{"id":181545,"date":"2025-12-08T19:12:10","date_gmt":"2025-12-08T19:12:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/181545\/"},"modified":"2025-12-08T19:12:10","modified_gmt":"2025-12-08T19:12:10","slug":"15-inspiring-photos-from-northern-lights-photographer-of-the-year-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/181545\/","title":{"rendered":"15 Inspiring Photos From Northern Lights Photographer of the Year 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Split<\/p>\n

Capture the Atlas<\/a> has unveiled the winners of its eighth annual Northern Lights Photographer of the Year contest<\/a>, and the 15 award-winning photos below are as beautiful as they are inspiring. <\/p>\n

This year\u2019s winning photos showcase the beautiful Northern (and Southern) Lights in stunning locations around the world, including classic locales such as Iceland, Norway, Finland, and Greenland, as well as the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. The 25 featured photos<\/a>, all of which can be seen on Capture the Atlas, were captured by photographers from 15 different countries. <\/p>\n

In 2025, photographers were treated to some truly excellent auroral displays thanks to heightened solar cycle activity. While the solar maximum has now passed its peak, geomagnetic activity remained electric, producing many powerful storms that illuminated the skies far beyond the Earth\u2019s polar regions. <\/p>\n

Dan Zafra, talented photographer<\/a> and the founder of Capture the Atlas hopes that this year\u2019s collection of award-winning Northern Lights photos will inspire other photographers to venture out and capture the aurora for themselves. <\/p>\n

\u201cPrepare to embark on a journey that will take you from Arctic fjords to Antarctic latitudes; from volcanic coastlines and glacial lagoons to forests, mountains, and remote islands where both the Aurora Borealis and Australis illuminated the night in all their glory,\u201d Zafra says. <\/p>\n

