Northern Exposure Pillows

The aurora dances above the spectacular Goðafoss in northern Iceland.

Cool and beautiful design

When we started the night shooting at Vermilion Lakes, we had no idea it would end with watching the aurora dance high above Lake Minnewanka! The clouds, which had been much heavier earlier in the evening, gradually cleared and let us see this gorgeous display all across the northern sky. It was the strongest auroras I've seen yet in Alberta!

Late on the evening of Christmas Day, we headed out to Lake Minnewanka to see if we could get a glimpse of the northern lights, which were supposed to be quite strong. Not only did we see them dancing above the peaks at the end of the lake, but we also caught a glimpse of Santa heading back home to the North Pole (or it could have been a meteorite -- you decide)!

I was lucky enough to see auroral coronas on two different occasions -- first during the St. Patrick's Day geomagnetic storm, and then again during another storm on March 29. Unfortunately I had a very wobbly tripod -- a replacement that couldn't handle the weight of my D700 and 24-70 f/2.8 lens, but it could lock in place which was more than my original (and stuck) tripod head could do -- so this was one of the few shots I was able to aim at the sky with any result at all.

The aurora seems to fall towards the earth in the western sky over Galdotieva in far northwest Finnish Lapland. Taken at the end of March 2013 near full moon.

The brilliant red of Wangi Falls in the late afternoon. We spent the full day visiting all the waterholes of Litchfield National Park, but saved Wangi Falls for last, knowing that it was likely to be well-lit during golden hour. It was, and the low sun really emphasised the red colour that is so prominent in Litchfield.

A gorgeous little spring babbling through the forest just in front of the lodge where I stayed in Äkäslompolo (Lodge 67ºN).

My friend and I had joked that a perfect day in Iceland would include (1) blue skies as we went four-wheel-driving in Landmannalaugar, (2) a colourful sunset at Seljalandsfoss, and (3) the northern lights over Skógafoss. Seeing this meant we were 3/3 for the day! Shooting here was actually quite difficult, since the aurora was so bright and the waterfall was so dark. Trying to light paint it just resulted in lighting up the huge amount of spray coming off the falls. But really, we got to see the aurora over one of Iceland's more famous waterfalls. It doesn't get much better than that.

North Country Boy

The rapids of the Abiskoeatnu River in Sweden's Abisko National Park rushing towards the light of the midnight sun. While the sun was up at midnight, this evening in July was actually the first day the sun dropped below the horizon at Abisko for more than 50 days. This image and many more will be featured in my upcoming "Guide to Lapland and Northern Norway in Summer." If you'd like to learn more, head over to www.lapland.travel.

North Country Girl

Northern Exposure famous quote. This amusing design serves to your loved ones. Whether you're looking to make a bold statement or just want to show off your sense of humor, This t-shirt is the perfect way to do it. So why wait? Shop now and let the world know that you're not afraid to laugh! For strong character persons only!

The dual falls of Florence Falls in the Northern Territory's Litchfield National Park. Even in the middle of dry season, it was full of water and an awesome spot to spend the afternoon -- as evidenced by the many, many people splashing around me and into the pool as I took this photo!

The rapids of Jäniskoski on the Juutua River near Inari in early July. Quite the difference from how I first saw it in mid-March! This image and many more will be featured in my upcoming "Guide to Lapland and Northern Norway in Summer." If you'd like to learn more, head over to http://www.lapland.travel.

Waves crash over the Giant's Causeway...but not the one in Northern Ireland! While these rocks are quite similar, they are located a world away in Fingal Head, Australia.

"KBHR, Cicely, Alaska" signifies a connection to the radio station KBHR located in the fictional town of Cicely, Alaska, which is famously depicted in the television series "Northern Exposure."

Northern Exposure famous quote. This amusing design serves to your loved ones. Whether you're looking to make a bold statement or just want to show off your sense of humor, This t-shirt is the perfect way to do it. So why wait? Shop now and let the world know that you're not afraid to laugh! For strong character persons only!

Northern Exposure famous quote. This amusing design serves to your loved ones. Whether you're looking to make a bold statement or just want to show off your sense of humor, This t-shirt is the perfect way to do it. So why wait? Shop now and let the world know that you're not afraid to laugh! For strong character persons only!

