My Finland and Norway trip February 2013

[Lester]

Hi all, from Inari northern Finland where I will be till the 8th February when I will move into northern Norway. I managed to get my first image of Aurora Borealis soon after midnight this morning. Even the though the kp index was only a 1, so extremely low activity the image showed colour that extended outside the FOV of the 14mm lens on Canon 5D MK II.

http://i638.photobucket.com/albums/uu109/Lester_045/Finland%20and%20Norway%20during%20F ebruary%202013/IMG_9370jpg1-2-13Aurora1Final_zpsa7b84668.jpg

[colinmlegg]

Hopefully that CME brings you some goodness in the next few days, Lester. Enjoy the GREEN :)

[Lester]

Thanks Colin, hoping the clouds will part soon.

[Rigel003]

What a great adventure, Lester. Keep warm and send us lots of photos. This is a great start.

[Lester]

Thanks Graeme, yes it's a trip of a life time for me. Hoping for clear skies tonight for the aurora. Here is a image from this mornings Sun rise 9:30 am and was set by 2:30 pm. All the best.

http://i638.photobucket.com/albums/uu109/Lester_045/Finland%20and%20Norway%20during%20F ebruary%202013/IMG_9656_7_8_tonemapped2-2-13InariFinal1_zps5a060380.jpg

[Lester]

Hi all, got some more images from 2 nights ago and this time could see the aurora moving rapidly. Had to keep the exposures short to try and freeze the action. The kp was still only a 1 when I saw the activity although earlier in the evening it was 3, but snowing here then. Will join the Aurora Hunters tour today for 2 weeks where they will drive our small group to find the clear skies.

http://i638.photobucket.com/albums/uu109/Lester_045/Aurora%20views/IMG_9851-3-2-13AB14mm5secISO3200Final1_zps0bee8a c1.jpg

http://i638.photobucket.com/albums/uu109/Lester_045/Aurora%20views/IMG_9848AB3-2-13-14mm5secISO3200InariFinal1_zps45cb1 47c.jpg

[pluto]

Nice Lester, good to see, I'll be in Norway next week hunting the aurora, can't wait :)

[Lester]

Thanks Hugh, from what I have seen here all we need is clear skies and even with low activity the aurora can easily fill a wide angle lens FOV. All the best.

[pluto]

Thanks Lester, good luck to you too! :D

[Kunama]

Its the perfect place to see the auroras, by now you will have heard the word "Revontulet" used for it. Its the Finnish word for the aurora and translates to " Fox's Fires " from the belief they were caused by the swish of a magical fox's tail across snow covered arctic lands causing the snow to fly up into the heavens.

I was fortunate to grow up not far from Lappi and saw the aurora countless times.

[Lester]

Thanks Matt, for your input; I hadn't heard of "Revontulet".

Here is one of many images I got last night near the Russian border where it was -22 C and the kp was only 0. Could see the aurora band in the sky but not the colour. Nose got uncomfortable as the internal moisture began to crystalize till I put a scarf over my face.

http://i638.photobucket.com/albums/uu109/Lester_045/Aurora%20views/_MG_0387BA5-2-13NearRussianborderFinal1_zpsd98117 9e.jpg

[ourkind]

Beautiful photos Lester! Thanks for sharing :thumbsup:

[Kunama]

This latest picture looks like it was taken from our backyard in Finland, just beautiful. Keep them coming.

[Lester]

Thanks for all your comments. Tonight 7-2-13 the aurora Borealis went off big time, and at the maximum covered 75% of the entire sky. The kp was still only a 1. More activity is expected tomorrow. These images taken with a 14mm Samyang f2.8 lens, near Inari northern Finland. Tomorrow we move to northern Norway.

http://i638.photobucket.com/albums/uu109/Lester_045/Aurora%20views/_MG_1120-7-2-13ABFinal1_zpsc6804b20.jpg

This image is over a huge radio tower.
http://i638.photobucket.com/albums/uu109/Lester_045/Aurora%20views/_MG_1123AB7-2-13-14mmFinal1_zpsf227b19f.jpg

This feature hung in the sky for ages like a huge comet.
http://i638.photobucket.com/albums/uu109/Lester_045/Aurora%20views/_MG_1139AB7-2-13Final1_zps34b49a8e.jpg

I took over 1,000 images with two cameras going continuously.

[RickS]

Very nice pictures, Lester. Makes me wish I was there :) We had a great time in Norway and Iceland a year ago.

[Lester]

Thanks for all the comments. Here are some more from near Stabbursdalen Norway, 70+ latitude.

http://i638.photobucket.com/albums/uu109/Lester_045/Aurora%20views/_MG_14738-2-13InariradiotowerhillFinal1_zps8168 0aa6.jpg

http://i638.photobucket.com/albums/uu109/Lester_045/Aurora%20views/_MG_1837Norway8-2-13Final1_zps97862328.jpg

this one has the face of an Indian chief with huge head piece of green and red.
http://i638.photobucket.com/albums/uu109/Lester_045/Aurora%20views/_MG_2874-10-2-13FinalEx1_zps18f61014.jpg

[iceman]

Been enjoying your photos on FB, Lester. Very jealous!

