Landscape Photographer Chases a Red Warning for the Northern Lights

It all began on Monday, 24th April, when I received notification of a red warning for the Northern Lights. As a landscape photographer, I’ve wanted to photograph the Northern Lights for years, but I never quite managed to make it happen. Excitement started to build at the thought of finally seeing the elusive aurora. I had to remind myself not to get too excited. As a landscape photographer living in England, the weather is the make-or-break, and it very rarely aligns in our favour.

Wasting no time, I opened my weather apps to see what the day had in store. Cloud, cloud and more cloud. What a surprise. But wait, it couldn’t be! An opening just after 9 PM with clear blue skies from 10 PM onwards. Perfect! I cross-checked the forecast with another weather app for peace of mind, and both apps agreed with each other. It was time to start planning.

Planning to Photograph the Northern Lights

The first consideration and the easiest of the lot was camera gear. All I needed was my wide-angle F2.8L lens, my camera body, tripod and plenty of spare batteries. Aside from performing the usual checks for memory cards (spares in case), ensuring all batteries were charged, and that my wide-angle lens was clean, prepping equipment is usually effortless.

The most important consideration was location. I didn’t want to hit the road and see where I ended up. An exact plan was needed. I do my best thinking while I’m out walking, and so without any persuasion at all, my Labrador, Milo, agreed to come for a walk. On the walk, I mapped out possible locations with a northerly viewpoint that also had little to no artificial light. My solution was clear: the Lake District’s beautiful Blea Tarn. Situated between Little Langdale and Great Langdale, Blea Tarn has some of the most spectacular views in England. What’s more, the tarn is a stone’s throw away from a National Trust car park. It was the perfect landscape photography location for capturing a view of the Northern Lights over the iconic Langdale Pikes.

Hitting the road. As a Landscape Photographer, there’s no better Feeling

As a landscape photographer, there is no better feeling than jumping in the car to start the next adventure. This time was no different; if anything, I was more excited than usual at the thought of finally catching a glimpse of the magic in the sky that is the Aurora.

The drive up to the Lake District was straightforward, with noticeably quieter roads due to the time of night (9 PM). That was until the final stretch, the steep incline through Little Langdale towards Blea Tarn National Trust car park. There’s always the odd pothole to watch out for, but this time around, they were different. These potholes had evolved into car-devouring craters! Needless to say, it was a fun time crawling up the hill in the dark, straining my eyes on the road ahead as I scoured for any threats to my car’s tyres. Surviving the onslaught, I made it to the car park around 10 PM, parked up and grabbed my gear.

I wasn’t the only Landscape Photographer to consider Blea Tarn

After grabbing my gear, I bolted through the car park and headed for the banks of Blea Tarn. As I arrived, I was relieved to see a handful of other hopeful photographers as eager as I was to witness the Aurora show. After a brief conversation with some of the other photographers, I got to work. My first job was to line up a composition. Given that it was pitch black by this point, this could have been a bit of a challenge. Luckily for me, I’m more than familiar with Blea Tarn and knew exactly what was in front of me without being able to see it through the darkness. I lined up a classic composition featuring the spectacular Langdale Pikes as a backdrop, allowing plenty of space in the sky region for the Northern Lights. It was now a waiting game.

For those interested, my starting point was my 24-70mm lens at 35mm, ISO 800, F2.8 with a shutter speed of 10 seconds. From there, I had planned to adjust as conditions developed.

The waiting game begins

The Aurora was forecast to peak around midnight, and so I was prepared for a long night of waiting around for the magic to happen. At various points throughout the night, the silence was broken by the iconic sound of Tawny owls as their calls echoed around the surrounding valleys. It was impossible to pinpoint their location, but I figured they would be nestled up in the trees around the beautiful High Close estate.

The night trickled away, and still there was no sign of the Aurora. I had seen quite a few meteors, though, most likely the remnants of the Lyrids meteor shower, which had peaked a couple of days prior. It wasn’t just me getting anxious; a handful of the other photographers had already started to pack away their gear. The clock struck 2 AM, and I’d stuck it out until the end. By this point, I was the only photographer left. I was gutted, I didn’t want to accept defeat, but the red warning had failed to materialise. As I started to pack my gear away, I noticed that my camera bag had frozen over. I had been there that long and was so focused on the dream of seeing the Northern Lights that I didn’t realise how cold it had gotten.

Defeat, the worst feeling as a landscape photographer

I beat myself up as I headed back to the car. Defeat is a hard pill to swallow. I was completely of the mindset that I was done, ready to head home and get into the warmth of my bed. But then something caught my eye. Frost was forming on the grasses. I knew the forecast for Tuesday was clear, and a thought crossed my mind. This was a moment for redemption. Throughout spring, there’s a good chance of misty mornings following a calm and frosty night. With this in mind, I jumped back in the car and headed a few miles down the road to Elterwater with a plan to salvage the trip.

It’s not over yet

After arriving at Elterwater NT car park, I decided to rustle up a bit of comfort food for an early breakfast. I went for Quaker oats, with some added banana, strawberries and grapes and a hot brew. I devoured breakfast, transferred my brew to a vacuum mug, and slowly got myself ready to head along the River Brathay. My redemption location was one I’ve visited many times as a landscape photographer, as I’m sure many other photographers have. The picturesque Oak trees along the River Brathay. I arrived at the location around 20 minutes before sunrise, and as I approached the scene, my head fell off.

Stunning, silky mist glided across the surface of the river, and the banks were lined with frosted grasses and reeds. It was absolutely picture perfect. I finally had dream conditions along the River Brathay. As I walked up and down the stretch of the river, I was in awe at how heavenly the landscape looked. Blue hour was in full swing, and with each passing moment, the scene grew in luminance. I got to work refining a composition I had captured a while back, opting for a tighter frame with my 70-200mm lens as opposed to the popular wider-angle choices. The sky was blue and cloudless, and didn’t add much value to the scene, hence my decision to choose a tighter composition.

My starting point was 180mm at F8 and ISO 100, with the shutter speed being whatever the sensor calculated as I fired a shot. With there being zero wind, I knew I was fine with a slower shutter speed.

The redemption photograph

In no time at all, blue hour transitioned to golden hour, and the sun began to rise. As sunrise progressed, the landscape was filled with gorgeous golden light. The sun’s rays began to hit the frozen grasses, causing the ice to melt, adding to the misty atmosphere of the morning. I fired off shots throughout the morning, capturing the mist at various points as it ebbed and flowed along the river.

One photograph in particular stood out. It was a near-perfect blend of light and shadow, coupled with the beautiful atmosphere created by the mist. The redemption photograph! I remained by the river until the very last wisp of mist had been burnt away by the rising sun. I hadn’t managed to see the Northern Lights, but what a consolation prize! A breathtaking morning along the River Brathay, what more could you ask for? One happy landscape photographer indeed. I hope you enjoy the result below.

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