Tag Archives: Saariselka

Northern Lights at Saariselka, Finnish Lapland

At Saariselka, a small village of 300 inhabitants 250km above the arctic circle in the Finnish tundra, Northern Lights can be seen over 200 days per year. They could also be seen during three spectacular nights spent this past March, right after the equinox, a good time to spot this amazing phenomenon. A 5D MarkII was rented for the occassion along with the 16-35mm f/2.8 L II wide angle lens. Most of the pictures, however, came out best with the 24 f/1.4 L II , which allowed shorter shutter times and greater texture in the sky.

Exposures varied anywhere from 6 to 30 sec with ISO maxed at 800. Apperture was always maxed at whatever the lens could deliver. Tripod, cable release and mirror lock-up were used at all times. Read more...