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By James Pugsley
Astronomy North
(YELLOWKNIFE, NWT) So your northern lights photos
aren't the postcards you'd hoped they'd be.
No need to panic. Believe it or not, even the
best aurora photographers have experienced the
same frustration.
Sure the tourist shops are filled with glorious
photos featuring bright reds, greens and blues
twisting into the natural grace of an Arctic
night. What you don't see are the 11 out-of-focus,
13 underexposed and 29 poorly framed images
taken before and after the masterpiece.
To add to the illusion, some auroranauts choose
to enhance their photos by adjusting the saturation
and hue of their photos in the post production
phase.
There's nothing horribly wrong with this, but
the unwritten rule for most of us is simple:
try to match your photos to what you observed,
not what you wanted to observe.
J.
Pugsley / Astronomy North
BALANCING
LIGHT • Beware of city lights in your
images. Adjust your film speed and exposure
length to prevent overexposure of buildings.
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So
just how easy is it to take a super snapshot
of an aurora? It's easier than you think.
Here are seven simple steps to help you
get started:
STEP 1: First you need an aurora. No problem.
Just check the daily aurora forecast on
this page and hang out in Yellowknife
for a night or two.
STEP 2: To take a high-quality aurora
photograph you'll definitely need a camera.
A decent 35mm camera to be precise, complete
with a tripod, remote switch (so your
shivering fingers don't shake the camera)
and a wide angle lens. Remember, the wider
your lens, the better its light gathering
capacity will be, which is important for
late night photography.
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STEP
3: The settings on your camera are important.
First, you need to use a camera that will allow
you to open your shutter for between 10-30 seconds.
Without an extended exposure, the film will
not register enough light, leaving you with
a disturbingly dark set of prints.
STEP 4: Ensure that your focus is set to infinity;
set your aperture range for 2.8 and 5.6 and
oh yeah, be sure to take the lens cap off.
STEP
5: Your film speed should be 400 or 800 ISO
and remember that the higher your film speed,
the shorter your exposure needs to be.
STEP
6: Keep your tripod steady as you Be sure you're
in a suitable location to photograph the lights,
preferably away from the glow of a city. Try
to have trees, people or buildings in the foreground
for perspective.
STEP
7: Take lots of pictures using different exposure
lengths and determine which combination of settings
works best for you. Remember, each aurora experience
is different, so once you know what your camera
is capable of, try to isolate the perfect match
for all sorts of auroral conditions.
J.
Pugsley / Astronomy North
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Finally,
once you've taken a masterpiece or three,
you can send your favourite aurora photos
to info@astronomynorth.com
with the time and location of each image
and we will be happy to show your best
shots to the world.
Remember to be patient and don't worry
if you feel like you're wasting film (or
space on your memory card). Believe me,
it's a normal feeling, and it's a sign
you're on your way to capturing a postcard
aurora.
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| ONTARIO
COLOURS • Once you've practiced aurora
photography in the North, capturing rare
displays in the south is a breeze. |
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