Unbelievably, it's been almost a month since we were in Iceland. I figured by the time I got to this post, I'd finally have a hand on how to talk about our night with the aurora. I'm afraid I don't. I take comfort in knowing that this is a common problem for those who have witnessed it, but I'm worried that this post isn't going to do the experience much justice.
After two nights in Iceland, we hadn't had a single opportunity to catch the aurora. The night we came in on the plane there was a blizzard and the next two nights were completely overcast. I kept telling myself that the aurora was a bonus, and that thus far the trip was a total success. Even though I was well aware that catching the aurora wasn't a guarantee for the trip and I was trying to be as pessimistic as possible about our chances so as not to be totally gutted if we never saw it, it was still nagging on me. The reason to come in Winter was to partake in the ice tours, but also to have a chance to catch the lights. If we didn't, we were going to be bummed. There was no way around it. At around 1:00am after getting back from our two day southern coast tour, I sat in bed looking at our schedule and forecast. It was obvious that we had one shot to catch the aurora on this trip and it was going to Easter Sunday night.
I went to the website of Reykjavik Excursions which was advertised on the reception desk of our hotel. They still had a couple slots open for Easter, the price was good, and the forecast was calling for crystal clear skies. My husband was already sound asleep, but I nudged him awake telling him that I had found a bus that would take us out to the lights and I wanted to book it. He enthusiastically replied that he was down with the plan then went back to sleep. I wasn't surprised when he was completely baffled the next morning as I reminded him that we had to catch the bus that night to see the lights. He didn't remember a thing about the conversation at 1:00am. For him, it was like I had booked a surprise.
After a full day of wandering on a mellow Easter day in Reykjavik, we went back to our hotel, changed into our cold weather gear, and waited for the minibus that would shuttle us to the big tour bus at the depot outside of downtown. Once again, we marveled at the efficiency of Icelandic tourism companies. For such a laid back people, they had scheduling and logistics down to a science. The tour left the depot at 10:00pm. It was a packed bus full of tourists from all over Reykjavik, ranging from excited to downright exhausted. We were joined by an enthusiastic guide who spent the ride out of the city giving us all the information one could possibly have on the auroras- the science, the differences from place to place, and the different types of displays (clouds, ribbons, rain, etc). Lastly she explained how to get a photograph of them. Unfortunately, this information was way too late for 95% of the group.
So you aren't one of the people groaning on a tour bus at the news your photographs haven't a chance of looking decent, here's what you need to know if you want to get a usable shot of the aurora.
1. You need a tripod.
You will need to take an exposure of about 30 seconds in length and there's no way you can get that handheld. Also, get a shutter release cable or a remote shutter release. This is not the time to rely on a smartphone app.
2. You need a camera with manual control.
Sorry, smartphone users, if the aurora isn't super, super bright you won't be able to capture it successfully. The way to get those lights to show up in an image is through a long exposure time, a wide aperture, and a high ISO. So, you need a camera that has manual mode so you can set it up yourself for these conditions. If you haven't shot outside of Automatic mode before, start practicing before you try on the Aurora. You don't want to waste time (and warmth) trying to figure out how to change your camera settings. Also, you'll probably want to use manual focus. You will be shooting where it is really dark, so automatic focus will probably struggle.
3. You need a camera that has high ISO capabilities.
Full frame isn't necessary, just make sure your sensor is four thirds or larger. But, check to make sure the camera you're going to use actually performs well at high ISO levels 3200+. Read reviews. Look at sample images. Not all sensors are created equal.
4. You need a good lens.
Don't bother with a lens that doesn't have a max aperture of f/2.8 or lower. Preferably, you want it at f/2. You probably won't need a zoom lens in this instance; auroras are meant to be shot wide. So, if you have a wide angle prime this is its time to shine. But, a high quality wide angle zoom will be just fine too.
5. You need a flashlight or headlamp with a red beam.
It takes about 10 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the dark and any infiltration of white or blue light (car headlights, camera and phone LCDs) with destroy the adjustment your eyes made. The only type of light that won't screw your eyes up is red. Let folks laugh, you will be the only one out there that can see anything.
6. You need to know how to use your camera.
This seems like a given, but there were a lot of people on that tour who suddenly realized that they had no idea what they were doing and spent the time staring into a menu instead of the most glorious display in nature. That's just sad. Don't be that person.
Ok, so back to the bus. It wasn't long after we got beyond the lights of Reykjavik that the guide directed us to look out the bus window (for once we happened to be on the correct side of the bus). A huge ribbon of green was starting to appear ever so faintly across the sky. The guide got really excited. This was going to be a good night. The driver found a gravel road a few minutes later and pulled in, along with another bus and about every other car that happened to be on that road at that moment. The guide gave us reflective snap bracelets (making this child of the 80's very pleased) so she wouldn't lose us in the dark. Then we all disgorged from the bus. It was madness for about 5 minutes. The display of the lights was far more intense and vivid than I expected, and by the sounds of it, the guide wasn't quite believing how bright it was either. There was some jostling and tourists clambered around in the dark, sinking up to their knees sometimes in the snowdrifts. Those of us with tripods tried to get out in front of the crowd so we wouldn't get the masses in the shots and would have a little space to ourselves.
