Welcome to my gallery of Aurora Borealis (the northern lights). As an avid ‘aurora chaser’ I don’t like to miss a show! These images and videos should give you a feel for what it’s like to be under the dark skies and aurora. I hope you enjoy!
If you enjoyed one of these images, a selection of them is available for purchase through Fine Art America. Thank-you for your consideration and support!
2017 – 2018 Aurora Season
2017 – 2018 Aurora Season
Aurora Borealis, Juneau, Alaska
2016 – 2017 Aurora Season
Columns of aurora reflect from the ocean in Hoonah, Alaska.
A pale aurora shows to the south in stark contrast to the green aurora surrounding it.
The Milky Way collides with the aurora borealis in Hoonah, Alaska.
This image of a pale aurora is incorrectly called a “proton arc” by many photographers and aurora chasers.
“The Emerald River” The aurora shines off a tidal river in Hoonah. Alaska.
A reflection of the aurora over the Mendenhall Towers, Juneau, from North Douglas Island.
An incredible display of Aurora reflects of the ocean and highlights the islands outside of Sitka, Alaska.
An incredible display of Aurora reflects of the ocean and highlights the islands outside of Sitka, Alaska.
Can you spot the big dipper?
Tall bands of aurora dance over the ocean in Sitka, Alaska.
The aurora at low tide from North Douglas Island.
The aurora at low tide from North Douglas Island.
A green crown on the mountaintops outside of Juneau, Alaska.
When I first took this image in Juneau I believed it was a proton arc. I now know that is incorrect.
Pinks ribbons of the Aurora Borealis reflect from a pool on top of Harbor Mountain.
Pinks ribbons of the Aurora Borealis reflect from a pool on top of Harbor Mountain.
Pinks ribbons of the Aurora Borealis reflect from a pool on top of Harbor Mountain.
The Aurora Borealis appeared as the sunset
The Aurora Borealis arches over Mount Edgecumbe in Sitka, Alaska.
The Aurora Borealis arches over Mount Edgecumbe in Sitka, Alaska.
Aurora Borealis, Hoonah, Alaska
2015 – 2016 Aurora Season
This image was captured with my camera pointed directly to the south. Intense greens that reach far into the sky.
I took advantage of this fully covered black spruce to make a Christmas tree!
A combination of purple sun-kissed aurora and the movement of stars over 90 minutes make this shot quite unique!
A towering green aurora.
A large panorama showing off the Galaxy and the Aurora Borealis over Black Spruce Dogsledding.
A snow-covered spruce leans with the Aurora Borealis in Fairbanks, Alaska
The aurora is punctuated by a intense white band.
A big moon shadows the ornaments, and is a brilliant aurora reflection shines from overhead.
A bright section of aurora hightlights a beautiful scene capturing the Milky Way over the sleds at Blackspruce Dogsledding
A large covering of hoar frost in Midwestern Minnesota.
Multiple bands of aurora swirl together.
December 5th : Burst of Aurora in a winter wonderland
This insane push of energy came from the north and quickly grew.
The aurora creeps in over the Dog Yard of Black Spruce Dog Sledding.
Earlier in the night (about 10 PM) the galaxy was very bright and intersected a red and green display of the Northern Lights.
A lone birch stands as the focal points of this large panorama. The city lights of Fairbanks show up on the right.
A fusion of the northern lights and the Milky Way Galaxy at Black Spruce Dog Sledding.
October 9th : Stars over my house and the Aurora Borealis
This image of empty sleds beckons the viewer to come take a seat and enjoy a beautiful show.
A long-dead black spruce stands testament to the longevity of trees once they pass. I love how its skeleton is silhouetted by the light of the aurora.
I never leave out the horizon in my shots, but did in this one for some reason. And you know what – I kind of like it! The milky way is showing up alongside the aurora in this shot.
Wide vistas over Murphy dome showing off a beautiful sky.
A panoromic stitch capturing a winter landscape, the aurora borealis, and the moon in Fairbanks, Alaska
A long star trails shows off the multitude of stars on a moonless night in Fairbanks, Alaska.
Swirling greens of aurora during a incomprehensibly large push of energy.
I love the reflection in these ornaments!
This image was taken due south and towers high into the sky.
Like two circus performers, this these bands of aurora are folded together like they are dancing with each other.
A compilation of of movment of the Northern Lights and the stars over 90 minutes in Alaska.
Mission success! Capturing this full-sky aurora over some beautiful autumn foliage.
This particular auroral formation takes one last swirl before dissipating.
A powerful flare of aurora threatens to blow out this image. Such a beautiful scene!
2014-2015 Aurora Season
Pictures:
Here’s perhaps the best image of the night. The Aurora moved like a living creature from the northwest to the northeast. And the colors, oh the colors!
