Aurora Borealis

Aurora Borealis

Well this last week has been pretty awesome. We were luck enough to have two fantastic aurora shows. I managed to get out and shoot both, the first one I happened to catch on the way home from Calgary on the edge of the rockies by Yamnuska and grabbed a few shots before the snow came in. The second night was insane. I left work at 1030pm in Calgary and 5 minutes out of city limits there it was the Aurora. It felt like I was chasing it all the way back to the mountains. SO crazy to see it so early and so close to the city and it was strong too. 

If you have never seen the aurora it should definitely be on your bucket list. Its such an awesome natural wonder that every time fascinates me. 

"Sky Gazing"

This was taken from the first night. I decided to play around with a self portrait composition (my first attempt). This is just on the road from the highway to Yamnuska. The moon was also rising in the distance creating the glow on the horizon, even with this the colours stayed strong. It wasn't particularly cold temperature wise but I was still dressed from work and not the most ideal clothing for been out in the cold taking pictures. The aurora makes you just want to stare into space, you never want to look away incase you miss something.

"Pillars"

This was taken the second night when i rushed from work in Calgary all the way to Lake Minnewanka in Banff National Park to meet a friend there to shoot the Aurora. This was probably the most intense Aurora i have ever seen the waves in the sky were crazy. I love it when you get the purple or red pillars in the sky. This picture really shows them hence the name and i just love the colour in them. When there is an Aurora Lake Minnewanka becomes one of the busiest places. With the lack of unnatural light, the clear view in the right direction it is the perfect spot to watch the Aurora at its best. 

"Let The Show Begin"

After arriving in Banff it didn't take long for the Aurora to become strong. This was pretty much the start of the show. Racing around to find composition with no light and trying not to get in peoples shot. This is take from the same location as the above photo shows a little more of the landscape. What you can't see is that the Aurora pretty much goes to the right as far as you could see. The best pillars were at this angle though

"Contemplation" 

Towards the end of the night i ventured off around the lake a little to try and find something different and an area that was a little quieter. I found a couple of spots and too some shots then on my way back i found this area. With the lines in the snow created by the wind really leading towards Mount Aylmer and the Palliser range, I really liked this. Again I played with a self portrait on this. it was a little tricky to get in the shot without making footprints, I can't imagine what I would have looked like to others if they were watching. 

I think this picture is a fitting end to the night, peaceful, quiet watching one of the most beautiful natural wonders there is. Contemplating life and the future ahead, which is to be a fun year. When i actually headed back to the car most of the others had gone, and there was two more people who were just leaving. Which for me makes this picture more special. At this time there was only me enjoying what was happening. Or thats how I felt anyway

Thank you for looking and reading and allowing me to share my stories and pictures with you all.