Beyond that just a touch of clarity and a bit of cropping if necessary. The thing about the Aurora is that the colors are their own. I almost never tweak the tint or saturation at all.In my camera bag
All kinds of oddities like, a 9mm S&W, a whistle, a 30 yr old emergency rain poncho, extra batteries and SD cards - and if I'm really jazzed up I might find a fifth of blackberry brandy in a side pocket somewhere.Feedback
Being vigilant in watching the forecast both meteorological and geomagnetic is essential. Of course, one has to be in the northern part of the country. I dream of shooting in Norway, Alaska and Iceland someday. Just get out there. If you can see them with your eyes you're camera's gonna' explode!! It's a spiritual experience.
