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Stunning Northern Lights captured in time lapse of Voyageurs National Park

VOYAGEURS 8K
More than Just Parks is back with another National Park video, this one revealing the serene landscapes and incredible night skies of Voyageurs National Park. Located on the northern edge of Minnesota, with a landscape dominated by water, Voyageurs offers impressive views of the Northern Lights.

It took three people 14 days to capture more than 20,000 still photos for the time-lapse sequences (which make up the bulk of the film). The crew worked their way northwest after starting in Crane Lake, hiking and often boating their way throughout the park’s 340 square miles.

Voyageurs is characterized by its many lakes and waterways The video takes viewers through Sand Point Lake, Namakan Lake, Ash River, Kabetogama Lake, and Rainy Lake on the northwest corner where the team eventually exited the park.

The production schedule was timed perfectly to catch the vibrant fall color that surrounds the park. The deep yellows and reds contrast nicely with the vibrant green of the aurora.

The film was shot on a variety of cameras, including a Canon 5D Mark III DSLR, Sony A7R II, and even a Blackmagic Design URSA Mini 4.6K. The crew also employed time-lapse motion control and triggering solutions from Alpine Labs.

More Than Just Parks started as a side project for brothers Jim and Will Pattiz, who together run Sea Raven Media. The brothers combined their experience in film production with their love for the outdoors. Their goal is to film all 58 U.S. national parks. Voyageurs was number nine, following the release of a Grand Teton time lapse in July.

The project is supported through print sales and donations. To watch earlier films in the series and for more information, head on over to morethanjustparks.com.

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Daven Mathies
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Daven is a contributing writer to the photography section. He has been with Digital Trends since 2016 and has been writing…
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