Information, Terms, Links & FAQ - Informasjon og betingelser
FAQ
I get a lot of common questions, and I am sorry I do not have time to answer you all.
Before sending me a question, maybe these short answers can help you out.
1. Q: What is the best time and conditions to see the auroras?
A: Auroras are visible from sept-april in Norway. For reasons still unknown to scientists auroras are most
active around equinoxes (september and march). Autumn is beautiful in Norway, but your best bet for
watching auroras are normally from december-february due to colder weater and more clear skies.
2. Q: What is the best camera for shooting auroras?
A: The best you can afford. The better a camera is at low light (high ISO with little noise), the better your
aurora pictures can get. Sadly this also affects the price. Normally full frame cameras are the best, but
there are many good APS-C cameras for both Sony, Canon & Nikon. I will warmly recommend the Sony A7R / R2 for still photography,
the A7S / A7S2 for video work and the Sony A9 for action/sports.
3. Q: What is the best lens for shooting auroras?
A: A fast and wide lens, which can be an expensive combination. Normally a wide lens with an aperture of
f/2.8 is considered to be a good aurora-lens. For Sony full frame (E mount) I would recommend the Sony 16-35 f2.8 GMaster
or 16-35 f/4 FE. Canon full frame cameras I would recommend the Canon 16-35 2.8 III, Samyang 14mm 2.8,
Samyang 24mm 1.4. For Nikon full frame I would recommend the Nikon 14-24 2.8, Samyang 14mm 2.8, Nikon 24 1.4,
Samyang 24 1.4. The Tamron 15-30 2.8 is also an excellent low light lens. Remember all Canon and Nikon lenses can be used on Sony E-mount
mirrorless cameras with adapters. For cameras with a cropped sensor (APS-C), I would recommend the Tokina 11-16DX 2.8 for both Sony, Canon and
Nikon bodies.
4. Q: Where can I download your pictures (or videos) in high resolution to use as my desktop background?
A: I am sorry but currently I do not offer my photos (or videos) as high-res downloads.
5. Q: Do you offer workshops?
A: Currently no, only for special requests. But if you want to be notified in case I decide start doing workshops again,
you may send me a request with "WORKSHOPS" in the subject field.
6. Q: What is your favorite location, and can you please give me your locations for your shots.
A: I have no favorite location, I prefer to vary as much as possible. I'll give you a tips, do location scouting during daytime, particularly if your hunting
the aurora.
Except products marked with (NORWAY ONLY) all questions regarding tracking of shipments, damaged prints during shipment etc must be directed to Photoshelter https://support.photoshelter.com/hc/en-us/requests/new
For TERMS and questions regarding sales, shipping and tracking please read here.
Informasjon på Norsk
Velkommen til min nettside. Her kan du bla i galleriene og kjøpe utskrifter i forskjellig format.
Ønsker du å lisensiere en av videoene mine til ditt bruk så ta kontakt.
Bildene skrives ut både av profesjonelle printlabber i USA i Norge/Tyskland. Jeg har selv kvalitetssikret utskriftene og kvaliteten er svært god. Bilder/produkter som ikke er merket (NORWAY ONLY) er fra utlandet (USA for det meste).
Priser er i USD. Vær oppmerksom på at når du kjøper bilder fra utlandet så er disse eks.mva, og du kan risikere å måtte betale 25% merverdiavgift i tollen/posten ved innførsel. Prisene skal allikevel være konkurransedyktige etter påslag av mva.
Ellers så har jeg og muligheter til å levere spesielle typer utskrifter, på alt i fra spesielt på papir og materiale (plakat, veggtapet osv.), om du skulle ha spesielle ønsker. Men de aller flestes behov bør dekkes gjennom mulighetene denne siden tilbyr.
Husk at et bilde som er forstørret på utskrift aldri vil bli like skarpt som på pc skjermen, og at en stor utskrift må ha god belysning for å få samme gløden som bilder på en pc/data-skjerm. Dette gjelder spesielt for utskrifter på lerret (Canvas). Et større bilde skal også betraktes på avstand.
