(Image from the Internet, compiled by Taohan Translation Editor.) ）
The Northern Lights are one of the most beautiful things in the world!
The Aurora Borealis is a wonderful celestial phenomenon, better known as the Northern Lights (which can be confusing because there are also auroras in antarctica).
No matter how many times they have been seen, they are always amazing, and those who love beautiful things are easily hypnotized by the pure beauty of this natural phenomenon.
The Aurora Borealis is well worthy of the shooting, and the most beautiful aurora photos deserve the award. Therefore, a foreign photography agency "Capture Atlas" decided to set up an annual award to celebrate one of the most beautiful natural treasures that the earth has.
#1 Olli Sorvari's "Santa Claus Cabin"
Levi, Finland.
I know that journeys are often more important and memorable than results, and after taking this photo, I think it was a memorable trip.
It's not a long hike, but it can feel tiring when you're not wearing snowshoes and you're sinking half a meter with each step. Next time I go back, I will walk along the ski route.
It was cloudy all the way and there was no sign of the Northern Lights, but in the end, I ended up catching the most beautiful Aurora Borealis. Before the real show started, I also managed to take some pretty good winter pictures of the Milky Way.
#2 Mark Adams' Forest of Light
Alaska, USA.
Walking through these frost-covered forests is one of the most magical experiences, but also one of the hardest to capture.
Temperatures are usually around minus 30 degrees, and snow can easily break and scab on snowshoes, with nothing but headlights, which creates a huge challenge for hiking and creating.
#3 Mike Karpov, "In the Malachite Rain"
Arkhangelsk Region, Russia.
I've dreamed of taking this picture for a long time, probably because I had my first Nikon SLR camera. In the winter, when the weather conditions permit and I have the right companions, I am ready to head to the Kurtyaevo Tract near Severodvinsk.
The place is famous for its healing hot springs, as well as for its 18th-century churches and newly built chapels. The night this photo was taken, the weather in the Kurtyaevo area was clear and cold. The thermometer outside the city shows a temperature of -28 °C. The scene, there was the moon, there were stars, it was quiet, and there was an unusual silence, occasionally broken by the crackling of a tree in the frost.
Photographer Maksim Zelyanin and I've been shooting for hours, but the aurora still doesn't want to explode. I took a series of time-lapse photos with two cameras mounted on a tripod. When it was after midnight and the temperature dropped below -30 degrees Celsius, the camera began to freeze. It's time to go back to town, but as soon as the equipment is packed into the backpack, bright snakes appear in the sky, flashing yellow and pink light - the aurora is coming!
Soon, a brilliant flash of light appeared in the sky, flying all over the sky, shattering into pieces, covering the sky, circling and twisting.
#4 Daniel Kordan's Murmansk
Murmansk, Russia.
Last winter, I went on an expedition to northern Russia. I drove across the Barents Sea and hiked to the "edge of the world" in the Arctic. The adventure is full of snowstorms, but it's also full of precious encounters with Aurora (Aurora).
I took this photo on the Korski Peninsula, an area that is surprising that most rivers do not freeze even at temperatures of -35 degrees Celsius. That night, while I was waiting for the Northern Lights in my wading boots, my tripod froze, and the water from the river had reached my knees. After that, only a hot Russian "banya" can help me thaw.
#5 Northern Lights Cathedral by Floydis Dalheim
Senia, northern Norway.
This photo perfectly represents one of the best nights I could see the Norwegian Northern Lights in Senia.
The views are breathtaking, with snow-capped scenery, spectacular mountains, and dancing auroras that dye everything green, it's truly a night to remember.
On a March night, the conditions were good and not too cold. The Northern Lights appeared shortly after I arrived and lasted for a long time. Back home, I was really happy and grateful for this wonderful experience.
#6 Filip Hrebenda's "Embracing Green Beauty"
Southeast Iceland.
The Northern Lights are one of the most interesting natural phenomena. Aurora visibility is very good this year! While the best time to see the Aurora Borealis in Iceland is mainly from autumn to early spring, I took this photo in the southeast of Iceland in late spring.
Three days without sleeping to shoot the volcano was really tiring, but when the KP index jumped to 4, I knew I couldn't sleep that night. I found an interesting foreground with color reflections and waited for the aurora to appear. Suddenly, she started dancing where I wanted to be – right on the mountainside! It was a long night, but adrenaline gave me enough energy in that moment to keep me awake until morning.
#7 David Aldenhofer's Australian Aurora
Tasmania, Australia.
