Steve, Meet STEVE

I feel like I am refocusing.

Not literally, of course.

I used to enjoy making photos during the day. Apparently I don’t care very much for that any more. I’m not against it. I just don’t feel like doing it very often.

I do like making photos at night! I love the big night sky. I enjoy the challenge. It’s hard to take good night photos. Often I screw up a shot. I’m okay with that. It’s more about the experience than the photos, although I usually come away each night with at least one photo that I love.

Here’s the night of August 19 through to August 20. I made several photos that I loved.

11 PM at Elie

The Milky Way with a train streaking past
Blasting through Elie, Manitoba

Looking north – the Milky Way, and a train.

Looking south – the aurora borealis and a grain elevator.

Beauty all around.

The Northern Lights and a grain elevator
Aurora at Elie

Meeting STEVE at Fortier

STEVE

There’s an atmospheric phenomenon that has been seen many, many times, but it was only given a name in 2016 by a bunch of Albertan aurora watchers. It’s a Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement, or STEVE.

Needless to say, I’m tickled pink about the acronym… and I was tickled pink (and green) to finally see it in person!

It only lasted about 15 minutes, so I was madly making pictures while I could. Like the aurora, it moved. It kept twisting and changing colour, like someone was twirling giant wispy streamers of green and pink.

Westbound at Fortier, 12:05 AM

I love being out at night.

Milky Way at Mile 40

Milky Way at mile 40, 12:45

As I walked the 300m from Provincial Road 331 to the railway tracks, near Oakville, I saw the Milky Way lining up over the signals and I had to make that picture.

The night was magical, my friends, magical.

I spent an hour here, trying different angles, walking up and down, looking up… just enjoying the time spent under the big starry sky.

Eventually a train came along. We made a photograph together.

Train at mile 40, 1:22 AM

It was almost 1:30 in the morning, the stars were still bright and I felt great.

Time to hit the road, west… to Oberon.

More to come.

4 thoughts on “Steve, Meet STEVE”

  1. The Blasting through Elie photo could have been used by the pr dept of the Milwaukee Road for the Hiawatha! Great stuff Steve!

    ps. Hope to run into you at the train show.

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