Photo of the Day | July 27 | Aurora Borealis by Ryan Marquis

Jul 27, 2011 by Light & Composition Facebook Page

Photo of the Day - July 27
This photo was taken on February 5, 2011, in Kenai, Alaska. Recent solar activity and clear skies prompted me to head to a dark portion of the city, away from light pollution. I stood in -10F (-23 C) in temperatures, watching the aurora borealis (or, the Northern Lights) slowly dance on the northern horizon. Just when I was thinking about packing it up and heading home for the night, the auroral activity began to increase dramatically. Waves of green light began to dance overhead. I shifted my gaze from the North and saw this scene to my West. The aurora almost seemed as if it was interacting with the surroundings, as it appeared to highlight the frosted trees and dip down just above the snowy road.

Technical Info: Canon T1i | f/1.8 | 3-second exp. | ISO-800 | 50mm
Title of the photograph: Aurora Borealis
Photo of the Day Award Category: Night Photography
Photograph Location: Alaska | United States
Photographer: Ryan Marquis ( Kenai, Alaska USA )
Since discovering the potential that a DSLR camera offers, Ryan Marquis has rarely been seen without his camera in-hand. Ryan Marquis’ photography focuses on landscapes and wildlife in its natural habitat. Ryan considers his camera to be an extension of his eyesight and photography as a way to share those views, and enhance his senses of the natural world around him. He lives in Kenai, Alaska which provides easy access to unexploited wilderness and untamed wildlife. The long and cold Alaskan winters offer him the opportunity to photograph the aurora borealis and winter landscapes, while the summers offer nearly 24/7 daylight to capture Alaska’s rich flora and fauna. He augments the photos on his photoblog by writing about the subjects in the image, oftentimes providing scientific and historical context for his subjects. In addition to landscape and wildlife photography, Ryan experiments with time-lapse videos and astrophotography.
Web Links:

Photoblog: http://www.ryanmarquis.com
Gallery: http://gallery.ryanmarquis.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/RyanMarquisPhotography
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/ryanmarquis
Vimeo: http://vimeo.com/user5566736

Contestant | July '11, Night Photography

6 Responses to “Photo of the Day | July 27 | Aurora Borealis by Ryan Marquis”

  1. » Featured: Aurora Borealis says:

    [...] Light and Composition Magazine has posted the second of two of my photos to be featured as Photo Of The Day for July. It is the Photo Of The Day for July 27, and is up now. Please check it out and share!  It’s always an honor to be recognized; thanks for all of your support as well! [...]

  2. Susan says:

    Amazing. At least once in my life I want to see these lights in person. As I have not, these pictures are wonderful.

  3. Susan says:

    NICE!!!!!!!

  4. Eileen says:

    I echo what Susan said. I feel like I’m there and have finally witnessed this spectacular display. Very spiritual feel.

  5. GRM says:

    Beautiful and mesmerizing! The photo has a “mystical” feel about it. Nice job, Ryan!

  6. Joe says:

    Amazing photo!
    Wow I wish I could go up there. The aurora has to be one of the most interesting mysteries in the world…I’d love to see it! I can’t believe you can see it moving with the naked eye.

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