For a long time it has been one of my ambitions to see the Aurora Borealis (from now on referred to as the aurora), in recent years is has also been an aim to photograph it and to come home with something that I can hang on the wall. In the past twelve months the dream has become a reality. Unfortunately rather than having satisfied my wish it has become something of an obsession and I’m already planning the next trip.

Claire has already written about the technical aspects of capturing the aurora in camera, I would reiterate the following:

Shoot at as high a speed as posssible within the limits of your lens and the noise issuues of your camera ( I’m assuming digital capture)

If the prime aim of your trip is to shoot the aurora and you don’t have a fast wide angle lens, i.e at least f2.8 and 24mm, consider borrowing or hiring one

Find the focus point on your lens to get the stars sharp and tape it in place or make sure you have marked it adequately enough to be able to find it in the dark

Continually look at your histogram while shooting. The light intensity can change rapidly at the peak of the light show making it easy to both over and underexpose. Getting the exposure right in long exposure/night time situations will be critical in your final image quality

Make sure you have a head torch, an invaluable item

Know which bits of you get cold and guard against it

Post-processing can be a minefield, experiment with white balance until you can recreate what you you “thought” you saw at he time.

The Trips

March 2011: Senja, Norway with Northshots

Trip leaders Niall Benvie and his partner Charlotte Eatough

Attracted by the promise of the Northern Lights the Northshots website description looked very appealing. A quick message to Amanda was all it took to let me know there was a place available. Prior to departure and in enough time to plan for the contents of the suitcase I received a “what to bring” information pack that was very useful. Also, we received an outline of how the day might be spent, it seemd to include a significant amount of “theory/tutorial” time, which in the end I think was minimal as we were out shooting all the daylight and much of the early night hours.

Highs

Seeing the lights three of the four nights we were there. We had a lot of cloud, but as it was my first experience I was in awe.

Watcher in the Sky

We had a viewpoint just out of the door of the hotel which meant we did not have to travel far to see what was happening in the night sky

A Little more Detail

The accommodation was exceptional: lovely, clean and modern apartments with superb meals provided in the hotel restaurant. The proprietor was both friendly and informative and was quick to give us the nod when the aurora began to reveal itself

We were a small group, just 5 plus the two guides

Senja is a magnificent place, likened to the Lofotens but quieter. We managed to get in a good amount of exploring in the day, thanks to Niall’s persistence and driving, and had the opportunity to shoot a variety of subjects

Resting Up

Lows

Flight times were not great, we arrived very late and had to leave very early which effectively reduced amount of time we could be out shooting.

The weather was bleak. After a record breaking cold winter in Britain I was quite unprepared for rain! We did get a little snow, but it remained grey for the duration of our time there. The breaks in the cloud did come at night which was what we needed

The lack of locations for viewing and photographing the aurora, it would have been good to see the lights against another backdrop – I think something has been adressed on this (2012) year’s trip.

Niall’s “Turn of the Northern Lights Before You Leave” sign went walkies with the wind

February 2012, Iceland (independent travel arrangements)

Returning from our Westfjords trip to Iceland in August 2011 I asked Claire about her plans for the following February and if she would contemplate a visit to Iceland in the winter? Not much later we were well into planning the same. With the help of Connie from our August trip we identified a  vehicle which served us well for the duration of our stay. The Dodge Durango was comforatble and spacious enough for four people, luggage and groceries and sturdy enough for the conditions we encountered.

It was much to our chagrin that having made all arrangements the the flight, for both Claire and myself, was changed and delayed by ten hours. It meant rearranging the first part of the trip and holding back our two companions in Keflavik. It is something, I have since learned, that Iceland Express do on a not infrequent basis. Changing flights to something more suitable was going to be a very costly affair giving us no option but to go ahead with the rescheduled flight.

Highs

Price, excluding flights, was great; somewhere around £500 each for 7 nights accommodation, vehicle hire, food and fuel

Being right! When everybody went for an early evening rest I didn’t have to wake anyone up when the green wisps began their dance across the sky.

