we've talked about how amazing it would be to see the northern lights so we decided to go on an aurora chase trip. and there are only a few good spots in the world with the highest probability of seeing them. we picked Tromsø because he likes norway and i've not been there and would definitely like to go. the gentleman truly amazed me by booking flights and airbnb - something that i typically do by default when traveling with a partner - so that was such a refreshing change. we also agreed that going for a northern lights tour for one night might not be the best thing because it's not cheap to begin with, so if we don't see them that night it would be really frustrating and we'd probably end up booking another night anyway. we've read about the week-long pass for northern lights and thought that was a better value because for the price of 2 nights, you get a chance to go for 7 nights. we booked our pass with northern shots tours.
i was on my way to changi airport (in singapore) when it dawned on me that i should probably get a tripod to take good photos in case we see the aurora. i have an old camera - the olympus pen inherited from floris - and while it's clearly outdated i had no intention of buying a good one at the last minute. but a tripod is a must - as i was told by a friend who went to Tromsø some years ago. instinctively, i sought the advice of a friend who happened to be a professional photographer. i was happily surprised when he offered not only to lend me his sturdy tripod, but also a DSLR camera! he also gave me instructions on how to have the right settings to get the perfect night shots. triple win!
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we arrived in Tromsø late saturday afternoon and we were waiting for a cab at the airport just around 6pm when he got a call. "where are you??" an angry woman demanded. apparently we booked the pass to start on saturday already, but since we were arriving late we could only join from sunday onwards. olivier explained this to the lady and after a very long conversation she agreed that we could start our pass the next day and that we must read the terms and conditions for the tour (and not cause her any more hassle). so the next evening we arrived early and the bus set off a few minutes later than planned. we wondered if she scolded the latecomers too. 😄
the tour guide is a professional photographer - and he took a few minutes to explain a few things. first, that there is no guarantee that we would see the aurora since this is not in their control and there is no switch to turn them on. he told us that there are three main things needed for the aurora to be visible: clear skies, no light pollution and most importantly, active solar winds. second, that if you have a camera and intend to take photos, to listen to his tutorial to make sure you have the right settings. he also told us that we had perfectly clear skies so it was not necessary to go too far - just somewhere really dark.
our first destination was Grøtfjord - a fjord in the west coast of Kvaløya, about an hour outside the city. we didn't wait long, and the lights started to appear. there were about 60 pax in the bus that night, and everyone scurried to secure a spot. we walked a bit further to make sure we don't get unwanted flashes in our pictures.
peter also lent me a wired camera shutter button so i won't have to press the camera itself. worked wonders! all i had to do was click, wait 15 seconds, see a preview of the photo, and repeat. i took a lot of photos, hoping that a few of them would end up decent. of course these photos are somehow edited, though you can see that i'm not a professional.
after more than an hour of enjoying the show, the guide told us that we're changing to a different location. we then went to Rekvik, plains also along Kvaløya. it was probably just a half-hour drive to this spot and the aurora was still active the whole time.
just as the guide came to collect us (we usually stay away from the crowd) he chatted with us a little bit. he asked to see our photos, and he said that something is wrong because the pictures were too dark. apparently ISO was too low, so he suggested that we increase it all the way to 1600. i tried that and this was the result:
we got back to our flat around 1 AM so it was a 6-hour trip. we came home quite happy that we saw the lights! but now armed with better camera settings, i was looking forward to joining the tour again the next evening.
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one of the smartest things we did for the trip was to go to the supermarket and get groceries so we could cook at the flat. it was norway after all, and it was quite expensive to eat out. also, with the aurora tour schedule, we can't really have proper dinner. we'd have supper around past 1, go to bed before 3, wake up after lunch and have brunch at the flat, and it's already dark by the time we're out the door. for our day 2 of aurora hunt, we decided to go for a quick meal before the tour assembly - there's a burger king joint in the city center. we still made it on time, and with less folks that night (40ish) the bus was off just a few minutes past 6.
this time we went to Skarsfjord, an hour drive directly north of the city. we waited for about half an hour, and the show started off with a few streaks. (most photos from here on quickly edited by our friend peter)
our friend pointed out that we managed to capture the comet 46P Wirtanen in some of our photos!
then, it started to get really, really magnificent. spectacular. magical. crazy stupid other-worldly.
it was so special to see the lights, especially with someone special. i've rehearsed this photograph in my mind, for many years, knowing somehow that when i finally see the aurora borealis it will be with someone unforgettable. dreams do come true. 😊
#cheesydontcare haha
after some time i decided to actually take photos with people in them. we've been the outliers so far, always away from the group, and i thought it could actually be cool to make them the subjects. some people were with the photographer-guides because they wanted portraits. the company sells these photos for 350 NOK a piece! crazy! some people were just with their mobile phones, so to stabilize their phone cameras they lie down as they take the photos. then for the rest of the time they just really enjoy the show. it was nice to see too. of course they were moving about so they're mostly blurred in the photos.
not for long though, because the guides decided we should move to another location. we then drove south to Kvaløyvågen. where we stopped there were picnic tables so i decided to claim one for my photo shoot.
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even though we already had two amazing nights, we thought of giving it another shot on day 3. the skies were clear all day, so we sort of knew that we would see the lights again that night. and of course, we did. first location that day was Grunnfjorden, also more than an hour drive from the city but to the northeast side. we waited for quite a while this time, perhaps over an hour, until the lights showed. it was pretty mild that night, and was over too quickly. we still managed to get some good snaps.
the lights were gone too soon, and the guides decided to drive to another location with the hopes that it will appear again. no luck this time, so after a long time of waiting - and most people were already just in the bus (including me) - we called it a night.
three good nights of aurora chase in a row. we were unbelievably lucky. we could have gone on for the entire week just chasing the lights, but we also wanted to see and do other things in Tromsø. however, i do understand why some people would do this, and why some get hooked and make it a yearly habit to hunt them. it was definitely an experience of a lifetime, and one that would always be spectacular no matter how many times you see it.
