St3v3M Loc: 35,000 feet

alaskanone's WPC Entry has been selected for the Photo Critique Forum* to find out what could have done to make it better.

Be nice, but be honest as this may help everyone with their craft. Thank you everyone!

From WPC 1517 - Night Sky Landscape RESULTS http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/photo_contest_ratings.jsp?pcnum=167

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Alaska light show.

(Download)

Country's Mama Loc: Michigan

I would have been giddy with excitement to have had the opportunity to photograph this. I think I would have taken a step to the left to keep the tree from intersecting the right branch of your aurora.

alaskanone

Yes, I certainly was giddy with excitment. This was the strongest Arora of the year here in Alaska, it lasted all night, morphing into many different shapes and patterns. I was lucky enough to be in Denali on this night and I captured many pictures. I agree that the tree branch is somewhat distracting, I remember walking back and forth trying to frame the aurora as it rapidly changed position and shape, my tripod kept sinking into the soft snow but never hit bottom so I finally settled on a spot on the side of the road. Thanks for taking the time to comment, I am always trying to improve.

Japakomom Loc: Originally from the Last Frontier

I love this! The mountains are sharply focused, the spruce are nicely silhouetted, and the northern lights, well they are the northern lights and are spectacular in themselves. If I were to try something different it would be to have a faster shutter speed so that the northern lights are more crisp and might show more of their color as opposed to being so white. But I was not there and have no idea of the colors that were being produced at the time. I think it would have been hard to predict where the NL would be moving to avoid the taller spruce. I actually like the lone spruce taller than the others. To me, spruce trees say Alaska.
Nicely done!

alaskanone

Thank you for the comment. Yes I think you may be right about the faster shutter, I tryed several combinations of iso, and shutter and the faster shutter may have helped bring out the colors. I looked back trough some of my shots from that night after reading your comment. This was my first year photographing the northern lights and any help is appreciated.