I had planned a van trip across Iceland last winter with one goal in mind, chasing Northern Lights. After two days spent waiting under thick clouds, the night of October 31st at Vestrahorn finally brought what I had been hoping for, a completely clear sky.
If you're interested, you can find more of my work on Instagram
After two nights of chasing in vain under the clouds, this third night promised to be clear! Off to the iconic Vestrahorn mountain to finally capture the Northern Lights.
Settled on the beach facing it, the weather didn’t lie: not a cloud in sight. Cameras were out, we photographed the sunset, and then night fell. Still no auroras... The location was spectacular, so I decided to shoot a night panorama just to have something to take home. Yet, there was still no sign of light.
Meanwhile, the wind picked up significantly, making it feel much colder. Strong gusts whipped sand everywhere into our faces, our eyes, and the equipment (one intervalometer completely ruined, another half broken, and an autofocus ring that’s been crunchy ever since).
At 9 PM, still nothing. We decided to stop the time lapses that had been running for almost two hours and packed up the gear. On the way back to the van, we gave one last glance north, just to be sure and then… surprise! Lights erupted above the mountain! Chaos ensued shouting, running back to our spot, pure panic. The sky was exploding with color, and I had no idea what to do start a time lapse? A panorama?
Completely mesmerized by the display, it took me a good 40 minutes to readjust the settings and get the first photos. In the adrenaline rush, I climbed one of the dunes for this panorama, but while trying to pose, I flopped like a seal on the ice.
We shot non stop until 1:15 AM, then decided to drive 40 minutes to another spot to make the most of the night. In the end, the show lasted until 3 AM before fading gently. From that night, I walked away with several panoramas and time lapses I barely dared to dream of capturing before coming here. Vestrahorn: mission accomplished.
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📷
Canon 6D
Sigma ART 14mm
Sky: 36 pictures at ISO-2500, F1.8, 5sec
Foreground: 9 pictures at ISO-2500, F1.8, 15sec
I had planned a van trip across Iceland last winter with one goal in mind, chasing Northern Lights. After two days spent waiting under thick clouds, the night of October 31st at Vestrahorn finally brought what I had been hoping for, a completely clear sky.
If you're interested, you can find more of my work on Instagram
After two nights of chasing in vain under the clouds, this third night promised to be clear! Off to the iconic Vestrahorn mountain to finally capture the Northern Lights.
Settled on the beach facing it, the weather didn’t lie: not a cloud in sight. Cameras were out, we photographed the sunset, and then night fell. Still no auroras... The location was spectacular, so I decided to shoot a night panorama just to have something to take home. Yet, there was still no sign of light.
Meanwhile, the wind picked up significantly, making it feel much colder. Strong gusts whipped sand everywhere into our faces, our eyes, and the equipment (one intervalometer completely ruined, another half broken, and an autofocus ring that’s been crunchy ever since).
At 9 PM, still nothing. We decided to stop the time lapses that had been running for almost two hours and packed up the gear. On the way back to the van, we gave one last glance north, just to be sure and then… surprise! Lights erupted above the mountain! Chaos ensued shouting, running back to our spot, pure panic. The sky was exploding with color, and I had no idea what to do start a time lapse? A panorama?
Completely mesmerized by the display, it took me a good 40 minutes to readjust the settings and get the first photos. In the adrenaline rush, I climbed one of the dunes for this panorama, but while trying to pose, I flopped like a seal on the ice.
We shot non stop until 1:15 AM, then decided to drive 40 minutes to another spot to make the most of the night. In the end, the show lasted until 3 AM before fading gently. From that night, I walked away with several panoramas and time lapses I barely dared to dream of capturing before coming here. Vestrahorn: mission accomplished.
---
📷
Canon 6D
Sigma ART 14mm
Sky: 36 pictures at ISO-2500, F1.8, 5sec
Foreground: 9 pictures at ISO-2500, F1.8, 15sec
Mission got a legendary ass kicking. I dream of getting a shot like that. Masterful.work.
Thank you so much 🙏
Stunning capture, wow!! The northern lights are pure magic, and you captured them perfectly! Gorgeous! ✨
Thank you so much 😊🙏
Stunningly beautiful
Fantastic work
Thanks 😊🙏
Wow! Love this
Amazing! 🙌
Thank you 🙏
La brea.
Like the sky painting its own rainbow in motion.