Wisps over Hali

Two spectacular nights of aurora viewing and shooting and forever the memory of Connie saying, as we watched this miracle of nature: “from now on everything else will be gravy”

Cosmic Rays

Being independent and a small group it was easy to find our own viewpoints on scenes

The day we left, the sun came out and Claire and myself had a little time to explore. Finally the snow sparkled.

Hólmsvöllur

Lows

Once again the weather. The forecast for the week was warm and dull. We arrived to rain. The frozen landscapes we had been expecting were not waiting for us.

The wind! This was ferocious at times. It was hard to see and stand when black,volcanic sand alternating with hail bites into everything. I lost 3 filters: two being sandblasted beyond use and one being whipped out of the filter holder whilst battling to capture some of a glorious sunrise. The sand is still coming out of my camera bag, despite cleaning five times with a vacuum cleaner

Wind and Wave Power, Vik

Guesthouse Steig: images on the webite verify that the camera lies. Perhaps we were there at the wrong time of year, we will not be in a rush to return. Make sure you order linen if you stay.

March 2012: Sommarøy, Norway with Light and Land

Trip leaders: Antony Spencer and David Clapp

Having calculated that I had some more annual leave to take I came across this trip by trawling the web. Over the years I have spoken to a number of people who have been on Light and Land tours and all have spoken highly of them.

Details on the Light and Land website made it clear that capturing the aurora was the prime aim of the of the trip and that the tour leaders would go to great lengths to find clear skies in which to view it. Mention was made of sunrise and sunset photography with snow covered scenes being transformed by soft coloured light.

After communicating with the office I had no hesitation about booking. Shortly after payment I received a trip dossier with advice regading what to expect, what to wear, what camera gear might be needed – something to make very useful reading for the uninitiated.

Having booked the recommended flights to coincide with the group leaving and departing Tromsø I was quite perturbed to be informed that flight times had been changed. This time the culprit was Norwegian, they at least had the grace to come up with a relatively reasonable alternative though it meant a long layover in Oslo on the return journey.

Highs

Flying towards and into Tromsø with the magnificent snow covered landscape bathed in the beautiful, soft light that had sounded so enticing in the trip description

Seeing the aurora within just a few brief hours of arrival, curtailing our evening meal to get out.

First Night, Sommarøy

Totally dedicated tour leaders who really did go the extra mile (lets say over a thousand kilometers) to find the clear skies under which the heavenly lights exploded. In something like a twenty-seven hour period we drove from Norway through to Sweden and back through Finland in the quest. During our period of photographing the aurora, in the clearest of skies possible during this trip, I was ever mindful of the attention both David and Antony gave to the participants. They moved constantly between us giving advice and help where requested, something that many tour leaders find hard to do when confronted with magic we witnessed. Being an independent little s– I kept to myself, but appreciated being hauled out of the snowhole I’d inadvertently found myself in.

We even manged a visit to the Ice Hotel, though by this time I was too tired to go and explore.

Ice Country

Warm, comfortable accommodation with good food. Being able to walk from the door to find subjects for the lens was a great bonus.

A Walk Outside

Lows

The weather. Again wet/ warm and grey. Just after the short-lived aurora display on our first night the promised cloud rolled in and stuck to the area for the duration of our stay.

A relatively large group (12 plus 2 guides) made it difficult at times to keep out of other participants images.

Having to leave.

Some Thoughts

The weather

Grey is something to be expected across the Northwest coastal regions of Europe. Heading inland will give more stable condidions and better chances of clear skies. If seeing the aurora is at the top of your priorities than this is  what you should do. On the other had there is something quite compelling about the coastal regions where the scenery is at its most magnificent.

Tungeneset

Is is easy to become despondent when the light fails to play ball, you have to work hard when the elements are against you to create an image. You just have to persevere, eventually something will catch your eye. Auora aside, in the three trips I witnessed just one inspiring sunrise and sunset, both in Iceland.

Grey Day Stuff

Organised Tours

Dedicated and organised photography tours are expensive, but a great introduction to an unfamiliar area. You get to meet like-minded people and to swap ideas. All the ground work has been done, locations have been scouted, and basic necessities such as food, accommodation and toilet stops have all been planned. It can be frustrating at times not to go at your own pace and a bypass things you would like to explore. With large groups it can also be restricting when ever mindful of getting in the way of someone else’s lens.

