Where was this image taken?
Denali National Park
Did any pre-planning go into capturing this shot?
It was more of a last-minute shot as my original plan was to camp in the backcountry but I got to the park too late in the day to get a permit.
Tell us about the journey to get to not only Denali National Park Preserve, but your specific camp spot within the park... It looks freezing!
Denali is only a 5-hour drive from where I live which might sound far but in Alaska that is actually not that far of a drive. I was originally going to try and camp in the backcountry but was unable to get there in time to get a permit so I decided to stay at the only campsite that is open in the park in winter. I was the only one there that night which isn't too surprising considering it was around 5º F at the time.
What camera/lens did you use? And can you share your camera settings used here?
I used a Sony a6300 with a Rokinon 12mm lens at f2.0 and a shutter speed of just 3 seconds.
Is this technically a selfie? If so, how did you capture this photo of yourself?
Yeah, it's basically just a selfie, it isn't anything to fancy just had a wireless shutter remote.
Did anything/anyone inspire you to capture this image?
No. I just love shooting the Northern lights in winter and camping when its cold out.
How many Lume Cubes were used in the shot and where were they placed?
Just one for this shot and it was placed between myself and the tent.
How did the Lume Cubes perform in the snow?
They work really well actually. I have even completely submerged one and frozen it recently to test for an upcoming shoot this winter and it still worked.
It looks like there’s a touch of color on the surrounding trees. Can you explain how you pulled that off?
It is actually just from the light reflecting off of the tent which gave it an interesting color with the long exposure.
How do you expose for the northern lights and the foreground? Is this a single image or composite? If composite, explain how you stacked the images.
This is a single image. It all depends on the conditions. This shot was in a pretty tight spot so getting the foreground and the lights all in one shot was pretty easy. It is just a matter of figuring out how strong the Lume Cube or any other lights need to be. The Northern Lights are extremely bright and basically light up the foreground like the moon or a street lamp.
Did the image turn out how you initially envisioned it?
This shot was more of a last-minute shot since my original plan was to be in the backcountry. But considering that, I was pretty happy with how it turned out.
Any plans to go back to this location and try something new?
I will definitely be going back to Denali but hopefully this time I will make it out into the backcountry.
Describe Lume Cube in 5 words or less.
A must-have!
About Jeremy Martin:
I am a photographer based out of Alaska and love adventure and capturing the amazing things I see around the world. I have been lucky enough to have won awards from National Geographic and have had one of my photos hang in the Natgeo museum in DC. After moving to Alaska I decided to pick up a camera and began sharing some of my adventures in the mountains and my travels.
To see more from Jeremy Martin, follow him here: @live_free_run_far.
