Matanuska River

“It is good to feel small beneath the sparkling Northern Lights, small beside the mighty river. Nature is so close to us up here. My troubles and difficulties just shrivel up. I like being insignificant.” – Asa Larsson, Swedish Writer

Last week, I described the science behind the Northern Lights. This week, it’s about the experience.

The Shot

On September 14, NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center issued a minor geomagnetic storm watch. Our group of Alaska Fall photographers were optimistic about the Northern Lights appearing that evening.

After dinner, we scouted locations along Highway 1 paralleling the Matanuska River, near Chickaloon, Alaska. We needed an interesting landscape to compliment the Northern Lights if they made an appearance.

The most powerful landscape astrophotography images move the viewer’s eye from an interesting earthly foreground towards the beauty and mystery of the night sky. We were depending on luck to fill the night sky with the Northern Lights. But the choice of a foreground was up to us.

Nothing seemed to click for miles. Then one spot seemed perfect. Along the shore, the river curved majestically towards towering peaks in the background. And with a long exposure, the river’s chaotic flow would be simplified, helping the viewer’s eye move powerfully towards the distant mountains and up to the Northern Lights.

We set up around 10:30 pm. Not long afterwards, we saw a faint band of white light in the sky. To our cameras, it appeared green! Gradually, the Northern Lights intensified. Soon, we were gobsmacked by shimmering, dancing curtains of greens and violets above the mountain, reflecting intensely in the river below.

A rising moon just out of the frame to the left illuminated several low clouds and a snowcapped peak in the distance on the right. And traffic was scant, keeping scene-spoiling headlights out of our images. It was a gorgeous display, easily visible to the naked eye.

I revelled in feeling small beneath the sparkling lights beside the mighty river. My troubles and difficulties indeed vanished.

Our good fortune continued, and a mesmerizing overhead display appeared for several minutes. Eventually, the show shifted to our left and out of the composition.

After about 90 minutes of joy, we packed our gear and headed back to our hotel for a sound night’s sleep.

Thanks for looking,

Chuck Derus Zenfolio | Chuck Derus