Does it count if you didn't see it yourself?

I just got back from the east coast and I think I’ve taken some of my best photos ever. I’ve shot Canada coast to coast, and though the mountains in the west coast are lovely, give me the maritime provinces any day; the warmth of the people and the beauty of the landscape are incomparable.

Without further ado here is the first of a few posts on my trip. On this post I’d like to get opinions on a photo I think is of the northern lights. I was shooting the milky way from Annapolis Royal at night when I decided to take a shot due north and this is what showed up in the camera….

Reasons for believing these are northern lights:

It was late September
It was midnight
It was totally clear out
Recent solar activity
The other side of that ridge contains only small fishing communities, nothing that could produce that kind of glow.
It looks like them.

Reasons to be not so sure:

I couldn’t see them myself – the camera at it’s highest sensitivity picked it up
Annapolis Royal is not known for frequent sightings
I’d hate to believe I’d accidentally stumbled onto my life goal.
It just doesn’t seem fair.

The next night I went out and shot the same pic, same time, same settings and the lights weren’t there. To me this kind of confirmed it, I feel like if they were there 2 nights in a row I might need to look for some other explanation.

So I’m curious – what do you guys think? Feel free to post a comment or send an email my way :) This doesn’t change my plans to drive to North Ontario this winter – to me it doesn’t count if I didn’t see them!

Before I sign off here are the photos I was trying to take when I stumbled onto my nemesis – the milky way was especially lovely that night :)

This one was taken off the end of the Annapolis Wharf.

And this one was taken from Fort Ann – most pics coming soon!

5 Responses to “Does it count if you didn’t see it yourself?”

Feed for this Entry Trackback Address

1 Tanis October 3, 2011 at 5:14 pm

Amazing photo’s! I have absolutely no idea if those are the Northern Lights, so I am no help there. Can’t wait to see more pics of your trip. The night sky in the maritimes is beautiful isn’t it!? It’s so much bigger than the sky here in montreal.

2 Michele October 4, 2011 at 7:47 am

I have been looking forward to seeing what pictures you would take of my beautiful home province. I have enjoyed all your previous photography and now they are of somewhere I particularly love.

3 Peg October 5, 2011 at 9:51 am

Incredible capture of the heavens.

4 Hellopalz October 5, 2011 at 5:59 pm

Wow! wonderful shots….. double like the third one!

5 Shannon October 5, 2011 at 11:07 pm

I love the Milky Way photo. Gorgeous work!