Sarah Palin’s new neighbor is an old foe… The writer Joe McGinniss has rented the house adjoining the Palin residence while he works on his current book project about her. Palin erected a two story fence between their two homes immediately upon discovering the identity of her new neighbor. If you look closely you can see McGinniss out on his back porch writing on his laptop. It’s going to be a long Summer for these new neighbors…

Nuit Blanche from Spy Films on Vimeo.

Another short film with great visuals from Spy Films. I love the work that they’ve been producing.

As a Nikon user, the AF-S 24mm f/1.4 is of particular interest to me. For years, the now discontinued Nikon 28mm f/1.4 has been my lens of choice when photographing the Aurora Borealis. It was Nikon’s widest f/1.4 offering, and those extra few stops made a huge of difference when chasing those elusive Northern Lights. I’m excited about the possibilities that this new lens will provide when coupled with the amazing low light capabilities of the Nikon D3S.

Canon users have had access to this focal length and aperture for some time now, with Canon just recently releasing a new updated version. I’ve got to admit that I’ve been more than a little jealous of them, but my inner Fanboy tells me that this new Nikon lens will be a superior product. But I digress, and have no desire to start a pissing contest…

The Red Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights is a rare occurrence, even in Alaska. I shot this image back in 2002, during the peak of Solar Cycle 23 at Hatcher’s Pass, in the Talkeetna Mountains of Southcentral Alaska. This particular night I witnessed one of the most spectacular displays I’ve seen in over thirty years of Aurora watching. I was in complete awe as I spent the entire night watching them dance slowly across the sky.

Currently, there are indications that Solar Cycle 24 activity is finally beginning to pick up. In the meantime I’ll be anxiously awaiting…