Tasmania is Australia's southernmost state. In addition to having a beautiful coastline, World Heritage rainforests and national parks to take photos of, we have the added benefit of being able to witness the most intense auroras in the country because we are located at the southernmost tip.
I have only witnessed three auroras, and this one is the most beautiful and enduring of them. During the other two shootings of the Aurora Borealis, most of the light could only be seen through the camera's display, but on this night, it was also visible to the naked eye. Nature showed her brilliance, and I stood there in amazement for hours. I can't wait for Madame Aurora's next dance.
#8 John Wetherby's Whirlwind
Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland.
It was the evening of October 30, 2021. I was only a few days in Iceland when I received an alert that a massive solar flare had just occurred and that an aurora appeared within a day or two.
It happened that I was helping to lead a photography studio, and the Aurora took place on the first night. Needless to say, the participants were lucky. Not only because they were welcomed by this huge aurora, but also because we were still in Reykjavik (near the peninsula), which is the only place in the whole country where the sky is completely clear. We patiently waited at the edge of the cliff for the fireworks to bloom, and we watched the faint green glow looming on the horizon. In less than an hour, the performance begins, and then all you hear is the cheers and shouts of excitement as the colorful dances in the sky.
It sounds old-fashioned, but a good Aurora show is still unforgettable, even if you've seen it many times. Each aurora is as unique as a fingerprint, forming different shapes at different speeds.
#9 Larryn Rae's "Tranquility"
Lake Tekapo, New Zealand.
When my phone started popping up the Aurora alarm, I was on a photography tour and immediately started looking for a unique filming location.
We finally came to this location by the lake, and when the sun sets and dusk falls, we can already see the colors and shapes of the aurora. The next few hours, the sky was filled with incredible colors and the pillars danced in the sky, one of the best aurora shows I've seen in years. The aurora is my favorite night sky phenomenon to capture, and the night is simply incredible.
#10 Marybeth Kiczenski's "Aurora Sherbeth in the Apostles"
Bayfield, Wisconsin, USA.
Past solar storms: From November 3, 2021 to November 4, 2021, events will always be with me.
The auroras triggered tonight came from a combination of M-class solar flares and CME, which is not unusual in their own right, but erupting together is sure to have an astonishing celestial phenomenon. No one really saw that, and anyway, I saw the initial outburst in the data, immediately jumped into the car and drove north for 8 hours to avoid the terrible clouds in much of the Great Lakes region of the Midwest.
I went to a place I'd never been before – it was always a gamble – but somehow it worked! Creating in the dark is always a challenge. The amount of color detail in this image is staggering. I've never seen so much blue-green and purple. The whole evening felt like a dream.
#11 "For the Northern Lights", Aleksey R.
Teribelka, Korski District, Murmansk Oblast, Russia.
Nature is mysterious and unpredictable, and its power and inexplicable performance often surprise us. The photo was taken in February in Teribelka on the shores of the Barents Sea in the Korski District of Russia's Murmansk Oblast.
This night was absolutely special. The perfect blend of conditions for photographing the Northern Lights: frost, ice, full moon, clear nights and no wind.
The weather is extremely harsh; the temperature is below zero 34 degrees, but a flame like this will make you forget about the temperature. I had a certain vision for the photos I wanted, and due to extreme weather, I had to build the photos in stages. Thanks to the moonlight, the scenery was well illuminated and I got a nice balance in the overwhelming display of the aurora.
To make the most of this opportunity, I took a set of photos: one for the foreground and one for the sky. This way, you can see more detail in the foreground while preserving the detail in the Northern Lights. It was definitely a memorable evening.
#12 Marshall Lip's The Lakers
Lake Sakakawi, North Dakota.
After tracking the space weather for a few days, I knew there was a good chance the aurora would go out this fall, so I went to one of my favorite places and checked my gear in hopes of seeing the aurora. It did! I was surprised that the aurora sometimes danced overhead, and eventually I was able to capture some of the images I imagined.
#13 Herri Hemanshu's "Nobody's Home"
Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.
On the evening of November 3-4, I experienced the most incredible performance when I watched the Northern Lights in Canada. I spent the whole day paying attention to forecasts, and the data for the evening began to get rich, so I went out early around 7 p.m.
The show starts around 7.30pm. Throughout the night, I changed several shooting locations, and from about 10 p.m., it became a large green curtain, and I slowly lost interest in shooting. Not much had changed, and I packed up and went home around midnight.
On the way back, however, I could clearly see the light in the sky getting higher and higher, so I decided to stop again.
wow! From around 12:30 AM, this is absolutely spectacular!
