📸Shoot & Tell - "Chimney Aurora"

Aurora at the Bluffs: Why I’m the Crazy Artist Who Went Out at 2 AM for This

You know those photos you see on Instagram where people are under magical northern lights, sipping coffee, looking perfectly composed? Yeah, this isn’t that. This is me, stumbling around at 2 AM like a raccoon with a camera, muttering to myself, “It’ll be worth it, it’ll be worth it,” while my tripod tries to blow away into Lake Ontario.

But spoiler alert: it was worth it. Because what you’re looking at here is Chimney Bluffs State Park, and yes—that’s real aurora light streaking across the sky like nature decided to plug in a neon highlighter.

Chimney Bluffs: New York’s Accidental Grand Canyon

Let’s talk about the stage for this light show. Chimney Bluffs State Park is one of the most unique spots in Upstate New York. It sits along the southern shore of Lake Ontario, about halfway between Rochester and Syracuse, and it looks nothing like the rest of the Finger Lakes region.

Instead of rolling vineyards and gentle hills, you get these jagged, razor-sharp pinnacles of clay, carved over thousands of years by ice, wind, and water. They’re dramatic. They’re weird. They look like a set piece from The Mandalorian.

Fun fact: the bluffs themselves are constantly changing. Every season, erosion reshapes them a little more—so technically, no two visits look exactly the same. You can hike the rim trail for panoramic views that make you feel like you’re standing on the edge of the world, or climb down to the lakeshore like I did, where the bluffs loom over you like nature’s skyscrapers.

And at night, with the aurora overhead? It feels like Earth is cosplaying as another planet.

How to Photograph the Aurora Without Crying

People think photographing the aurora is glamorous. Let me break it down for you. It’s actually:

1. Check the forecast: Space weather is a thing. You’ll obsessively refresh apps like NOAA’s aurora tracker, which are about as reliable as a toddler promising they’ll go to bed on time.

   
   

2. Drag yourself out of bed: At an ungodly hour. Because the best shows happen when the rest of the world is drooling on their pillows

   
   

3. Camera settings:

   
   

   • Mode: Manual (don’t even try Auto unless you like disappointment).

   • Shutter speed: Between 4–15 seconds, depending on how fast those lights are dancing.

   • Aperture: As wide open as your lens allows (f/2.8 is the sweet spot).

   • ISO: Somewhere between 1600–3200. High enough to catch the light, low enough that your photo doesn’t look like a pixelated Minecraft sky.

   • Lens: Wide-angle. Because you’re not here for close-ups; you’re here for “oh-my-god-look-at-the-sky."

     
     

4. Tripod: Non-negotiable. Unless you enjoy blurry aurora shots that look like someone sneezed neon paint on your sensor.

   
   

5. Editing:

   
   

   • White Balance: Keep it cool, but don’t slide into Smurf territory. Around 3500–4000K usually keeps auroras natural.

   • Saturation/Vibrance: Nudge, don’t shove. A +10 to +15 boost is plenty—any more and you’re painting with neon markers.

   • Clarity/Texture: Gentle touch. Too much clarity makes the sky crunchy; keep it under +15.

   • Noise Reduction: Use it sparingly—luminance around 15–25, enough to calm the grain without melting the stars.

     
     
   
   

Why 2 AM is the Best Time to Be Alive

Here’s the thing: doing something totally ridiculous, like hiking to a cliffside beach at 2 AM with only coffee and poor life choices to guide you, makes the reward so much sweeter.

Most people never see this. They’re too busy sleeping like rational human beings. And maybe that’s the point—magic doesn’t happen in your comfort zone. It happens when you’re shivering on a shoreline, yelling at your tripod, watching green light ribbons explode across the sky.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely. Will you hate yourself for the first hour? Also absolutely. But when you get that shot, when you see those lights with your own eyes? You’ll forget the exhaustion, the mosquito bites, and the fact that you can’t feel your toes.

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  Shooting on Your Phone (Yes, It’s Possible):

  
  

  • No, your iPhone isn’t going to outshoot NASA. But if it’s all you’ve got:

    
    

    • Night Mode: Turn it on. Hold very still. Better yet, prop the phone on a rock, your car roof, or anything that doesn’t breathe and fidget like you do.

    • Exposure: Longer is better. Aim for 5–10 seconds if your phone allows it. The aurora moves, but so does your shaky hand—so find the balance.

    • ISO: Keep it low if you can (400–800). Phones love to crank ISO and give you a galaxy of noise instead of stars.

    • Focus: Lock it to infinity (or “landscape” if your phone is being cryptic). Don’t let it hunt in the dark.

    • Editing: Same rules apply—don’t go full cotton candy. A little contrast and a slight boost in vibrance is enough.

      
      

      Quick Guide: Visiting Chimney Bluffs

      
      

      Because I know half of you are already Googling “how do I get there?” here’s your cheat sheet:

      
      

      • Best Time to Visit:

        • Daytime: Late spring through fall for hiking when trails aren’t muddy.

        • Nighttime: Anytime space weather decides to be dramatic. (Translation: check aurora forecasts in advance and prepare to sacrifice sleep.)

          
          

      • What to Bring:

        • A headlamp/flashlight (your phone flashlight will make you look like a horror movie extra).

        • A sturdy tripod if you’re photographing.

        • Bug spray (the mosquitos are basically unionized).

        • Layers—because Lake Ontario loves to remind you that it’s basically an inland ocean.

          
          

      • Tips:

        • The rim trail gives epic views, but the lakeshore puts the bluffs in your face—both are worth it.

        • The bluffs are made of fragile clay. Stick to marked trails so you don’t end up eroding New York’s coolest natural landmark with your sneakers.

        • Don’t go alone at 2 AM unless you, too, enjoy narrating your own horror movie.

      
      

    And above all—don’t forget to actually look up from your phone. Otherwise, you’re just the person who went all the way to see the northern lights… and then watched them through a 6-inch screen.

    
    

Final Thoughts

This shot from Chimney Bluffs is proof that sometimes you’ve got to lean into the chaos, set your alarm for stupid o’clock, and let yourself be different. Because while everyone else is dreaming, you’re out there living the kind of dream you can’t make up.