aurora borealis

This is a quick (very quick – only 3 seconds total) timelapse video of a 13 1/2 minute aurora storm from my first of 2 “Aurora Borealis, Winter Landscapes & Wildlife” photo tours – February 26-March 3 of this year. Winter has left us and we are full into spring mode here, in south central Alaska – but the aurora are still whirling overhead. Tonight, in fact, we are predicted to have a decent showing. Hope to view it from my comfy bed – wish I could make it out tonight to film it, but it just isn’t in the cards. Perhaps this weekend… Stay tuned…   Want to be kept up to date about all of my Photo Workshops & AdvenTours, tips & tricks, and news? Only Newsletter subscribers receive special discounts on Pri

Several people have asked me what I take on my photography trips. As I was organizing my gear for final packing this morning, I figured that my 2nd “Aurora Borealis, Winter Landscapes & Wildlife” Photo Tour of 2011 would offer a good opportunity.   And broken down from top to bottom: 1) Hand and foot warmers. Last trip involved temps down to -35 (without factoring windchill) and these little buggers were invaluable. On display are hand and toe warmers, but I’ve got several boxes for my clients to use. The temps for this tour are looking much more manageable, highs in the 40′s and lows in single digits – “It’s a heat wave!” 2) Singh-Ray Graduated ND Filters. 2 & 3 stop grad nds, both hard and soft...

Just a few short days & I’ll be leaving for my second “Aurora Borealis, Winter Landscapes & Wildlife” Photo Tour. I’m really looking forward to traveling with this next group. We haven’t met, and yet it feels like we’ve known each other for a long time. Here is another image from last month’s tour – this one is very appropriate. The ‘level’ surface you can see between the dark objects in the lower right third of the frame is the Denali Highway. It’s not maintained during the winter, but our 8 passenger (enclosed and heated) track vehicle took us where ever we needed to go. Simply amazing, being surrounded by all of this wilderness and engulfed in the utter silence… listening for a...

I’m back again with 2 more aurora borealis photographs. The first was taken about 10-12 miles from the wilderness lodge that hosted our tour. The second photo is identical composition wise to a previous post (Flicker, Flame, Fire, inFerno), but a few seconds earlier. This shows the dramatic change just a few seconds can make in a fast moving aurora! I still look back at that evening in absolute awe. I’ve got a BUNCH more aurora images from this trip to post – including a ‘movie’ of the aurora activity… it blew my mind. Stay tuned… Want to be kept up to date about all of my Photo Workshops & AdvenTours, tips & tricks, and news? Only Newsletter subscribers receive special discounts on Print of the Month Collectors...

Here are a few more aurora borealis photos from my recent “Aurora Borealis, Winter Landscapes & Wildlife” Photo Tour. The first was taken nearly 12 miles into the wilderness from our lodge. The mountains in the background are a branch of the Alaska Range. The second image was created by turning the camera skyward – straight up in fact – directly at the aurora’s ‘corona’. From this position, I could capture the direct impact of the aurora overhead. The light spilled from above, scattering and swirling in all directions. What an amazing night! Aurora Borealis ‘Corona’, Alaska. ©2011 Dave Taylor/Sixtyone North (Canon 5D Mk 2, Tokina 16-28 @ 16mm. 5″ @ f/2.8, ISO 3200) Stay tuned… Want to be...

Just a quick post here with a few more aurora photos from last week. I’m still trying to catch up on lost sleep. In another 3 weeks I should be around par. Then, of course, I leave for round two. Aurora Over Alpine Creek Lodge, Clearwater Range, Alaska. ©2011 Dave Taylor/Sixtyone North (Canon 5D mk 2, Tokina 16-28/2.8 @ 16mm. 5″ @ f/2.8, ISO 3200) Stay tuned… Want to be kept up to date about all of my Photo Workshops & AdvenTours, tips & tricks, and news? Only Newsletter subscribers receive special discounts on Print of the Month Collectors Prints! Click here to sign up for the free Newsletter. Looking for a way to experience wilderness on a whole new level? Want to step into the Alaskan environment and witness incredible Wild...