Nordic travel plans August / September 2017

[Debs]

Morning you two

I'm so pleased that you've seen the NL - or had a taster at least!!!!
Here's to many more (they are G&T's of course)
X

 

[jumartoo]

not something you get to practice at, just had a small showing, green curtains dancing (well moving around at least) truly amazing sight, will try to master how to take a photo, needs long exposure and steadier hand

View attachment 183521

I'd settle for that. How long would it take us to get back up there???

PPP

 

[DavidG58]

Needs a tripod David.

Reading up about my camera, it does have several handheld night shot modes, using multiple shots (x10)...
I think your camera is a proper DLSR, so probably has even more options and/or scene modes.
Good luck
( ...but watching the lights is more important than pictures, eh ).

I haven't even got let alone brought a tripod didn't even pack my rules. Need to research options on google, or could you check your rules Dave, have you packed yours?

As you say though Stephen seeing them was the thing , oddly though we saw them as different colours. Bev didn't see as much green as me more cream like moving clouds, which definitely do not look like normal clouds. Fingery strands and then curtains moving across the sky

We even had an awesome moon last night nearly full and only rose just over the horizon for a few hours.

Loving everything about the trip right now, sun is full on and 15 C outside already.

Only real problem I can see is getting motivated to drive all the way home

 

[DavidG58]

a couple of shots, last nights moon, tonight is a full moon we literally had this out of one window and the aurora out of the opposite end of our bed area last night

this mornings ornithological offering, a pair of goosanders on the water edge near our pitch

that's going in my photo of the day as well

then work in progress on the eagle in flight, just need to them to come a little closer, or at least when I am ready for them, had a direct fly over this morning possibly only 50' up (no camera) but an awesome sight

 

[daveandsan]

Beaten

I haven't even got let alone brought a tripod didn't even pack my rules. Need to research options on google, or could you check your rules Dave, have you packed yours?

I do normally carry one all the time in the motorhome but must admit to having a clear out before our trip to France and sadly it is in the garage at home.

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[DavidG58]

Beaten

I do normally carry one all the time in the motorhome but must admit to having a clear out before our trip to France and sadly it is in the garage at home.

no problem Dave, but thanks, been on google, got a PDF manual, already discovered buttons I didn't know I had, but no clues on night shots yet, 330 pages to go

 

[Jasz]

Glad to hear that you have seen the lights after all that traveling. Your picture of the moon looks surprisingly sharp if hand held. Without a tripod, you could probably get away with standing your camera on something - any initial movement may not matter too much on a long exposure. Manual exposures are often the way to go on night shots.

 

[Ralph-n-Bev]

Sooooo glad you've got to see the Northern Lights
Yaaaaaaay !

 

[Robert Clark]

Found this online David - might be useful

https://www.davemorrowphotography.com/2014/10/how-to-photograph-northern-lights.html

 

[DavidG58]

Thanks Robert, I will try and cherry pick for the best bits to recreate as close as I can what we actually see, so much of these tuitions seems to massively enhance things, makes a lovely photo but nothing like what happened

Just hope I get more chance to practice and then don't waste too much looking opportunity

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[DavidG58]

@moulin 87 we will study the area where we are many thanks for the map links, not sure I can cope with driving any further north before heading home, I think it is still 400 miles to A and back in a straight run which we will not be doing already

fly drive maybe the answer next time, or longer, but don't think I will get Bev back up here for even longer

we will be including Andoya though

 

[Langtoftlad]

Do I get the feeling that perhaps the trip hasn't quite lived up to your expectations ?

 

[DavidG58]

Do I get the feeling that perhaps the trip hasn't quite lived up to your expectations ?

far from it Stephen, I think half way p we started to realise just how far it was and how many days it needed doing a lot of miles, didn't really associate that with the return trip

we have ticked three boxes out of three, last nights aurora was awesome for us, photos nowhere near what we saw, the close up eagles have been amazing, the almost certainty of crossing the arctic circle is a self imposed want to do for years, driving through not simply flying

No this has been a great trip, but I do support Bev in her opinion that once this far is enough, that said she also moaned that I never take her anywhere warm and she has been moaning about the heat and we have been worried about Lola walking today at 18C

a thoroughly recommended trip, but don't anybody under estimate how far it is and how long it takes just to drive up and back down

 

