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#9572531 02/03/15
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Ray Offline OP
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The only problem was the moon being so bright:
[Linked Image]

Same location, but no moonlight:
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]

Last edited by Ray; 02/03/15.
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Simply amazing.


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What was the temperature at the time?


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Originally Posted by wabigoon
What was the temperature at the time?

Not too cold, somewhere around -7 degrees. Usually there is a temperature difference of around 15 or more degrees between the hills around Fairbanks (warmer up there), and the city. I just set the camera and tripod in front of my car, and when the Auroras look good I take as many photos as possible, then return to my car with the camera in hand to warm up smile

But when very cold outside like it was last week (-43 degrees), I stay indoors. Too great of a chance to have a mechanical breakdown with the car.


Last edited by Ray; 02/03/15.
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Those are great. I lived up there a couple years and never saw then. Then on night driving across US 30 in Idaho, there they were. Not as nice as what you got though. Years ago there was a bank in Wasilla, north side and east side, that had several hanging on the wall.

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I like the illumination from the moon in the first one.

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Originally Posted by DonFischer
Those are great. I lived up there a couple years and never saw then. Then on night driving across US 30 in Idaho, there they were. Not as nice as what you got though. Years ago there was a bank in Wasilla, north side and east side, that had several hanging on the wall.


The Auroras were a lot more active from 2011-2013. But this year they have been quite nice. Years ago I saw some of the most beautiful Auroras over by Summit Lake in September, but back then I didn't have a digital camera, and had no idea how to take photos of them.

These were taken by Chena Lakes, in North Pole last September:
[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]

Last edited by Ray; 02/04/15.
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Love that first one from Ch lakes.


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I like them all, I have not seen a display for twenty years.


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Any chance one could bless us with some exposure data please?


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Originally Posted by 1minute
Any chance one could bless us with some exposure data please?


a. The one with bright moonlight:
-400-800 ISO

b. The darker ones (same equipment used above):
-Tokina 16-28mm f/2.8 for FF Canon 5DII. Aperture f/2.8, at 16mm, manually focused to infinite
-Camera on a tripod, with the viewfinder covered to avoid light from entering the camera
-ISO from 600-1,000 or so
-Exposure: 10-13 seconds
-WB: Automatic
-RAW images

Since I am taking photos of the lights, I try not to use very high ISO speeds or longer exposure times. The photos are slightly underexposed, but that way I don't blow the highlights too much. Then I PP my photos with CS6, and clean the digital noise in the dark areas with NIK's plugin (within CS6).
------------

But there is nothing wrong with using higher ISO speeds, or longer exposures. I just prefer bright as possible lights with the darker foregrounds that are present when taking the photos. But if there was something in the foreground or in the horizon (mountains, for example) that I want to show in the image, then I would probably use a higher ISO speed. Also, if you don't have a fast lens, by all means use high ISO or longer exposures.

If you can't afford an expensive lens you could always buy one of the most popular manual lenses out there. This is a 14mm Rokinon (comes with different brand names), and it costs around $500.00. But it is a manual focus lens, which should be no problem for sky photography since you have to shoot with both the camera and lens on manual.

Hope this will be of help.

Last edited by Ray; 02/06/15.
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Originally Posted by DonFischer
Those are great. I lived up there a couple years and never saw then. Then on night driving across US 30 in Idaho, there they were. Not as nice as what you got though. Years ago there was a bank in Wasilla, north side and east side, that had several hanging on the wall.


Long time ago when I was stationed in Northern NY, the Auroras were nice and bright about 10:00 PM. It was a clear and cold night, and several of us were watching the lights while working on the aircraft. That was the first time I ever saw them. Now I see them all the time smile

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Some recent Auroras shots from Alaska:
[Linked Image]

Looking straight up at the sky:
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]

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In a way, the middle image of your last set reminds me of looking down into flower petals

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It does look like that, now that you have mentioned it smile

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Yep, looks like a poppy to me! Great colors and light! We don't get that here in North Georgia...


Great photography is not about being in the right place at the right time, it is about putting yourself in the right place at the right time.
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Originally Posted by CameraLandTamronPhotAdv
Yep, looks like a poppy to me! Great colors and light! We don't get that here in North Georgia...


The Auroras are quite common on my side of the pond (Alaska's interior), but I remember long ago while stationed at Plattsburgh AFB, NY seen the Auroras nice and bright on a cold night.

I took a few like this one last night. It was mostly cloudy with some open areas:
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]

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Wonderful photos.


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[quote=g5m]Wonderful photos. [/quote

Thank you.

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Originally Posted by Ray
The only problem was the moon being so bright:
[Linked Image]

Same location, but no moonlight:
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]


Personally, I really like the bright moonlight photo, too. It's different and something I'd like to see in real life!


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Ray Offline OP
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Originally Posted by g5m
Originally Posted by Ray
The only problem was the moon being so bright:
[Linked Image]

Same location, but no moonlight:
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]


Personally, I really like the bright moonlight photo, too. It's different and something I'd like to see in real life!
Originally Posted by g5m
Originally Posted by Ray
The only problem was the moon being so bright:
[Linked Image]

Same location, but no moonlight:
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]


Personally, I really like the bright moonlight photo, too. It's different and something I'd like to see in real life!
Originally Posted by g5m


Personally, I really like the bright moonlight photo, too. It's different and something I'd like to see in real life!


The bright moonlight plus the snow on the ground make for very bright landscapes. On a dark night with bright Auroras I set the camera to perhaps to 600 -800 ISO and 10-13 seconds exposures. But on a full moon I have to bring the ISO to perhaps 400 ISO and 10-second exposures, or just change the lens aperture from f/2.8 to f/4.5 or so.

The problem is that when the Auroras show, time is limited, which leaves very little time for changing the camera's setting. For that reason I have created three custom manual settings, each covering one ISO speed, lens aperture, and exposure time (400 ISO, 600 ISO, and 800 ISO). Then I have saved one set of settings to C1, another to C2, and the last to C3 on my Canon cameras. All I have to do is to turn the camera ON depending on lighting conditions, dial in the proper setting, and shoot-away.

Last edited by Ray; 03/24/15.
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Two from this morning. It was cloudy, but the moon and lights showed through:
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]

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Excellent!


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Three more from last week:
[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]

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Originally Posted by Ray
Three more from last week:
[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]

Holy ****! Amazing photos!! I think I see Jesus in there! shocked cool

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Originally Posted by EricM
Originally Posted by Ray
Three more from last week:
[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]

Holy ****! Amazing photos!! I think I see Jesus in there! shocked cool


Thank you. The violet or purple colors can't be seen by the human eye, and are not always present in the Auroras. I just happened to be there at the right time, and had no idea that the violet colors were present until I looked at the photos on the camera's screen. I was very lucky that night smile

Why the different colors?
http://earthsky.org/earth/will-you-see-colors-in-an-aurora

Last edited by Ray; 04/12/15.
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Very cool! The right guy, with the right equipment, at the right place and time! smile

Eric

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Originally Posted by EricM
Very cool! The right guy, with the right equipment, at the right place and time! smile

Eric
Thank you, Eric.

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