Independent Travel

If you are a little more adventerous and have the time and incentive to do the planning organising your own trip can be full of rewards. Claire and I both had a little experience of Iceland to draw on which helped the process. We were rewarded with good value for money and finding some special locations that were not full of other photographers.

A Different Spot

Useful Links

Demystifying the Magic

Iceland Weather

Norway Weather

Aurora forecasts 1

Aurora forecasts 2

Claire’s Images

Melanie’s images Iceland

Melanie’s Images Senja

My Camera Gear

All the images here were shot with the Canon 1Ds Mkiii. All of the aurora images were made using the Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8l ii usm, it does have its limitations. The  Canon EF 24mm f/1.4L ii, despite my knowledge of it’s image quality remained unused as the wider angle was always more appealing. All contained in a Lowepro Vertex 200 AW bag.

A Gitzo explorer tripod with off-centre ball head made for a sturdy support that was welcomed in the wild winds of Iceland.

“Both Northshots and Light and Land are highly reputable companies who have a high proportion of returning customers.  I would be more than happy to travel with them again and have already arranged forthcoming trips with Northshots.

Melanie, April 2012

This trip came about through pure serendipity. I was researching a planned trip to the US southwest, when I came across an offhand comment in a travel forum about a tour in the former Yugoslavia. I followed a link and found the Adriatic2Aps website: http://adriatic2alps.com/

I was very impressed with the itineraries which included a mixture of old world cities, culture, and cuisine, as well as scenery in some of the region’s national parks. The small group size, normally six to twelve guests, made it even more attractive. So after a few email exchanges with Luka Esenko, one of the owners of the tour company, and as it turned out, our guide/driver as well, we booked the two week tour of Croatia and Slovenia.

During the tour, we stayed either in small hotels or guesthouses chosen for their comfort and convenience. The included meals were in family owned restaurants chosen for their local cuisine. Luka, a very patient guide, and an accomplished photographer, drove us to some of his favorite spots. He was happy to provide any instruction we needed or to let us wander off on our own. The tour had a nice combination of planned activities and personal time to relax, explore on our own, or when the opportunity arose, to shop; a diversion my wife Netty and Kim, the other guest on the tour, greatly enjoyed. Throughout this tour Luka drove us to several locations that we would not have been able to find on our own. The value of having a guide and driver with local knowledge cannot be overstated.

The tour started in Dubrovnik, the “Pearl of the Adriatic”. The old town walls are completely intact, and the old town, heavily damaged during the war with Serbia in the mid 90′s, has been completely restored. Dubrovnik has become a very popular port of call for cruise ships, so staying for two days gave us the opportunity to photograph the city, early in the morning before breakfast and late into the evening and night, after the cruise ship crowds had left.

Click to see a Larger Photograph

As we made our way north, the other stops in Croatia included the village of Ston, famous for its defensive walls and its salt pans; Hvar, the beautiful lavender island; Split the main seaport in Croatia and the site of Roman emperor Diocletian’s palace; and Plitvice Lakes National Park.

Plitvice Lakes, a Unesco World Heritage site, is spectacular. Sixteen lakes have formed at the confluence of several small rivers and some subterranean karst rivers. The lakes are located on a series of twelve travertine terraces and are connected by numerous waterfalls.

Click to see a Larger Photograph

From Plitvice Lakes, we continued north into Slovenia with our first stop at Lake Bled, one of the most popular tourist destinations in that country.

Click to see a Larger Photograph

We stayed at a private guest house in a small village a pleasant ten minute walk from the lake.

This was our base as we explored the lake with its iconic island church, the nearby lakes and the wild Vintgar gorge.

Click to see a Larger Photograph

From Lake Bled, we then crossed the Julian Alps through the Triglav National Park and into the Soca river valley, with its opalescent “emerald river”, narrow chutes and hidden waterfall.

