Aurora Australis

I am blessed to call the Mornington Peninsula my home. For the 22 years I’ve lived in Australia, I felt that something was missing in the suburbs I had lived. When visiting the Mornington Peninsula for beach days, I always felt a contentment that finally pushed me to make the decision to make the sea change and I have not regretted it since.

You can take the girl out of the countryside, but you can’t take the countryside out of the girl.

What I came to realise, was growing up in a small rural village in the UK, my heart is happy in places of natural beauty, of winding roads, hilltops and greenery.

The inner suburbs of Melbourne, whilst full of beautiful architecture, vibing cafes and life happening at a pace that you feel that you’re REALLY living, it wasn’t me.

Being a photographer, the Peninsula is my playground, my eyes are assaulted daily with so many photographic opportunities, creative inspiration is in overload.

However, one thing I have always found challenging is Astro-photography.

Maybe I put too much pressure on myself, maybe I’m not as patient as I’d like to believe, I always get a sense of disappointment when I get home and review the images I had captured from my many attempts from sitting on a cold wet floor in a cabbage field in Coldstream, or standing with my feet in the freezing waters of Kilkunda, so far, putting myself in grueling conditions had not paid off.

BUT!!!

I am not one to give up easily!

I am a casual follower of the Aurora Facebook page, always enjoying posts from successful Aurora hunts. Last week, my interest was piqued. It seemed the Aurora was going to put on a show following an epic event earlier that day. So, with easy access now to southerly vantage points, it seemed rude not to go for an adventure with the kids further down the Peninsula to Flinders to take another stab at some astro-photograpy and possibly catch the Aurora at the same time.

It paid off.

Honestly, I didn’t go with any expectations, so all of the composition considerations kinda fell out the window as I didn’t expect the results to pay off, when I arrived I was the first photographer there, so I quickly chose a spot that would block the light pollution coming from the beach where Mussel & Abalone fishers were foraging with their torches on the rock-beds below the cliff. Beyond that, I really didn;t think any further about what else was going on in my frame.

I knew which direction to shoot in, the Milky Way was visible to my left of where I would be shooting, to the South, it looked like sea mist was going to thwart any attempts, my expectations sinking further. But I didn’t listen to the little voice in my head, a chose to shoot and wait and shoot and wait and then..something… the slightest hint of green emerging in my images, the misty look to the horizon was the Aurora! The more I shot, the more colourful it became, and then the beams made an appearance! The colours unfortunately were not strong enough to the eye, but my camera did an amazing job and it turned out I had actually remembered all the steps necessary to capture the Aurora!

The kids had a blast, they couldn’t believe what they were seeing on the back of my camera. Next time however, I will travel solo however, trying to keep an eye on 3 kids running around & playing hide and seek on a clifftop in the black of night, whilst ensuring you don’t loose your camera over the edge too AND keeping it still whilst taking exposures was a little overwhelming!

By no means am I claiming to have the best set of images here, but what I wanted to highlight was the persistance and perseverance required in acquiring photography skills and then refining a skill set further into a particular genre of photography. Just because you have a good camera and can make pretty portrait pictures, does not make you overall master of all photography skill sets, there’s so much to explore and challenges you can set yourself. I now wish to challenge myself further and refine the art of Astro photography, so watch this space!

Here’s a little info on the location I chose:

Flinders Ocean Beach in Victoria, Australia, is one of the most beautiful places in the world to capture the Aurora Australis. The beach is located at the southern end of Mornington Peninsula, and it offers stunning views of the southern sky.

Let’s talk equipment and settings:

I shoot with a Sony A7riii, it’s been my number one for almost 4 years, it hasn’t let me down EVER, it’s at a shutter count of 360,000 images and I am hoping it stays with me for a couple more years.

I teamed my Sony up with a Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8 Di III RX lens and a Sirui Carbon Fiber Tripod.

For settings, I experimented a little. But I preferred the images that were set at F2.8, ISO 2000 and a 13 second exposure.

My lens was set to manual focus and I focused on the brightest star before hitting the shutter button.

Capturing the Aurora Australis from Flinders Ocean Beach cliff top is an incredible experience that I urge you to try! Go on, go for a drive, I would love to see the results, just tag me on instagram @hayleighbeach_

My Editing process:

Let’s be realistic, I am a property & interiors photographer, that’s where my skill set lies. When it comes to astro, I wing it.. what looks good? I don’t want it to look fake, I want to enhance it, but to not the point where it’s unrealistic. Keeping in mind that the colours are there, just not to the naked eye, I feel it’s everyones creative freewill to interpret the secret lights and colours in the editing suite.

I run my images through Lightroom Classic, I raise highlights, I may drop shadows and blacks here or there. I add contrast & clarity. I also add texture, quite a bit of texture. I then sharpen, add noise reduction - these shots were the first time using Lightroom’s new AI noise reduction, I was impressed! I crop and straight horizons. I then Export to DNG, open in Photoshop and do some dodging and burning(mainly to the shots with the milky way in it) remove any sensor spots, et Voila.

Below is a an exposure straight out of camera compared to the finised edit.. and yes, that is starlink or some other satellite chain in the image.

Here are some tips on how to capture this amazing natural phenomenon:

1. Check the Weather: Before heading out to capture the Aurora Australis, it is important to check the weather forecast or local Aurora Hunters pages on Facebook. You should look for a clear night with no clouds or rain and it’s best if there is no moon, so consider the time the moon rises and sets too. This will give you the best chance of capturing the Aurora Australis.

2. Find the Perfect Spot: The best spot to capture the Aurora Australis is from a southerly vantage point, a clear horizon with interesting foreground to enhance the image can help. . Make sure to find a safe and secure spot to set up your camera.

3. Use a Wide-Angle Lens: To capture the Aurora Australis, you need to use a wide-angle lens. This will allow you to capture a wide view of the sky and the landscape. A lens with a focal length of 14-24mm is ideal for capturing the Aurora Australis.

4. Use a Tripod: To capture sharp and clear images of the Aurora Australis, you need to use a tripod. This will keep your camera steady and prevent any camera shake.

5. Use a Remote Shutter Release: Using a remote shutter release will help prevent any camera shake that may occur when you press the shutter button. You can also use the delay function if you don;t have a remote release so that the camera doesn’t shake from you pressing the shutter button.

6. Use Manual Focus: When capturing the Aurora Australis, you should use manual focus. This will allow you to focus on the stars and keep them sharp.

7. Experiment with Settings: Capturing the Aurora Australis is all about experimenting with your camera settings. You should start with a shutter speed of 15-30 seconds, an aperture of f/1.8 to f/4, and an ISO of 800-3000. Adjust your settings based on the lighting conditions and your personal preferences.

8. Be Patient: Capturing the Aurora Australis requires patience. You may have to wait for hours to capture the perfect shot. Make sure to dress warm and bring plenty of snacks and water.

9. Exercise Etiquette: Appreciate that other photographers may be there to share and capture the experience, be considerate of use of lights, torches and phones when others might be taking an exposure.

10. Go prepared: Don’t forget a torch for clambering over rocks etc, plenty of batteries, SD cards etc

Capturing the Aurora Australis from Flinders Ocean Beach cliff top is an amazing experience that every photographer should try. With the right equipment, technique & perseverance, you can capture stunning images that will amaze you. So, plan your trip, find the perfect spot, and capture the beauty of the Aurora Australis!