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Archive 2013 · August Aurora over the Chugach

  
 
mike-in-ak
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · August Aurora over the Chugach


It is the beginning of the Aurora season in Alaska with the coming of dark skies.

D3s - AF Nikkor 20mm f/2.8D - ISO 5000 - 1.3sec - ƒ/2.8



© Michael Sebrey 2013

Season Start




Sep 05, 2013 at 04:09 PM
MDBarrett
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · August Aurora over the Chugach


Great picture Mike. I am looking forward to it...now if the rain and wind would stop we could get out!

Mike



Sep 05, 2013 at 04:10 PM
mike-in-ak
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · August Aurora over the Chugach


I hear that. I think I'm getting webbed fingers.


Sep 05, 2013 at 04:12 PM
Justin Grimm
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · August Aurora over the Chugach


Sweet. Looking forward to more also.

Just a question....Why are you using such a high iso and fast shutters speeds? Do Aurora move around that much?



Sep 05, 2013 at 04:24 PM
mike-in-ak
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · August Aurora over the Chugach


Justin, yes they can. Aurora can vary from slow to fast. Even with the slow light if there is any kind of definition you need to get the shutter speed down to freeze the action. If you let your shutter stay open too long you end up with a fuzzy ball of green glow.


Sep 05, 2013 at 04:52 PM
Justin Grimm
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · August Aurora over the Chugach


Thanks for the tip. I'll use it if I ever get the chance


Sep 05, 2013 at 04:56 PM
Sunny Sra
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · August Aurora over the Chugach


Schweeeeeeeet


Sep 05, 2013 at 05:12 PM
JimFox
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · August Aurora over the Chugach


mike-in-ak wrote:
Justin, yes they can. Aurora can vary from slow to fast. Even with the slow light if there is any kind of definition you need to get the shutter speed down to freeze the action. If you let your shutter stay open too long you end up with a fuzzy ball of green glow.


I will have to remember that too, that is if I ever get the chance to shoot an Aurora that is... I had just figured since it was at night and there were stars, basically the same setup would work with a longer shutter speed and a bit lower ISO.

Jim



Sep 05, 2013 at 06:56 PM
mike-in-ak
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · August Aurora over the Chugach


Over the course of night's shooting, I will vary the ISO and shutter speed as needed.

When a display has a lot of "definition" such as spikes and rays, I try to drop the shutter speed to isolate those elements.

A fast moving display can ripple across the sky in less than 10 seconds.

Many's the time I came home with a bunch of amorphous blobs because of a slower shutter speed. But sometimes you need a longer speed to be able to pick up faint light. And then she'll bloom into a display so bright you can read a newspaper.

You do a lot of "chimping" and constant setting changes.

Jim, I usually start with aperture priority, ISO 1600, lowest ƒ-stop and take a test shot. Then I check the results and the histogram and go from there. One night I went from ISO 400 up to 6000 and shutter speed from .3 seconds out to 30 seconds. She was changing that much in both speed and brightness.



Sep 05, 2013 at 10:00 PM
David Leask
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · August Aurora over the Chugach


Fine shot Mike and thanks for the shooting tips
David



Sep 06, 2013 at 12:48 AM





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