Our last stop on the tour was the city of Ljubljana, capital of Slovenia. Our hotel was at the edge of the pedestrian-only old town permitting us to walk to all the sights in the old centre. The architecture and ambiance is reminiscent of Prague, a perfect place to relax before returning home.

Click to see a Larger Photograph

_____

Santo  Giorno is a retired brewing technology specialist who has been an avid amateur photographer since buying his first Kodak Instamatic while still in school. Forty years, and many, many cameras later, he is still taking pictures, with landscapes, travel and wildflower macros his particular favorites.

Santo and his wife Netty current reside in Ontario, Canada. They travel frequently on their own, but in recent years, have gone on a couple of organized photo tours; this report is on their most recent trip to Croatia and Slovenia with Adriatic2Alps Photography Tours based in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

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For those of us who inquire about photography as an expressive art form, Basin’s statement gives new meaning to what is meant by “image.”

The image above is an example. The light, the scene, the recording of it as an image, cannot be repeated. Thus it becomes the scene.

As Joseph Campbell said: “What each must seek in his life never was on land or sea. It is something out of his own unique potentiality for experience, something that never has been and never could have been experienced by anyone else.”

At Photo Travel Review Magazine, our team has endeavored in each of our published articles to stress loudly that the potentiality for experience is what photography can give us. It encourages us to travel, to explore, and to find new insights about the life experience.

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We may travel back in time to the period when our ancestors, with simple tools, created the cave paintings. Exceedingly modern, the images produced on the walls of the caves captured moments in time, never to occur again. Thus, whether we travel 15 minutes from our homes, or across continents, what we encounter as we make images are recordings not just of the moment in time, but much more. The images become our own unique expressions of what we saw, and perhaps preserve the uniqueness of each of us as humans.

Click on Image to see a Larger Version

Or as Basin has suggested, we are creating objects free from the conditions of time and space which govern them.

Campbell’s idea, and our compelling belief, is married with the idea of art and experience. While we may find that unique experience, our recording of it becomes the reality of it. Is not the image the experience? Does it not exist of itself and therefore a reality of its own?

It is such musings that are at the heart of Photo Travel Review Magazine. Our goal, as a team, has been from the very beginning to encourage others to share their unique vision of the world. We hope you might consider sharing your experiences with us and others. It is your stories and images that may very well encourage others to explore and to live with a new perspective. We invite you to contact us, we are very interested in what you have discovered along the way.

– The PTR Team

By Claire Carter

A year ago visiting Iceland was just a dream but here I am 12 months later and I have managed to visit 3 times. The ultimate aim was to see and photograph the aurora, the first trip in April gave me just one brief evening when the northern lights came out to play  but this gave me a huge desire to have another go and also a better idea as to how to approach them with a camera.

This was my best attempt during this trip. The location is the Jökulsárlón Lagoon.

This was taken past mid-night. There was a bright moon behind me which helped with foreground illumination. I used the moon in order attain focus and then switched my lens to manual to lock it. As the night was bright I was able to use settings with an ISO of 640. I shot with a canon 5D MKII and used my 16-35 2.8L lens at f/2.8.

The aurora wasn’t especially bright this evening but the long exposure picks up more detail of what is happening in the heavens than your eye can actually see. Or at least this was my experience from this first night.

The end of April is late in the season for aurora hunting, it doesn’t really get dark until well past 11 o’clock and the rest of the trip failed to give the conditions needed as it clouded over at night.

I therefore returned in February 2012 with the hope of some ice and snow for daylight shooting and dark nights for aurora hunting.

The first real opportunity presented itself on our third night. We had located a spot that looked promising close to where we were staying, somewhere with a wide view north and water to reflect any colour. I was expecting to be able to sleep until at least mid-night but as one of my companions, Mel, had experienced the aurora in Norway much earlier in the evening we decided to do shifts, setting our alarms an hour apart with the intention of climbing out of bed to check the conditions. I’d just got into bed at 8pm when I heard a yell. It was time to go, the lights had appeared, the sky was clear. The show was on.

