dj.tigersprout's photoblog
A Quick, Green Flash of the Aurora Borealis
Posted by dj.tigersprout (New York City, United States) on 25 December 2008 in Plant & Nature.
as far as shots of the magical Aurora Borealis go, this is pretty bad... but unfortunately it is the best one i got. the other times i either did not have my camera or i had the camera but not the tripod, or i didn't have a clear view or the aurora was too dim. in fact some of the best shots that i could have taken ended up pretty much worthless because i realized towards the end of the display that i had had my neutral density filter on... so it had been blocking the much needed light from the weak aurora and leaving me with light green traces in the sky -- not very interesting i am afraid. but as luck should have it, just after i took off the filter, there was one more streak of light above the apartment we had rented... and setting the camera to a 99 second exposure, i was successful in catching this. of course in my haste i forgot to focus on the foreground, so the trees and roof are out of focus... :P
but at least i was able to experience the 4 nightly auroral displays we were treated to!! and it was just superb!! next time i will be totally ready!! but this is a good enough example of looking overhead and seeing a ghostly greenish blue apparition... except in real life it can suddenly begin to move, ripple, change color or diffuse into absolute nothingness. or they can just hang lazily in the sky like giant green eels. and that is how i like to think of them... giant green eels that remain motionless for periods of time and then suddenly begin to slither and wind their way across the sky. it is an extremely exhilarating and mystical experience!! plus, it literally sends wave after wave of chills down your spine!!! simply fascinating to behold... but try holding your camera steady while shouting and pointing in excitement!! what a trip!! :D
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Canon EOS REBEL XT
99 seconds
F/3.5
ISO 400
18 mm