Thors Chariots the Northern Lights Norway

Thors Chariots - The Northern Lights from Ingenious TV on Vimeo.

I have just returned from my annual trip to Norway to shoot the Northern Lights. This year I used a Sony PMW-350 with a NanoFlash and they performed superbly, which was just well as this year we were clouded out for all but 2 nights and even then there was a thin layer of cloud making the Aurora dim and diffuse. One of these days I'm going to get the funds together to go and spend a month up in Norway during the winter and really make a go of shooting the Aurora. It is such a beautiful subject and video cameras are now sensitive enough to capture many of the finer details that are lost with long exposure still photographs.
The clips were shot using the Slow Shutter at either 32 of 64 frames recording 1 frame every second timelapse on both the 350 and NanoFlash. I did have to add in some gain this year due to the faint nature of the Aurora, up to 6db at times and as a result the pictures are grainier than I would have liked. Even so I have to say that the 350 is super sensitive. There was another person with me (Phil Clemo) shooting on one of my EX3's and the footage from the 350 is quite a bit better than the EX3 material shot at the same time.

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

Iceland a time lapse ...

Iceland from Darius Valatkevicius on Vimeo.

Time lapse movie from magnificent country Iceland. It's truly A Photographer's Paradise. During two weeks trekking trip we visited Landmannalaugar, Myvatn Krafla, Jokulsargljufur, Snaefelness, Reykjavik.

Music: Ludovico Einaudi "Nefeli"
"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

See the Northern Lights - Aurora Borealis

Northern Lights

The sight of the lights shimmering and dancing across the night sky will be etched in the memory of all those who are lucky enough to witness it.
The phenomenon of the Northern Lights has fascinated the Sámi people for centuries and there are more than 20 folk tales that attempt to explain their existence. In many parts of Lapland the Northern lights are known as the Firefox. Legend has it that the tail of a running fox brushing against the powder snow causes the sparks in the sky. It is also said that the Arctic Sea contains so many fish that the sun's light is reflected off their scales and creates the patterns in the sky.
Today's science means that we now know that the Aurora Borealis displays we see are caused by electrically charged particles in space hitting the earth's atmosphere. When they collide with oxygen and nitrogen particles they emit excess energy as light.
Although the Aurora Borealis can be seen from northerly parts of the United Kingdom the occurrences are rare and the intensity of the displays tend to be low. The further north you travel the better your chances of viewing the lights so all the destinations in this brochure provide great opportunities to see the Northern lights.
The optimum time to see the Northern lights is between 9pm and 1am in the morning. Be careful not to go to bed too soon or you may miss out. The intensity of the displays can vary and may start with a small stationary glow or arch in the night sky before building into a spectacular show.
The Aurora Borealis is a purely natural phenomenon and therefore cannot be guaranteed whichever destination you choose. However, the further north you travel and the further away from man-made light you are, the better your chance to see the Northern lights. Many of our destinations offer night time and overnight safaris that will give you the perfect opportunity to see the Aurora Borealis as we take you deep into the darkness (and our guides know all the best view points!).
Lying on a reindeer skin in deep snow, watching the sky shimmer and drinking hot berry juice is an excellent way to spend part of your holiday! Whatever you believe about the Aurora Borealis there is no more spectacular experience on Earth than sitting in a winter wonderland watching the lights dancing across the sky. It is truly magical! Choose from our Lapland trips below and see the Northern lights with Activities Abroad.

via activitiesabroad.com

dedicated to my friend @Vlavo