#blachford lake lodge

[thesmaku]

I’m happy to announce my 2023 Aurora Borealis Photography Workshop at Blachford Lake Lodge in Northwest Territories, Canada! . This is always a good time staying awake until the wee hours of the morning by the campfire and shooting the northern lights! . August 27-30, 2023 . All skill levels welcome. Full details at the link in my bio, or smaku.com/workshops. . Please DM me with any questions or to book your spot! . #blachfordlakelodge #spectacularnwt #explorecanada #heartsofcanada #canada #photoworkshop #photographyworkshop #auroraborealis #northernlights #photoeducation #photography101 #nikonambassador #zcreators (at Blachford Lake Lodge) https://www.instagram.com/p/CmRbw3PuYAS/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[travelingpage]

🌍 Blachford Lake Lodge, Canada | 📸 Martina Gebarovska

[cpahlow]

Had to share this @weheartit

Blachford Lake Lodge, Canada

[theadventurouslife4us]

🌏Blachford Lake Lodge - 📸 Dreaming and Wandering

[me-lapislazuli]

Which one would you choose to spend the night in? / Blachford Lake Lodge / Martina Gebarovska / Say Yes To Adventure

[cambridgefamily]

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at Blachford Lake Lodge, in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, on July 5th 2011.

[pangeen]

The perfect fall cabins at Blachford Lake Lodge by Mark Jinks 

[algimblett]

Our last night gave us a spectacular #auroraborealis displau at about 2:15am. There has not been a lot of sleep in the past few days! #thisisblachford #blachfordlakelodge #yellowknife #adventure #fujifilm #xt1 #14mm (at Blachford Lake Lodge) https://www.instagram.com/p/B1uYFdhp4q0/?igshid=1d5cgavbinrva

[avhphoto]

Northern Nights

There was a period of time where I didn't go home often. In ten years I had made two trips north. Over the last few years, I've been heading back to Yellowknife in September for some photography work. A family friend owns a salon, and she brings me up every year to shoot her staff headshots and her annual sale. The north in September is pretty awesome. There aren't that many bugs flying around and the weather can be relatively mild compared to the dead of winter. And then there are the lights. Having been in Yellowknife the last couple years in September, I've noticed one commonality: the Aurora is back and I don't have to wear a parka to shoot them. I started thinking of all the times I've been asked about the Northern Lights. I saw them when I was going to school. I saw them driving home from work. Gassing up my car. Eating a donair on Range Street. They were always just there and I definitely took them for granted. I had been to Blachford Lake when I was younger, probably 20 years ago. It was a summer camp with two friends, and although all our stories are different on what our time there was like, there was one common denominator: it was awesome. I started thinking that this would be a perfect place to host a photography workshop. The thrill of the float plane ride to the remote lodge. The sounds of a crackling fire which warms the cabins and lodge. The sauna and hot tub which can be accessed 24/7. The food, which is prepared using local ingredients whenever possible, including greens fresh out of the lodge's garden. The abundance of activities that you can participate in such as hiking, kayaking, canoeing, fishing etc all added to the allure of hosting a workshop here. Then, of course, is the pièce de résistance, the nightly Aurora Borealis shows. DAY ONE The float plane out of Yellowknife left shortly after noon. When we arrived at the lodge we were greeted by the staff and volunteers who keep the place going. After a short introduction and quick lunch, we continued on our tour of the resort grounds and were given a safety orientation. We checked into our cabins and planned to meet up in a few hours at the lodge for a presentation on night photography to get primed for shooting over the next three nights. While I set up and prepped for the presentation, Lys and Fern headed out and did some stand-up paddling while other guests sat in the lodge and made dream catchers.

                                      My cabin.

Before heading out for shooting, I made sure I came home to a hot cabin. After dinner, we headed back to our cabins to put on warmer clothes and we headed out down by the dock where we arrived earlier that day. There weren't too many clouds in the sky at this point, and we were just practicing some light painting and long exposures when I looked at the back of the LCD on one of the participant's cameras and saw the faint glow of Aurora. We stopped what we were shooting and focused more on compositions that were better suited for shooting the aurora. The lights were off in the distance, not the greatest show and it only lasted for about 30-45 minutes before the thick cloud cover rolled in, but we managed to get some shots and stayed out until about 2am playing in the dark.

