Photographing The Northern Lights
This last week I was fortunate to” catch” the northern lights and make some awesome photographs. Actually if you want to photograph the aurora borealis it requires good planning, patience, and a significant amount of luck.
Aurora Borealis is named after the Roman Goddess of Dawn (Aurora) and the Greek term for northern wind (Boreas.) The aurora borealis is caused by the ionization of nitrogen atoms in the atmosphere, this ionization occurs as a result of solar flares or solar storms that pass through the earth’s atmosphere. The conditions for the aurora borealis are most prominent near the fall and spring equinoxes. Some researchers believe we are entering a period of increased activity for the aurora.
The aurora borealis is only visible at night typically from 10pm to 2am. Best displays are seen away from the lights of a town or city, and ideally when the moon is not out. For more information about the aurora go to the
Geophysical Institute, or the NOAAweb site. These web sites have lots of information about the northern lights in addition to forecast features which attempt to forecast when the displays are at their best. Keep in mind that any forecast is like trying to forecast weather–or more accurately even more challenging because scientists know less about the phenomenon than they do about weather conditions.
Camera Technique: Photographically speaking you will need a good camera with a semi-wide or wide angle lens, a sturdy tripod, and a cable release. Ideally your lens is f4 or faster. The intensity of the display will determine your exposure. In order to capture or “freeze” the shapes of the light-glow you will want to use as fast a shutter speed as possible. Set the ISO on your camera to 800 or faster, noise is an issue. Set the aperture of your lens at it’s most open setting; ie f4 or f2.8. Set your shutter speed to the “BULB” setting. Your exposures may range anywhere from 10 seconds up to several minutes depending upon the intensity of the display. Make a test exposure and check your histogram then adjust your exposure accordingly.
Focus–trying to focus at night is the tricky part. Here are some tips: get to your location early enough to focus on the horizon or other feature in the foreground, remember to turn the auto focus off once you have focused. Use a flash light to shine on a prominent object and focus on that object. If your camera is equipped with Live- View you can pick an object and zoom into that object. Finally you can shoot a test image and then preview it and zoom in to check your focus adjusting as necessary.
Vantage Point: where you go to photograph the northern lights will take a little planning. Optimally you need a clear view of the north horizon, and preferably one that is well away from city light shine. The less light shine the better the display will appear. A tree or some other prominent feature in the foreground helps to place the lights in a context with the landscape. Viewing over a lake or other open water will add reflections and interest to the image.
Post processing: shoot in camera RAW. You will have more lee-way to process the image and fine-tune the exposure and noise effects. If you are not familiar with how to post process your images consider taking a print-making workshop.
Advanced Camera Controls
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controls are typically found in the camera’s menu selection.Using Extension Tubes
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Going Wide!
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Composition; Creating a sense of depth
Last newsletter we discussed the basics of composition and the rule
of thirds. This newsletter we will delve into composition a little deeper and discuss tips on creating a sense of depth in your photographs.Depth in a photograph is an illusion it is an illusion that photographers depend upon to create three dimensional photographs. Depth is created by a careful manipulation of several elements to lead a viewer’s eye into and around a photograph.
Depth of Field
Creative use of depth of field is a very effective technique for creating the illusion of depth in a photograph. Depth is not necessarily achieved by simply stopping down to f22 and creating as much depth of field as possible. In fact in many situations this is the opposite of what you should do. Placing compositional elements in the foreground and or the background that are not in focus will emphasize the third dimensional illusion of a photograph. Using aperture settings of f5.6 or less emphasizes the object or plane that you have focused on. Careful use of just enough subject sharpness is one of the most critical decisions that a photographer can make when composing an image. I recommend getting to know how to use your “depth of field preview” on your camera, not all cameras have a “depth of field preview,” check your camera manual to see if your camera is equipped with one. A post-exposure view of the image on the camera’s lcd monitor is not adequate to critically analyze depth of field in many situations.
For more about composition check out our People and Place workshop.
Photographing Panoramas
Today I still love and shoot a lot of panoramic format photographs. Instead of using my trusting 6×12 film back I stitch several vertical digital images together to make a panoramic format photograph.
