Aurora Borealis - Iceland

[Craig_85]

First time seeing the wonderful and captivating northern lights. Once you have seen them though you want to experience it again. We stayed up till 3.30am the following morning after these shots because a KP5 was forecasted (these were a KP2) but the snow blew in and blocked the view just before activity was shown to have increased on the aurora app.

1.
Jokulsarlon Aurora Borealis by Craig Hollis, on Flickr

2.
River to the Aurora by Craig Hollis, on Flickr

Thanks for looking C & C welcome.

 

[Bugzy]

Fantastic. [emoji106]

 

[PatrickO]

Stunning. Totally surreal.

 

[dan_yell]

Glad they came out to play for you! I want to stay at the lagoon for NL photos, but i had to drive back West as too cloudy at the lagoon! Certainly addictive once you've seen them once!

 

[bledyn125]

fantastic captures

 

[Craig_85]

Fantastic. [emoji106]

Stunning. Totally surreal.

Glad they came out to play for you! I want to stay at the lagoon for NL photos, but i had to drive back West as too cloudy at the lagoon! Certainly addictive once you've seen them once!

fantastic captures

Thanks all, it is rare I like my own pictures but I feel very lucky to have semi planned both these locations/shots then had the aurora play ball when it got dark.

 

[cwimagery]

just epic

 

[69Bonni]

Hi Craig, just found you here after reading your reply on the Landscape section! Silly of me not to think about looking here for your Aurora shots.
These are some excellent shots and well processed, No1 is my pick, love the ice in the foreground and the colour reflected in the sea, lovely work. No2 has some nice snow capped mountain terrain excellent work. Both have really clear starry skies I think the shots I'm processing suffered too much light pollution to show as many stars so clearly.

I'm still in PP on mine after just coming back from Northern Norway. Just can't seem to get the hang of processing night shots, never really happy. My only chance included a fair bit of light pollution as my first hunt was stuffed by 10/10ths cloud.
I might investigate luminosity masks, I will have to look into them properly and see if that will give me more selective processing. Have you ever tried using them?
Cheers Steve

 

[Craig_85]

I might investigate luminosity masks, I will have to look into them properly and see if that will give me more selective processing. Have you ever tried using them?
Cheers Steve

I processed these shots using luminosity masks for 2 reasons and in 2 different ways.

Firstly the shots are blended exposures of the sky and foreground. The foreground is a longer exposure and I created a colour channel mask that separated the sky so I could bring them together easily and seamlessly.

Secondly, and probably more applicable to astro I use a refined highlight mask to select the stars. You can then invert this so that you noise reduce only the blank bits of sky, and use the same mask to sharpen and brighten the stars using USM and curves.

 

[69Bonni]

I processed these shots using luminosity masks for 2 reasons and in 2 different ways.

Firstly the shots are blended exposures of the sky and foreground. The foreground is a longer exposure and I created a colour channel mask that separated the sky so I could bring them together easily and seamlessly.

Secondly, and probably more applicable to astro I use a refined highlight mask to select the stars. You can then invert this so that you noise reduce only the blank bits of sky, and use the same mask to sharpen and brighten the stars using USM and curves.

That's excellent Craig, sounds just what I'm looking for! I can see I'm going to have to learn all about luminosity masks... I have never used them before really. Do you have any recommended reading because I don't really know that much about them to be honest. What you have done is pretty much exactly what I need to do. As I took shots to get the foreground correct when the Aurora had passed. So I need to understand that process. Any tips or reading recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

 

[terryfay1983]

These are lovely shots. I'd be very proud of these. Maybe one day I'll get a chance to photograph the NL

 

[Fuji Dave]

WOW, these are fantastic shots and something to be proud of too, just stunningly beautiful

 

[rick448]

Stunning images. I hope to be able to witness the NL one day.

 

[Bluep]

Wow. Lovely shots. Having had the good luck to see the lights a couple of years ago for 3-4 hours straight, I was amazed how quickly the sky changes and dances - really difficult to get good shots.

 

[Neil Burnell]

Awesome Craig

 

[Lemaildetom]

That is stunning! A small remark is that i'm not keen of pure black sky. I would prefer a slightly different white balance.

 

[alan72]

Like these a lot, I was lucky enough to see the aurora on a holiday in northern Finland nearly 10 years ago now. I took pictures with my little Konica Minolta, my first digital, wedged in the snow. I was made up with the images, at that time I would never have dreamed of taking shots like these, and these inspire me to try and get back to do it again!!

 

[Norkie]

Wonderful, thanks for sharing

 

[Fat Albert]

Great shots! Im looking at going back to the land of fire and ice early next year and I would be seriously happy if Any of my shots turned out this good. You always need a bit of luck on your side when shooting the NL. Was the river shot far from Jokulsarlon?

 

[kh_42]

Wow, those are stunning.

 

[Craig_85]

That's excellent Craig, sounds just what I'm looking for! I can see I'm going to have to learn all about luminosity masks... I have never used them before really. Do you have any recommended reading because I don't really know that much about them to be honest. What you have done is pretty much exactly what I need to do. As I took shots to get the foreground correct when the Aurora had passed. So I need to understand that process. Any tips or reading recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

I need to redo the tutorial I put on here so it reads better and is easier to follow for luminosity masks. In the meantime I guess you have already done some reading, if you have any specific questions feel free to PM me and I will try and help.

These are lovely shots. I'd be very proud of these. Maybe one day I'll get a chance to photograph the NL

WOW, these are fantastic shots and something to be proud of too, just stunningly beautiful

Stunning images. I hope to be able to witness the NL one day.

Wow. Lovely shots. Having had the good luck to see the lights a couple of years ago for 3-4 hours straight, I was amazed how quickly the sky changes and dances - really difficult to get good shots.

Awesome Craig

Wonderful, thanks for sharing

Wow, those are stunning.

Thanks guys, most appreciated.

That is stunning! A small remark is that i'm not keen of pure black sky. I would prefer a slightly different white balance.

Thanks, that is a fair point, I also prefer a slight blue cast to the sky. I think in all honesty I was trying to get the aurora the shade I wanted it, and in doing so that was slightly warmer which neutralised the blacks. Thinking back it was so dark in Iceland with no moon that I didn't mind a black sky in these shots so much, but will consider this if I ever re process them.

Like these a lot, I was lucky enough to see the aurora on a holiday in northern Finland nearly 10 years ago now. I took pictures with my little Konica Minolta, my first digital, wedged in the snow. I was made up with the images, at that time I would never have dreamed of taking shots like these, and these inspire me to try and get back to do it again!!

Thanks, hope you get another crack at them sometime soon.

Great shots! Im looking at going back to the land of fire and ice early next year and I would be seriously happy if Any of my shots turned out this good. You always need a bit of luck on your side when shooting the NL. Was the river shot far from Jokulsarlon?

Thanks, the river shot was one I had scouted on google maps just street viewing my way around the island then checked out during the day for real. It is not too far from there, easiest way to find it is to find Hali country hotel, go there and eat the artic char, then out of there driveway and turn right (east) for 5km till you come to one of the typical road bridges. I think it was just before the bridge you could pull off to the left and park up, the stream is then in front of you.

 

[69Bonni]

I need to redo the tutorial I put on here so it reads better and is easier to follow for luminosity masks. In the meantime I guess you have already done some reading, if you have any specific questions feel free to PM me and I will try and help..

Tutorial.......? Oopppsss missed that.... Oh yes so you have.... I'd missed that, well I've got some reading to do now
No doubt I'll get back to you will drop you a PM mate

 

[jdburkedjburke]

Fantastic shots and something to be proud off.