I had already got the settings ready before we left the hotel and got the camera on the tripod during the ride out. It was a good thing too. It was bloody, bloody cold. I'm not sure how cold, but the wind was pretty strong and it didn't take long for my hands to start going numb, even with gloves on. We're from Northeast Ohio, where the Winter temps regularly dip to 0F or below. My time living in more mild Bavaria may have made me a wuss, or it was hovering somewhere around 5F with the windchill. I kept the tripod low to the ground so I could block the wind with my body. My shutter release cable is mercifully plastic and long enough that I could pull it into my coat pocket, but I still had to take my hands out in order to focus the lens. I use fingerless gloves that transform into mittens because I need the dexterity to feel the focus ring. It only took a few minutes of messing around with the focus ring on the metal lens for the first signs of frost nip to start. I didn't think about it too much though, because what we were seeing pretty much pushed all other thoughts out of our minds.
We knelt in the snow as the colors changed from yellow green to deep green and back with little hints of pink and red every once in a while. I snapped away, trying my best to stay in the moment while still managing to capture the display.
The most common display of the aurora is a faint cloud, barely perspective to the human eye. The display we were given on Easter night was far more intense, bright, rippling, and massive. I was elated, overwhelmed, and, yes, the emotions were high. If my eyes weren't already tearing up from the cold, I probably would have gotten teary anyway. At the most I had hoped just to see the cloud aurora, this was more than I could have dreamed to witness. We kept saying to each other, "Look at this! Look at this! Can't you believe this!?!" The rest of the group was going pretty nuts too. But, one by one, they started to climb back into the bus. It was just too cold, and they soon gave up trying to capture it with their phones. A few of us remained out there with our tripods through the whole time, with just a 5 minute retreat to thaw our faces. There was no way I could sit on the bus. My fingers were killing me, but this could be the only chance we have in our lives to see this amazing event.
All in all, the preparation I had done beforehand had served me well. I made adjustments here and there as the lights intensified or dimmed, but for the most part it was going smoothly for my first time photographing the aurora. The hardest part was focusing. Like I mentioned above, it was far too dark to rely on automatic focus. The spot where the bus had taken us was perfect for seeing the lights, but there wasn't anything bright enough to focus the lens on. I settled on a bright star, but discovered that my teared up eyes had played some tricks on me and things weren't as sharp as I thought. I had more success as time passed, but it was probably the hardest part of shooting (besides the freezing part). Ideally, there would be something on the horizon like a light or a building to focus on, but we were in a stark landscape. The wind was also a bit of an issue, it caused just enough vibration a few times to cause blurring. Also, shivering wreaked a bit of havoc. As I got colder I had a harder time being deliberate with my movements, and clearing bumped the tripod a couple of times.
It wasn't easy, not by a long shot, but it was totally worth it. It was the most incredible thing I have ever seen, it was the coldest I have ever been. It was one of the most rewarding moments behind a camera.
Ok, so what did I do to get these shots? I used the X-T1 with the 16-55mm lens because the lens gets a max of f/2.8 and weather sealing is a must when the temps are this low. I had it mounted on good old Brian from Three Legged Thing. I opened the lens all the way and usually took an exposure between 20-30secs. Any longer and you start to get start trails. ISO was set at 1600 for the most part, I did raise it a touch when the lights became dimmer. I actually didn't do too much to these shots in post. I edited them in Photoshop RAW, to reduce the noise that is inevitable with a higher ISO. I also lifted the snow in the foreground in most of the shots (thanks to Fujifilm's excellent dynamic range). Are they the greatest aurora shots out there? No. I'm a novice at shooting them, but I'm totally satisfied at the outcome. I certainly wouldn't pass up a chance to shoot them again.
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| My husband demonstrating our awe of the scene before us, holding very still. That wasn't easy. |
Like I said in the last post, this trip was intended to be one of several. We'll go back for a summer and, if it works out, will return for another winter trip. For that, we wouldn't use a tour to see the lights again. They definitely got us there, and it was great having the information from the guide, but the location wasn't the most exciting. I'd like to be able to set up somewhere with a good focus point or a stunning foreground. Also, it would be nice to get away from the roads. There were a lot of headlights to contend with and several cars that had gotten themselves in accidents or stuck because it was too crowded in that area. But, those are minor things I would change. This was, without a doubt, the highlight of our trip. It is a highlight of all our travels. As long as I live, I'll never forget the dancing lights over the snowscape (something a still photograph will never properly capture). I'll never forget being so overwhelmed by such intense beauty that I didn't notice I had lost feeling in my hands. I'll never forget being brought to my knees, reminded that we are really just insignificant creatures with no comprehension of the magnitude of this universe and this planet. I'll never forget it.
Wow. That's all I can say. Great pictures, it sounds like an amazing experience.
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