In all my years chasing the Aurora Borealis in Saskatchewan, I've never seen such vivid, fast, wild shapes and incredibly purple pulsating light. I was called by a friend who was also filming the Aurora Borealis at 1 a.m., when the sky was raging and we were hysterical, probably louder than the howling of coyotes in the distance.
That night, I only slept for a few hours before going to work, but I thought about the buzzing aurora all day.
#14 Amy J. Johnson's Narnia
Alaska inland.
In March 2021, as I ventured into this forest north of Fairbanks, I was expecting a G1 solar storm. Over the years, I have spent many nights in this area, waiting for the beautiful aurora display, only to be disappointed.
Tonight, however, I arrived at the set position in time to start witnessing a wonderful performance. Due to the action of white frost and wind, the black spruce trees in this northern forest are covered with snow. With the forest fires that swept through the area in 2020, finding beautiful compositions became even more challenging. When I stepped on snowshoes into this fascinating scene, the temperature hovered at -21 degrees Fahrenheit.
Sometimes, the auroras become so bright that 1 second of exposure is not used. In those days, I'd rather put the camera aside, dance for warmth, and enjoy it. For me, the best feeling of being an Aurora photographer is when I'm alone in the wilderness, ecstatic under the magical sky of nature.
#15 Jacob Cohen's The Alaskan Aurora Borealis
Sutton, Alaska.
As a result of the coronal mass ejection, a huge solar storm was expected to rush into the northern sky, and the excitement began. Unfortunately, for all aurora observers in Anchorage, the weather forecast doesn't look rosy, as there's 100% cloudy everywhere.
After hours of research and trying to find an area with clear skies, another of my photographer friends, Travis Mathes, set off to our pre-planned location, about 3 hours outside the city.
Arrived at 9:30 p.m. local time and the sky had lit up. We knew tonight would be special, and it turned out to be a show of a lifetime.
We spent most of the night in the area, all the way through the early hours of the morning, battling temperatures around -10 degrees Celsius. Around 4 a.m., after taking hundreds of photos, we decided to head to a place where I'd always wanted to take good pictures of the aurora.
When we arrived, the clouds in Anchorage were still thick and we waited in the clouds for more than an hour. When the sky was clear, we saw some of the most impressive auroras I've ever seen, and that's when this photo was taken.
#16 Giulio Cobianchi's "Aurora Cave"
Lofoten Islands, Norway.
It was one of the most beautiful green nights I've had since I've lived on Lofoten Island, and it was just the beginning of a long night chasing the aurora until sunrise. I spend all year in this hidden cave because I love adventure and looking for brand new creations that I've never seen before.
Inside the cave, taking pictures is never easy; you have to use more techniques during the shooting phase, such as focus stacking and multiple exposures, but I must say that these are the compositions I appreciate the most. I love the natural frames and three-dimensional effects they offer.
#17 Jeroen Van Nieuwenhove's "Volcanic Northern Lights"
Galding Gadalier, Iceland.
A month after iceland's Geldingadalir eruption, I've been wondering if I could photograph the aurora borealis above the eruption. I tend to think of it as the holy grail of Icelandic photography. It was a once-in-a-lifetime capture.
That night seemed like one of the last chances we had before it got darker. Although the cloud cover forecast didn't look particularly good, I decided to try my luck at the eruption.
Around 11 p.m., the clouds didn't change much, so I decided to go back down the hill. Sit back and wait in the bone-chilling wind, causing my body temperature to drop. However, on the way back, everything changed. The clouds began to open, and suddenly I noticed the aurora dancing faintly above.
I decided to put down the tripod and wait to see what would happen, if any. After about an hour, the aurora suddenly became very active. I can't believe my luck! I just stared at the scenery and kept shooting.
#18 Frank Olson's "Reine Northern Lights"
Reine, Lofoten - Norway.
I live a 4.5-hour drive from Reine in Lofoten where I took this photo. Although I've been there many times, I've never managed to get the right photos.
Tonight, I'm composing the aurora, the moonlight, and the snow-capped mountains. When the Northern Lights started running, I got out of the car and started shooting like crazy.
I've been shooting all my life; I bought my first film-based SLR camera at the age of 16 and took my first digital photo in 1997 with a borrowed camera. I took my first aurora photos in 2008, and now I've taken more than 3 million photos of the Northern Lights.
Retiring from illness, I will continue to explore my hobbies. I do some guidance as requested and sell some photos from time to time. Never thought I'd get rich by doing this, but it got me a little excited.
#19 Sergei Korolev's Polar Snow Monster
Kola Peninsula, Russia.
