Six-Years Ago (06-February-2013) — Norway

Gone to See Norway 2013 Chasing the Northern Lights. Day 9: Hurtigruten MS Nordkapp Norwegian Coastal Voyage Northbound (Båtsfjord to Kirkenes) then Southbound (Kirkenes to Berlevåg).

On the seventh and final day of the northbound Hurtigruten Norwegian coastal voyage, the MS Nordkapp stops in four ports: Båtsfjord (00:30-01:00); Vardø (04:00-04:15); Vadsø (07:30-08:00); and Kirkenes (09:45-12:45). After spending 3 hours in Kirkenes, the ship turns around and begins the southbound voyage stopping at three ports: Vardø (16:00-17:00); Båtsfjord (20:00-20:30); and Berlevåg (22:15-22:30).

During the stop in Kirkenes, I took the bus tour which includes a stop at the Russian border.

alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Bus Tour of Kirkenes and the Russian Border. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V2 camera and 10 mm f/2.8 lens. (David J Mathre)



Just before midnight there were some faint northern lights. I had to increase the ISO to 6400 to get this image. You can clearly see some red in addition to the green color.

Northern Lights While Sailing North on the Hurtigruten MV Nordkapp. Image taken with a Nikon D800 and 24 mm f/1.4G lens (ISO 6400, 24 mm, f/2.8, 4 sec). (David J Mathre)
Northern Lights While Sailing North on the Hurtigruten MS Nordkapp. Image taken with a Nikon D800 camera and 24 mm f/1.4G lens (ISO 6400, 24 mm, f/2.8, 4 sec). (David J Mathre)

Nine-Years Ago (06-February-2010) — New Jersey

Backyard Winter Nature in New Jersey: After the Snow Storm.

Afternoon walkabout with a camera after the snow stopped back in 2010. We haven’t had much snow this winter.

Silver Rhino I and IV Covered by Snow. Nikon D3x and 50 mm f/1.4 (ISO 100 f/4, 1/800 sec) (David J Mathre)
Silver Rhino I and IV Covered by Snow. Nikon D3x and 50 mm f/1.4 (ISO 100 f/4, 1/800 sec) (David J Mathre)
Winter in New Jersey (David J Mathre)
Winter in New Jersey (David J Mathre)
White Ram Under Snow in New Jersey. Nikon D3x and 50 mm f/1.4 (ISO 100 f/4, 1/400 sec) (David J Mathre)
White Ram Under Snow in New Jersey. Nikon D3x and 50 mm f/1.4 (ISO 100 f/4, 1/400 sec) (David J Mathre)
Snow in New Jersey. Nikon D3x and 50 mm f/1.4 (ISO 100 f/4, 1/400 sec) (David J Mathre)
Snow in New Jersey. Nikon D3x and 50 mm f/1.4 (ISO 100 f/4, 1/400 sec) (David J Mathre)

Tuesday (05-February-2019) — New Jersey

Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

A bit of a heat wave after the cold temperatures last week. Colorful morning clouds at dawn. It was warm enough during the afternoon to completely melt the ice in the bird bath, allowing the solar-powered fountain to start working. After it got dark I made a time-lapse video of the fountain.

alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Fulll Sky View. Colorful Clouds at Dawn. Composite of 26 images taken with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 8-16 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 200, 16 mm, f/5.6, 1/60 sec). Raw images processed with Capture One Pro and AutoPano Giga Pro (Inverse Little Planet). (David J Mathre)
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Colorful Clouds at Dawn. Composite of 12 images taken with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 8-16 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 200, 16 mm, f/5.6, 1/60 sec). Raw images processed with Capture One Pro and AutoPano Giga Pro. (David J Mathre)


Eleven-Years Ago (03-February-2008) — Colorado

Outdoor Winter Nature in Colorado: Rocky Mountain National Park.

The sky was clear, so drove from Boulder to Rocky Mountain National Park. The roads in the park were open, so I spent another day taking pictures in this great National Park. It is cold, and the river is frozen. I got good use out of my Golden Eagle Pass that year.

Winter, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. Image taken with a Nikon D3 and 14-24 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 200, 24 mm, f/11, 1/640 sec) (David J Mathre)
Winter, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. Image taken with a Nikon D3 and 14-24 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 200, 24 mm, f/11, 1/640 sec) (David J Mathre)

Six-Years Ago (02-February-2013) — Norway

Gone to See Norway 2013 Chasing the Northern Lights. Day 5: Hurtigruten MS Nordkapp Norwegian Coastal Voyage Northbound (Trondheim and Rørvik).

On the second full day of the northbound Hurtigruten voyage, the ship only stops in two ports: Trondheim (06:00-12:00) and Rørvik (20:30-21:15). Having six hours in Trondheim allowed us to spend some time to see the city. Our first stop was at Nidaros Cathedral. The exterior of the cathedral is a target rich environment for religious statues and gargoyles. But it was cold outside. The last time I was here in 2007 I said I would love to go back with a perspective control lens to record all sides of the exterior of the cathedral. Well, I didn’t bring that lens along, so had to do with a Nikon 1 V2 camera and an older 180 mm f/2.8 lens. It was cloudy and still relatively dark in the morning, so the images are noisy. The statues can be identified here. After leaving Trondheim, we passed the Kjeungskjær Lighthouse.

Lonely bench in the snow. Trondheim overlook. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V2 camera and 10 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 800, 10 mm, f/2.8, 1/60 sec). (David J Mathre)
Lonely bench in the snow. Trondheim overlook. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V2 camera and 10 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 800, 10 mm, f/2.8, 1/60 sec). (David J Mathre)



Individual images from the slide show can be viewed here.

Kjeungskjær Lighthouse in Norway on a Cold Windy Rainy Winter Day from the Deck of the Hurtigruten MS Nordkapp. Image taken with a Nikon D800 and 180 mm f/2.8D lens (ISO 400, 180 mm, f/2.8, 1/320 sec).Kjeungskjær Lighthouse (David J Mathre)
Kjeungskjær Lighthouse in Norway on a Cold Windy Rainy Winter Day from the Deck of the Hurtigruten MS Nordkapp. Image taken with a Nikon D800 and 180 mm f/2.8D lens (ISO 400, 180 mm, f/2.8, 1/320 sec).Kjeungskjær Lighthouse (David J Mathre)