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A couple of weeks ago, I was visiting and photographing the Alaskan winter, focusing on the Chugach Mountain Range. I took several helicopter flights with glacier landings, which allowed me to explore and photograph some truly pristine, incredibly blue ice caves.
While I was there, I got lucky with a KP 8–9 aurora event, which gave me the chance to capture some absolutely stunning aurora displays. The colors went far beyond the usual greens—most of the auroras exploded in purples and reds, with just hints of green and yellow. I’ve never seen aurora activity this intense before, so it was an unforgettable bonus during my time in Alaska.
Pretty impressive collection Greg! I especially like the shot of the cave with the orange sky view and the crystals in the last shot. The second shot may be upside down but in this particular case it makes no difference
Oh yeah, I didn't even notice that.... my water mark is at the top. No idea how that happened. Anyway, it's a sky abstract shot so as you said, doesn't matter how it's oriented.
that is definitely a trip you will never forget. you might consider selecting one or two of the best and print them and put them on a wall in your house. had to be an amazing experience. i have a hard time picturing color of that scale in my mind. thanks for sharing.
The colors in those aurora shots are amazing. The ice cave captures are also incredibly crisp and well-composed. Thanks for sharing this amazing journey with us!"
OK. This is a 4 images pano each taken at these settings. Hopefully that'll help you.
By the way, the final images size is 12486 x 6529 pixels, so huge.
It took me a few days to write these lines. At first glance, I stumbled upon your photos by chance – and then I just stopped in my tracks. Each image is a little miracle: technically flawless, full of heart and feeling, and with that crisp, clear air that only untouched nature far from civilization can bring. I couldn’t help but be amazed.
Then I felt a small pang of envy. In a few weeks, I hope to capture similar shots myself. It’s not skill or technique that worries me, but the weather – that one factor that can’t be planned. And now I see that someone has already managed to capture exactly what I dream of creating myself.
There are countless photos out there, but images like these – full of soul and quality – are rare. Smartphones and quick snapshots flood the internet, and truly extraordinary images often get lost among them.
So, a heartfelt thank you for sharing, even if a little envy lingers – a mix of joy for what has already happened and longing to experience it myself. I’m sure you will revisit these moments in your thoughts many times. You can plan as much as you want, but a piece of luck is always part of it.
Now I’m even more excited for my own journey. May the weather gods be kind to me. I will probably think about these images for a long time. It would have been wonderful to know the exposure times, to see how fast the aurora was moving.
live2huntelk wrote:
Thanks, I was curious about the exposure time for Aurora.
Sure thing. Some I’ve captured in 2 seconds (if shooting at f 1.2) and some 5 seconds (if shooting at say f2.8 with my Nikon 14-24 f/3.8 S lens). I also tried that Laowa 10mm f/2.8 for full frame. It’s so so to be honest. Heavy vignetting in corners will make the image only OK and of course only in the center. I really enjoyed the Nikon 20mm f/1.8 S lens. Seriously, this lens is amazing even at f/1.8. I wish Nikon had something like Sony has, the 14mm f/1.8 GM lens. Or, better yet Sigma 14mm f/1.4. I always keep my ISO at the minimum, so I tried shooting my Aurora shots at ISO 1250 and below. If you expose for longer than 5 seconds you may get a little washed out image, just like exposing for longer than 1s for a water movement (it’ll become a fog and you’ll loose details). Same with Aurora (unless it is really moving slowly). But, my shots with 5 seconds and less exposure are the best.
So get the fast prime with the aperture f 1.8 or around that number and expose for 5 second at ISO 1000. Then watch the histogram on your camera screen and decrease ISO if necessary or time to say 4 or 3 seconds. It’s a bit of experimenting. One day I had a very intense lights and the other hardly visible and I was exposing for 7 seconds at ISO 2500. I didn’t like any of those shots, and deleted them all….
Gregg B. wrote:
Sure thing. Some I’ve captured in 2 seconds (if shooting at f 1.2) and some 5 seconds (if shooting at say f2.8 with my Nikon 14-24 f/3.8 S lens). I also tried that Laowa 10mm f/2.8 for full frame. It’s so so to be honest. Heavy vignetting in corners will make the image only OK and of course only in the center. I really enjoyed the Nikon 20mm f/1.8 S lens. Seriously, this lens is amazing even at f/1.8. I wish Nikon had something like Sony has, the 14mm f/1.8 GM lens. Or, better yet Sigma 14mm f/1.4. I always keep my ISO at the minimum, so I tried shooting my Aurora shots at ISO 1250 and below. If you expose for longer than 5 seconds you may get a little washed out image, just like exposing for longer than 1s for a water movement (it’ll become a fog and you’ll loose details). Same with Aurora (unless it is really moving slowly). But, my shots with 5 seconds and less exposure are the best.
So get the fast prime with the aperture f 1.8 or around that number and expose for 5 second at ISO 1000. Then watch the histogram on your camera screen and decrease ISO if necessary or time to say 4 or 3 seconds. It’s a bit of experimenting. One day I had a very intense lights and the other hardly visible and I was exposing for 7 seconds at ISO 2500. I didn’t like any of those shots, and deleted them all…. ...Show more →
Really appreciate you explaining your exposure process. I have yet to capture the Aurora on my full frame camera. I purchased the Sony 14mm f1.8 GM to use. I see several people tout the Sony 20mm f1.8 and Sigma 20mm f1.4 Art as the best and others say they have issues at the corners. An Alaska and/or Iceland aurora trip is in the works for the near future. Thanks again for your process.