Research had told me to do several things in preparation before setting out:

1. Wear many, many layers of clothes, with fingerless gloves inside warm mittens. We didn’t actually experience extreme cold but the wind was chilling and a lot of standing around is inevitable. I had several means of warming my hands but the one that proved the most effective later in the week when it did turn colder were “hotties” that Mel had brought.
2. Have a head torch ready but be aware when around others that this can ruin your friend’s shots if used indiscriminately.
3. Set your lens (the widest and fastest you have) to infinity but then wind it back just a touch and put on manual. Ideally find true infinity for your lens by focusing on a far object while it is light and tape it there to avoid knocking it off focus. Last year I had a good moon to focus on but without a moon it isn’t always possible to rely on using auto focus – you want to aim to get your stars pin sharp. This is counter intuitive to how I normally shoot landscapes where I want my foreground sharp and shoot at f/14 +.
4. Pre-set you camera ready for a test shot which is a possible starting point for your first exposure. I’d suggest f2.8. I used aperture priority. ISO settings of 800.This may get you up and running quickly and a first histogram to work with.
5. Remember that you will be aiming to keep the shutter speed under 30 seconds – longer than this and the stars start to trail and lose their apparent sharpness and as the aurora moves the beautiful shapes just become blurry masses . Know your camera controls so you can operate your camera in the dark.
6. Have your cable release attached.
7. A tripod is obviously essential – wind is a big factor in spoiling shots so ensure you know how to make the most stable platform possible.Remember it will be dark and tripods can fight back unless you are their master.
8. Be familiar with where you are heading so you can confidently navigate the terrain in the dark.
9. Remove any filters. Those that are used to protect your lens, such as skylight filters, will ruin an aurora shot as they introduce concentric rings due to some law of physics I don’t claim to understand.
10. Have a spare battery – keep in a pocket to keep it warm.
11. Set your camera for mirror lock up.
12. Set your camera to shoot RAW.

Once out in the field it helps to work fast. The aurora is unpredictable, it may last minutes or hours. It constantly changes and moves so every minute will present a different possible image. You need also to keep aware of the feedback you are getting from your camera as it is difficult to judge how much lighter or darker it is becoming. One moment you may be getting speeds of 25 seconds and a moment later 8 seconds as the aurora gives a burst of energy. You want to respond to these changes to make the most of the potential – increasing f stops or lowering ISO.

So, we headed out to the chosen location full of anticipation and relatively untried theory running through my brain. How glad I was to have this small amount of experience and large quantities of theory behind me as the next few hours were spell binding.

As we parked we could tell that the aurora was still there, nothing dramatic but to my inexperienced eyes it looked more than encouraging. We were a party of four but it was in silence that we walked down towards the lake. Eyes slowly get accustomed to the dark and more of the green lights appearing. Each of us surveyed the scene and settled down to our chosen spots. Communication between us was limited not only due to the intense concentration but also because of the wind. In a previous post I mentioned the wind I have experienced in this SE region of Iceland and I now wonder if it ever ceases. Fighting with wind when trying to take long exposures is a real challenge and this evening we were initially battered. Within minutes my camera bag, now devoid of its weight, had flown away scattering filters. My head torch was attempting to fly off my head and I cursed not having brought my waterproof cape to sit on as a very low and wide tripod was the only way to get the stable platform needed to prevent camera shake. I sacrificed a dry bottom and sat on the ground nursing my tripod into stability.

My first image showed that the suggested starting settings were not fast enough. More light was needed so I moved the ISO up and got my first image. The aurora was there, I could see it but the camera was picking up much more detail. Slowly however the intensity increased.

                                                  20 seconds. ISO 800. f/2.8

As I have said my first experience of an aurora had included a bright moon. This night it was dark and even with the water giving some reflected light the sky was considerably lighter than the land. I began to play with a technique I had seen demonstrated before in February – using your hand as a method to hold back the sky. This simply involves using an old darkroom technique of reducing the light in certain areas. As it is a long exposure your moving hand is not recorded but it effectively enables the land to receive a longer exposure. There is obviously an element of trial and error but add a touch of educated guessing and this can really work.

