Icelands Northern Lights: A Novice Makes Lots of Mistakes
So of course I have been asked A LOT " did you see any of the northern lights?" and my answer, thankfully, gets to be a resounding YES! We were very lucky and with a bit of planning were able to see them on more than one occasion and on one of our last nights we got to see a show even the locals said was outstanding! Of course seeing the northern lights is not something for the faint of heart and through a little extra effort we were often rewarded. Now, with all this said you are probably anxiously wanting me to get to the point if you haven't already scrolled to the bottom just to see the AMAZING and DRAMATIC northern lights images you think I will have. Sadly, I went thinking this couldn't be that difficult but I had of course done some research into the matter of correctly photographing the show I was hoping to see. I haven't even really ever photographed at night, period. So here is a recount of my endeavor to photograph the northern lights:
WARNING!
THIS POST IS FILLED WITH A
TERRIBLE DISPLAY
oF
PHOTOS.
IT IS A POST ABOUT DUMB MISTAKES + POOR PLANNING + LEARNING
and
YES, WE ALL MAKE THEM
2nd day in the country and it was a bloody cold and cloudy night we were sleeping in a tent and I noticed the a very faint but pretty green glow on the horizon peeking through the clouds.... like the moon had a filter over it. It just lasted a moment when all was lost to the mounting clouds. "Oh well, another night" I thought and went to snuggle into my warm bag.
7 days in and a clear night. I check the Northern Lights Forecast and it is calling for good conditions in the north where we were at. We get a late night snack, make hot tea and throw on the layers. I ready myself and my camera but somehow fail to bring the tripod... why, I don't know. I guess I figured I could just set it on a rock to get the photo. I am still scratching my head on that choice. We were in a fairly big town (by Iceland standards) and rather than drive out where there is less light pollution, we just walked to a spot overlooking the bay we thought would be nice. Well of all places to have trees all the way to the edge it was here, so there goes the rock idea. Below is the image that resulted:
JHP_160913_Iceland_1586Akureyri looking north on the lights. Terrible, just terrible..... handheld.
Next up, day 10. We find ourselves, somewhat planned, in the middle of nowhere in northern Iceland. We have just visited Dettifoss and it is getting dark. Mind you it is another VERY cold and clear night in the northland so we decide to find a spot to camp off of a long dirt-track. We are thrilled cause conditions are perfect for seeing the N.L's in solitude. So, camping spot attained I go to setting up my camera AND MY TRIPOD. I pick the lens I think is best which in this case is my Nikon 35mm/1.8 lens as it gives me a really great image quality and good open aperture to allow in light (I heard this was a good thing to do). I put it on manual with an aperture of 1.8 (wide as she goes) and a shutter of 1/6sec and ISO of 100, taking a few trial images of our campsite while there is still light.
So again, same image but this is a last ditch effort in post processing to create a photo with more interest, which it probably didn't need. The rock in the foreground isn't too bad off but the sky isn't sharp which is to be expected at f2.2. What I do like is that you can see the detail in the ground (well that was my goal anyways) and you can see how bright and bold the sky was. As I have been writing this post I have realized that I was shooting with a very low ISO of 100 to avoid noise and grain which my D5100 liked to produce at anything over 500 ISO and was unacceptable at 800, in my opinion at least. Well in this case it backfired and a higher ISO would have allowed me more exposure value as I was already maxed for my shutter release of 30sec. The long shutter release causes a blurry N.L because they are ever moving, as are the stars. Lucky for me I now have a camera that can do much better at extreme ISO settings and if I get the chance to try again I will do it a little different.
JHP_160920_Iceland_1263Iceland Northern Lights
So I like this one. Although it is still a little soft I like the composition and the feel. It really was a magical night. This however is an instance in which a wide angle lens would have been very good to capture the entire, vast, night sky as this is but a slice. Multiple panoramas would have been good too!
JHP_160920_Iceland_1268Iceland Northern Lights
So I finally got the settings right. I finally got the focus right and I realize I cut off the bottom of the photo. I was cold FROZEN!!! I was also getting tired and running out of camera battery. I almost made the last shot count. Luckily due to the lights and placement it is hard to notice right off hand and still brings a big ol' smile to my face to know that is right where we slept under those glorious heavens above. Something I recommend everyone do in their lifetime!
JHP_160925_Iceland_2302Iceland Northern Lights
Day 15: Our trip is coming to an end and I feel satisfied that we have seen about the best lights show possible but I was sure to be wrong when into the bar came such a hurry, a trekky and she declared "THE LIGHTS ARE ON, THE LIGHTS ARE ON!" So out we all run out to the entire sky painted like an explosion of Kryptonite! There were even purples and oranges but again green was the main hue. This time I am armed with my tripod and I mount my trusty travel lens the Tamron 16-300 zoom. The settings have to come on the fly. The image below was set at 24mm focal length, ISO640, 25sec and f3.5. I LOVE the big open sky and sense of space. The stars are finally in focus as I have figured out how to correct for this in the dark by using the flashlight.
JHP_160925_Iceland_2310Iceland Northern Lights
Here I love the fact I was able to capture the dancing action and a better sense height as the radiation pelts our earths protective layer. It feels as though you can see how thick the window pane glass really is when you cant normally tell it exists. I am happy with this image and all settings were the same as above except set at a 10 second exposure time.
And finally the last image in the bunch: Yep, it still has some to be desired but I think this is the best photo I took of the Northern Lights.
JHP_160925_Iceland_2321Iceland Northern Lights
The building at the bottom left is of the Skjol Hostel and Restaurant where we were staying and eating ( I highly recommend doing both as it is along the ring road, the chef is top notch and the people it attracts are an interesting bunch). Shortly after this incredible display the lights petered right out, coming and going in short, dim bursts for the next hour. I love the sky in this image but with the wide angle of the lens and camera set up I have a lot of distortion in the building and cars. I wish too, the composition was just a bit different but I wouldn't want to miss the big fiery whoosh at the top of the image. I love the highlight of clouds, the intensity of the colors and complexity of the sky.
In conclusion, I am happy to share my story with you and the big take home is to never stop practicing and learning a new technique but nothing beats being well prepared. I made a lot of mistakes, however, each time was better for me. Each time I made mental notes and tried different tactics. Uploading the images on a large screen, editing and writing I am learning even more. So what will I bring to the table next time to advance my skills? One is the newer camera with higher ISO; but really that is cheating some as that is not always an option. I will be much more conscious about what is in my foreground and work on creating a fully balanced and well composed image. I am also going to try various setting changes to see what works the best at achieving various effects.
Comments and opinions welcome! Thanks for reading!