Her er en tabell som viser forskjellige størrelser og optimal betraktningsavstand:
Størrelser oppgitt i ( " ) er tommer (inches), 1 tomme (inch) = 2,54cm, slik at 20"x30" (tommer) er 50cm x 75cm.
12x18” (30x45cm) (A3) = 3 feet (90cm)
16x24” (40x60cm) (A2) = 5 feet (150cm)
20x30” (50x75cm) = 8 feet (240cm)
24x36” (60x90cm) (A1) = 10 feet (300cm)
Vær obs på at bilder printet på lerret i fra printleverandør i USA, mister litt av sidene på bildet. Dette er fordi litt av sidene på bildet brukes til brette rundt blind/trerammen. For de aller fleste motiver vil ikke dette bety stort, men det kan være greit å være oppmerksom på dette. Dersom du ønsker print på lerret med lagt til ramme i bildemotivet må du velge lerret med (NORWAY ONLY).
Hva skal du velge?
Folk har veldig forskjellige preferanser. Noen sverger til det evige populære lerretet (Canvas), mens andre foretrekker å få bildene på glanset (glossy), eller semi-glanset (lustre) høykvalitets fotopapir, for så å ramme inn selv meg egne rammer. Man kan få kjøpt rimelige rammer i standardstørrelser flere plasser. Noen sverger til passerpartout, mens andre lar bildet gå kant til kant i rammen. Det er rett og slett et personlig valg. Personlig har jeg mer sansen for at bildet går kant til kant, men igjen det er en personlig preferanse.
Forstørrelser gjort på skumplate (foamcore/gatorfoam) er blitt veldig populære. De er lette og solide. Her printes bildet på et høykvalitets fotopapir og monteres på platen, eller direkte på platen med UV teknikk. Andre sverger bilder med høyglans som man får i print/forstørrelser gjort på akryl/plexiglass.
Et rimelig og godt alternativ er å kjøpe et bilde forstørret på høykvalitets fotopapir og ramme det inn i en klipsramme. Et slikt bilde kan gi en glans og finish som minner om akrylglass, og du får en moderne look.
Om du skal montere bildet i ramme selv, så vær sikker på å kjøpe bildet i et større format en rammen, i tilfelle du planlegger å beskjære litt selv.
Betaling og pris
For å gjøre det trygt og enkelt for deg skjer betaling ved handel i nettbutikken ved betalingsformidleren PayPal. PayPal er verdens største formidler av betalingstjenester, og du kan betale med alle typer bank-kort uten å være registret hos PayPal. PayPal brukes av millioner hver dag og er trygt. Når du skal betale blir du overført til siden til PayPal, og så tilbake til fotosiden min når betaling er gjennomført, dette er normalt. Les mer om PayPal her.
Alle priser er i Amerikanske Dollar USD.
BETINGELSER - ARCTIC LIGHT PHOTO – Ole Salomonsen Photography
Takk for at du handlet en bilde-utskrift hos meg.
Alle produkter I nettbutikken som ikke er merket med (NORWAY ONLY) vil håndteres av Photoshelter i New York, USA. Vær oppmerksom på at du kan bli pålagt å betale merverdiavgift for bilder som sendes fra USA til Norge. Ikke alle fraktalternativ tilbyr sporig av pakker. Dette avhenger av fraktalternativ valgt. Alle spørsmål om frakt og forsendels av bilder sendt fra USA må rettes til Photoshelter Support:
https://support.photoshelter.com/hc/en-us
Har du kjøpt et bilde market med (NORWAY ONLY) skal du etter ordren få en ordrebekreftelse. I ordrebekreftelsen star det et nummer, dette nummeret uten bindestrek I midten, kan du bruke på postens side for sporing av pakker:
Noen ganger kan det ta litt tid før du får ordrebekreftelsen, og før ordren er sporbar hos posten. Om du mistenker at forsendelsen er skadet må du si ifra på posten hvor du henter bildet, og skrive skademelding der. Du må ikke hente ut et bilde some er skadet, da mister du klageadgangen på transportskade hos posten.
