Capturing The Aurora Borealis

I was only seven when I saw it for the first time. Sitting on a couch, wedged between my parents, I was bored out of my skull watching some "stupid old person's" documentary about somewhere called Alaska. That is, I was bored until the point in the program where the night sky lit up in a brilliant green with waves of light dancing across the heavens! That's when I realized that magic was real.Since then, I've been in awe of the Aurora Borealis. . . fantasizing about what it would be like to look up and experience the magic happening live.

- Simon Thomas

The Aurora Borealis, better known as the Northern Lights, is a celestial mystery. Or it was until the Internet explained: “The bright dancing lights of the aurora are actually collisions between electrically charged particles from the sun that enter the earth’s atmosphere.”

As a photographer, capturing the phenomenon is wish list material—an impossible dream. But, Lisa and I are all about doing the impossible. For years, we planned to reach Prudhoe Bay, ride to the most northerly point reachable by motorcycle in North America, and capture an Aurora Borealis event.

After photographing people, landscapes and events around the planet, I know one thing—capturing great shots at night is one of the toughest photographic challenges. Even with the right camera, the best lenses, and a collection of handheld apps and modern day wizardry, shooting the Aurora Borealis requires all the jigsaw pieces of the universe to fall into place at the right moment. And yes, there’s a huge degree of luck involved, too.

Months before, I scribbled the following list of “Obstacles to Overcome.” We’d need:

1. Clear skies (umm… this is going to be tough as winter closes in)

2. Immediate access to the outdoors 3. To be alert and awake between 1:00 and 3:00 a.m.

4. All our camera gear ready to use with batteries fully charged

5. A rock-solid tripod within arm’s reach

6. Some advance warning of any potential Aurora