After about 30 minutes I felt comfortable, I was getting images that looked OK, if not really exciting. But then things started to happen. After a lull it was as if the lights we had been seeing began to organise themselves into ribbons that grew and grew

                                                      30 seconds. ISO 640. f/3.2

                                                      25 seconds. ISO 640 . f/3.2

From this point I was in total awe. The lights were directly in front and then eventually in a rainbow arch from horizon to horizon reaching directly above us. Night became a green day. Which ever direction I looked there were pulses of light or sedate, beautiful curves.

                                                      20 seconds. ISO 800. f/2.8

                                                      20 seconds. ISO 800. f/2.8

The wind had dropped. I stood up and did a 360 degree turn, The sight was so unimaginably otherworldly that for a while the camera was forgotten as I just wanted to look and remember.

Eventually the colours died. We headed home. The next morning even the locals were discussing how amazing the show had been.

I would have been very happy to have gone home after this experience without a repeat performance. I felt very happy and privileged.

However, the following evening at almost the same time there was an encore.

This time we headed to the Jökulsárlón Lagoon.

30 seconds. ISO 100  f/2.8

As with the previous evening it took a while for the main performance to start but when it did it was equally impressive. The wind featured but also died at the right moment. We could not believe our luck.

                                                       30 seconds. ISO 640. f/3.2

                                                   15 seconds. ISO 640. f/3,5

                                                     30 seconds. ISO 800. f/3.5

Things learnt.

1. The lights can turn night to day and keeping your eye on settings and trying different combinations is worthwhile. I feel I missed a trick here and wish I had played more with settings as this helps with learning. I should have tried some higher ISOs and some shorter shutter speeds.
2. Using your hand to control exposure on the sky works if there isn’t ambient light on the land.
3. Photographs can never actually portray the majesty of the event. You have to experience this to believe it.
4. It is only possible to speak in hushed whispers in cathedrals and under the aurora.
5. Incomprehensible beauty makes me cry.
6. Research pays dividends but never totally prepares you for the unexpected – it justs shortens the odds.
7. Post processing these images is hard. You want to be true to the occasion but your eye has limited past experience to draw on as to what is “right”.
8. The camera sees more of the lights and colours than your eye so be prepared for surprises when you come to process the shots.
9. Noise reduction – some cameras have a noise reduction function to reduce sensor noise introduced when using long exposures – it doubles the exposure time for each image and the penalty isn’t worth the benefit. Get a faster lens.
10. Proper Exposure is critical: Even though a RAW file offers latitude for exposure compensation, accurate exposure is imperative, especially when shooting high ISO. Learn to read your histogram.

Sincere thanks to Mel, Hania and Connie who were my travelling companions – sharing photos is fun but a shared event is priceless. We’ll be reminiscing about this for years to come.

See  www.carterart.co.uk for the other images taken on this trip. See here for Mel’s shots.

I have to add a link to the car rental company I used for this and a previous trip. I have a serious issue with some of the big companies as they have a limitless way of securing extra money from you whilst offering little by way of a personal service. However,  Reykjavik Rent a Car are totally unique. They went to extreme lengths to help me. I needed a very specific requirement to enable 4 of us from 3 different countries to drive on my excess insurance policy bought in the UK. I also needed Canadian Connie to pick up the vehicle on my behalf, as I was arriving a day later than her. This would be impossible in most cases but they corresponded with me with utmost patience and provided a first class vehicle that was delivered to our hotel with every bit of the paperwork in full order.

I’d also like to recommend  Bed and Breakfast Keflavik Airport if you need a very pleasant room by the airport for the night. It has many rooms and is really a hotel rather than what we call a bed and breakfast. You get a a kitchen to cook in if needed, free airport transfers and very reasonable prices. Despite looking uninspiring (it is an airport hotel – a convenient bed) it is staffed by people who really do go the extra mile to be helpful.

Claire Carter

“The Scottish Nature Photography Awards Photographic Competition was launched in April 2010 to provide a platform to celebrate Scotland as a key destination for nature photographers and to acknowledge the excellence of the photographic work that is undertaken here”.

Claire says: This is happy news and coincides with Bill’s launch of his great e-book that gives invaluable information for photographers wanting to visit Scotland, a place that has truly touched the PTR team.