Mvh
Ole C Salomonsen
Information about prints
Quality of large prints
When buying a large format print today this is most likely an enlarged (upsized) photo, unless shot with a very high resolution medium- or large format camera. Hence depending on the camera used there will always be some enlargement involved. This can lead to some photos losing some crispness when being observed at a too close distance, this is normal. However, keep in mind an enlarged print is not intended to be observed very close, but at some distance.
Although not a perfect rule, a good guidance for sizes and minimum viewing distance can be like in this print-guide-table:
Sizes given in ( " ) are inches, 1 inch = 2,54cm, such that 20"x30" is 50cm x 75cm.
12x18” (30x45cm) = 3 feet (90cm)
16x24” (40x60cm) = 5 feet (150cm)
20x30” (50x75cm) = 8 feet (240cm)
24x36” (60x90cm) = 10 feet (300cm)
Still, a good starting point never hurts, and although many photographers for years have claimed there will rarely be need for more than 12megapixels resolution, even on a full frame camera, for any enlarged print size, most of my shots (99%) are done on cameras with resolution at about 20megapixels. This ensures enlarged prints have good quality even if some cropping has been necessary.
Print sizes and ratios
When shooting with a modern DSLR camera there is a ratio between the width and height of the frame which is 3:2, or 1.5. I put a lot of effort into composing as good as possible on location, so I don’t have to waste resolution in cropping. This also means that most of my prints have an aspect ratio of 3:2. Although I don’t want to crop a good framed/composed shot, some cropping/cutting can sometimes be done without ruining the composition.
A typical challenge though, is that for some reason some typical frame sizes have a slightly different aspect ratio than a camera, either 1.4, 1.33 or 1.25. Hence if you are ordering a print which you plan to put in your own pre-sized frame, be sure that you buy a print which is slightly bigger, so you can do a little cutting yourself, unless a perfect match is available. Otherwise you should be prepared to accept some difference between the print and the frame.
Prices & Paying for prints
All prices are in United States Dollars (USD).
When you check out and pay, you also will get the option to see the total amountin USD, or whatever you currency is, and carry out the actual payment in your local currency. For your safety and convenience, payments are carried out through PayPal, the worlds largest payment processor. PayPal is well established and considered safe. When you are paying you are transfered to PayPal's pages, and then back here. This is normal. You do not have to register with PayPal to use your card for paying. Read more about PayPal here.
Types of prints/mounts – What to choose?
Currently only prints on premium photopaper (lustre, glossy, matte), and canvas prints/wraps, are available to US/International customers.
Be aware that on current canvas prints/wraps the image file is stretched around the frame, this is normal to avoid unevness in the stretch, but you will loose slight of the picture frame/composition (3" in total (1.75" on the sides)). For most prints this is not noticeable, but please be aware.
People have very different preferences in how they like their prints. People’s personal style, the look, colors and feel of the place the photo should hang, as well as available light etc., can contribute to choice of materials. Some like to buy just a print on photo paper and frame it themselves using an edged frame or clipframe from Walmart etc, or even glue it on their own to a rigid surface, while others want to buy a print ready framed, or mounted on a specific core, ready to hang on the wall.
The use of clip-frames is very popular. Buy a enlarged print and frame it yourself. You will get a high quality print, and when framed you will get a glossy finish and a futuristic look.Hence it’s impossible to give one recommendation that suits all. But I can give a few general tips:
- Take into account the viewing distance as mentioned above
- Always ensure your print has sufficient with viewing light. A printed photo will never be
as bright as on the computer screen, so be sure to use good lightning to bring out the
details, in particular on canvas prints/wraps.
