In 2024, the sky will put on a spectacular show. The Sun is experiencing a particularly active yearmarvel at the colorful beauty of the Northern Lights around the world.
of Aurora Photographer of the Yearpresented by occupy atlaswe honor not only the photographers who captured these aurora images, but also their stories. Photographer Adrian Comey was on California’s north coast when he received a text message from a friend in Nepal: “Let’s go as far north as we can before sunset. It’s going to be cold tonight!” The friend was referring to the arrival of the strongest geomagnetic storm observed in 20 years. Comrie hit the road and drove to Crater Lake National Park in Oregon, which was covered in seven feet of snow. But that didn’t stop the intrepid photographer, who was loaded up with cold-weather gear and snowshoes. Comrie set up a camera on the lake’s south rim and captured vivid shots of the celestial light show (see below).
May 10, 2024 started like any other new moon cycle for me. I was shooting at one of my favorite locations along the Sonoma coastline. Around 2:30 a.m., I was surprised to hear a notification buzzing on my phone, as there was sporadic cell phone coverage at my location. That alarm was something I wasn’t expecting. And I’ll never forget it. A fellow Sony Alpha photographer who was in Nepal at the time sent me a message. “Go as far north as you can before sunset, because the weather will fall tonight!” A historic geomagnetic storm was predicted, possibly peaking at G5.
I immediately drove home to retrieve my Atlas pack of cold weather gear. My gut told me I should head to Crater Lake National Park in Oregon. Shortly into our drive, we learned that the CLNP Rim Road was completely closed due to the recent 7 feet of snowfall. Luckily I was prepared for deep snow conditions and moved on.
I confidently put on my snowshoes and settled on a spot along the South Rim, east of Crater Lake Lodge, only to find it closed due to extreme snowfall. My image ‘Carpe Diem’ reflects that weekend’s spectacular display of geomagnetic energy, set against an iconic and unforgettable alpine landscape.
Credit: Adrian Cormie / Aurora Photographer of the Year Daniel Zahra Portill
“This year, we have reached the solar maximum of the current solar cycle, and the Northern Lights and Southern Lights will be more active than ever before, with little or no photographic evidence. “They are lighting up the sky in unexpected places,” Capture the Atlas reported. . “Examples of these unique locations include images from Arizona, California, Spain, Patagonia in Chile, Namibia, Madeira Island, and locations as far south as Tenerife at 28 degrees north latitude.”
Seeing such an intense Northern Lights in Asturias is like a dream come true. I remember talking to a friend years ago, “All we’re missing is the Northern Lights…” And finally the day came. I came across several alerts on social media, along with notifications from several mobile apps. All signs pointed to something big.
I tried it the first night and nothing showed up. But on the second night, a solar storm happened and everything aligned perfectly. I was able to enjoy this wonderful dream all night long with impressive intensity.
To be honest, I have yet to witness a truly powerful Northern Lights like the ones in Iceland, but dreams do come true. I’ll go see it someday.
Credit: Eden Sanchez / Aurora Photographer of the Year Daniel Zahra Portill
The Rybachy Peninsula, where this photo was taken, is located at the northern tip of the Kola Peninsula. This is a unique natural area with many attractive sites, with many stone beaches and rocks featuring unusual shapes and structures. I fell in love with this place the first time I visited it 10 years ago and now I return every year to try and capture something new.
For this shot, I wanted to create a concept where the aurora borealis complemented the landscape and emphasized the importance of the location. This time, the aurora borealis was especially impressive, casting beautiful light on the stones. This photo is very simple and consists of three main exposures. The first is to capture the sky, the second is to focus on the rest of the scene, and the third is to focus on the foreground.
Credit: Sergey Korolev / Aurora Photographer of the Year Daniel Zahra Portill
Everyone remembers that May night when the Northern Lights were visible all over Europe and America. Incredibly, I had the opportunity to witness them in Namibia near the Tropic of Capricorn. Late at night, the eastern sky was clear and the Milky Way was rising. Taking this opportunity, I prepared my equipment for 50mm panoramic photography.
As I was considering the layout of the Milky Way core, I noticed a red dot on the horizon. Over the next few hours, it grew into a massive red explosion that lit up much of the sky. Its glow continued throughout the night as the Milky Way moved westward and formed its morning arch. The southern sky glowed red and orange, and the Milky Way rose from among the vivid colors.
