In this first instalment of my video tutorial series, I present a 24-minute tutorial on how to photograph and process images and time-lapse movies of the
Northern Lights, the aurora borealis, advice also applicable to the
Southern Lights, the aurora australis – the two phenomena are identical
.
In the field, at a site in southern
Alberta while awaiting a display of aurora, I cover:
• equipment
• exposures and camera settings
• tips and techniques
• and some of the science behind the
Lights
At the computer, using images of the aurora I shot that evening, I cover:
• developing Raw files in
Adobe Camera Raw (but also applicable to
Lightroom)
• basic processing of still images in
Photoshop using "smart filters"
• and exporting multiple frames to make a time-lapse movie
...
• ... by assembling an "intermediate" set of JPGs, in this case created, then assembled using Photoshop and its video functions
Other tutorial episodes cover:
• Photographing Moonlit Nightscapes
• Photographing
Star Trails
FOR MUCH MORE INSTRUCTION ...
EBOOK
I invite you to check out my 400-page ebook, "How to
Photograph and
Process Nightscapes and Time-Lapses, available worldwide exclusively at the
Apple iBookstore for
Apple Macs and iPads at —
https://itunes.apple.com/book/how-to-photograph-process/id944708252?mt=11
(
Sorry, no Kindle or
Android versions are available due to the extensive interactive and video content of the ebook.)
To learn more about my ebook and its contents, please visit —
http://www.amazingsky.com/nightscapesbook
.html
VIDEO COURSE
We also are working on an extensive multi-hour video course on Nightscape and Time-Lapse imaging and processing, scheduled to be released in
September 2016.
We are engaged in a Kickstarter campaign to finance its completion.
For all the details, see
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/58417101/nightscapes-and-time-lapses-from-field-to-photosho
TIPS and TECHNIQUES
See my AmazingSky website at http://www.amazingsky.com for more tips and techniques under "
Photography."
See my AmazingSky blog at http://www.amazingsky.net for my latest images and news of what's up in the sky.
And do check my video channel here at Vimeo (https://vimeo.com/channels/amazingsky) for my time-lapse music videos of the aurora.
For warnings of when you might see displays of aurora see the websites:
http://spaceweather.com
http://www.spaceweather.gc.ca/index-en
.php (
Government of Canada)
http://www.swpc.noaa.gov (SpaceWeather
Prediction Centre)
http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/node/114 (the
SWPC's 3-day forecast)
... and mobile apps such as AuroraForecast (http://www.tinacinc.com/AuroraForecast/), the app featured in the tutorial, available for iOS and
Android devices.
Thank you for looking! —
Alan
- published: 19 Nov 2015
- views: 4569