Hi Stuart, nature can be staggeringly beautiful and to capture it is magical. No wonder you were a bit lost for words! Who wouldn’t have been. Great work well done
Absolutely stunning pictures. You do a great job of covering things which isn't easy in the dark. Your added text with witty humor is great. Thanks for sharing.
I think you can be let off completely for the issues you were having shooting the B roll, as that must have been the most incredible photography experience you have ever had the pleasure to witness. Wow, just wow!!! How envious am I? Off the scale and that's my level of envy, let alone the aurora! Absolutely amazing and thank you for capturing it and putting it out there for your audience to enjoy and marvel at. I think I need to go and have a lie down after that, let alone you!😍😲🔥🔥🔥
very kind Ian thanks, virtually impossible to film anything in pitch dark very well without specific lighting etc though to be honest I'm a photographer first and foremost the video is a distant second when this sort of thing is happening lol
We had Aurora every night back in 2012. Meant travelling from Lofoten to Sweden but it properly licked off one night at -37degs C! Amazing feeling when it lights up the whole scene and you don't know where to look. Nice.
Definitely the Wow factor Stuart. Totally and completely awesome. Thanks for sharing, you got some fantastic shots. Well done. I get inspired each time I watch one of your videos. I know the videos are a lot of work and can take away from you experiencing the moment. Thank you for your kindness by including us in your adventures.
Thanks very much Paul yep I did indeed want to drop the video here though it would have been a shame not to show people what I was really fortunate to witness.
wowser! That was so beautiful. I even made my good lady stop what she was doing and watch the video. There’s just something so incredible about the aurora, that extra bit of magic. who cares if the b roll/out takes don’t make for amazing viewing, the photos on their own are enough for that. Thanks for sharing it with us Stuart
Thanks Martin - to be honest if a photographer is faffing around perfecting b-roll when this is happening then in my eyes they're in the wrong job, image ALWAYS first
Wow! if you have enough images to do a book Stuart please take my money now! Was a privilege to watch this and your experience will remain with you for ever ❤
Stuart that is the best Aurora I’ve seen on you tube you’re skills are amazing you are so down to earth as well, like people have said you deserve way more subs with the content you put out just keep it up it’s fantastic thank you 😍
'Ropey' my ***e! Breathtaking images Stuart. Like the idea of a different shot of the foreground at lower ISO to reduce the noise, I must remember that. Thanks for sharing this fantastic experience.👏👏👏
Thanks very much Mark yeah FG at lower iso is a fairly standard Astro/nightscape method if you can be bothered with the faff in post. Can be somewhat problematic with masking and making sure exposure levels are identical before doing that
Absolutely incredible Stuart! An experience of a lifetime. And to be able to capture it on video as well as your camera - well done!! The images are "stunning". Keep up the good work and great videos! Cheers.
simply magnificent Stuart, what an incredible sight to witness with the naked eye. The footage and the images were stunning and can understand perfectly why it is so alluring and compelling to stay out and capture one of natures finest light shows
Authentic Stuart. Could feel sense of awe that you were doubtless feeling. What an experience! One day I'll have saved up enough to experience such a spectacle with my own eyes. All the best sir
It's an absolute pleasure to see a proper pro tog at work Stuart on YT! Now for a little rant again. I've just watched another so called self proclaimed pro make another complete f*** up of stunning conditions at a loch..and this guy has over 500k subs and I'm sure we are all sick to the back teeth nowadays of seeing b roll of the tripod and camera being set up over and over and over again ffs lol.. How on this Earth you only have 8k subs is beyond my logic..well tbh most things in the photography world are beyond my logic these days! Ok rant over I'm sure you get my point Stuart ;) Your photos of the Aurora here are some of the best ones I've ever seen from anyone anywhere in the world fella, truly exceptional work. Maybe you should set up a new course for people who want to become pro togs on you tube, because you are a rare breed and can count on one hand the real pro's on here. Stunning fella!!
That's very kind fella - I couldn't possibly comment on others as that wouldn't be fair however the platform is what it is, I think everyone knows by now how it works on here and what is required if growth is your goal and it involves almost nothing to do with photography. I don't have that need as I'd done all that away from this platform but it would be nice if there was some sort of middle ground on here for those which don't wish to adopt those practices. Anyway that's kind of you to say, glad you enjoyed the images :-)
@@StuartMcGlennon Cheers Stu and I 100% agree it's not fair to comment, wouldn't expect you to! Having been doing photography myself for over 22 years I can tell a pro from an influencer ;) There are those that do it for the love and passion (you for instance) and those that do anything for the algorithm/subs/likes etc (99% of the rest!) You keep doing you fella..thats the main !
Superb images Stuart. I am guessing some will grace the walls of the new gallery. You are certainly a very busy man. I wish you all the best with the new venture. Best regards - Robin
That must if been some experience, stood there in them conditions looked absolutely stunning. Some great timelapses and fantastic images, a really well captured shoot in difficult conditions. Pocket 3 did a great job really for its size. I would imagine leaving was the hardest decision that night. Fantastic!
