Chasing Aurora

This isn't something you see every day, so I figure it is worth a quick post - considering it has taken me a few hours to get to this point - and typing might help my fingers thaw.

Unfortunately, my settings weren't great for these, but as it was quite cold, I was gloveless to operate the camera, I had filled my shoes with snow and it was after midnight, the subject matter will have to make up.

This is not the first time I have chased the Northern Lights, but it is the first time I have picked her up and despite not getting the "epic" picture I want, these are at least getting around the ballpark - and who doesn't love a bit of ball play. What I am looking for are images where they appear well, but it isn't just them in the picture, I want some kind of landmark as a reference, like a lone tree or an old barn. I have to go somewhere else for a bar though.

I live in the suburbs and these are taken within a couple kilometers of my house around an are that in the summer, we visit to go swimming. See that patch of open water above? That is kept open for people to swim in, as just behind is a public sauna. In Finnish it is called "avanto" swimming, which means open water.

It was a lot darker than it looks in the pictures which made focusing a nightmare, but the sky was far too light, as there is over a half moon (not in crypto unfortunately) and it reflects off the snow a lot. I was able to walk through the forest (yes, live in the suburbs, still forest everywhere) without any lights at all. It sounds a bit like a horror movie, but this is Finland - it is safe as. Though there are lynx in the area supposedly. Do they attack photographers?

Considering it was so late, I was surprised to see a few other people out looking at the sky show that nature puts on occasionally. I live quite south, so this is relatively rare in the area and most people miss them when they are about, as unless very strong, they don't stand out so much to the naked eye, especially with the light pollution. However, the camera picks them up far better as it can read frequencies we miss.

Now that I see them here, I wish I had prepped a bit better and made sure my settings were suitable, but it was getting so late when I decided to go that I rushed it. Oh well. It might be that there will be opportunity for the next couple nights too, so I might head out again and see if I can do better. Still, while these aren't going to win any awards, it is probably the only pictures of the Northern Lights you will see tonight - though I am often surprised by some of the content that turns up here.

I always feel privileged and grateful seeing the Aurora and even though I have seen it quite a few times now, it is still just as special today as it was my first time. There is majesty in it that is hard to describe and it is the kind of thing that forces you to stop for a moment and drink a bit of light in.

Worth the cold.