Northern Lights Photographer Of The Year 2023: The Best 25 Photographs Of The Aurora Borealis

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."

Alaska, USA

"Hiking under the Northern Lights is an experience I’ll never forget. Witnessing the Aurora from an ice cave is even more unforgettable! Both experiences are fleeting but for different reasons.

The aurora comes and goes as the solar wind blows, while ice caves emerge and disappear as the planet undergoes heating and cooling cycles. This specific ice cave, especially the ice arch featured in this photograph, collapsed over the summer. Knowing its days were numbered, I prioritized a visit in March of this year.

Consequently, this image holds extra significance for me, capturing those ephemeral moments and serving as a reminder not to take things for granted."

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."

Death Valley, USA

"I really didn’t believe I’d see the aurora at the lowest altitude point in the US. When I saw the aurora forecast, I was in Vegas. The decision to drive to Badwater Basin was a last-minute one.

When I arrived, I started to second-guess myself once I saw all the atmospheric particles sinking into the basin. I kept thinking about changing locations because it wasn’t looking promising.

I parked just before blue hour and gathered a tripod and camera. I didn’t even take my camera bag out. I thought there would be no need to carry my second camera and tripod, but as I got halfway to my destination, I started seeing some faint lights in the sky. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I stopped and took a test shot and there it was! Pink pillars in the sky! I started running to find a composition to set up a timelapse. I ran back to my airstream a mile behind me to get the rest of my gear. I started snapping stills and set up another timelapse. This was my favorite still frame taken from this memorable night.

In true fashion, I write poems for each image I publish on socials. Here's the poem I wrote for this on:

'Drenched with ambition.
Flowing desire.
Lady in pink.
Internalized fire.

Against all the odds.
She carries my light.
When I’m down for the count.
She reminds me to fight.

She lessens the blows.
Her beauty’s unmatched.
She’s fire to the night.
She’s the spark to my match.'"

Glen Arbor, Michigan

"Heading to this area in my home state in Michigan, I noticed a new G1 Aurora watch for the night. To secure the best lookout for the sky, I climbed a nearby sand dune just up the road from the barn. The aurora exhibited a nice glow right after dark, but had no movement. After completing the bottom two rows, it began to slowly dance with tall pillars moving across the sky! I took a short break to capture this non-tracked version, seizing the tall pillars with a shorter exposure.

I completed this version, continued to finish the tracked version, and ended the night with a time-lapse by the barn until I took the blue hour foreground shots the following morning. It was a spectacular night!"