This museum grade fine art photograph is available in a fine art limited edition of 200, signed and numbered with a signed Certificate of Authenticity (COA) provided for additional provenance.
Aurora's Dreamland - Aurora Borealis, Andromeda Galaxy and Milky Way Spiral Arm over Crater Lake
Discovery Point, Crater Lake National Park, Oregon
The Aurora Borealis, Andromeda Galaxy and Milky Way Spiral Arm over Crater Lake and Wizard Island in Oregon's Crater Lake National Park
The magentas and greens of the Aurora Borealis light up the night skies above Crater Lake and Wizard Island as the spiral arm of the Milky Way and the Andromeda Galaxy rise up into the night skies above. The magenta of the aurora reflect off the water around Wizard Island, Hillman Peak, Llao Rock and the west side of Crater Lake, while the green of the Aurora Borealis reflects off the water on the east side of Crater Lake below Cloudcap, Mount Scott, Kerr Notch, Dutton Cliff, and Garfield Peak.
Taken during the legendary June 2015 G4 geomagnetic storm, this aurora event produced a wonderful display of pillars, color, and dancing. I wanted a more diffuse glow to capture the sheer scale of the color in a different manner, so I made sure my camera settings were tuned to do exactly that. This image focuses on the sheer scale, capturing a full 2x1 panoramic from the West Rim to the East Rim, stretching from Watchman Peak all the way to Garfield Peak. Crater Lake's water glows with intense color, reflecting both the magenta and green as Discovery Point, the Northwest Rim, North Rim and Northeast Rim lie covered in a green glow. It's mesmerizing to see the aurora on full display above Crater Lake, especially with a diffuse aurora that transforms the entire landscape in a colorful dreamland straight out of heaven. That's something I'll always remember about this magical night, the feeling of walking to aurora's dreamland surrounded by color from heaven 360 degrees in every direction.
Fine art landscape stitched panoramic photograph of the Aurora Borealis over Crater Lake, Wizard Island and Discovery Point in Crater Lake National Park. This image captures the stunning glow of green and magenta diffuse aurora reflecting in the waters of Crater Lake as they light the night sky above Oregon's only National Park. Now available as a luxury museum-grade limited edition print by James Mead.
Dreams of the Aurora: Discovery Point, Wizard Island, and Crater Lake Under the Aurora Borealis
It takes a rare, exceedingly strong geomagnetic storm to bring the Aurora Borealis this far south. When the Aurora is this strong, you can easily capture the impressive diffuse glow of it all and that's what I went for here vs a more traditional photo of dancing and pillars. You can see elements of both in the photo, but the sheer colorful display of everything is what caught my eye. Our eyes see mostly monochromatic at night, but during a strong display such as this our eyes can see hints of color even in the dark.
As is so common here in the Pacific Northwest, the clouds were obscuring things early on. Hoping for a break in the clouds, I decided I'd wait all night if I had to. Once the clouds finally broke, it was magnificent. The colors were so intense they were illuminating the waters of Crater Lake, and the aurora colors were split just below Palisades Point and Rugged Crest Palisades, with greens towards the northeast and into the upper parts of the sky and the magentas hanging on towards the horizon and the north and northwest. It was an amazing display, one which transformed Crater Lake into what felt like aurora's dreamland. It seemed like dreams mixed with reality.
It's not often that displays this strong happen that far south, but when they do it's a sight to behold. It's even more rare to see the colors of the Aurora split like this, so that's exactly what I aimed to capture. I always try to look for the unique beauty of each aurora display. I consider how it makes me feel and how it hits my senses. I aim to photograph that, something which allows me to have a wide variety of looks and emotions in my aurora borealis photos. I stayed up, taking in the scene and taking pictures until the sun came up and the auroras faded into the light of day. The aurora had one last gift before sunrise: a rare purple aurora with the colors of sunrise far below the horizon at an azimuth of 33.8 degrees lighting the horizon above the northeast rim. After that last magnificent display, the auroras slowly faded and sunrise greeted a new day. At that point it was time to go to sleep and visit dreamland, though whatever beauty my brain could muster in dreams would surely pale in comparison to the ethereal beauty of aurora's dreamland that I had just witnessed.
Technical Specifications
- Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark III
- Lens: Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM
- Settings: 16mm | f/2.8 | 37 Seconds | ISO 6400
- Process: 4-Image Panoramic | Successive Back-to-Back Exposures using a Nodal Rail, L-Bracket and 3 Way Pan and Tilt Head to Prevent Parallax Error | All Panoramic Images at Same Settings | In-Camera Long Exposure (The Mead Method) | Bespoke Multi-Layer Noise Management (Manual Masking to preserve details and raw data integrity)
Note on Provenance - Aurora's Dreamland over Crater Lake and Wizard Island
This image is a certified Panoramic of Single Exposures. Captured using the "Mead Method" developed over 15 years of nightscape experience. No trackers, no sky-swaps, and no generative AI. Just a single moment in time, preserved.
Technical Note - Panorama of the Aurora Borealis over Crater Lake and Wizard Island
A high-resolution panoramic stitch [2x1 aspect ratio] of 4 single exposure images panned horizontally using a nodal rail and L-bracket on a 3-way pan and tilt panoramic head for nodal point accuracy, ensuring the final photo preserves museum-grade detail and resolution across the entire frame without parallax error, from Crater Lake to the Milky Way in the night sky.
