 |
| As seen from our back deck. |
"Darling", said JJ to me as he was putting the dog out. "Come forth, and gaze upon the northern lights, whose beauty is so unfathomable, it pales only in comparison to yours." Or "Hey, c'mere! You gotta see this!"
We have been having spectacular displays of northern lights lately. Every night before we go to bed we end up standing on the back deck staring up at the sky.
If you've never seen the northern lights, they are very difficult to describe. A lot of photos you find on the internet have been heavily photoshopped and stylized to enhance the lights, which are a softer green than most people think. At times they can be difficult to really "see", as your eyes keep trying to focus on the soft dancing blurs. Then a sudden burst of brightness and clarity will occur, and they are as bright as Christmas lights. Its nearly impossible to capture the reality, although there are some time-lapse videos out there that come close.
The Inuit refer to the northern lights as "Aqsarniit". "Aurora borealis" is a more scientific term. I think L.M. Montgomery's Anne Shirley would describe them as "soft glowing waves of viridescence painted upon the depths of ink black canvas".
The first night the lights presented themselves in full splendour JJ grabbed his iPhone in an attempt to take photos. After a few minutes he calmed himself down in time to keep from throwing the phone off the deck into the lake. The next night he pulled out his old Canon and googled "taking photos of northern lights." After some trial and error of playing with camera settings, he got some amazing shots (all the photos on this post are his).
Some people up here go to a website to check out the conditions for northern lights:
 |
| source |
Walking out onto the back deck works just as well.
Its moments like these that I think everyone will remember forever.
Good on you Justin! I have tried to take those pictures for 10 years now. Albeit with my phone on the side of the highway. Driving on rural roads heading to or from work the show is spectacular, and sooo hard to explain to others what you see
ReplyDeleteHi Bruce. I remember driving to the hospital in the middle of the night in Thunder Bay last winter and there was an impressive aurora display -- cars pulled over on the side of the Trans-Canada with the drivers standing outside watching. That night *was* spectacular -- until I saw the northern lights here. :) I'm so pleased the kids are getting this experience. All the best! -Justin
ReplyDeleteHoly, are these northern lights not spectacular?! Good job with the photos J.J.
ReplyDeleteSome things are so beautiful that words cannot come close to describing them. Northern lights is one of those. You will all have some terrific memories.