Chasing the Northern Lights
James Woodend takes spectacular shots of the aurora borealis. How does he do it?
What’s the background story behind your award-winning photograph?
The image was taken at Jökulsárlón, South Iceland, at 01:42 on 9 January 2014. I had visited the ice lagoon at Jökulsárlón on several occasions – I knew exactly the location to take a good reflection photograph of an aurora, but the conditions had always prevented me from getting the image I wanted. During January 2014, the lagoon was free from a covering of surface ice – rare in winter – and with no wind to ripple the surface, all I needed was a touch of moonlight, clear skies and an aurora to get the shot. The night in question was cloudy, but there was a sudden break of clear sky just after 01:00, and above was a spectacular aurora dancing across the sky. I got my shot.
You were in the right place at the right time. What equipment do you carry with you?
I tend to upgrade and change my equipment on a regular basis as and when the noise level of cameras improves. One bit of equipment that has served me well over many years is my carbonfibre Gitzo tripod. It’s solid as a rock on a windy night – they are expensive but worth the outlay.
Everyone loves a beautiful display of aurorae. Why were you drawn to the northern lights?
If you view the Moon, planets, stars, galaxies and so on then you are an observer. If you are present when a large, energetic aurora kicks off directly overhead, then it’s as if you are somehow a participant.
What would you say are the essentials for photographing aurorae?
A sturdy tripod, a reasonably noise-free digital camera and a fast wide-angle lens. Aurorae tend to occur towards the polar regions, so you need to be as far north or south as you can possibly get, and as far away from light pollution as possible. Winter is a good time to image aurorae because you have long, dark nights. I have photographed for over seven hours at night with temperatures below -35 degrees Celsius
(-31 degrees Fahrenheit). I found the camera had no issues, but there were problems. Camera batteries do not last long in the cold, so several fully charged back-up batteries tucked inside a warm coat pocket are essential.
“If you are present when a large, energetic aurora kicks off, it’s as if you are a participant” James Woodend