The hardest part now is going to be whittling those images down to a reasonable number! I can imagine the many thousands you have taken.

Great shots!

[Lester]

Thanks Mike, so far almost 4,000 images taken. So will take some time to get them all sorted and time lapse movies made.

[Lester]

Well last night went off and didn't stop, only the rising Sun put an end to the display. At times covered the entire sky and yet the kp peaked at only a 2. The first image is my favorite so far of all my images due to the colour and structure of the aurora. Taken over Parsanger Fiord Norway.

http://i638.photobucket.com/albums/uu109/Lester_045/Aurora%20views/_MG_3398PorsangerFiord12-2-13FINALEXC_zps02028acb.jpg

http://i638.photobucket.com/albums/uu109/Lester_045/Aurora%20views/_MG_3409Porsangerfiord12-2-13FinalEx_zps62b3237e.jpg

http://i638.photobucket.com/albums/uu109/Lester_045/Aurora%20views/_MG_3589-13-2-13FE15mmporsangerfiordfinal1_zpsbb0 136b6.jpg

The last two images taken with Sigma 15mm FE lens at F2.8 to try and capture most of the view. This lens gives a 180 degree diagonal FOV.

http://i638.photobucket.com/albums/uu109/Lester_045/Aurora%20views/_MG_3589-13-2-13FE15mmporsangerfiordfinal1_zpsbb0 136b6.jpg

Looking straight up with fish eye lens.

http://i638.photobucket.com/albums/uu109/Lester_045/Aurora%20views/_MG_3612-13-2-13FE15mmporsangerfiordFinalGD_zps27 92afef.jpg

[Kunama]

Now you're just showing off Lester !!!




Seriously beautiful images , looks like I will have to go and do some renovations on my family cottage in Finland!

[RickS]

Lovely shots, Lester!

[colinmlegg]

Enjoying all the views, Lester. You seem to have got something most nights. Are you travelling far to find clear skies? Seems better cloudwise than my winter in Canada. Look forward to more here and on FB.

[skytry]

hi Lester,
I am enjoying the photo trip you are taking,
eyecatching,
are you taking with tripod or hand, and what camera are you useing,
well done, enjoy your trip, they don't come too often,

regards,
Peter.

[Lester]

thanks everyone for your comments, all appreciated. Colin here in Norway has been better than Inari Finland for clear skies. And the aurora views have got better each night, now with many displays covering the whole sky. Many times we have seen the aurora in colours of red and fluro green with our eyes.

Peter, all aurora images are taken here with tripod as exposures range from 5-20 seconds. Some on our group have done live video, but comes out grainy.

We go back to Inari in Finland tomorrow and I fly home beginning on Monday. A dream trip, has become a change of life for me, with the founder of Aurora Hunters, Andy Keen from Wales in the UK, offering me a job working for him. Beginning September.

Lester = "pig in mud"

All the best.

[Lester]

Here are some more images from Norway.

1= bridge near Sabbursdalen resort, Sigma 15mmFE lens.
http://i638.photobucket.com/albums/uu109/Lester_045/Aurora%20views/_MG_387114-2-13Stabbursdalenbridge15mmFEFinal1_z ps50622f15.jpg

2= On this night the aurora went from strength to strength, over the Porsanger Fiord near Lakselv Norway. Aurora Borealis to the left, the light from the rising sun, center and the lights of Lakselv to the right. Two other in our small group walked out on the fiord ice and could hear the water and it broke. That would have freaked this south Aussie out with no experience of ice over water, so I stayed on the bank.
http://i638.photobucket.com/albums/uu109/Lester_045/Aurora%20views/_MG_3663-13-2-13-15mmFEporsangerfiordFinal1_zps9e41e 505.jpg

3= The ghost of Stabbursdalen over the bridge captured at 2:30 am, with fish eye lens.
http://i638.photobucket.com/albums/uu109/Lester_045/Aurora%20views/_MG_4000Stabbursdalen14-2-13ghostFinal_zps694c7ba7.jpg

4= On a few times we have seen this twisted aurora and usually when it is moving fast. It doesn't last for long.
http://i638.photobucket.com/albums/uu109/Lester_045/Aurora%20views/_MG_4270nearHamerfest14-2-13Final1_zps9870978e.jpg

5= This view taken when leaving Hammerfest (northern most city) 14-2-13 view over the fiord.

http://i638.photobucket.com/albums/uu109/Lester_045/Aurora%20views/_MG_4223NearHamerfest14-2-13Final_zps830fd552.jpg

[Rigel003]

Wow!! that will be a change of life from farming on Eyre peninsula. That's a great opportunity. The photos are fantastic, Lester.

[skytry]

hi Lester,
as before, great photo's, and enjoy your tripping,
safe returns too AU, that is if you are coming this way in the near future, and I shall look forward too the edited versions when completed,
if they shall be available,
good one,
regards,
Peter.

[colinmlegg]

Fantastic news, Lester. Huge congrats. I might visit you in December ;)

[Lester]

Thanks Graeme, Peter and Colin for your comments.

That would be great to catch up in person Colin. At this stage the Aurora Hunters go from 15th September till end of October, then from 29th December till mid March.

All the best.