Hunt For The Northern Lights: Interview With Polina Bublik

Polina Bublik is one of our notable contributors most literally living the dream she’s always envisioned. Her more recent works feature incredible photographs of the northern lights, something that’s part of the bigger picture for the artist. Today she shares her story and her work in an effort to encourage you to pack your bags and chase your dreams.

“I was born in Volgograd. Then I lived for 6 years in St. Petersburg where I worked as a family and wedding photographer. Usually I spent the whole winter in warmer countries. One day in 2015, in Vietnam, I remembered I had a dream – to see and take a picture of the northern lights.”

“I began to learn how to make high-quality photos of the northern lights and seriously consider what equipment I needed.

Six months later, in love with the archipelago Spitsbergen and the man of my dreams, I moved to live in the city of Longyearbyen, away from the rainy St. Petersburg.

Now, when the weather is clear and the forecast shows intense solar activity, I always go to shoot the northern lights. Sometimes it’s enough just to leave the house. Longyearbyen is a very small town and its lights do not interfere with me enjoying the aurora.”

“There is a very large population of polar bears in Svalbard and I’m always very scared when I stay alone, away from the city. My only weapon is a tripod 🙂 I constantly hear the sounds of an approaching bear!”

“Earlier, I was never interested in landscape photography. But now this is my favorite direction. I can just walk and create landscapes or just wait for good lighting and watch the birds or the ocean move. It’s amazing!

I think that I am working more seriously with stock photography only as I’m in Spitsbergen. It’s been about 2 years.”

“A couple of months ago I bought a telephoto lens 200-500 mm and it’s amazing. Now I really want to do more photos shoots with wild nature. I really hope to take a picture of the polar bear!

I’m using Nikon d810. The most popular lens for landscapes is nikkor 14-24 mm 2.8.”

“If you have a dream to see a miracle in this world, I advise you to learn a lot about the specific place. Now, there is a lot of information around us – to be prepared and not to miss a single detail. You need to know the time of the year, the day – when it is best to visit this wonder of the world. Get the help of experienced travelers or locals.

Good luck in achieving the dream! My dream came true, and I can say that now my life is a dream 🙂 I smile as I write these words.”