The gorgeous village of Reine, bathed in the blue of winter twilight. This image was captured around 9.15am; the sun wouldn't peek above the horizon until 11am.

The Oulankajoki, still in flood in June (although not nearly as high as it had been the month before as the bulk of the snow melted), races through Kiutaköngäs Falls in Oulanka National Park.

Auroras dance over the Porjus Station House in Swedish Lapland. They were still clearly visible even though it was full moon!

The aurora dances across the sky just below the Big Dipper. I captured this scene just outside the small town of Fludir, near Gullfoss waterfall at the end of the Golden Circle.

My first glimpse of Reine after I arrived on the 12.30am ferry. It was so quiet -- no seabirds squawking, no fishermen unloading boats -- yet so brilliantly lit that the rock walls of the fjord were visible even though it was a new moon. Taken in: Reine, Lofoten Islands, Norway Taken with: Nikon D700 w/ 24-70mm f/2.8 lens

After running a night sky workshop near Bragg Creek, I was concentrating on the road home when someone in the back seat piped up and said, "Is that the northern lights?" Sure enough, I'd been so focused on the road that I'd missed the green lights dancing above! I wasn't driving for very long after that, since Cowboy Trail luckily faces north and has plenty of room to pull off and set up a tripod!

We got so lucky with the light on our second morning in Reine. Not only did we get 2 hours of continuous sunrise/sunset, but we got it in one of the most stunning places in the world. I considered it especially lucky that I was wandering around only to be assaulted by the smell of drying fish. And why's that lucky? Well, fishing and drying stockfish is one of the main lifebloods of the Lofoten Islands, but I didn't think we'd actually see any evidence of it on this trip as it was too early in the year. Apparently, this fisherman started his season early! I know this rack looks empty, but if you squint to the left you'll see the hanging fish on the next rack over.

Huge waterfall in Northern Norway (Malselvfoss, to be exact) or a giant field of fluffy meringue? You decide!

When we hopped in the car around 11.30 on this evening in October, heading west, we could see the beams through the light pollution of Calgary. It just got better as we got further outside the city limits! I think my partner James may actually believe that the aurora is green now (since every other time he's been out aurora hunting it's looked white)! Settings: 6s @f4, ISO 3200

Smile and Laugh

Cubist whisperers

There's a reason drives around Norway take so long. Yes, it could have something to do with the winding roads that dangle a speed limit in front of you as an unattainable goal, and maybe a little to do with doddering caravans too. But I think a lot of it has to do with stunning scenes like this! Location: Between Olderfjord and Repvåg on the road to Nordkapp in northern Norway Camera: Nikpn D750 w/ 24-70mm f/2.8 lens and Lee Big Stopper filter

Everywhere you look in the fjords of northern Norway, there seems to be another waterfall. I've had to pass so many of them because I know I'll never get anywhere otherwise, but this one, with such a photogenic old stone bridge spanning it, was unmissable. Location: E8 south of Tromsø, Norway Camera: Nikon D750 w/ 24-70mm f/2.8 lens and Lee Big Stopper filter

Like so many places I'd visited in Lapland, Porjus (near Gällivare in Swedish Lapland) featured a perfectly calm lake that reflected the sun as it slowly dipped towards the horizon. While this looks like it could be midnight sun, this photo was actually taken around 9.30pm; now that the midnight sun period has finished, Lapland is losing light at a rapid 20 minutes per day! This particular place in Porjus is also a special place for me, since I have now visited it three times (twice in winter and once in summer), and it was the first place I ever visited in Lapland. You could say that it was the catalyst for the many Nordic adventures I've had over the last few years!

Reine turns a gorgeous blue colour as dawn slowly comes to Northern Norway in winter. The lights of the town have yet to turn off -- after all, why would they need to? It was only 9am!

The main thing that drew us to this scene as we drove down the E10 into the Lofoten Islands was the sheer calm of the fjord's water beside us. We never saw a body of water this calm again for the rest of our trip! This was my last shot of the evening, and I was a bit sad when a car drove past and lit up the foreground...but it actually added a nice golden touch to the few surviving plants there.

The northern lights swirl over the beach at Gardur on Iceland's Reykjanes peninsula. I kind of like how a slight bump to my tripod resulted in a sky full of shooting stars too!