Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/02/24

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Re: Northern Lights
From: Doug Herr <71247.3542@compuserve.com>
Date: Wed, 24 Feb 1999 20:27:41 -0500

On Wed, 24 Feb 1999, Mitch wrote:

>>  The low-altitude stuff is something else entirely: wild spinning
flashes of
>>  every imaginable (and more) vibrant color. The shutter speeds required
to
>>  record an image are way too long to catch anything other than an
indistinct
>>  blur.  The low altitude lights are very rare; in my 6 summers in Denali
>
>Even with a Noctilux wide open?  (A serious question, as I've never shot
them
>and when I do, I may never have a second chance.  I'd like to be
prepared.)

You'd stand a chance with the Noct and a fast film except you'd only get a
piece of the action - it's all over the sky.

>
>>  National Park I saw them only once, for about a half-hour of utterly
>>  painful ecstasy.  Their beauty is too painful to watch, too amazing to
not
>>  watch.  If you happen to see the low-altitude lights forget the camera,
>>  live in the moment for it is one that will change your perspective on
life
>>  forever.
>>  Doug Herr
>>  Sacramento
>
>With such a description, I cannot imagine being stuck in Sacramento (no
insult
>intended; your statement just seems at odds with such a cosmopolitan
area).
>My wife and I are always scheming to get out into the wilds and enjoy
nature.
>Thank you for the exquisite observation.

No offense taken.  I often wonder why I'm here too; if not for my kids'
insatiable desire for food and shelter I'd be in the north country.  The
Sierra Nevada (2 hours away) are wonderful mountains but having seen
Alaska, nothing else is good enough.

I left Alaska because the engineer in me was atrophying.  I've had a few
close encounters with engineering work in Anchorage (which is close enough
to the real Alaska for all practical purposes) but for now I'll not starve
the kids.

Doug Herr
Sacramento