Long Andy. - Photographing the Aurora Boreralis: How to Shoot the Northern Lights

Wikipedia; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia
http://www. blogcatelog.com
http://www. spaceweather.com
http://www. sportsmedicine.about.com
http://www.nightskystation.com
http://www.the-digital-picture.com
http://www.freegraphicdownload.com

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical or otherwise without prior written consent from the publisher, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review. You may store the pdf file on your computer. You may print one copy of this book for your personal use.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this book is based on the authors experience, knowledge and opinions. The author will not be held liable for the use or misuse of the information in this book.

Thank you - Id like to thank Steve Rew, Bob Dean, and Betty Holling for their work with editing the book. You found things I missed and helped clean it up making it a better read for everyone.

Credits and Copyright.................................... 2

Shapes of the Aurora............................. 19
Predicting the Aurora............................ 24
More Aurora FAQ................................... 26
Can it be Seen When Cloudy................. 27
Visible with Full Moon?......................... 28
Where to See the Aurora....................... 29
North American Viewing....................... 30

Lower Layers.......................................... 33
Outer Layers.......................................... 35
Food and Drink...................................... 36
Wrapping it Up...................................... 36
Tripods................................................... 37
Tripod Heads.......................................... 38
Remote Releases................................... 39
Memory Cards....................................... 40
Your Camera in the Cold........................ 45Camera Bodies............................................. 46Point and Shoots ................................... 51Lenses.......................................................... 52What Lens Should I Use?....................... 52Lens Options.......................................... 53Why a Fast Lens..................................... 53Renting a Lens ....................................... 53Lens Aperture........................................ 55Camera and Lens Play a Role................. 57Auto ISO................................................. 57Whats My Best ISO?............................. 57Noise and Noise Reduction ................... 62Other Camera Settings ................................ 63RAW vs. JPEG......................................... 63White Balance ....................................... 63 Image Stabilization................................ 63 Self-Timer.............................................. 63 LCD Brightness....................................... 63 LCD Review............................................ 63 Drive Mode............................................ 64 Exposure Mode ..................................... 64 Metering Mode ..................................... 64 Mirror Lockup........................................ 65 Auto-Focus Points.................................. 65 Viewfinder............................................. 65 Date and Time Stamp............................ 65 Cover LCD Light...................................... 65 Check and Clean Sensor.............................. 66Know Your Camera...................................... 67

Flashlight............................................... 40
Painting with Light................................. 42
Your Camera at Night .................................. 44
Focusing Your Lens ................................ 69Setting Correct Exposure....................... 71The Aurora Histogram ........................... 73Dont Know What to Expect.................. 77Planning................................................. 81Foreground............................................ 82Test Shots .............................................. 85Accentuating Form................................ 87Props...................................................... 88Night Sky Pollution ................................ 89The Moon and the Aurora..................... 93Moonlight.............................................. 94Moon Phase and Time Sample.............. 98Persistence ............................................ 99Shooting Etiquette............................... 101

Walking Through the Workflow........... 103
Repairing Vignetting............................ 104
White Balance Examples..................... 106
Exposure and Blacks............................ 107
Saturation............................................ 109
Sharpening .......................................... 110
Luminance (Noise Reduction).............. 111
Image Processing Steps - No Moon..... 113
Image Processing Steps - Moon........... 117
Preparing a Finished Product .............. 121
Creating a Time Lapse ......................... 122
Creating Star Trails............................... 124
Bring out the Milky Way...................... 128
Single Shot HDR................................... 130
Revealing Camera Problems................ 133

REFERENCES AND RESOURCES .................135
Checklist.............................................. 136
Take Time to Enjoy............................... 137
Choosing an Aurora Workshop............ 138

Growing up in Florida, Andy Long
started his career in sports photogra
phy and writing, but a job opportunity
in Jackson, Wyoming, opened his eyes
to the world of wildlife and nature
photography. After several more
years of sports work back in Florida,
he made the move to Colorado to
fully concentrate on wildlife and na
ture and has not looked back.

After a few years of delving into the
world of nature photography he has
now been leading photo workshops
around the world since 1994 and is a
featured writer for several print and
online photography publications.

He has been published in more than 40 different publications and books
as well as in National Geographic and Animal Planet television shows.
Print publications include Alaska Magazine, Birders World, Outdoor Life,
View (Germany), Colorado Outdoors, Audubon field guides, Texas Parks
& Wildlife, Nature Photographer, Outdoor Photographer and Montana
Outdoors. He is a winner in the Audubon Share the View contest (aurora