Credit: Egor Goryachev / Aurora Photographer of the Year Daniel Zahra Portill
The Milky Way arches over the dramatic landscape of Aoraki Mt Cook National Park. This was taken during the rare G5 geomagnetic storm in May 2024. This display of aurora borealis was one of the most breathtaking sights I have ever witnessed. We spent a magical night watching the lights go by. A clear sky. Everyone shared the excitement under the stars as this aurora borealis could be the most powerful in a century.
The image depicts a rare SAR (Stable Auroral Red) arc, an atmospheric phenomenon that adds to the spectacle, alongside the glow of the Milky Way’s billions of stars. Capturing this moment was technically challenging, but the result is one of New Zealand’s most unique depictions of the Northern Lights. This photo is not just an image, but a precious memory of an extraordinary and magical night.
Credit: Tom Rae / Aurora Photographer of the Year Daniel Zahra Portill
On the night of the Perseid meteor shower, we were treated to a “Kaiseki meal” in the night sky. I photographed the arch of the Milky Way with the constellation Orion, the aurora borealis (a first for me), the zodiac lights, and the Perseid meteor. As if that wasn’t enough, the sky gave me one of the most stunning greenish airglows I’ve ever seen. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention the close conjunction of Jupiter and Mars along the zodiacal light path.
In the center of the panorama is the Cap Marlera lighthouse, built in 1880 on the southeastern tip of the Istrian peninsula. The rugged coastline at the entrance to Kvarner attracts fish and dolphins. This area is also home to Mediterranean bears, but I did not encounter one.
Meteors rained down all night long, and 75 meteors were captured with three cameras. Using RegiStar software, I seamlessly inserted the meteor into the panorama at the exact same spot where it appeared in the sky tonight.
It was an extraordinary, perhaps once in a lifetime event, and I am grateful and happy to have been a part of it.
Credit: Uroš Fink / Uroš Photographer of the Year Daniel Zahra Portill
I don’t know if the Northern Lights have ever been recorded in Patagonia, but we got incredibly lucky on the night of May 10, 2024, when the G5 storm hit. While camping on the beach of an iceberg deep in the wilderness of the Patagonian fjords, an amazing sight unfolded.
Credit: Marc Adamus / Aurora Photographer of the Year Daniel Zahra Portill
I’ve been dreaming of getting this shot for years, and this year everything lined up perfectly. At our annual Iceland workshop, our group witnessed the true power of nature when Iceland’s newest active volcano erupted a few days ago.
After hours of filming and soaking up the amazing scenes, we finished up and started heading back to the car. Then, to my surprise, the Northern Lights began to dance across the sky. I immediately launched my drone and sent it on a mission to photograph this wild scene.
Navigating through the wind, heat, and poor visibility around the volcano, they were able to capture vertical panoramas just as the volcanic smoke and ash moved sideways. Moments later, the dreaded battery warning chime sounded and I began my nervous journey home. By this point the wind had gotten really strong and I honestly thought the drone was dead…but with only 1% battery left, I managed to hobble my way to safety. i’m back.
Credit: Josh Beames / Aurora Photographer of the Year Daniel Zahra Portill
May 10, 2024: The Northern Lights forecast promised an incredible display, so I drove to Devils Tower in Wyoming to witness the phenomenon. The solar storm reached historic KP9 and aurora borealis were seen around the world. As bright lights danced overhead, my father was undergoing emergency surgery 2,000 miles away in Maine. It was a surreal night. Although I was in awe of the beauty of the celestial bodies above, I continued to worry about my father.
The Northern Lights provided a strange sense of calm in the midst of the chaos and helped me focus in the moment I captured this incredible phenomenon. Thankfully my father, who has been a photographer for over 50 years and taught me this art, survived the surgery and recovered after spending several days in the ICU. He missed this display, but six months later, on October 10th, we shared an even stronger solar storm as a family. This is a memory I will always cherish.
Credit: Forest Barkdoll-Weil / Aurora Photographer of the Year Daniel Zahra Portill
Early in the morning, Lake Touronde was transformed into a light show. A massive solar storm lit up the sky in red, orange, and pink colors that danced over the still waters. The colors reflected on the lake, creating an almost mirror-like effect that felt surreal to witness.
As the aurora borealis rippled and shimmered, the dead trees along the shoreline stood silhouetted against the night sky, transforming the whole scene into a dream-like scene. It was one of those moments that felt purely magical. I spent the rest of the night there, taking a few images and time-lapses until nightfall.
Credit: Baillie Farley / Aurora Photographer of the Year Daniel Zahra Portill
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