ELAINE QUEHL, Quilt Artist, Teacher, Dyer, Designer

Friday, January 27, 2012

Meeting the Aurora: Yellowknife, Part 3

They started softly, and I thought, OK what's the big deal? But it was like an evening of fireworks with the show being kicked up a notch each time they danced. And dance they did! These pictures do not in any way do justice to the show. I am an amateur photographer, and without the help of our guide Joe, I probably would not have selected anywhere near the correct shutter speed.
It was -31 degrees celsius and by the time we finished my camera was frozen to my tripod, my fingers ached and I was chilled to the bone! We had a large group of about 10 people chasing the aurora last night so it was a challenge capturing photos because someone (sometimes me!) was always opening a door to one of our vehicles to get warm, thus turning on the vehicle's lights and overexposing our photos.
You can see more professional aurora shots on the website of Joe's company, North Star Adventures. He runs a variety of tours, and is a fabulous guide and all around great guy! I think the tundra photography tour looks very very interesting!

I likely won't be posting again until I get home on Monday, since I'm teaching this evening and all day Saturday and Sunday. Workshops are being held in the classroom space at one of the local quilt shops (yes Yellowknife has two!), The Quilted Raven. It is a beautiful quilt shop with a ramp entry to wheel your supplies up, classroom and shop all on one level, gorgeous fabric and samples, and lovely decorative touches throughout.

2 comments:

  1. You did it !!! You caught the Aurora! Well done, Elaine. i am VERY glad you were able to see it. I have seen it from an airplane window and just around home a couple of times but to see it in the north must be stunning! Enjoy every minute. You will be home again before you know it.

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  2. Wow, those are beautiful. I've only seen the Aurora from northern Ontario, but even that was stunning. So glad you got this experience -- it's awe-inspiring!

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