Tom and I celebrate great photos from photographers on our workshops by selecting a Photo of the Month. For February we chose an image from our Arctic Lights Photo Workshop. The image was taken by Laura DeSimone in the town of Wiseman, Alaska. Laura is from Fernley, Nevada and is known for her photos of flowers and rodeos. You can see her work here.
Congratulations to February 2026 ‘s featured photographer – Laura DeSimone
The Story…
Tom was outside and he told us through What’sAp that the sky was blowing up with aurora. We grabbed our gear and ran outside.
It was amazing. The full moon was so cool because it just shown through the aurora. It illuminated the foreground and everything around us.
We set up our tripods next to the rest of the group. We were waiting for the evening aurora tour. We were on the road in front of the lodge. Off to the side there were all sorts of trucks. I shot to the north to avoid the trucks. The remove tool and auto were my friends in editing. I also added a little bit of texture to the entire image.
When we see aurora in Nevada it is faint, like a cloud. You really can’t see it without a cell phone. In Alaska you could see the shapes of it with the naked eye. I could see the shapes in the sky.
My glasses frosted up. So I just put them in my pocket and I was shooting blind.
I really appreciate Tom letting me use his jacket. That really saved me. I had my good down parka with me but it would not have kept me warm at -40. Tom loaned me his big yellow Feathered Friends jacket. I had 2 down parkas on, a fleece jacket, two long underwear tops and a t-shirt. With all that on I felt like the Michelin Man. I stayed warm the whole time.
EXIF Data:
Camera: Nikon Z8
Lens: Nikon 14-24mm at 14 mm
Aperture: f2.8
Shutter: 5 seconds
ISO: 640
Manual Mode
About Photographing in Arctic Alaska
It was so much fun! The snow, the shapes of the frozen trees. The textures in the snow. I have never experienced cold like that, but I didn’t feel cold.
It was a great adventure. We were in an extreme environment. I had boots on that felt like Frankenstein boots. They worked.
I totally got into the frozen forest. The shapes were interesting. I wondered how the trees live when they are covered with so much snow and in such extreme temperatures. I loved the textures in the snow and how the wind created lines on the snow. The blue sky and the white of the trees made me in awe. I already want to go back
Laura’s’ s Tips for Aurora Photography
1) Point and shoot. It is like shooting the Milky Way. You’ll be shooting long exposures. WIth aurora you want to try to stop the activity in the display by using just enough shutter speed but not too much.
2) Shoot a ton. You want to have a choice of foregrounds and displays.
3) Good luck if you have glasses on. They are kind of useless when covered with frost. I would bring contacts next time.
On Laura’s Horizon:
Iceland
Svalbard
Death Valley – Superbloom & Milky Way
Free Event: Aurora Photography: an online presentation with Tom and Cree. Learn everything you need to know to photograph and edit the aurora on Zoom. Wednesday, March 18 at 6 pm Denver time. Send us a note to get the link.
Workshop Openings:
Tom Bol Photo Workshops is headed back to Antarctica in 2028. We will be navigating below the Antarctica Circle with Polar Latitudes – a place where few boats go. Penguins, whales and stunning icy landscapes. Just a few spaces left!
Explore Alaska this summer with Tom and Cree. Daily boat rides keep the walking to a minimum. July 7-12, 2026. Calving glaciers, Sea Otters, Whales, and beautiful scenery near Seward and Homer, Alaska. Learn more about our Alaska Kenai Explorer Workshop
Thanks for reading our trip reports!
Happy Spring
Tom and Cree