DAY TWO The next day saw us meeting after breakfast for a little hike of the area to scout out some potential shooting locations for that evening. It was much colder this day than the previous, and the clouds overhead were thick with little sign of reprieve. I crossed my fingers and hoped that the alleged "clear" forecast would actually hold up. We headed back to the lodge for lunch and a couple hours of downtime before meeting up later in the afternoon for an editing session. We looked over the images we had taken the night before and how to process them and bring out the colours that can often be hidden amongst the darker parts in images of the Aurora.

After dinner, we suited up once again, this time with a little more clothing as it was COLD. The cloud cover hadn't dissipated at all, so we decided to stay closer to the lodge so we could have a fire while we practiced some light painting and multiple exposures. As we were shooting, the thick cloud cover overhead started to crack. We could see the Aurora through the clouds, and they were moving and dancing so fast and so bright. Little by little, the clouds went away and the sky opened right up. There wasn't a dull spot in the sky as the Aurora danced overhead, filling the darkness with beautiful movement and colours. We were joined by some other guests staying at the lodge as we all shared in the wonderment that was being gifted to us after what seemed like a no-show. After taking photos of the lights for a while, we decided to set up our cameras to take some star trails. This gave us a chance to sit around the fire and watch the lights whilst our cameras stayed working. I'm a firm believer in "the moment" and having photographs of this amazing event wouldn't mean anything if we didn't have our own memories and feelings to associate with the pictures.

Photo by participant Lys Olson DAY THREE Having finished shooting mere hours ago (around 3am), we opted to have a slow morning and meet up around lunch. I headed to the hot tub to soak and read while Lys and Fern went for a little walk and took some photos of the area. It was a perfect start to the day after two late nights. This day was much warmer than the day before, but again, a thick layer of clouds had rolled in and wasn't looking too promising. We had lunch and headed out on a little boat tour of Blachford Lake before heading back to the lodge for more editing, showcasing how to blend multiple exposures to create a single image. We all got such great photos from the night before, and my excitement was rampant. I so wanted to skies to clear up for our final night, although two of three was a blessing already.

After dinner, we headed to the tipi which had since had its cover put back on. We watched and listened as Randy, a Dene man and Blachford regular, performed songs in his language on his drum for us. It reminded me of a lot of cultural activities I took part in growing up in the north, and a feeling of nostalgia washed over me. It put me in a trance. I don't know what was being said, but I know that I felt it. When the drum circle ended, Lys, Fern, and I headed to our cabins once more to gear up for our final night.

We found ourselves by the tipi again, wanting to shoot it with the cover on while the red fire burned inside. This didn't last very long. The wind picked up and the rain started. The wind was so strong that it started to blow the fire throughout the tipi and really shaking the structure. A wind-turbine was howling, and I won't deny that it was a terrifying sound. A shrieking that masked any other sound and made it impossible to hear. As the rain continued to fall, we decided to head back into the lodge to practice more light painting and multiple exposures. It didn't look like the lights would come out to play that night.

Around 1130pm, Jacob, one of the lodge staff, came to inform us that the clouds had actually lifted and the stars were out. Oh goodie. I popped my head out and sure enough, the sky was darker than it had been the previous nights, and the stars were brighter than most skies I've seen. We were finishing our shooting inside before heading out, and not five minutes after the announcement of clear skies, Jacob came back to tell us that the Aurora was out and going crazy. We stopped what we were doing and headed outdoors right away. I could go into detail about the scenes that were unfolding in front of our eyes, but I won't. There are far too many adjectives to describe the skies that night. The abundance of stars, the Milky Way (which I had never seen before in the NWT and was SO happy to have), and of course, the dancing Aurora Borealis. Out of all three nights, the night that looked the least promising was by far the best night for shooting. The lights made arcs in the sky. The water a mirror, reflecting the lights on the lake. There was almost too much going on that it was overwhelming. You couldn't look around and not find something to shoot. I was absolutely ecstatic for my workshop participants. They had travelled so long and far to come north and got to experience these lights all three nights, but also for myself, who had spent so many years taking the lights for granted. I got to sit and watch and truly enjoy them, and the memories I have from those nights are far better than any of the pictures I took.

Day 4 I woke up this day having not slept well at all. It's not that I didn't sleep well. I should say that I didn't sleep much. I went to bed with a lot of adrenaline still pumping as I was quite excited about the shots we got and I had a hard time winding down. When I did wake up, I packed up my cabin, albeit quite reluctantly. I wasn't ready to go. I headed up to the lodge for a final breakfast before having to say goodbye to Lys. She was on the first float plane out of camp so she'd be able to make her flight out of Yellowknife on time. Fern and I lounged around the lodge waiting for our ride, as new guests were arriving. I was very envious of the experience I hoped they would have. When it was time for us to leave, the flight seemed surreal at first. Taxiing out on the lake, flying over the lodge, heading back to civilization. I didn't want to do any of it. I wanted to stay right where I was. I was happy there.