[DavidG58]

todays exploits while we await the arrival of A + R literally on the flight path to the airport, but so far today that has only been iused about 10 times in total

geo caching, well it keeps Bev happy

but what we also discovered was a small bit of WW2 history at the same time

we have spotted signs referencing a battle of Narvik, seems like it was a WW2 event, no idea really why yet, but guess it related to the north atlantic seas and the Germans using the fjords up here for U boats etc

On a small headland adjacent to us there is a memorial to locals and of all races Yugoslavians who were brought in as prisoners and made to work on roads, tunnels and gun emplacements, how they moved enough people this far across Europe I have no idea, train I would presume

Even this small area has massive excavations even a tunnel into the rock headland to store armaments, gun bases that had a range of 16km, pill boxes that are still open and nice to go in

The first photo is a modern monument to the dead in the form of a symbolic church right on the point

this is on the spot of a machine gun point, which was in turn adjacent to big gun bases that ran up the slope to the top of the hill in these photos

something obviously very important to defend

it did get me wondering how on earth did the Germans ever get so close to winning the war when they spread them selves so far across Europe and took on so many countries at the same time, also made me glad to live now not then

 

[DavidG58]

more happy shots

the view back to our pitch from the hill side and the walk there

and an alternative base for an eagle location, but from much further away

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[moulin 87]

we have spotted signs referencing a battle of Narvik, seems like it was a WW2 event, no idea really why yet, but guess it related to the north atlantic seas and the Germans using the fjords up here for U boats etc

Be careful how you discuss the battle of Narvik with the locals...

It was the first battle of WW2 that the Germans LOST.... Though I think it was Austrians doing the fighting..

I know this far seeing a memorial to the battle on the E6 north of Narvik...

 

[DavidG58]

Be careful how you discuss the battle of Narvik with the locals...

It was the first battle of WW2 that the Germans LOST.... Though I think it was Austrians doing the fighting..

I know this far seeing a memorial to the battle on the E6 north of Narvik...

you would think the locals would be really pleased with that result, I now need to google what and why

 

[DavidG58]

we have this view looking south right now and just had text alert for strong aurora starting now for an hour , just about dark enough to see if it appears now

 

[Langtoftlad]

Brill pics as usual @DavidG58
We haven't had a wardrobe update for awhile... shorts, yay or nay?

Fingers crossed for more Aurora Borealis tonight - shame about the moon phase... must lighten the sky somewhat.

 

[DavidG58]

shorts very definitely, have put my weird fish on for the evening viewing options, but still double figures temp wise, but clear skies mean cold air

moon phase is actually not so bad, only visible for a few hours, and very low all the while in view so not really affecting the sky too much and looks lovely

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[Langtoftlad]

Seen or heard any of these?

Pic from the Visit Norway - Narvik page.
( It being full moon & everything.... aawoooo howwwll )

 

[moulin 87]

Broken Link Removed

This was a photo from Friday, not to far from where you are as the crow flies...






Tasmania..

Perhaps that would be warm enough for Bev !!!

 

[Ralph-n-Bev]

Some info here on phone / Camera settings for the lights....www.tourradar.com/days-to-come/how-to-photograph-northern-lights/

Good luck

Ralph

 

[DavidG58]

saw them again

still so much better for real than these show, real moving curtain of light they literally come and go in seconds

I have taken a few hundred and need to do some culling, I know these photos are not brilliant yet, but still work in progress for me there

 

[Robert Clark]

Did you see this ?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-41110082

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[Debs]

X

 

[Langtoftlad]

saw them again

So pleased for you

 

[DavidG58]

Just had an email alert to say 6th - 9 th Sept could best shows this year

 

[DavidG58]

hello all, now we are 4, yesterday was too cloudy for aurora spotting, but just as well as we sat in, had fillet steak and a bottle or 2 of red wine, so too 'busy' to watch

today we moved on, some travelling shots, preceded by the four of us at our lunch time stop,

on the left Annie and Roger, Annie is Bev's cousin

the one not smiling is too busy concentrating on pressing the right button

then some of the journey to the top of Andoya an island associated by proximity but not part of Lofoten Isles , the most northerly part of our trip

the sunny bits in the main are the mainland coast we have a disappointingly grey day, but 17C no rain and still in shorts, sun just coming out now looking well set for a great sunset, over night spot photos next

 

[Robert Clark]

David

Do you remember when you said that my travel pics were spoiled by my face appearing in them ?

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