Topic: Photography - Lights in Tromsø

As some of you may know, I spent a week in Tromsø, Norway around last New Year's Eve. It allowed me to fulfill a dream I've had for years: shooting northern lights.

And boy, what an experience. You've got to see them at least once in your life. No picture or video can show how mesmerizing they are in reality. Gigantic green waves piercing through the sky in seconds, crashing against red and purple hues, light pillars coming from space... I would say I was speechless when I saw them, but it was so unbelievable, so unreal, that me and my friends' actual reaction was to scream. God, what a feeling.

I came back home with 80 gigs of pictures, 5600+ of them. Why so many? I shot many timelapses there, and I have enough material to make a short video I'll publish along with the pictures.

However, I have a load of work at the moment, which means the publishing will have to wait a little. But I'm still opening this thread now because I promised a foretaste to my friends, and I wanted to share it with you guys too:

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5507/11951670153_91011d0226_o.jpg

(click for higher resolution)

(this one I called "The Crack"; tasteful people will know why tongue )

One of the many incredible explosions we had right over our heads. Aurora photography is hard, because there's not that much light to capture, but they can be moving very fast at the same time. This one is a 4" exposure, and it's almost too much already. So, high ISOs (3200 here). I'm glad I have my 60D which can withstand higher sensitivities...

Let me know what y'all think, and if you guys are interested I'll update this thread with the rest when it's done. smile

Last edited by Saniss (2014-03-23 23:01:15)

Sébastien Fraud
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Re: Photography - Lights in Tromsø

I'm still mad you didn't remind you were coming to Tromsø. Did you at least meet up with Hansen?

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Re: Photography - Lights in Tromsø

No, but quite frankly I wouldn't have had much time to do so. Don't worry, I'll come visit you buggers one day or another smile

Last edited by Saniss (2014-01-19 13:12:38)

Sébastien Fraud
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Re: Photography - Lights in Tromsø

If I were around, I'd rock the 5DmkII alongside you smile

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Re: Photography - Lights in Tromsø

Which I'd steal while you're not looking. I badly want a full frame camera, it's killing me.

Sébastien Fraud
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Re: Photography - Lights in Tromsø

It's kinda more trouble than it's worth, to be honest. On the one side, you get more coverage, less noise and the ability to shoot RAW video without problems, but also, full-frame lenses are EXPENSIVE MOTHERFUCKERS!

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Re: Photography - Lights in Tromsø

Well, it's finally here: my short timelapse-powered video. This is Lights in Tromsø, a film through which I try to   show the indescribable magic of the northern lights, and the memory of an amazing trip.

I owe so much to Moby for making his music available to independent filmmakers. It allowed me to find exactly what I had in mind to accompany these images.

This is a big deal for me. Nature photography is becoming a big part of my life, and this movie is a major step deeper into this world. So share at will, and of course, let me know what you think. smile

Sébastien Fraud
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Re: Photography - Lights in Tromsø

Yeah, nicely done.

(UTC-06:00) Central Time (US & Canada)

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Re: Photography - Lights in Tromsø

Great stuff.

Eddie Doty

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Re: Photography - Lights in Tromsø

Thanks guys! I really appreciate it. smile

Sébastien Fraud
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Re: Photography - Lights in Tromsø

Seeing pictures like that one makes me feel really bad about the fact that I've almost completely stopped noticing northern lights at all. They're just another awesome thing that's always there. I guess that comes with having lived in Northern Norway (almost) my entire life, or I'm just generally bad at being awed by nature...

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Re: Photography - Lights in Tromsø

Well, I'm finally done processing my pictures. Hope you like them!

01/
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7168/13719949225_8877518e64_b.jpg
Experiencing the dawn that never comes to full daylight is a strange thing when you're not used to it. With the weather we had the day we went to Grøtfjord and I took this picture, there was a weird eerie feeling about it.

02/
https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3678/13720334784_e778dce223_b.jpg
Northern lights and fireworks, man.

03/
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7442/13720333834_c1a26f83e3_b.jpg

04/
https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3822/13720334824_62fedde4fb_b.jpg

05/
https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3818/13719948825_1388ab8a8f_b.jpg

06/
https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3699/13720334284_4c7255aa9c_b.jpg

07/
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7154/13719948635_0b2dddd356_b.jpg

08/
https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2913/13720333814_13d8f8ce34_b.jpg

09/
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5311/13720333564_b85bba3e7e_b.jpg

10/
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7124/13720740674_b99cc670ef_b.jpg

Hansen > I think northern lights are just like any other beautiful phenoma: you need to be in the right place and the right mood for it. I used to see sunsets every day from my previous apartment in Montpellier, but it's just not the same as watching it from the top of a high mountain back in Provence.

Sébastien Fraud
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Re: Photography - Lights in Tromsø

Amazing.

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Re: Photography - Lights in Tromsø

Nice pictures.

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Re: Photography - Lights in Tromsø

Thanks! smile

Sébastien Fraud
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Re: Photography - Lights in Tromsø

That fireworks shot is stunning. I love the film you shot it with.

Creatively, I mean. Whether it's actually the result of shooting on high-contrast orthochromatic film or just fucking with a digital image makes no difference to me.

pimp

Teague Chrystie

I have a tendency to fix your typos.

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Re: Photography - Lights in Tromsø

Thanks. Shooting on film would probably only result in total disaster for me; I'm a digital child, yo.

Sébastien Fraud
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Re: Photography - Lights in Tromsø

Holy shit, Lights in Tromsø is two years old. Time flies by, man.

Sébastien Fraud
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