Will Korn  


Aurora by Will Korn

November 2024 - Aurora

About the Image(s)

It was October 10th and the aurora predictions were high, even in Massachusetts. In my backyard, I didn't see much so I headed for a reservoir in a less densely developed suburb nearby. I definitely saw the green and pink in the sky with the naked eye but of course the camera sees more. It's not that the images are manipulated, it's that the sensor picks up details your eyes cannot see.

I thought I had a brilliant idea to go to this spot, as I had long thought about going to photograph the night sky there; however, once Facebook exploded with posts about the aurora, dozens of people arrived there for the show. You can see the silhouettes of 3 young men who jumped over the fence and went down to the water's edge with their cell phones.

Tech: f/1.8; 4s; ISO 800; 20mm.


This round’s discussion is now closed!
6 comments posted




Lance Lewin   Lance Lewin
Simply brilliant!!

The people-in-motion really add to making the scene more engaging, in my opinion.

In trying to control the brightness of the camera's eye, have you tried what affect applying either a digital ND filter (varying amounts) or maybe similarly using a Polarizing filter, such as the one in Color Efex Pro 4, for example?

  Posted: 11/03/2024 11:43:40
Will Korn   Will Korn
At night, light-reducing filters are not appropriate. ISO is already pushed to the limit. The processing depends up on preference. If one wishes the sky to appear less bright or less colorful, this can be done in LR.   Posted: 11/03/2024 15:27:51
Will Korn   Will Korn
IT LOOKS like I did not read your comment correctly. You were talking about post-processing. Apologies. My answer is then, I like it this way, but an argument can be made to make the sky less bright, which would not be difficult to do.   Posted: 11/27/2024 01:37:38



Jennifer Marano   Jennifer Marano
Hi Will,

What a great aurora photo! The colors and reflections are beautiful, but the three young men really add to the story of people enjoying this rare (for lower 48ers) event.   Posted: 11/10/2024 22:24:41



Steven Jungerwirth   Steven Jungerwirth
Great capture - love the colors - and how the camera "sees" stuff we can't. The three people add so much interest.   Posted: 11/10/2024 23:04:10



Dale Yates   Dale Yates
Excellent photo! The color scheme is handled very well. I also like the few stars scattered in the sky which seems to add to the interest of this image. The 3 men are great for the story line of this photo. Thanks for sharing.   Posted: 11/12/2024 00:49:54