Sunsets, Sunrises, and the Northern Lights

I love photographing sunsets, sunrises, and the northern lights. The light at sunset and sunrise is softer than at mid-day, when the sun is high in the sky and casts harsh shadows.  And every sunset and sunrise is unique.  Some have soft colors and little definition, while others have intense drama, such as this blood-red sunset taken at Christmas Cove.

 

This sunrise, taken at the Bight, has drama too, but the colors are softer and less intense.  I especially enjoy sunrise photography because the world is so quiet then.  There's little traffic noise at that hour and the only sounds I hear are the wakening birds and the subtle lapping of waves against the shoreline.

  But for me, the most exciting photography subject of all is the Aurora Borealis, commonly known as the Northern Lights.  I captured this image at North Beach in my neighborhood.  Here in Northport, we are at the edge of an area which has potential for viewing auroras.  It's not an exact science, however.  Checking websites such as SpaceWeather.com and the Aurora Forecast (http://www.gi.alaska.edu/AuroraForecast) give me an idea when it looks promising for viewing the lights.  This coming Wednesday, July 17, for example, is forecast to be one of those days for active auroras. To actually see the lights, however, you've got to put in the time, typically between 10 pm and 2 am, and hope the skies are clear and the moon's not too bright.  Probably nine times out of ten I go out and wait for the lights to appear, and nothing happens.  For the one time I'm able to capture an image like the one above, it's worth the wait.