Northern lights over the dinosaur bones

Badland Beauty

Photographing the northern lights is always exciting and challenging. These northern lights were photographed in the badlands of Alberta where the dinosaurs once roamed (65 million years ago) under a full moon. The orange glow on the left side are the street lights of Brooks, Alberta approximately 50km away.

 

My usual area for photographing the northern lights is northern Canada. Here in the badlands of Alberta, my night time roaming for the best view point was hampered by the fear stepping near a rattle snake, cacti or in a sink hole, or slipping on the damp and extremely slippery Bentonite, a type of ancient mud rich in volcanic ash.

 

Nikon D700, and Leica 19mm lens (with Leitax adapter). Exposure time of 25 seconds f/6.6, ISO 800. Note EXIF info is incorrect.

 

Click on the photos to see them larger.

 

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Alaska Highway – Muncho Lake, British Columbia

Muncho Lake, part of the Muncho Lake Provincial Park is located at kilometre 681 (mile 423) of the Alaska Highway in northern British Columbia, Canada.

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Even on a cloudy day day, the views are still incredible.

The distinctly jade green colored lake, tinted green by minerals is about 12 km (7.5 mi) long and between 1 and 6 km wide, and is home to lake trout, arctic grayling, bull trout and whitefish. Muncho Lake is surrounded by Terminal Mountain Range to the west and the Sentinel Mountain Range to the east. The tallest mountains reach heights of more than 2,000 m (6,600 ft), and lake level is at an elevation of 820 m (2,690 ft). Many of the mountains were formed by folded layers of limestone and have broad alluvial fans created by powerful floods.

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Watching the sun go down from the dock at Muncho Lake. That water is Cold !

 

We camped at Strawberry Flats campground, August 4th 2013, and during the night, the northern lights put on a show !.

 

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Northern Lights over the dock at Muncho Lake; jade colored sky over a jade colored Muncho Lake. Nikon D700 with Nikon 17-35mm lens; 30 second exposure, f/2.8, ISO 1250.

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Northern Lights a glassy Muncho Lake. Nikon D700 with Nikon 17-35mm lens; 25 second exposure, f/2.8, ISO 800.

 

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Red and blue lights from the interior of the RV contrast with the green of the northern lights over Muncho Lake, August 4th, 2013. Nikon D700 with Nikon 17-35mm lens; 30 second exposure, f/2.8, ISO 1250.

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Northern Lights lighting up the the sky over a RV camper at Strawberry Flats campground, Muncho Lake, August 4th, 2013. Nikon D700 with Nikon 17-35mm lens; 20 second exposure, f/2.8, ISO 1600.

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Northern lights dance across the sky above a motor boat on the shore of Muncho Lake, August 4th, 2013. Nikon D700 with Nikon 17-35mm lens; 25 second exposure, f/2.8, ISO 1000.

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Northern lights over Strawberry Flats campground, Muncho Lake, August 4th 2013. Nikon D700 with Nikon 17-35mm lens; 25 second exposure, f/2.8, ISO 1600.

 

 

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Watching for Stone sheep !

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Who is watching who ?.

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Stone sheep crossing the Alaska highway.

‘Aurora in B&W’

‘Aurora in B&W’. Ok- I know what you are thinking…’Surely there is a law against posting Aurora photos in black and white’, and do spare me the threats of a lawsuit.Use your imagination. A crisp clear winter evening, the aurora are dancing all across the sky. As you stare at the aurora, they speed up and slow down, they fade and grow into bright vibrant colors of green, magenta and thin streaks of white on the lower edges of the aurora. You see shapes of fire, faces and figures that at times seem to be waving. Your world is above you. There are no thoughts of yesterday or plans for tomorrow, your mind is in the present.Even a photo in color cannot give you a feeling of being there. You need to experience the aurora with your own eyes, and see the colors in your own mind.

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