Photographer Toby Lockerbie sets a side some “passion time” each year for a personal project to help him recharge his creative batteries. After a year of pro shooting, it helps him to recoup some of the waning love of the craft. In 2012 he decided to hunt the Aurora lights at northern Norway.
While the resulting movie is heart taking, I find his back story even more interesting. It turns out it is not easy to shoot the Northern lights.
The first movie describes his journey, frustration and final success. For the second one, go to full screen, dim the lights and enjoy beautiful Norway. Here is Toby’s account in his own words.
‘I spent the vast majority of it looking at grey skies but I knew I had to be lucky so made sure I had close to 3 weeks there to maximize my chances. I trekked around, got buses, taxis, went on tours, researched Google earth, rented a car and moved hotels, all trying to get to the best locations at the best times to get the best shots I could.”
“Even with that I didn’t have too much luck and even had to get my rental car towed at one point when I got stuck in the snow. But when the skies did become clear and the lights were out it was spectacular. In the mini-documentary I wanted to get across that kind of slight obsession you need to try and get shots like that, how most of the time you’re disappointed and it doesn’t work out but that doesn’t really matter because when you do see that shot on the back of the screen, it makes it all worth it and will be at least enough to fuel the trials you’ll probably have to go through to get that next shot. After all if it were easy everyone would do it!“
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