Northern Lights Photographer Of The Year 2023: The Best 24 Photographs Of The Aurora Borealis

#1 "Aurora Explosion" By Jason Perry

Tasmania, Australia "Taken in Tasmania back in April 2023, the Southern Lights displayed their strongest presence in a long time. The celestial show commenced right after dark, coinciding with the emergence of the Milky Way core. This is undeniably a convergence of people and space. The house lights on the right side, closest to me, contrast with the mountains of Freycinet National Park across the bay. I positioned myself as close as possible to the rocks, where the rising tide caused water to swirl around them. Despite having to reset the tripod a few times, the resulting reflection made the effort worthwhile."

#3 "Infinity" By Giulio Cobianchi

Lofoten Islands, Norway "In the last few years in Lofoten, I’ve captured several “double arc” panoramas, but each time is a complex endeavor as many factors must align, and in the Arctic, it’s no easy feat. The aurora needs to be visible only to the north, it has to be a moonless night, and clear skies are essential. Additionally, the conditions must allow you to reach the peaks without excessive risk. Picture yourself at the summit of a mountain, positioned between the Northern Lights and the Milky Way, aware that this ephemeral moment may last only seconds or minutes. Being focus on such a situation, and not wasting the moment, is challenging. The planning involved in capturing this type of photo brings immense satisfaction, watching the elements of this intricate puzzle slowly converge. This photography style has become one of my favorites."

#5 "Gatklettur Northen Lights" By Stefano Pellegrini

Gatklettur, Iceland "I spent a week in Iceland, chasing the Northern Lights. Opting for total freedom of movement to track clear skies each night, I lived in a car, planning my itinerary day by day instead of booking hotels in advance. The strategy paid off, and I captured the aurora on four out of seven nights. This photo is from the first night. Arriving at the location after dark, I parked the car and prepared my sleeping bag. Despite being up since 4 AM, I set my alarm clock to wake me every hour in anticipation of a KP5 forecast for the night. I woke up at 2:30 am on my own and spotted green hues from the car window. I hurried out, shooting frantically to seize the opportunity. The final image is my second attempt. Initially, I framed the arch from the front down on the rocky shore but I wasn’t satisfied with the result. After a night of running around various locations, at 5 AM in the morning, I returned to the beach for another composition."

#7 "Island Of Aurora" By Kat Lawman

Wales, United Kingdom "I was fortunate enough to capture the Northern Lights from Northern Sweden back in March, with beautiful visible green waves overhead. However, I never expected to capture an incredible Aurora like this just a 15-minute drive from my door. Upon reaching the location, the aurora was exceptionally powerful. I worried that by the time I had sorted all my equipment and scouted my composition, I might miss the main show. Nevertheless, I set up my tripod next to a small pool of seawater, focusing on capturing reflections. At this point, the aurora had slightly diminished, and I had to endure a few rain showers. However, my efforts and perseverance paid off around 9:30 pm when huge green and pink light pillars shot out of the sky—completely mesmerizing!"

#9 "Aurora Flame" By Richard Zheng

Dunedin Peninsula, New Zealand "The peninsula of Dunedin in New Zealand is a good place to observe the aurora. It not only has very little light pollution but there are many bays facing South, which is ideal to capture the Aurora Australis. This photo was taken at an lookout on the roadside of Highcliffe. This was the first time I had the opportunity to take photos of the Aurora and emission nebulae using a special camera for astrophotography. In this photo, you can see the Large Magellanic Cloud in the upper right corner. The red mass in the upper left corner of the picture is the Colloidal Nebula, and extending down is the Carina Nebula."

#11 "The Arctic Dance" By Vincent Beudez

Tromso, Norway "As Northern Lights photographers, this is the moment we live for, the strongest solar storm of the year. That particular night, the Northern Lights were so strong that they were even visible from France, my home country. At that time, I was in Northern Norway, which meant I could see an incredible show even facing south. I was able to see the most colorful Northern Lights I’ve ever witnessed. Being a night photographer as well, I’m not only looking for the Northern Lights, but I chase shapes within a perfect environment, to create the perfect composition. It’s hard to put into words the feeling when I saw this red curtain surrounded by dancing lights."