At the very beginning of my career, when I first started learning how to take landscape photos, I wasn't impressed with the northern lights because most of their compositions had nothing but light and sky.
I've always thought it was boring to just shoot the sky, but one day I saw Marc Adamus with a picture of the Northern Lights on some beautiful mountain views and was really moved.
Since then, I've had a new hobby – taking photos of the Northern Lights, focusing on landscapes and compositions, with the sky complementing the aurora borealis. In this photo, I also focused on the "snow monster" in the composition, making the shot look like an alien scene.
#20 Mark Kinks' Dancing on Ice
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
On the night of November 3/4, 2021, we experienced one of the most powerful aurora shows in recent years in the Mid-Latitudes.
I've always wanted to catch the Northern Lights on this island. After four hours of mediocre aurora, the sky finally came alive. The auroras danced on the thin layer of ice that covered the lake, and their intensity changed as substorms erupted throughout the night. Nearby coyotes howled as if to express their excitement, and in a calm silence the sound of a big-horned owl could be heard in the distance.
During a more exciting period before 2 a.m., I took this photo. The Aurora Borealis is certainly fickle, especially in the mid-latitudes of Canada.
Using Space Weather Live as a resource and learning how to predict the Northern Lights is a great help for successful viewing of the Northern Lights.
Patience and perseverance are often the key to seeing wonderful views. Wear more clothes to stay warm and have some friends to accompany you can help make the experience more comfortable.
#21 Stefano Astorri's "Northern Lights on the Milky Way"
Swedish Lapland.
Winter's Milky Way and Aurora are in the same frame, one of my 10 plans for 2021, and I didn't expect it to be completed so soon.
It was a cold night and it was very windy. I went to this part of Swedish Lapland where I wanted to see the Northern Lights rising between the two peaks. When I arrived, the "Green Lady" suddenly began to dance on my left, and behind me, the Galaxy in winter clothes also joined the dance. I felt very cold until I was replaced by pure excitement. I immediately recalibrated the composition to include the red cabin in the shot as well.
This photo actually uses a 14 mm (about 270 degree) lens to completely cover the two overlapping arches.
#22 Stefan Liebermann's "Spectrum"
Vistrahorn, Iceland.
The full spectrum of the Northern Lights at Iceland's iconic "Vestrahorn" location – what a fantastic experience! On October 31, 2021, a G3 (strong) geomagnetic storm hit earth and produced these wonderful colors.
#23 Joshua Snow's When the Stars Align
Tombstone Regional Park, Yukon, Canada.
What a sight worth seeing – the Incredible Solemnity of the Northern Lights!
The Auroras moving and dancing in space ~ moments of energy and sparkle for short moments! If you go with the flow, life will have many of the same experiences, learn to savor the fleeting little moments, dance, touch your heart, because you only have one life.
This photo documents my week at Tombstone like never before.
After losing my father in May and experiencing a full-blown mental breakdown shortly before this trip, it felt like a roller coaster ride, and I didn't know when to stop or even slow down. However, I am learning how to beat it and relax.
I'm making the leap towards the best version of myself I could have imagined a year ago... This week in the mountains gave me an opportunity to heal, think and feel deeper than I've felt in a long time: slow down and appreciate where I am in life and reflect on what I want and need.
Sometimes things feel impossible—desperate, scared. But sometimes, when things look the darkest and most desperate, the sky reminds you that the sun will rise again. Now it shines in me, how bright...
#24 "Nature and Landscape Photographer" by Agnieszka Mrowka
Iceland.
Another long and beautiful night in Iceland. I've been thinking about the Northern Lights prospect for a while and just waiting for the perfect conditions to catch it.
I needed the intense Northern Lights, the clear skies of the Reykjanes Peninsula and the calm, windless weather, which is very rare in Iceland.
In a sense, the photo was challenging, and I had to adjust the camera's settings to run back and forth according to the intensity of the Northern Lights. The place where I stand is also a bit tricky because I don't have enough space on my feet so I can't even stand up straight completely. However, when the aurora danced, I was able to capture the beautiful sky overhead.
#25 Virgil Reglioni's "Higher Prophecy"
Northern Norway.
Northern Norway is home to some of the most beautiful and striking sights you can find in Northern Europe.
On some nights, high-intensity auroras are expected, which can cause incredible bright colors to spread across the sky. Cold temperatures form ice on the riverbank, so the composition helps steer your eyes in the right direction.
Friends who love this world, have you ever photographed such a beautiful aurora?
If you have ever taken a picture, don't forget to share it!