Norway and the Northern Lights 2012

[Alister Chapman]

There is almost zero pushing in post. I think I applied about a 10% luma lift and then a Neat Video noise reduction pass. It's not terrible without the Neat Video pass and for many uses I would possibly not bother with the Neat Video pass, but for the web and highly compressed H264 it helps it along a bit. The uploaded file was only about 150MB to fit with the near dial-up speed connection I have here in this very remote part of Norway.

When I get home I will put together a higher quality version with some more clips. I got almost 3 hours of footage from January 24th, so I have lots more to show!

I used S-Log with +18db gain and a 2 frame slow shutter, recording onto both the SxS cards and a Samurai. The video is real time, it is NOT time-lapse. That is how the Aurora can move, that is what we saw with our own eyes. The F3 far exceeds the EX1 in terms of low light performance and noise, but you do need a fast lens and fast wide angles are not all that common. I'd really like a f1.4 16mm or something similar for my next Aurora trips.

[Steve Kimmel]

Thanks Alister. Did you notice more noise on the Samurai files than the native sxs?

[Dennis Dillon]

Alister,
Fantastic work.
I just came off two straight weeks of work and will continue all this week with a 3 camera gig, all F3's,
cracked a bottle of wine and clicked on your efforts from the great north. You're work is truly inspirational for the rest of us.
Thank you for sharing.
S Log at +18. The graded originals must be stellar.

[Joseph Anthony]

Thanks for sharing this, Alister.

In the past, I've only seen time-lapse footage of the Aurora Borealis and while that footage of the quickly streaming ribbons of light was spectacular, I've always wondered what it really looks like in person. Thanks to you (and the F3), now I know. This is far more impressive than time lapse. With your footage, one really gets a sense of the true movement and three-dimensional nature of the phenomena. Well done.

[Mark OConnell]

Incredible! Can't wait ti see some finished clips.

[Alister Chapman]

It's going to take me a while to finish the final short film. As well as the incredible 3 hours of real-time aurora footage from the F3 (which is my favourite part of what I shot). I also have 4 hours of 4K time-lapse shot with DSLR's much of which was done with a motion control head, the colours captured in the 10 second exposures are incredible, lots of deep reds and purples. About an hour of 3D time-lapse plus some nice back story including snow scootering up into the mountains, ice fishing and a traditional Sami (the local people) meal in a Lavvu (tipi) to celebrate the trips success. All I need to do now is get all this material home safely. The meal in the tent came out very well. The only light from the open fire, with glowing embers shooting up through the opening in the top of the Lavvu. I love my F3.

[Alister Chapman]

1920x1080 version now up on youtube. I've added a few more clips too!

Dance of The Sprits, Full HD, real-time Aurora Footage from Solar Storm of Jan 24 - YouTube

[Dave Elston]

Originally Posted by Alister Chapman

The meal in the tent came out very well.

I honestly started to wonder if you had chosen to give us an ounce more detail than we really needed with that sentence... oh so very immature but worth an LOL

Seriously though, it's astounding what nature can do including whatever gave you the urge to get yourself all the way up there to capture it so wonderfully for us all. Will this be for broadcast or independent release?

Either way, thanks for the amazing sneak peeks and I hope we get to see the final piece someday.

Cheers,
Dave.

[Alister Chapman]

The finished short might be shown at NAB, I'll keep you posted on that.

The reason for shooting it is primarily for stock footage, but given that I think I did get something rather special who knows. Maybe a short doc for the festival circuits or a filler for TV.

I've uploaded some stills from some of the other non-aurora stuff that I shot.

[George Griswold]

looks like you got great weather. Fantastic!

[Alister Chapman]

I've uploaded a longer version to both Youtube and Vimeo. The Youtube version was uploaded at 1920x1080, 20Mbps, so if you have a fast connection looks great:

Night of Wonders - Northern Lights expedition, 24th January 2012 - YouTube

Plus there is the vimeo version:

Night of Wonders on Vimeo