{"id":31660,"date":"2025-11-06T17:32:43","date_gmt":"2025-11-06T23:32:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/2025\/11\/06\/chicago-family-captures-northern-lights-at-montrose-beach\/"},"modified":"2025-11-06T17:32:44","modified_gmt":"2025-11-06T23:32:44","slug":"chicago-family-captures-northern-lights-at-montrose-beach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/2025\/11\/06\/chicago-family-captures-northern-lights-at-montrose-beach\/","title":{"rendered":"Chicago family captures northern lights at Montrose Beach"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1>Capturing the Magic of the Northern Lights<\/h1>\n<p>A Chicago family who loves the magic of nature was able to capture photos of the northern lights Wednesday night at Montrose Beach. DeJuan Shorter and his wife Ellen were tracking when the best time to go down to one of their favorite spots in the city \u2014 Montrose Beach.<\/p>\n<h2>The Experience<\/h2>\n<p>DeJuan initially went to the beach at around 8:15 p.m. with one of his daughters and the northern lights were not as visible to the naked eye. Around an hour later with Ellen and two of his daughters, Shorter knew they were in for a treat as he walked over the hill to the beach.<\/p>\n<p>They got settled on the beach and for 19 minutes, the natural spectacle was visible to the naked eye for around 15 minutes. &#8220;The green was really popping over the water with really vivid pulses,&#8221; Shorter said. &#8220;It was really intense.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h3>Capturing the Moment<\/h3>\n<p>A camera allows more of the light to be pulled into the lens. For anyone wanting to catch a glimpse of the phenomenon or photograph them \u2014 you don&#8217;t need a $1,000 camera. Shorter captured the following images with his iPhone 17.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_swiper-wrapper swiper-wrapper\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\">Northern lights at Montrose Beach, courtesy DeJuan Shorter<\/li>\n<li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"4032\" height=\"2268\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-3784891\" data-id=\"3784891\" src=\"https:\/\/wgntv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/11\/IMG_2351.jpeg?resize=1280,720\">Northern lights at Montrose Beach, courtesy DeJuan Shorter<\/li>\n<li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2268\" height=\"4032\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-3784890\" data-id=\"3784890\" src=\"https:\/\/wgntv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/11\/IMG_2356.jpeg?resize=405,720\">Northern lights at Montrose Beach, courtesy DeJuan Shorter<\/li>\n<li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2268\" height=\"4032\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-3784889\" data-id=\"3784889\" src=\"https:\/\/wgntv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/11\/IMG_2352.jpeg?resize=405,720\">Northern lights at Montrose Beach, courtesy DeJuan Shorter<\/li>\n<li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"4032\" height=\"2268\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-3784888\" data-id=\"3784888\" src=\"https:\/\/wgntv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/11\/IMG_2346.jpeg?resize=1280,720\">Northern lights at Montrose Beach, courtesy DeJuan Shorter<\/li>\n<li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2268\" height=\"4032\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-3784886\" data-id=\"3784886\" src=\"https:\/\/wgntv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/11\/IMG_2318.jpeg?resize=405,720\">Northern lights at Montrose Beach, courtesy DeJuan Shorter<\/li>\n<li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"4032\" height=\"2268\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-3784885\" data-id=\"3784885\" src=\"https:\/\/wgntv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/11\/IMG_2353.jpeg?resize=1280,720\">Northern lights at Montrose Beach, courtesy DeJuan Shorter<\/li>\n<li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"4032\" height=\"3024\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-3784884\" data-id=\"3784884\" src=\"https:\/\/wgntv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/11\/IMG_0551.jpeg?resize=960,720\">Northern lights at Montrose Beach, courtesy DeJuan Shorter<\/li>\n<li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"4032\" height=\"2268\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-3784882\" data-id=\"3784882\" src=\"https:\/\/wgntv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/11\/IMG_2327.jpeg?resize=1280,720\">Northern lights at Montrose Beach, courtesy DeJuan Shorter<\/li>\n<li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"3024\" height=\"4032\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-3784881\" data-id=\"3784881\" src=\"https:\/\/wgntv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/11\/IMG_0556.jpeg?resize=540,720\"><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>Tips for Amateur Photographers<\/h4>\n<p>Shorter shared the following tips to WGN News for amateur photographers trying to capture the lights: Find a dark area \u2014 Montrose is a &#8220;dull beach&#8221; for light. Make sure you know how to use night settings on your phone and don&#8217;t be afraid to use a tripod.<\/p>\n<h2>A New Hobby<\/h2>\n<p>It wasn&#8217;t the first rendezvous for the Shorter family with the northern lights, but it&#8217;s been a relatively new hobby. They drove up to rural Wisconsin in Oct. 2024 to observe the lights for the first time. For the Shorters, they love showing their three daughters, Kailyn, Ariana and Kinsley, nature instead of screen time.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_swiper-wrapper swiper-wrapper\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1134\" height=\"2016\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-3784987\" data-id=\"3784987\" src=\"https:\/\/wgntv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/11\/thumbnail_IMG_6071.jpg?resize=405,720\"><\/li>\n<li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1134\" height=\"2016\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-3784985\" data-id=\"3784985\" src=\"https:\/\/wgntv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/11\/lights2.jpg?resize=405,720\"><\/li>\n<li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1134\" height=\"2016\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-3784984\" data-id=\"3784984\" src=\"https:\/\/wgntv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/11\/lights3.jpg?resize=405,720\"><\/li>\n<li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1134\" height=\"2016\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-3784983\" data-id=\"3784983\" src=\"https:\/\/wgntv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/11\/lights4.jpg?resize=405,720\"><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s been awesome \u2014 getting them off screens, out in nature playing and really having fun seeing it,&#8221; Shorter said. &#8220;They help me spot them and are amazed on what they&#8217;re seeing. It&#8217;s a good hobby.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h3>Aurora Forecast<\/h3>\n<p>NOAA&#8217;s Thursday aurora forecast is stronger with a range line dipping into the Chicago area compared to Friday. The farther away from light will give you the best chance to see the solar storm.<\/p>\n<h2>Conclusion<\/h2>\n<p>Capturing the northern lights can be a thrilling experience, and with the right equipment and knowledge, anyone can do it. The Shorter family&#8217;s experience is a great example of how this natural phenomenon can bring people together and create lasting memories. Whether you&#8217;re a seasoned photographer or just starting out, the northern lights are a sight to behold, and with these tips and tricks, you can capture their beauty for yourself.<\/p>\n<h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n<h3>Q: What<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Capturing the Magic of the Northern Lights A Chicago family who loves the magic of nature was able to capture photos of the northern lights Wednesday night at Montrose Beach. DeJuan Shorter and his wife Ellen were tracking when the best time to go down to one of their favorite spots in the city \u2014 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":31661,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-31660","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-weather"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/wgntv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/11\/IMG_2349.jpeg?resize=960,720&w=960&resize=960,720&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31660"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31660"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31660\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31662,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31660\/revisions\/31662"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31661"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31660"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31660"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31660"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}