An Aurora Named Steve
I first saw and photographed this phenomenon on August 21, 2014, while shooting the aurora borealis in Portage Valley of the Chugach National Forest with friend and fellow photographer CJ Kale of Lava Light Galleries in Hawaii. The nature of the phenomenon was notably different compared to the typical aurora borealis. It stood straight up from the horizon with a slight bend like a bow, and it pretty much did not move. It had a pale pink hue, and it arced from the west to the east, forming a curved line across the sky. The times I have seen and…
A New Age of Aurora Viewing
Back in 2002, I was only three years into being what I considered to be a serious nature photographer. What was that dividing line, you may ask? There were two things that happened that helped me to understand I was getting more serious. One was beginning to truly understand how light affected film, and the other was switching from color negative film to color slide film. I had only been living in Alaska for three years in 2002, and the experience was overwhelming. So many new sights, new places to explore and photograph, new friends, new work obligations, and a relationship that was…