Once In A Lifetime, Twice

Photographing the aurora has been a bucket list item for me for some time now. I had done research on locations, techniques and the best time of the year. In May of last year the opportunity presented itself right in my own back yard. Unfortunately I was laying in a hospital room recovering from surgery.

So I go to watch on Facebook and Instagram as my fellow photographers posted the amazing shots they had captured. Since it had been roughly 30 years since the last aurora display this far south I went back to thinking about traveling to a far away location from shots.

In October, as I planned a fishing trip to the Outer Banks the alerts went out again. This time I wasn't in the hospital, I was headed for the perfect spot to capture the display, Cedar Island, NC. Jutting out into the Pamlico Sound it's one of the few places on the East Coast that has nothing but dark open water to the north of it.

My excitement rose as we drove out in the gathering darkness and I could see the faint red glow in the sky. Once we arrived and checked out our room at the Cedar Island Ranch (which I highly recommend) I grabbed my cameras and headed for the beach.

The wind was blowing hard but the sky was clear and the aurora was dancing across the sky. That once in a lifetime opportunity had happened twice in the same year. It was so dark I could see the curtains of light moved over the Pamlico Sound.

We shot for about an hour until the wind and the thought of that 6am alarm to catch the 730 ferry finally drove us into our warm beds. I did of course do a quick edit on a few images to make others jealous at the spot I had scored to watch the display.

I'd still love to travel north to some snow covered landscape and captured the aurora in a more conventional setting but for now I can comfortably make it off my list.

Curtains of Light - Cedar Island, NC

If you're interested in learning to shoot nightscapes or post processing check out my YouTube Channel here.  I'm also available for private coaching in the field or zoom sessions where we can work with your own images.