#13 "The Dance Of The Green Lady" By Luis Cajete

Haifoss, Iceland "Witnessing a great Northern Lights display is an absolutely stunning experience. I took this picture at a beautiful waterfall in Iceland called Haifoss. The strong wind made photography challenging. After an almost cloudless sunset, we took refuge in our camper van to rest and have a warm meal. Despite the forecasts not indicating significant solar activity, we decided to wait until nightfall and try our luck. We couldn’t pass up the opportunity to have this impressive place all to ourselves. When we saw the first green lights through the window, we jumped outside. The sky exploded above us; the Northern Lights moved swiftly, and the strong wind continued to put us to the test. At the peak of activity, I focused on securing the camera settings, and that’s when I began to enjoy the show, always mindful of not making a misstep and gripping the tripod tightly. It was a dream come true to witness such incredible Northern Lights in a place like this."

#15 "Goleuadau’r Gogledd" By Mathew Browne

Wales, United Kingdom "The title of this image, 'Goleuadau’r Gogledd,' translates to ‘Northern Lights’ in Welsh. Finding the accurate translation proved challenging, as this phrase isn’t commonly used in everyday conversations here in South Wales. Witnessing the aurora borealis this far south is a rare occurrence, and capturing it at an iconic location like Paxton’s Tower adds to its uniqueness. Paxton’s Tower, a hilltop folly with a history spanning over 200 years, overlooks the picturesque Carmarthenshire countryside. For over an hour, the horizon beyond the clouds emitted hues of green and pink. However, for a brief yet magical moment, the sky came alive with impressive pink pillars, visible to the naked eye."

#17 "The Red Flame" By Laura Oppelt

Wadden Sea National Parks, Germany "What a crazy night it was in Northern Germany on September 25th! It’s still hard to believe that I witnessed such a strong aurora show this far South from the polar circle. It began with a faint glow on the horizon around 10 PM and intensified over time. The live view of my camera displayed the greens quite well, though they weren’t visible to the naked eye. Later, as the reds and pinkish/purple tones emerged, the colors became clearly visible to the human eye. At a certain point, everything in the sky seemed to explode, and I couldn’t help but scream out loudly on the beach in pure excitement and disbelief! Experiencing such an intense show in Germany was truly awesome. I’m still astonished while writing down these words, and I’m grateful to have witnessed this special event in my home country on a small island in the North Sea. The photograph’s composition might not be original, and the horizon is illuminated by lots of ships anchoring nearby overnight, but the clearly visible aurora makes this image special and meaningful to me."

#19 "Red Alert" By William Preite

Dolomites, Italy "I was in the right place and at the right time, during my usual autumn tour in Italy’s Dolomites. That Sunday, I never thought I would witness such a rare spectacle. There was a strong magnetic storm in the north, which partly spread to Southern Europe. Scientists call this event SAR (Stable Auroral Red arcs) which is even more rare than the Aurora itself."

#21 "The Platform" By Virgil Reglioni

Otertinden, Norway "That day, March 23, 2023, Earth experienced the strongest geomagnetic storm in six years, and I was out executing my unique aurora shot of the year, “The Platform.” Both Maria and I had significant doubts about this climb. While we unintentionally chose one of the best aurora night displays in years for this mission, this accounted for only 10% of the work for “The Platform” image to come to fruition. We started the ascent of this 47° steep snowy slope during the blue hour, enduring -21°C temperatures, while the Northern Lights lit up the Southern sky. After overcoming the steepest part, Maria, ahead of me, spotted the tip of the cliff and exclaimed, “I see the cliff! I see the cliff!” I’ll remember the adrenaline kick it gave me for a while. All I could think was, “No way, we made it… now, how is the sky?” Facing the cliff on the platform, the Aurora Borealis danced above us — jackpot."

#23 "Echant" By Paul Wilson

Canterbury, New Zealand "The Aurora Australis from Camp Saddle in Canterbury, New Zealand. After a challenging hike with 30 kg of equipment, I was delighted when the aurora made an appearance! The Large & Small Magellanic clouds can also be seen; these are galaxies visible only from the Southern Hemisphere."