Let’s go back to May 10, 2024, about three months ago. It was about quarter to 10 at night and I was scrolling through X, when I saw multiple posts referencing northern lights being visible in the United States. I went to the Aurora app on my phone, which I downloaded the last time northern lights were visible in this area and I missed them, and sure enough, it had notified me that they were very likely visible in my area. I stepped outside to take a peek. Nothing. I figured I might as well head somewhere and set up my camera and hope they appeared. The forecast was showing some clouds coming in. I knew the best place to photograph northern lights was in an area with minimal light pollution, but I also knew I needed to act fast before the clouds came in. I decided to go to the Oklahoma Track in Saratoga, since I only live a mile away, and I thought it would be cool to tie this event in with my love of horse racing. While it’s not free of light pollution, it’s a fairly open area, which would allow me to get nice, unobstructed views of the sky. Armed with only my Canon R5, my 24-105mm lens and my tripod, I ventured over. When I went outside again with my gear in tow, I could already see the aurora emerging. I could not have imagined how beautiful the sky would be when I got there. Purple, pink and green hues danced across the sky, giving me the challenge of where to point my camera. For each shot, I shot in Aperture Priority mode at ISO 500 and f/4, with exposures ranging from 10 to 30 seconds. Here are some of my favorite frames from that night.
This is the shot I originally envisioned before I got to the track but it definitely didn’t turn out to be my favorite of the bunch. The aurora isn’t as vivid in this shot as it is in some others.
Self portrait on the Whitney Viewing Stand using the Canon EOS Remote app on my phone. I think the shot came out good, but the aurora was much more vivid a few minutes later and made for a better shot.
Is this Iceland or Saratoga Springs, NY??
This was definitely my favorite frame from the evening.
As I was leaving, I spotted the starting gate and thought that might make for a cool photo. I’m glad I took it, because the Saratoga Special ending up using it on the front cover of their June 6 issue as part of their Belmont Stakes Racing Festival print run.
To see more of my Saratoga photography, be sure to follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and X. All photos in this post © Samantha Decker and may not be reused without permission.
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Absolutely stunning!