Auroras are among the most beautiful sights we can experience on this planet – so it’s no wonder they’re a favorite subject for photographers. Travel photography blog Capture the Atlas has now published its list of the best aurora images of the year, in the 2020 Northern Lights Photographer of the Year competition.
There’s more to aurora photography than the stunning colors and shapes that streak across the sky. It’s the thrill of needing to be in the right place at the right time. It’s the mystique of knowing that this right place has to be near the chilly, sparsely populated poles at either end of the planet. And it’s the skill of setting that beautiful backdrop against a worthy foreground. But as these photos attest, it’s all worth it.
The images in this year’s Northern Lights Photographer of the Year come from 25 photographers hailing from 18 different countries, and they’re not just judged on the images themselves. Dan Zafra, editor of Capture the Atlas and curator of the collections, takes into account the story behind the shot, as well as how much it might inspire others to pick up a camera and head to higher latitudes.
Among the highlights are Heavenly Dance by Sergey Korolev, snapped on the Kola Peninsula in Russia. In this stunning shot, the northern lights dancing in the sky are almost upstaged by the mesmerizing sight of the scattered stones fading into the fog over the waters of the Barents Sea.
At the opposite end of the world, Ben Maze captured The Hunt’s Reward near the southernmost tip of Tasmania, Australia. Here the aurora paints the night sky brilliant hues of pink, orange and yellow, with the rainbow completed by blue bioluminescence in the waters below. Better yet, the Milky Way core – itself the subject of another annual competition by Capture the Atlas – lurks overhead.
Marvel at the wonders of the northern (and southern) lights in our gallery, and check out the full list at Capture the Atlas.
Source: Capture the Atlas