So I have been to Iceland but did not see the Aurora Borealis as it was too cloudy. I did fly from Portland, Oregon to Reykjavík and saw the lights somewhere over the Northern Territories and Greenland. My next Aurora Borealis experience was a recreated one in Birmingham City Centre. This event was really cool even though it was man made.
![Aurora borealis in my garden, May 2024](https://damienwalmsley.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Walmsley-Northern-Lights-01_res-1-1024x768.jpg)
The chances of seeing a full blown Northern Lights show anywhere outside of Iceland or Norway were going to be low. Friday 10th May and the Aurora watch said chances were high but I was out for dinner and I was thinking of an early Saturday start to photograph the end of the bluebells season.
![Aurora borealis in my garden, May 2024](https://damienwalmsley.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Walmsley-Northern-Lights-02_res-2-1024x768.jpg)
When we got back home, I went out in the garden and looked North as the BBC news channel instructions stated. Sandy said I had North wrong and I should look more to my right. I stayed out past 11.30pm and took a few pictures. At first nothing seemed to be showing, possibly there was a faint green glow. My camera showed some streaks on the right. I reorientated myself to the North East view and took a picture. At first I thought the camera was having a problem. There were lines on the picture. I took some more and as you will see there were some amazing rays showing up. I looked with the naked eye and there was a white glistening cloud passing over the house. The camera was recording pictures of an intense part of the electromagnetic storm that was passing overhead.
![Aurora borealis in my garden, May 2024](https://damienwalmsley.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Walmsley-Northern-Lights-04_res-4-1024x768.jpg)
The storm moved over the house from the East to the West. I continuously took pictures with my iPhone and occasionally used my Canon D5mkIV. The patterns were changing and at times the scene over the house looked like rays being emitted from a heavenly body.
![Aurora borealis in my garden, May 2024](https://damienwalmsley.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Walmsley-Northern-Lights-03_res-3-1024x768.jpg)
When I posted the pictures around midnight, I found the Socials were going mad. Many of my photographic friends were posting pictures of the Aurora and I was entering a massive chatroom as everyone exchanged their views on photographs that had been taken.
![Aurora borealis in my garden, May 2024](https://damienwalmsley.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Walmsley-Northern-Lights-05_res-5-1024x768.jpg)
Reflections. I never thought that I would see the Northern Lights from my back garden and that it would be so spectacular. I was so pleased to have the chance to see it and photograph the light show. I never made it to the Bluebells fields the next day!
![Aurora borealis in my garden, May 2024](https://damienwalmsley.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Walmsley-Northern-Lights-06_res-6-1024x682.jpg)
Technicalities. All iPhone pictures were taken on a tripod which gave lots of detail. Settings for the Canon were f/2.8, s15 secs and initially ISO1600. The light was so intense that I dropped the ISO to 400 on subsequent photographs. The colours from both cameras were different with the Canon picking up a richer red colour to the lights.
If you want to see my Northern lights from a plane, I have a link.