\"APhotographer Tori Harp captured this incredible shot in Aoraki\/Mount Cook National Park in New Zealand. \u2018Glaciers are a very dynamic environment, so I kept going back to monitor the changes of this moulin over the 8-month period. As the opening of the cave formed, I envisioned setting up a night shot with my friend abseiling down the mouth of the cave with New Zealand\u2019s amazing starry sky in the background. One magical night, everything finally came together! To my surprise, the Aurora Australis also lit up the sky.\u2019 | \u2018Lights & Ice\u2019 by Tori Harp. Capture the Altas Northern Lights Photographer of the Year 2025
\n \"Colorful\u2018For me, Northern Lights photography is always about capturing unique moments; snapshots of this rare natural phenomenon. This is why I never use very long exposures,\u2019 says photographer Vincent Beudez. \u2018I took this photograph on October 20, 2025, near Tromso, Norway. A few seconds before capturing this scene, there was a \u2018wall\u2019 containing colored layers \u2014 green and red \u2014 not uncommon during a substorm. But it suddenly became unstructured when a dancing corona appeared above it. I\u2019ve seen plenty of aurora shows in my life, but nothing like this. And it happened in a location I\u2019ve always wanted to photograph. It\u2019s all about perseverance!\u2019 | \u2018Arctic Rain\u2019 by Vincent Beudez. Capture the Atlas Northern Lights Photographer of the Year 2025. \"AGiulio Cobianchi captured this incredible 360\u00b0 panorama in Lofoten, Norway. The photographer says autumn is the best time to capture both the Milky Way arc and the aurora borealis, and Cobianchi nailed it. \u2018The intense Northern Lights and the bright moonlight softened the Milky Way, but the combination of all these elements in the Arctic sky felt absolutely magical \u2014 just as the Lofoten Islands always do.\u2019 | \u2018Essence of the Arctic Night\u2019 by Giulio Cobianchi. Capture the Atlas Northern Lights Photographer of the Year 2025. \"Snow-covered\u2018This night was truly unforgettable. Capturing the famous frozen trees of Riisitunturi beneath the Northern Lights had been a dream for years,\u2019 says photographer Nikki Born. | \u2018Frozen Silence Beneath the Lights\u2019 by Nikki Born. Capture the Atlas Northern Lights Photographer of the Year 2025. \"GreenPhotographer Pablo Ruiz calls this shot one of the most challenging aurora panoramas he\u2019s ever captured. \u2018Capturing a panorama with reflections and auroras that move so quickly is quite difficult. It was the photograph of my dreams, so I arrived in the afternoon to prepare the angles and options for the night. Clear skies and very little wind looked perfect for capturing reflections in the different pools,\u2019 Ruiz explains. The wind died down at the perfect moment, and he was able to achieve his \u2018dream photograph.\u2019 | \u2018Sue\u00f1os en Eystrahorn\u2019 by Pablo Ruiz. Capture the Atlas Northern Lights Photographer of the Year 2025. \"A\u2018Behind every image lies a deliberate process \u2014 a fusion of coordination, timing, and technical precision carried out from a ship navigating some of the harshest conditions on Earth. Photographing the aurora over the ice is never about luck; it\u2019s the result of preparation, teamwork, and experience. From the ship\u2019s bridge to the camera deck, every movement is carefully planned to give the lights their best possible stage,\u2019 says Virgil Reglioni. This incredible shot was the result of careful planning and extensive teamwork. | \u2018Twisting Turn\u2019 by Virgil Reglioni. Capture the Atlas Northern Lights Photographer of the Year 2025. \"APetr Hor\u00e1lek\u2019s incredible shot combines a comet, C\/2025 A6, and a brilliant aurora. \u2018The comet was so bright that we could see it with our naked eyes, even when it was very low on the horizon,\u2019 Hor\u00e1lek explains. \u2018Capturing two stunning natural phenomena in one shot was an exhilarating experience.\u2019 | \u2018Aurora Comet Lemmon\u2019 by Petr Hor\u00e1lek. Capture the Atlas Northern Lights Photographer of the Year 2025. \"TheRoi Levi\u2019s stunning shot, captured on March 21, 2025, is a 21-frame 360\u00b0 panorama captured at Iceland\u2019s famous Kirkjufell. \u2018Kirkjufell is one of Iceland\u2019s most iconic mountains, and witnessing the aurora here was a one-of-a-kind experience. With the Kirkjufellsfoss waterfalls in the foreground, this image is a dynamic representation of the sweeping auroral corona,\u2019 Levi says. | \u2018Corona Blast Aurora Geomagnetic Storm\u2019 by Roi Levi. Capture the Atlas Northern Lights Photographer of the Year 2025.
\n \"GreenCommercial pilot Ralf Rohner captured this unusual aurora photo at 35,000 feet above Earth\u2019s surface, flying above Hudson Bay, Canada. | \u2018Speechless\u2019 by Ralf Rohner. Capture the Atlas Northern Lights Photographer of the Year 2025. \"BrightMari J\u00e4\u00e4skel\u00e4inen captured this vibrant photo right near their home in Finland. \u2018In my mind, I imagine the Northern Lights creating a clear, bright green spiral to the northern sky, just above the trees, so the foreground would fit perfectly into the frame. I couldn\u2019t believe my eyes when the auroral arc started taking the exact shape I had only dreamed about for so long! Perfect reminder of how beautiful these subtle auroras can be!\u2019 | \u2018The Northern Crown\u2019 by Mari J\u00e4\u00e4skel\u00e4inen. Capture the Atlas Northern Lights Photographer of the Year 2025. \"LargeAndres Papp captured this neon-infused photo in Estonia using a 365nm UV flashlight, which \u2018made the minerals pop and added the surreal glow you see in the image.\u2019 Papp says: \u2018The challenge was balancing everything \u2014 an exposure of about 5 seconds to keep the aurora structure sharp and managing the UV spill so it didn\u2019t look artificial. What keeps me coming back to Northern Lights photography is this mix of science and magic: you study forecasts and KP indices, but the real reward is when the sky does something unexpected, and you\u2019re prepared to capture it in a single, colorful frame.\u2019 | \u2018Neon Nightfall\u2019 by Andres Papp. Capture the Atlas Northern Lights Photographer of the Year 2025. \"BrightJeff Cullen almost gave up on this photo. The conditions weren\u2019t coming together, but then, suddenly, the clouds started to clear, and the auroras picked up. When they died back down, Cullen packed up to leave, but then, voila, a beautiful display erupted. \u2018This image shows the magic that happened that night; I was absolutely amazed and astounded that such a weak aurora forecast brought me such a brilliant show.\u2019 | \u2018Gibson Steps Aurora\u2019 by Jeff Cullen. Capture the Atlas Northern Lights Photographer of the Year 2025. \"ColorfulDaniel Mickleson captured this rare event in Taranaki, New Zealand, showing vivid curtains of pink lighting up the night sky above rock formations known as the \u2018Three Sisters.\u2019 \u2018After capturing my first aurora during the May 2024 storm, I was hooked. Travelling several hours from my home to this special location, I hoped the forecasts would be correct. Even with a near\u2013full moon, the powerful display shone across the sky. I could see the beams dancing overhead \u2014 a truly spectacular sight.\u2019 | \u2018Guardians of the Aurora\u2019 by Daniel Mickleson. Capture the Atlas Northern Lights Photographer of the Year 2025. \"A\u2018I was overjoyed to capture this otherworldly Northern Lights display on the rugged Ceredigion coast of West Wales. The village of Llangrannog is not known for its celestial displays; it is better known for its beach, dramatic cliffs, and the statue of St. Crannog, who stands watch over the shoreline,\u2019 says photographer Mathew Browne. Auroras in Wales are unusual, and the photographer notes that success relies on preparation and, \u2018of course, a bit of luck.\u2019 | \u2018Llangrannog Aurora\u2019 by Mathew Browne. Capture the Atlas Northern Lights Photographer of the Year 2025. <\/p>\n

The other 10 beautiful aurora photos from Northern Lights Photographer of the Year 2025 contest are available to view on Capture the Atlas<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Image credits: Capture the Atlas. Individual photographers are credited in the captions. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Capture the Atlas has unveiled the winners of its eighth annual Northern Lights Photographer of the Year contest,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":181546,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[307,304,305,306,4286,98625,98626,57587,503,14820,308,93,61,60,3738,45135,20542,84522,98627],"class_list":{"0":"post-181545","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts-and-design","8":"tag-arts","9":"tag-arts-and-design","10":"tag-artsanddesign","11":"tag-artsdesign","12":"tag-aurora","13":"tag-auroraaustralis","14":"tag-auroraborealis","15":"tag-capturetheatlas","16":"tag-competition","17":"tag-contest","18":"tag-design","19":"tag-entertainment","20":"tag-ie","21":"tag-ireland","22":"tag-nature","23":"tag-night","24":"tag-nightsky","25":"tag-northernlights","26":"tag-northernlightsphotographeroftheyear"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/181545","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=181545"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/181545\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/181546"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=181545"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=181545"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=181545"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}