- The perfect light has a color temperature of Kelvin 6500, but even a too cold or warm
light is better than no light, so a viewing light for your print is important! It does not have
to be expensive, you can find affordable viewing lights on walmart, ebay or amazon.
- Although prints/mounts are done by professionals on professional equipment, on state of
the art materials, you should always be careful with corners on enlarged prints. Corners
always seem to be able to find a way to touch other surfaces.
- If you are afraid your available light source above the photo (down light, spot, etc.) will
make disturbing reflections in the photo, then you should choose a matte surface print, or
canvas. A popular choice in finish on photo paper is semi-glossy or lustre, since although
this gives some vibrance and pop-up feel in the photo, it is also somewhat less reflective
than a glossy print. If this is again laminated (when mounted on some cores) it gets an
even better resistance to reflections, while still preserving good details and colors.
But then again this is a personal choice, some even like reflections in their prints J
I have tried to limit the number of choices to the most popular. But should you have a specific request you can contact me and I will see what we can do.
Workshops & other services:
Currently I spend most of my time shooting pictures and videos, so I have no time to do workshops. However, I do private exclusive workshops for individuals and smaller groups. I know the landscapes in the region very well, and I have also been assisting both major TV companies as well as professional film crews with both location scouting and technical assistance for shooting. I do not rule out that I may resume arranging workshops, and if/when I will announce it.
If you would like to follow more of my work you can also find me on facebook 
TERMS – ARCTIC LIGHT PHOTO – Ole Salomonsen Photography
Thank you for purchasing your print from me.
Please note that my webshop is handled by Photoshelter in NY, USA.
Except products marked with (NORWAY ONLY) all prints are made and shipped by Photoshelter from NY, USA.
All questions regarding tracking of shipments, damaged prints during shipment etc must be directed to Photoshelter. Please note that not all shipping options may have the option to track the shipment. https://support.photoshelter.com/hc/en-us
Please have your order number available when contacting Photoshelter support.
Currently all sales are in USD. If your currency in your country is another, you should still in most countries get option the view total amount in your currency in PayPal before confirming purchase.
If there is a suspicion of damage to the shipment, please notify the post-office or the service bringing you the shipment before accepting receiving the print.
Thank you,
Ole C Salomonsen
Links about Norway & Things to do in Norway:
Visit Norway The main tourist information page in Norway, where to see the aurora
Polaria A beautiful and well organized arctic entertainment centre in Tromsø. Polaria has an Arctic aquarium, interesting knowledge-based exhibits, a panoramic cinema, and a gift and souvenir shop. Polaria has a gallery where you currently can see my aurora photos hanging on the wall in enlarged formats. In the panoramic cinema you can watch a movie about the northern lights, also produced and made by me. :)
Here is a teaser for the aurora movie at Polaria.
Aurora activity:
SpaceWeather - Lot's of useful information about aurora forecast
Spaceweather Dashboard - NOAA Spaceweather Enthusiast Dashboard
SolarHam - Lots of information about solar activity
Latest Solar Wind Data from ACE Spacecraft - SolarHam
NOAA - Spaceweather overview
Tromsø Auroral Observatory - Magnetograms, weather and all sky cam
University of Tromsø Geomagnetic activity - Auroral activity in Tromsø, Norway
IRF Magnetogram - Geomagnetic activity - Auroral activity in Kiruna, Sweden
NOAA - Wing KP - 1hr and 4hr geomagnetic prediction
NOAA - 3 day Kp forecast - Hourly breakdown
NOAA - 3hr Estimated Planetary K-index
Current aurora oval - 30min forecast
NOAA - 3 day Kp prediction animation (NOAA test, not too reliable)
SDO - Latest solar flares
X-Ray Solar flares
All-Sky-Cams:
Tromsø - Norway
Tromsø2 - Norway
Reed - Norway
Kiruna - Sweden
Sodankyla - Finland
Muonio - Finland
Tjörnes - Iceland
Syowa - Antarctia
Poker - Alaska
