Show Up and Bundle Up

I never even thought about it when we made plans to come to Scotland. I wasn't thinking in terms of clear skies.  But clear they were and here I was.  After an exhausting day of picture-taking around Ledcrieff Loch we were sitting — resting -- in my friend's home and remembered the Northern Lights were supposed to be visible.  So we bundled up and walked to the edge of town and there they were.  It was that simple. (We didn't realize people as far south as Alabama were seeing them, at the time.) 

In case you ever want to see them, here are a few notes.  The darker the better.  But don't let that stop you.  Just find the darkest place you can.  You can see the tracks in the field we were in.  There were streetlights 50 feet behind us.  I have some pictures with streetlights in them — and you can still see the Lights.  The dark smudges in the sky are clouds.  It doesn't have to be perfectly clear.

You might not realize you're seeing them at first. Take a picture anyway.  If the sky is green, that's the Northern Lights.  (Exposure data is below, like always.)  I understand the red part isn't always present.  But that was my favorite part.

Above all, show up and bundle up. You will not want to leave once you see them.  They fade and pulse and it's all very subtle.  Stick around.  

But you can't get lucky if you don't show up. I was tired.  I probably wouldn't have gone on my own. But my friend talked me into it and I am so glad she did. 

Nikon D7500 — Nikon 18-300mm F6.3 ED VR

18mm

F4@15 seconds

ISO 400

Color Balance on Flash

(I experimented with the color balance: Daylight, Flash and Incandescent.  I'll just stay on Daylight the next time.)

DSB_0678.JPG

©Don Brown 2024