“It’s all about the Light!”
Zoltan Kenwell
I believe that a solid photograph should be captivating every time it is viewed. It should offer more than just a visual representation of the environment it was captured in, but it should also excite the senses and evoke some emotion in the individual that is viewing it. Through my imagery I strive to transport the viewer to the exact location, as well as transmit some of the emotion I experience while taking the photograph.
While always looking at life and my surroundings with an evaluative eye, I have lived my entire life with a passion for expression and creativity. The night sky has a unique and powerful grip on me. I feel compelled to share what I witness and photograph in this environment because most people are fast asleep and unfortunately missing the beauty of one of Mother Nature’s grandest displays, the Aurora Borealis!
I was born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. As a first generation Canadian, the Alberta landscape has always been a captivating visual for me. Photography caught my attention at a very young age. When I was twelve years old, my first 35mm camera allowed me to explore a new creative outlet. It wasn’t long after the acquisition of this first camera that I built my own fully functional darkroom. This was the beginning of my lifelong passion for photography and image processing.
Photographing the Aurora in the darkness of the night can be an exhilarating, humbling, self-reflective and amazing experience. The night offers so much for our senses if you are open to it. The inherent limitations of your night vision leads to a substantial increase in all your other senses. For the last 8 years, venturing off into the darkness has become a very familiar and exciting event for me. The planning process usually starts a few days before, by analyzing the data from various websites that monitor the suns activity and local weather conditions. Regional atmospheric conditions have a direct influence on the direction of my travels within Alberta. The variables that affect the success of capturing the Aurora Borealis are so incredibly dynamic that every night becomes a unique experience with limitless possibilities. This is one of the main factors that continue to fuel my passion for photographing this subject. I have never seen or experienced the same thing twice!
I have spent my entire professional career providing electronic support for cutting edge research in the Neuroscience and Kinesiology disciplines. Being very familiar with many forms of electronic technologies, I employ many different resources besides a DSLR camera to successfully photograph the Aurora Borealis. Alongside the artistic element, there is a large degree of technicality involved with my photography.
“When everything comes together and it all works out…the noise of the drive settles and the sounds of nature take over. Your eyes begin to adjust to the darkness. Standing in the still of the night, in the middle of nowhere, you get to experience nature’s music. The blowing wind through the grass or coyotes calling to each other in the distance can be an eerie yet peaceful experience. Breathing crisp cold air and walking through freshly fallen snow can be amazing, and if you take a moment to look skyward, you might also be fortunate enough to experience the indescribable beauty of the Aurora Borealis.”
Gallery Representation:
Rowles & Company, Edmonton, Alberta
Corporate Clients and Displays:
Apple Inc. - Desktop Background Image IOS 7 IPad/IPhone/IPod
Alberta Treasury Branch – MyPic MasterCard
OASIS HD - Television program "Cosmic Vistas II" Episode 18, Night Fire
National Geographic - Sublime Nature: Photographs That Awe and Inspire – Hardcover ISBN-10: 1426213018
High Commission of Canada to India - Holi Celebrations
Canadian Geographic - January/February 2013 “Solar Storm”
American Geophysical Union Chapman Conference - The Relationship between Auroral Phenomenology & Magnetospheric Processes Fairbanks, Alaska, USA
Auroral Precipitation Models: A Potenital Future Topic for GGCM Metrics and Validation
Canadian Tourism and Hospitality
Alberta Tourism
Edmonton Tourism - Edmonton international Airport Display - YEG
Northern Light School Div. #69
Toshiba Canada
Panasonic International
Imagine the Universe - 14th Edition NASA - DVD
Angles of a Landscape - DVD - Perspectives on the poet Emily Dickinson
Passion City Church - Coffee table book
SkyNews Magazine - Best Tripod-Mounted Photo
Chasing light, capturing beauty - Edmonton Journal
Aurora borealis advisory prove worthy - Calgary Herald
Zenfolio.com - Front Page image.
2011 Universiade Bid Book - Showcasing Edmonton, Alberta, Canada to the world.
ICEFIELD Helicopter Tours - Travel/sales Brochure
Media/Web:
NASA - Astronomy Picture of the Day
NASA - News and Media Resources
National Geographic: Aurora Pictures: Best Fall Photos of Northern Lights
National Geographic: Deep-Sky Lights Revealed
Canadian Geographic: Infographic - How to shoot the Northern Lights
Canadian Geographic: Infographic – Time Lapse of the Northern Lights
SkyNews - Surprise Aurora Show
Travel Alberta - Things to do: Northern Lights & Dark Sky
CTV Spotlight - Guided Aurora Event
CBC Radio - Radio Interview
Breakfast Television - Live TV interview
The Weather Network Live radio interview
Global News
Edmonton Journal
Calgary Herald
Montreal Gazette
The Ottawa Citizen
The St. Albert Gazette
SpaceWeather.com
SolarHam.com
AuroraWatch.ca
George Stroumboulopoulos - Video of the Day - Aurora Borealis Over Alberta
