The Northen Lights
Helo Visual Shots Community!
A short while ago, I wrote on my blog about the powerful aurora borealis that appeared on January 19 this year. The following day, the auroral conditions were still quite good—though not quite as spectacular. On January 20, the aurora appeared over Poland three separate times, but I was only out in the field for the first two.
The photo you see below captures the first surge of activity that day, just after full astronomical night had set in. Perfect timing! The aurora is most visible when complete darkness falls and the sky is at its darkest. Unlike the previous night, however, it wasn’t very noticeable to the naked eye. Only a faint glow and the brightest pillars could be seen with careful observation.
I don’t have many good photos from that day. I chose the wrong lens, which unfortunately struggled to capture the aurora amid fairly strong light pollution. On top of that, during the second surge I accidentally moved the focus ring, and all the photos from that part of the observation turned out blurry 🥹—even though the aurora was stronger then. Sadly, that’s how it sometimes goes.
The third surge was the most intense of the day. Unfortunately, I was already home and about to go to bed when I received news of very strong auroral activity. It was the strongest display of the night. I ran out onto the balcony with only my phone, but I could see the pillars even with the naked eye. They were beautiful! I’m keeping the photos from that moment just for myself—as a personal memory and a summary of those two wild nights.
This photo you see here is the best one, and one of the very few satisfying shots from that night. Do you like it? I certainly do 😄
As a small exception, I’m adding a second photo for comparison. It shows the second surge of activity—the moment when my lens focus was unfortunately set incorrectly.
One Photo Series is my project focused on a single photograph —
an invitation to slow down, stay longer with a specific scene,
and take a moment to reflect on it.
Thank you for spending a moment with this frame