Photo © copyright by James Mead.
Chromaluxe® Metal Prints | Gallery Float Ready to Hang
Vibrant. Modern. Impactful.
My Chromaluxe® Metal Fine Art Prints offer a sleek, modern presentation that’s both bold and beautiful. Using a high-heat dye sublimation process, each image is infused directly into a specially coated aluminum panel resulting in vibrant colors, ultra-sharp detail, and a striking glossy finish. The dye sublimation process infuses the image directly into the metal, creating a scratch resistant surface while helping provide permanent protection.
These prints feature:
• Vivid, color-rich surfaces ideal for modern spaces
• High contrast and incredible sharpness: perfect for clean compositions and bold landscapes
• Durable and lightweight aluminum construction
• Float mount backing for a frameless, floating display. Ready to hang out of the box
• Signed and Numbered Limited Editions of 200
• Signed Certificate of Authenticity (COA) provided for additional provenance
• Hand Crafted in the USA by our master printmakers
Please contact me for Alaska, Hawaii, and international shipping rates. Please allow 3-4 weeks for production and delivery.
These metal prints are ideal for collectors seeking a contemporary look with museum-quality output. Resistant to scratch, moisture and UV fading, they work beautifully in both home and office settings.
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Lumachrome TruLife® Acrylic HD Fine Art Prints | Gallery Float Ready to Hang
Museum-Grade Brilliance. Gallery-Worthy Depth.
Bring home the brilliance of nature with the industry’s finest print medium. My Lumachrome TruLife® Acrylic HD Fine Art Prints are crafted using a state-of-the-art process that infuses archival pigments into a transparency layer, backed by a clear acrylic backer and mounted under crystal-clear TruLife® acrylic. This creates a luminous, almost 3D effect. Colors appear to glow from within.
These gallery-grade prints feature:
• Incredible depth and clarity, fine details leap off the wall
• Exceptional color fidelity with deep saturation and smooth tonal gradations
• Anti-reflective, scratch-resistant museum grade 1/8” TruLife® acrylic offering unmatched viewing clarity under all lighting
• UV Resistant: TruLife® acrylic blocks up to 99% of UV rays
• 1/8" clear acrylic backer mounted using an archival adhesive layer
• 1.25” Roma wooden rear float mount frame inset 2” from the edge for a clean, frameless display that is ready to hang
• Signed and Numbered Limited Editions of 200
• Signed Certificate of Authenticity (COA) provided for additional provenance
• Hand Crafted in the USA by our master printmakers
• Ready to hang out of the box: no glass or framing required
Please contact me for Alaska, Hawaii, and international shipping rates. Please allow 3-4 weeks for production and delivery.
Whether you're designing a luxury interior or curating a personal gallery, these prints are built to impress and designed to last a lifetime.
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Roma Framed Lumachrome TruLife® Acrylic HD Fine Art Prints | Museum-Quality Ready to Hang
Timeless elegance. Unrivaled depth. A true centerpiece.
My Roma Framed Lumachrome TruLife® Acrylic HD Fine Art Prints represent the pinnacle of archival display. These statement pieces combine the award-winning brilliance of Lumachrome HD with the craftsmanship of custom Roma wood mouldings, transforming your chosen image into an heirloom-worthy work of art.
Each piece is handcrafted by master printmakers and framers in the USA using museum-grade materials. The print itself is infused with archival pigments into a transparency layer, mounted to an archival acrylic backer and face-mounted and sealed under a 1/8" layer of crystal-clear TruLife® acrylic: a premium optically-coated surface that eliminates reflections and enhances depth, vibrance, and clarity.
Surrounding this luminous presentation is your choice of genuine Roma Moulding, hand-built with a choice of 3.5" or 4" Italian made wooden Roma frame with a 3" black linen liner for a refined, framed, museum grade appearance. This adds approximately 13 to 14 inches to both the height and width of the final piece. This level of finish is rarely seen outside of luxury interiors and gallery exhibitions.
After placing your order, I’ll reach out personally to confirm your ideal frame and liner pairing from my curated Roma collection. If you’d prefer to finalize your framing choice in advance, feel free to reach out any time for a custom recommendation.
These museum grade works of art feature:
• Gallery-grade presentation with luminous depth and 3D effect
• TruLife® acrylic: anti-reflective, scratch-resistant, and blocks 99% of UV
• Archival quality construction with pH-neutral adhesive and backer
• Available in your choice of 3.5" or 4" Roma wood mouldings with a black linen liner for a framed, museum-grade appearance
• Museum-grade 3" black linen liner for added depth and visual separation
• Signed and Numbered Limited Editions of 200
• Signed Certificate of Authenticity (COA) provided for additional provenance
• Hand Crafted in the USA by our master printmakers
• Ready to hang out of the box: no glass or framing required
Please contact me for Alaska, Hawaii, and international shipping rates. Please allow 4-5 weeks for production and delivery.
Whether displayed in a luxury residence, corporate lobby, or fine art collection, these framed prints command attention and offer a sense of permanence few art mediums can match.
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These are investment-grade art pieces designed to last generations. If you have any questions, need any mock-ups or if you need anything else before purchase, please reach out and I will be in contact shortly.