24 April 2012
The Northern Lights made a rare appearance in West Kerry last night as the Aurora Borealis was visible from Killshannig Point, Maharees, Brandon Bay between 1am and 4am.
Castlegregory based photographer Tim Smith captured the amazing images on camera and has shared the stunning results with DingleNews.com.
“Last night was one of the most amazing nights I have witnessed in quite some time; to see the display from the Aurora Borealis so far south was some treat,” Tim explained.
“I had checked the various websites available and it was looking like there was a decent chance to see them over Ireland.”
In explaining this spectacular phenomenon, Tim explained how the Northern Lights were caused by a huge Solar Storm sending out charged particles to Earth at speeds over 4.5 million mph. The storm needs to reach a certain force to be visible this far South.
“It got to 1am and I looked up at the sky to see amazing clear skies with bright stars,” he said, “with the moon being only a crescent, conditions were perfect to see the stars and the lights.”
“Rushing to get my gear together I headed out to location. As I walked over the hill I could see light rays beaming out over the horizon. I knew that I could be in for a special show and as far as I knew I had it all to myself.”
Setting up for a long exposure, Tim was able to capture the glow along with some light rays from the lights. It wasn't long however before the clouds came over and covered the spectacle. Luckily, Tim had captured some of the most stunning images ever seen in the night sky over the Dingle Peninsula.
Originally from London, Tim Smith is a landscape and action photographer who has lived on the Dingle Peninsula since 2000. Dedicated to his art, he spends hours on end chasing that perfect light or driving miles to that particular beach. According to Tim, this is where on the right day or night at the right time, magic can happen and go completely unnoticed by the rest of the world.
Driven by the scenery and light around him along with a love for the ocean, Tim strives to be different. By using a range of techniques his goal is to capture and deliver unique images to his clients at an affordable price.
Tim hopes that through his images and videos he can help remind us just how beautiful and fragile the world is today. The day to day grinds of life can become hard and it’s with his work that he hopes to brighten up people’s lives by showing them different perspectives of the world we live in. For more information on Tim and his work, check out his website TimSmithVisuals.com or catch up with his work on Facebook .