I really want people to come north. I really want people to understand and experience what a small town and a remote lifestyle is all about. An area where bush planes are the norm. Where snowmobiles make up for the lack of motorcycles. Most importantly, no matter how much a small town can feel overcrowded, there are so many opportunities to be alone. I realize our time in Yellowknife as a group was very limited, but I always love hearing of people going there for the first time and what their impressions are. Take that, and fly someone out to a remote place like Blachford, and it's even more exciting to have people be thrilled about things you might otherwise have overlooked. That is why I created this workshop, and want to continue to do it annually. You might night get to experience -40 Celsius and ice roads, but there are certain aspects of living in the north I don't miss. Ok, well, I do miss the ice roads. Those were always fun. Instead, you get to experience the north in its very short season of transition from summer to winter. We say fall is about two weeks long if you're lucky. In those two weeks, the temperatures are mild, the bugs are few, and the lights can be absolutely incredible. The "Northern Nights 2019" workshop launches Sunday, September 16th at 6pm PST. If you're interested in joining me next year on this excellent adventure, please sign up for my mailing list and you'll be informed of when registration begins, or to stay up to date with any other workshops or events. You can email me if you have any questions! IMAGES AND TESTIMONTIAL FROM PARTICIPANT LYS OLSON

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[agnesgarf]

Et si on repartait ? Flashback sur le voyage de ma vie, à la poursuite des aurores boréales, avec la Cloud Appreciation Society. 🌨🌨🌨 Un accueil extraordinaire par l’équipe du Blachford Lake Lodge, l’atterrissage sur le lac gelé, la nature à perte de vue et les nuits la tête en l’air à regarder les aurores boréales danser entre les arbres et les étoiles. Magique. Moi qui n’aime pas le froid, me voici qui rêve de partir dans un chalet dûment muni d’un poêle et d’entendre le bruit de la neige sous mes pas. ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ #igf386 #igersfrance #hiver #winter #inverno #canada #nwt #spectacularnwt #blachfordlakelodge #thisisblachford #visitcanada (at Blachford Lake Lodge) https://www.instagram.com/p/CId_wK-FxM9/?igshid=1hgaxduwyiqyj

[brucesalinger]

Blachford Lake Lodge, Canada 🇨🇦 | Photography by © Martina Gebarovska (@dreamingandwandering) #earthofficial via ✨ @padgram ✨(http://dl.padgram.com) https://www.instagram.com/p/BbHS-2sj61a/

[thesmaku]

I was on my way back to the lodge to go to sleep when I decided to check this part of the property out one last time. When I arrived I was surprised to see the sky was exploding with the northern lights. As I was taking some photos, @prisnggnzlz and @hihisin just happened to come by, allowing me to photograph them against the beautiful night sky. . Thanks for being such great models! . Nikon Z 9 with Z 35mm f/1.8 at f/1.8, 0.8sec., ISO5000 . #nikonambassador #auroraborealis #aurora #spectacularnwt #blachfordlakelodge #explorecanada #exploremagazine #outsidemagazine #sharecangeo #canada #northernlights #silhouette #nikonnofilter #nikon_canada (at Blachford Lake Lodge) https://www.instagram.com/p/CifTbp_uSiw/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[travelingpage]

[strictlyfavorites]

Blachford Lake Lodge

[aurorahuntingtours-blog]

More snow and more Aurora light 💚 📸 by @tiffanywang87 #northernlights #星空 #igworldclub_astrophotography #night_shots#nightscaper #startrails #canada (at Blachford Lake Lodge) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bv_jW4oly0b/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1kssb2xbzie6

[waltb31]

Cozy cabin, fireplace, hot toddies, soothing music...sounds appealing? Blachford Lake Lodge, Yellowknife Northern Territory, Canada 🇨🇦 Who would you share this romantic setting with? Tag them!! #BlachfordLakeLodge #Canada #BeautyOfNature #CabinForTwo #Romantic #BucketList 📸Beautiful photo capture by @dreamingandwandering #Repost @dreamingandwandering ・・・ Find me in my Beaver cabin, sometimes under moonlight, sometimes under dancing lights, always next to the crackling wood fire. @blachford_ll is such a dream place to be ✨ ❄ https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs2KejwlVY7/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1xop0q6euqfzm