The Aurora Borealis (more commonly known as the Northern Lights) are an incredible atmospheric swirling light show in the sky that you mostly only get to see if you're within a narrow northern latitude. Yellowknife-based artist Keating Smith first discovered them when he moved to the Northwest Territories a few years ago and began documenting them with his camera.

Now, Smith is known as an astro-cinematographer whose videos of the Aurora have gone viral. His love of the stellar display means that he searches out the lights well after dark, alone in the snow. It's a solitary practice that has become soothing for the artist — and is also pretty great for those of us who might not have the chance to make the Northern trek ourselves.

In this video, Smith takes you on an Aurora shoot and tells you some of what it takes to create his iridescent footage.

Follow Keating Smith on Instagram here.

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