Aurora borealis is one of the most beautiful things to see in the whole wide world. It's not the name of some celebrity, it's the fantastic phenomenon of polar lights, which are more widely known as northern lights (which might be confusing, because there are auroras in the southern pole as well). No matter how many times I've seen them, they never cease to amaze me, and I find myself hypnotized by the sheer beauty of this natural phenomenon.
As such, the polar light phenomena deserves to be immortalized by a camera, and the photos that best capture it deserve to be awarded. Therefore, "Capture The Atlas" decided to found an annual award to celebrate one of the most beautiful natural treasures the earth has. I like the logic: just as every year is different, so are the polar lights. And you will find out that the photos are very much different from last year's. But for now, just enjoy the stellar views!
#21 “Norrsken Over Vintergatan ” By Stefano Astorri
Swedish Lapland.
Shooting the winter Milky Way and the aurora together was one of my 10 resolutions for 2021. I never imagined I would fulfill this one so soon.
It was a freezing, windy night. I went to this location in the Swedish Lapland, where I hoped to see the Northern Lights rising right between two mountain peaks. When I was there, the “green lady” started dancing suddenly on my left while, right behind me, the Milky Way in her winter dress had joined the party. I was feeling very cold until it was replaced by pure excitement. I immediately re-adjusted the composition to include the red cabin in the shot as well.
The result is a photo that actually merges 12 vertical shots at 14mm (around 270 degrees) to fully cover the two overlapping arches.
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23points
#22 “Spectrum” By Stefan Liebermann
Vestrahorn, Iceland.
The full spectrum of the Northern Lights over the iconic “Vestrahorn” location in Iceland. What a dreamlike experience! A G3 (strong) geomagnetic storm hit the earth on October 31st, 2021, and produced these wonderful colors.
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21points
#23 “When The Stars Align” By Joshua Snow
Tombstone Territorial Park, Yukon, Canada.
What a sight to behold. The incredible majesty of the aurora borealis. Lights that move and dance through space. Fleeting moments of vibrancy and shimmery glow. Life is much the same experience if you let it be. Learn to savor the little, passing moments. Learn to ebb and flow with space and time, and glow when the inspiration strikes. Wait for no one. Stop for nothing. Shine, dance, and shimmer your heart out because you only get one life.
This image captures my week in Tombstone like no other ever will. After losing my dad in May and experiencing a full-on mental breakdown shortly before this trip, it felt like I was on a rollercoaster I didn’t know when would stop or even slow down. However, I am learning how to beat it back and slow the ride down. I am growing leaps and bounds toward the best version of me that I could have ever imagined just a year ago…This week in the mountains gave me a chance to heal, think, and feel more deeply than I have in a long time: slowing down to appreciate where I am in life, and reflect on what it is I want and need from it.
Sometimes things can feel impossible. Hopeless. Scary. But sometimes, when things seem their most dim, their most hopeless, the universe reminds you that the sun will shine again. And how bright it shines on me now…
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19points
#24 “Nature & Landscape Photographer” By Agnieszka Mrowka
Iceland.
Another long and beautiful night in Iceland. I had had the foreground for the Northern Lights in mind for some time already and just waited for the perfect condition to come and capture it.
I needed strong Northern Lights, a clear sky on the Reykjanes peninsula, and calm, windless weather, which is quite rare in Iceland. The photo was challenging in the sense that I had to run back and forth to adjust the settings on my camera depending on the strength of the Northern Lights. The place I was standing was also a bit tricky, as there was not enough space for my feet, so I could not even fully stand straight. When the lights came, however, I was able to freeze, staring at the mesmerizing sky above.
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19points
#25 “Higher Prediction” By Virgil Reglioni
Northern Norway.
Northern Norway hosts some of the most beautiful and dramatic sights you can find in northern Europe.
Some nights, strong intensity auroras are predicted, which leads to incredible, bright displays spreading across the sky. The cold temperatures form ice shapes by the riverbank and these structures help direct your eyes in the right direction.
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16points
