Our campsite at Talus Lake in Tombstone Territorial Park (Yukon Territory) had this magnificent mountain directly in front of us. We arrived just after a front had blown through that afternoon, which gave us 2 nights of bitter cold but clear skies - and insane Northern Lights!
I now have a card full of northern light pics - as the sky was changing minute by minute. And what was water around the lake the first night had about 1/2 ice the second night - (this is a 2nd night pic). I also got frost nipped, which gave me 10 numb finger tips as well as the bottoms of my feet for the next 2 weeks. But wow - what a show and great photo opportunities!
This is laptop produced so if it looks off please let me know. And as always - C&C appreciated.
Looking great to me Dave. You have mastered getting detail in the dark areas. Pretty amazing if you ask me. The image is fantastic. FWIW though, I think I would have lightened it a bit more, but that's just me.
Well, this is just an amazing capture! Truly something to behold. I like how dark you have kept it, makes it feel very natural. And as stated above, there is still enough detail to not frustrate the eye IMHO.
Only tiny question is about the sharpening, cannot tell at this scale but might be a tad overly crunchy looking - perhaps a result of the laptop screen affecting things?
But what an image - just over the top beautiful and haunting. One of the best aurora images i have EVER seen.
Thanks again for the feedback. Much appreciated! Dave
Rajan Parrikar wrote:
Wonderful.
Thanks Rajan!
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JimKied wrote:
Looking great to me Dave. You have mastered getting detail in the dark areas. Pretty amazing if you ask me. The image is fantastic. FWIW though, I think I would have lightened it a bit more, but that's just me.
Thanks Jim - that's the input I need. Although my MBP laptop is calibrated its a brighter screen than my home setup, which is currently in storage.
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another_mikey wrote:
Well, this is just an amazing capture! Truly something to behold. I like how dark you have kept it, makes it feel very natural. And as stated above, there is still enough detail to not frustrate the eye IMHO.
Only tiny question is about the sharpening, cannot tell at this scale but might be a tad overly crunchy looking - perhaps a result of the laptop screen affecting things?
But what an image - just over the top beautiful and haunting. One of the best aurora images i have EVER seen.
ML
Thanks and glad you like it. Personally I like night shots to look like night - so I try to exercise caution when using shadow recovery. Sharpening is another challenge with this laptop. While the retina display is brilliant - it is not a good reference when processing for the internet. For starters what I post appears twice as large on the internet as opposed to the original file when viewed on my laptop. Frustrating! But it sounds like I need to dial back my sharpening even more.
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guidostow wrote:
Well that is just flat out amazing! So lovely! Bravo!
Glad you like it. It was an amazing night! However, the Northern Lights were even more amazing behind us!
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kwilliam8 wrote:
Stunning image, Dave! Sounds like a cold adventure!
Keith W.
Thanks Keith. A very important lesson was reiterated on this trip. I had just enough layers but the wind was a game changer. If I did not have a full GoreTex suit I would have really suffered. While my 2lb backpacking tent can withstand 60mph winds and rain, the ground-level gap of my rainfly allowed wind inside the tent. Thus I found myself shivering in my 20degree sleeping bag - even while wearing layers.
Nice job on capturing those lights Dave. The ice on the lake looks great as well. My only small suggestion would be to very slightly reduce the exposure on the reflection of the snow-capped mountain on the right of Talus. It looks like it is as bright as the mountain itself.
BTW, we may have crossed paths. I was in the group that arrived the day this photo was taken, and yes, it was quite chilly! We hiked somewhere else that night and I remember those nice clouds throughout the evening.
quickking wrote:
Nice job on capturing those lights Dave. The ice on the lake looks great as well. My only small suggestion would be to very slightly reduce the exposure on the reflection of the snow-capped mountain on the right of Talus. It looks like it is as bright as the mountain itself.
BTW, we may have crossed paths. I was in the group that arrived the day this photo was taken, and yes, it was quite chilly! We hiked somewhere else that night and I remember those nice clouds throughout the evening.
Kevin
Hi Kevin,
Its a small world!! Thanks for the comment/suggestion. As you know that was a night to remember - and the night before was even better (but colder!)
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psharvic wrote:
An exceptional shot, Dave.
Thanks - glad you like it!
Dave