Absolutely awesome Stuart. No wonder you went out quite a few nights to photograph the Aurora. Fantastic time lapse and image's. I thought i was subscribed to your channel but i wasn't, but i am now. Look forward to the next one.
Great video, got the shots, got your emotion that's what people want to see! I'd love to capture those ribbons, been close up here on the North coast but not quite. What can I say,,, Unbelievable!
Amazing scenes you witnessed there Stuart and the final photos look fantastic. No pressure for next year 👍. The crazy high ISO trick is a good one that I use myself for a quick composition check when I'm doing the Milky Way.
Great set of images Stuart. Don't even know how you had the discipline to record the experience! I think I would have been the chicken with the head cut off!
Fantastic images as usual. What a great show for you. We had just the one night a year back unfortunately, but still enjoyed it. May have to go back sometime. Great video. 👌👍
Wow. Amazing bud. Hand on heart I can honestly say it is of no interest to me to shoot the aurora but would love to see them one day. Nice to hear how you shoot them though and loved the ‘showing us your composition in the dark section’ 🤣
Cheers mate, it’s not interested me either and certainly not a motivation in coming here - though it’s a lovely bonus if you can make it work while you’re here. I’ve made better images (though I was really pleased with these ones) but in terms of pure enjoyment with a camera this takes some beating. It’s nice to actually do photography for once where you’ve zero pressure or expectation.
Really enjoyed that, Stuart. You had a fantastic aurora (we had 6 tough nights of chasing during a very quiet mid-Feb). Video at night is a tough gig - I use a Sony A7S for my channel, which is exclusively Astro and Aurora. That thing almost sees in the dark!
Thanks Paul yeah I’d normally have a second body with me which obviously would have sorted some of the video better though tbh I’m more interested in the quality of the stills the video was a bonus tbh. The pocket 3 did incredibly well considering especially with the timelapse
What a fantastic experience and your images are beautiful. A dream trip to photography the Northern lights is being saved for!!! Thanks for the setting tips too. I do a little bit of milky way astro but the lights are something that needs to be done right first time due to the expense of getting to these places from NZ!!
Wow! Just incredible Stuart. I saw the Aurora last year here in Dorset but this is what its really all about. I cant wait to one day witness it like this! BTW is that a spare sugar bag taped to the front of your hat?
Fantastic images, I think the aurora made it down to the UK while you were there. Was going to ask if the raw files needed much lifting for colour ? Seems from the video to be pretty intense straight off the bat. 😀
Thanks Simon yeah a couple of the nights it was crazy here it was pretty decent in the UK - colour wise not in terms of saturation (barely anything added) the hardest bit is judging WB which in future I’ll need to set a custom WB in-camera for shooting this stuff as in post it needed a huge amount of magenta adding to equalise the ridiculous greens. It’s not enough just to simply cool the WB right down
Amazing shots Stuart. How on earth do you get everything sharp from front to back while focusing at infinity on a star?? Not in a million years could I do this.
In the start of this video, you say that you are at Haukland. That is not correct. Pictures in the first part shows the small island Tåa (the Toe) and the mountain Veggen (the Wall). When you are at Haukland, the sound between Tåa and Veggen will not be open, as it is in your pictures. That part of the video, as in yout second video, you are at a place locally called Vågan. Moving from there towards the tunnel to Uttakleiv, you first pass the long Vik Beach, then a little bit further you come to the Haukland Beach undeer the mountain Mannen (the Man). The peak you talk of, and have in several pictures, is called Offersøykammen. Great pictures and videos, and I wish you welcome back to Lofoten and Vestvågøy. I see you had much more luck with the weather here this time, than last winter :)
I know exactly where it is though for the benefit of casual viewers who have heard of Haukland and not the place you mention I figured given its about 2 mins down the road but I’d call it all the Haukland. Last years weather was far better for making images than this year
Stuart - you said you focussed on a star & shot wide open at f4. Did you refocus for the foreground or was it acceptably sharp even with focussing on the stars? stunning shots btw - jealous - me surely not... :-)
Hi John no they're single frames basically focused at infinity, focus stacking these would be too risky given the situation and also a bit pointless given how dark the scene is - plus you actually end up with a bit of focus breathing which can be a bit of a nightmare in post with ultra wide angles and blending them together.
Well I have to say Stu, I’m very disappointed with this video, I expected to tune in and get 15 minutes of “pro tips” that would change the game and make me an overnight pro by not actually telling me anything. Instead I got a video of spectacular conditions that most of us would give our left nut to witness, a video packed full of emotion and visible excitement for a photographer who actually knows what he’s talking about and can back it up with a body of work that would shame anyone. Tips that were actually useful, and a real process a real photographer goes through to get world class images. Probably one of the best videos I’ve seen. As I said, a huge disappointment and I don’t think I’ll be tuning in again till you start to up your game with click bait tittles and doing crazy stunts to pull in viewers in like a “real pro” does, I mean who wants to see a great photographer taking great photos ? That would be stupid !