Northern Lights - take 2

Was really looking forward to last nights show, predicting to be very active yet when I left it was super cloudy and I was afraid we wouldn't see anything.

I went with my friend Danielle...who steadily posed for this picture for 30 seconds without moving.  They started to fade just as I pushed the shutter, but it's pretty none the less.

In case you didn't know, you can make a "magic baby" while conceiving under the Northern Lights...that is what I am told at least.  People come from all around to make superhero babies.  I don't know much about it, but apparently that's what the van next to us was trying to accomplish.  

These were taken at the top of Chena Ridge...30 second exposure F2.8 ISO 200.  I think next time I'll bump up my ISO to get the lights to be less fluid.  30 seconds is a LONG time and this was not what it looked like to the naked eye.  So when you add 30 seconds and a lot of movement you get a prettier, fuller image just not real.   Think of those pictures of a fast car that show the streaks.  Same concept.  I suppose I'd just like to work on stopping the motion, you just need a really active night and I have yet to see that.

Northern Lights

Got an alert that the lights were going to be out this weekend starting last night and (cross your fingers) amazing tonight.  

My friend and I went out and called it quits around 1...we started to drive back into town when a faint streak appeared.  We stopped and took a few shots.  Turned out that was it for the night, so I feel really lucky that I got anything at all.

 

Working with a new Realtor this week, which I am so happy about.  I love working!  I only wish I wasn't having to fight the sky.  It was snowing and the sky was dark grey.  The snow wasn't the problem, but the grey sky I just could not get around.  I even went so far as to change the color in photoshop, but it just looked to fake...so I left it as is.  We live in Alaska for crying out loud, can't really avoid the weather.

I moved around and was able to get a different angle where the sky was less grey...I loved the trees in the shot as well as the cascading the different roof heights.

Midnight Outhouse

 My latest assignment was a dry cabin.  My realtor joked that she couldn't wait to see how I could come up with 25 photos for this shoot.  I took that challenge and really tried hard to bring her some sweet shots.

With the Northern Lights out, I went out there and sat for like 5 hours and got nothin...I went out again but the place wasn't clean yet and I was NOT prepared to take photos in a home without heat.  It was also 30 below.  Man that was cold.

A few days later I went back and took the pics...still at 30 below only this time I went with my mittens, scarf and fox fur.  That night the Lights came out.  This was my chance to make this dry cabin pop.

The only trouble is I wanted the lights to be behind the house, but they were in front of it and I did not have snow shoes to get back behind the house to see them.  So I got a shot with the lights and the street.  I am literally standing in the driveway of the cabin during this shot.  Aren't they beautiful.  I use a period and not a question mark in that sentence, because seriously...Northern Lights are gorgeous.

I tried to get behind the house, but I was too close.  The outhouse was my next bet and really and truly should have been my first place.  The shot directly after this one was the money shot, but my battery was already too cold and froze and I missed it.  I took the battery out and warmed it up, however by the time it was warm enough to shoot again the lights were gone.  It's amazing how quickly they move and how fast you have to be.  Still, it's a pretty shot I think.

Even dry cabins can be beautiful and a nice home for someone.  Perhaps I took extra care with this place because dry cabins are near and dear to my heart and they have such a negative connotation to them.  But in reality, they are a fun natural way to live.

Ice Park 2013

My favorite time of the year is when the ice park rolls around.  So magical.  The detail is incredible.

This next one was one of my favorites, but practically impossible to shoot.  It was a giant wave overturning a canoe.

This is a close up of the canoe...see how they are tipping onto the side?




Here is the whole sculpture, so you can see the size...there are a few people standing in front of it.  However, it doesn't show the enormity of the wave.  So here's a close up of the wave, I love the hair on the first guy and the detail on the water.

Only one week left of the park and we've been sick for a week.  Hopefully we will be able to go several times this week.

Bathed in light

Nothing particularly fancy about this bathroom, but the lighting and the color of the sky along with the towel are just dreamy and made me so happy.  

Orange ya glad I got rid of those buckets

This particular homeowner worked so hard making sure her house was in perfect photographing order.  She swept and mopped and dusted and de-cluttered and everything was ship shape.  

When we shot the garage we took everything out and then put it all back...but the orange buckets remained outside and since I was using my 50mm lens I was way far back and I didn't notice they were there til I got home.  I removed them instinctively not realizing how much it would make her day that they were gone.

I later heard that when the Realtor took the images back to her she rummaged through them looking for this picture wondering how bad it looked with the buckets to be thrilled that they were gone.  So glad that it made her day.  

I can just see her going outside seeing these buckets and shaking her fist to the sky "nooooooooooooo!"

Mission Accomplished.