Shoot with your camera in a vertical format-this way you get more pixels per image which results in a higher resolution image file and allows you to make bigger prints.
Rotate your camera as close to the lens nodal point as possible. If you don’t know exactly where the nodal point is don’t worry–if you are only close that is usually good enough for general landscape photography. Generally the lens nodal point is in the middle to middle-rear of your lens. In order to rotate around this point you will need an “L” bracket and a “Macro-slider” to properly position the camera. Really Right Stuff sells brackets that are designed to rotate around the nodal point of a lens. I use a 4th Generation Design gimbal head and a 4th Generation Design macro slider to get me close enough to where I need to be.
Shoot in manual mode and don’t change your settings once you have begun your series of exposures. This means that your scene should be close to the same in exposure all the way from the right to the left side (or up to down, depending upon which way you are rotating your panoramic!) This can be one of the trickiest parts of getting a good panoramic image.
One of the advantages of digital is being able to vary how long the panoramic format is based upon the number of images made. This means I am no longer a slave to the set format of 6×12 or 1by2. Always shoot one more image to the right and one more image to the left of the edge where you visualize the panoramic starts and stops. I do this to make sure that I get all the sky and foreground I want in the final image. During the stitching process you will lose a little in the corners of the left-most and right-most image; shooting an extra frame compensates for this loss and allows you to simply crop out what you don’t want to use.
Overlap the frames of your pan by a minimum of 33%, I overlap closer to 50%. Make sure you bring plenty of memory card space with you when you go out to shoot panoramic because you will use it up, especially if you get into HDR panoramas.
Sound like fun? Consider attending Reflections of Summer II where all participants who desire will; receive an in the field demonstration of panoramic technique, be able to borrow a panoramic bracket assembly, shoot, assemble the resulting image files on a computer, and finally print a panoramic photograph of Lake Superior or surrounding area.
Getting Ready For Spring
Spring is upon us. For some of you the season is already in full swing, for those of you who have yet to see your first hepatica or pasque flower do not despair they will arrive soon! I thought I would give a quick run-down on the equipment that I pack when I venture out on a spring ephemeral photo-shoot-like the one I am planning a little later this week.
Equipment:
Tripod-one that goes flat to the ground, I also prefer using a three-way head like the Manfrotto 410 Jr. Geared Head for close-up photography (see last month’s newsletter.)
Sand bags-for those situations where a tripod is too high off the ground.
Rain Suit-Randy and I also refer to this as our “Bog Armor” which we use when we venture into the bogs and swamps later in the year during orchid season. Using both jacket and pants will keep you from getting your clothes muddy, in the swamps and bogs it also protects you from mosquito bites-hence the reference to “armor”.
Scrims and Reflectors-I carry two 32″ Photoflex scrims and one 12″ Photoflex gold/silver reflector with me. These are handy for days when the light is harsh. They also make 5 in 1 varieties of scrims which are convertible into reflectors-these are handy as well. For supporting the reflectors carry a couple of the green bamboo stakes sold at greenhouses for supporting tomato plants-sometimes you just don’t have enough hands.
Camera equipment:
In addition to your camera there are a few items that make you photo shoot more pleasant and give you better results:
Cable release-a must for sharp photos.
Extension tubes-Kenko or Promaster brands are fine. Extension tubes have no optics so they are simply spacers put between the camera body and the lens. They allow you to get closer to your subject. Typically you can buy a set of these (12, 24, and 36mm) for about $150-200, which makes them an inexpensive alternative to a macro lens.
700in f2.8 lens-This lens is considered by most nature photographers to be their “workhorse” lens and once again it proves it’s worth during these photo shoots. Add 24mm of extension tubes to this lens and you have one of the best set-ups for wildflower photography you can have.
Macro Lens-for those situations where the above combination will not get you as close as you desire. If you shoot with a “APS-C” sized digital sensor (Canon Rebels, D40, D50 or Nikon D60, D90 or D300 ect…) your best focal length for a macro is a 90, 100, or 105. If you shoot with a full frame digital camera I recommend a 180 or 200mm focal length macro lens.
