Edit
To provide some context given the messages below. I was a professional photographer, and understand that getting a good photo is a skill. Exposure time, timing, location, and many other factors come into play when capturing a great image.
Seeing the aurora was a fantastic experience. The purpose of this post is to help reduce FOMO of those who could not see it. Many people who don't know these things will imagine dancing lights in the sky of brilliance, and will be saddened by what they missed. While they did miss something, it's important for them to know exactly what they missed.
Edit2 I should also note this is why I enjoy when photographers post gear, conditions, and settings alongside results. It tells viewers what was real.
Finally someone pointed it out ๐ I love very far north and we have these almost every night (except now to August, as it never gets dark) and everyone simply posts enhanced versions, that you never see like that.
Except you have no idea how other people are seeing the auroras.
My own color vision got more vivid when I started meditating, and psychedelics have often given me hyper intense color perception. Sometimes even just sitting and imagining colors will open up new levels of vividness even in my imagination.
So shouldn't your perception of people's subtle/muted aurora pictures also be hyper intense, making those muted colors more accurate?
Bullshit