A strange allure draws aurora borealis photographers into their cars at 3 a.m. to drive—and even sleep—under the stars in the dead of winter.
Following the schedule of solar storms, by day they meticulously make plans during working hours, monitoring the activity of the sun, moon, and atmosphere to ensure everything lines up for the big night.
Sometimes driving hundreds of miles, they forgo sleep for a picture almost beyond this world.
Aurora borealis—or the northern lights—is caused by solar wind striking Earth’s oxygen- and nitrogen-rich magnetosphere over both of the two polar regions (below the equator it’s called the southern lights, or aurora australis). The result is a dancing light show of glowing emeralds, pinks, or even purples in the night sky. It’s an almost transcendental spectacle.
"Goleuadau’r Gogledd" by Mathew Browne. Courtesy of Mathew Browne via Capture the Atlas
Their beauty has enticed photographers the world over to capture it despite—or perhaps because of—the daunting challenge it poses.
To celebrate their achievements in this genre, the photographer’s blog Capture the Atlas inaugurated its yearly Northern Lights Photographer of the Year contest. Aurora chasers from the UK to America, from Norway to Australia, and beyond partook this year. Of these, 25 of the very best images from across the globe were chosen as the winners.
"Storm Over Sukakpak" by Nickolas Warner. Courtesy of Nickolas Warner via Capture the Atlas
Awe-inspiring pink aurora pillars abound. Lights above the Welsh folly of Paxton’s Tower look sublime. A geomagnetic storm double arch panorama challenges the very definition of amazing.
Also, a startling green aurora on a rocky shore at 5 a.m. paid off for the photographer who lived in his car for seven days to capture the scene in Iceland. Down Under, the southern lights appeared over Bakers Oven rock formation in the ocean after sunset, leaving all in wonderment.
It’s simply impossible to describe the visual impact of such abundant scenery—thus when words fail only pictures will do. Here are the winners of the 2023 Northern Lights Photographer of the Year. Enjoy!
"Infinity" by Giulio Cobianchi. Courtesy of Giulio Cobianchi via Capture the Atlas
"Lady In Pink" by Kenneth Lerose. Courtesy of Kenneth Lerose via Capture the Atlas
"Circle of life" by Frøydis Dalheim. Courtesy of Frøydis Dalheim via Capture the Atlas
"Blavatnet" by Lukas Moesch. Courtesy of Lukas Moesch via Capture the Atlas
"Beauty of The North" by Elena Ermolina. Courtesy of Elena Ermolina via Capture the Atlas
"Lost Who I Want To Be" by Jordan Mcinally. Courtesy of Jordan Mcinally via Capture the Atlas
"March Michigan Nights" by Justin Miller. Courtesy of Justin Miller via Capture the Atlas
"Red Alert" by William Preite. Courtesy of William Preite via Capture the Atlas
"Island of Aurora" by Kat Lawman. Courtesy of Kat Lawman via Capture the Atlas
"Northern Lights In Nova Scotia" by Kristine Rose. Courtesy of Kristine Rose via Capture the Atlas
"Fleeting Moments On Ice" by Marybeth Kiczenski. Courtesy of Marybeth Kiczenski via Capture the Atlas
"Echant" by Paul Wilson. Courtesy of Paul Wilson via Capture the Atlas
"Bakers Oven Aurora Australis" by Josh Beames. Courtesy of Josh Beames via Capture the Atlas
"Gatklettur Northen Lights" by Stefano Pellegrini. Courtesy of Stefano Pellegrini via Capture the Atlas
"Green Snakes" by Filip Hrebenda. Courtesy of Filip Hrebenda via Capture the Atlas
"Kirkjufell Explosion" by Marc Marco Ripoll. Courtesy of Marc Marco Ripoll via Capture the Atlas
"The Arctic Dance" by Vincent Beudez. Courtesy of Vincent Beudez via Capture the Atlas
"Aurora Explosion" by Jason Perry. Courtesy of Jason Perry via Capture the Atlas
"Waning Sun" by Alex Wides. Courtesy of Alex Wides via Capture the Atlas
"The Red Flame" by Laura Oppelt. Courtesy of Laura Oppelt via Capture the Atlas
"The Dance Of The Green Lady" by Luis Cajete. Courtesy of Luis Cajete via Capture the Atlas
"The Platform" by Virgil Reglioni. Courtesy of Richard Zheng via Capture the Atlas
"Aurora Flame" by Richard Zheng. Courtesy of Richard Zheng via Capture the Atlas
Michael Wing is a writer and editor based in Calgary, Canada, where he was born and educated in the arts. He writes mainly on culture, human interest, and trending news.