Wide Angle Lens–don’t forget your wide angle lens for overviews and scenics.
Auto Focus or Manual?
Where are most of the auto focus sensors in your camera’s viewfinder? They are located in the middle third to half of the viewfinder. Where is the least desirable place to put your 
primary subject in the composition of your photograph? That’s right; in the middle of your frame.
In close up or macro photography, when depth of field considerations are critical, determining the exact plane of focus that is proper for the depth of field you are using can only be done while the camera is in manual focus mode.
If your subject is not in danger of walking, running or flying away there is no reason to use auto-focus. Even in those situations where the above may be true you are probably better off using manual focus and letting the action come into the plane of focus as you take the picture.
Nothing can replace good camera technique it is the bedrock of every great photograph made, either by accident or design.
Depth of Field and Plane of Focus
Selecting a proper f-stop to give the image proper depth of field is also dependent upon what your plane of focus is. Most DSLR’s are equipped with a depth of field preview capability. If your camera does not have this capability there is a work around for most cameras; push the lens release button like you are going to remove your lens, turn the lens very slightly until the aperture stops down, to return to the open position turn the lens back to its locked position. Make sure you have your lens in the locked position before you take the picture. Depth of field preview is critical for close-up work. If you enjoy this work and your camera doesn’t have a depth of field preview you probably will want to get a new camera that does. The depth of field shooting mode is a worthless mode as far as I am concerned. Most depth of field considerations are during close-up work in the field–wildflowers, insects, or other small subjects. Most of the time these subjects are susceptible to wind or subject movement. If you are using the “depth of field program mode” you are not controlling the exact moment that the image is being created, therefore wind or subject movement may cause a problem that you are unaware of.
Exposure
Auto exposure modes and camera metering systems are programmed to give you an exposure that will is based upon18% reflective grey or middle grey. Point your camera at a white wall and it is programmed to expose so that white wall is middle grey. Point your camera at a black wall and it will expose the black wall so it is middle grey. Put the camera in manual exposure mode and the camera meter will still want to make these subjects middle grey, but at least you will have to set both the shutter speed setting and the aperture setting–hopefully during that process you will ask yourself; “Is the reflective value of my subject going to result in a proper exposure?”
Using The Tripod
Image stabilization or Vibration Reduction will never produce an image that is sharper than a camera mounted on a stable tripod. While the use of IS or VR allows us to make photographs that are better in some situations than if we don’t have IS or VR, this technology cannot replace the tried and true technique of keeping the camera stable during the exposure. The most common image quality failure that I see when reviewing novice work is camera movement during exposure, this is solved by using a tripod
Importance of Good Camera Technique
You can find yourself in the most awe inspiring setting. You can compose an incredible composition. Yet if your camera technique sucks then so will your photograph. Good camera technique means using a tripod when you should be using a tripod (generally that is anytime your subject is not in danger of walking, running, or flying away–and many times even if it is.) Exposing properly so highlight and shadow details are present. Selecting the proper depth of field for the composition. And finally getting the right plane of focus for the subject and composition. In short good camera technique.
These days we are fortunate to have at our disposal cameras that are incredibly quick and easy to use. Sophisticated metering systems all but ensure us of perfect exposure, IS or VR technology that allows us to hand-hold images at shutter speeds never dreamed possible only a few years ago, and auto-focus systems that are lighting fast and extremely accurate in very trying situations. One wonders if the next generation of cameras will have a “Auto Compose” setting that will automatically compose the elements in front of the camera for the best possible photograph.
How can we go wrong? Or more likely why do we go wrong and are not able to get the photographs we desire? Regardless of the technology available to us we need–in fact must– have a good grasp of the basic workings of our camera. We need to understand when we can rely on the crutch of new camera technology and when it can detract from what we are trying to say with our images.
The best way to understand the new camera technology and how and when to use it is by understanding how to use your camera in its most basic settings. In other words understand how to use the manual settings. If you use and understand the manual operation of your camera you will understand how the automatic settings work and when it is advantageous to use them and when it is not.