The aurora hangs over a staked sled at Black Spruce Dogsledding.
One of my best aurora shots to date! I love the colors and banding in this shot.
A Facebook Follower described this as a ‘green flame’ to me this morning. I think that’s a pretty apt description!
The Green flame morphs a little bit over the Sustainable Village. A beautiful night out!
This capture of the aurora over Angel Rocks, Alaska pretty much says it all. The lone spruce, rock outcrop and rich aurora all make for an amazing shot!
A double-band of sun-kissed aurora!
February 1st : Aurora borealis north of Fairbanks, Alaska
This shot was taken as the aurora started to wind down. However, it still had some color, and was still very active.
A remarkable corona overhead at Angel Rocks!
An image of the corona ‘pencils’ flashing overhead!
“Divide” – the aurora is seemingly split in half by the points of this spruce!
Waiting out for the aurora
All shades of the aurora above a whipping spruce top
Panorama from 2 images stitched in PS6.
The Milky Way and Aurora Borealis collided in Denali National Park! What an incredible thing to see!
The height of this aurora is incredible!
A lone, scraggly pine tree stands sentinel on along the fire break.
This is likely my best aurora image to date! I was really focusing on composition all night, and this one has all the pieces of a great image!!
Aurora Borealis – Murphy Dome, Alaska
The explosion of activity over Eagle Summit – whoa!
A brilliant green curtain of aurora stretches across the moon.
A huge flare of northern lights dance across the sky in Denali National Park
Aurora Borealis – Murphy Dome, Alaska
Green swirls of aurora combined with some Day Aurora on the left
The group poses for one of my most memorable portrait shots ever captured!
My trusty axe in front of the aurora!
This pink aurora is what I like to call the “watermelon auroa” 🙂
A blended aurora!
The Aurora streaks over a lone pine tree at Eagle Summit, Alaska in the early AM
I guess these dogs were already tired of great aurora displays ;). Shot at Black Spruce Dogsledding
The moon and the Aurora!
Aurora Borealis – Murphy Dome, Alaska
The “Aurora Borealis Lane” sign is an infamous Fairbanks sign in the Goldstream Valley. Many aurora pictures have been taken over it – now I guess I have mine!
This is a prime example of auroral eruption when the ‘secondary circuit’ overloads. This power-ful and fast over head display was remarkable!
Aurora Blues as dawn approaches
The big dipper hangs over a the trees and in the aurora
The aurora while up-close and personal in the black-spruce forest!
I love to frame spruce trees into my shots – it’s almost as if they’re pointing in wonder, too!
The full moon back-lights these black spruces in this aurora shot.
The aurora is just starting ‘heat up’ in this great image looking through the black spruces.
A strong pillar of Daylight Aurora
Crooning to the aurora!!
Purple Aurora – More than just red – there are some purples in the top of this aurora!
Two of my passions under one sky
A moody green auroral sky. Not unlike a scene from a Ghostbusters movie 🙂
A 5 image stitch of the aurora over Wickersham Dome
Earlier in the night the sun-kissed aurora could be seen on the left edges
The moon casting a long shadow under my guitar and the Lights
A gorgeous flare of aurora overhead as seen through a gap in the spruce forest.
An Aurora selfie. Silhouettes are great!
The aurora just starting to build over Eagle Summit, Alaska on 09/25/2014
Aurora Borealis – Murphy Dome, Alaska
I love how this dead black spruce lines up with the aurora.
A purple corona forming in the aurora
A beautiful aurora – doesn’t get much more classic that this!
An amazing corona formed over Angel Rocks. This was at 5 AM!
A black spruce divides the aurora and the moon
The Aurora and Milky way melt together over angel rocks.
The low moon and aurora at Wickersham Dome
A full sky of red and green over Murphy Dome, Alaska
Jiake and I hanging out under the Aurora.
A plane streaks through the aurora over the Chena River.
Aurora borealis panorama early in the night. Stitched in photoshop, these are 4 second images which capture the whole arc of the aurora.
Tracks in the snow indicate where I came from as I moved along the firebreak.
The purple of the aurora spread out across the sky.
I love the split of the lights here and their intensity. The ‘white’ aurora on the left is actually starting to become over exposed. During this time the snow was lit up green. This was during the eruption phase.
Aurora Borealis – Murphy Dome, Alaska
The starting purple pillar of sun-kissed Aurora
A huge pillar of aurora shoots into the sky.
180 degree panorama looking to the north.
Aurora borealis panorama 2. These images of the aurora were taken after the aurora activity picked up. I wanted to test how well the panorama would stitch with the higher activity – pretty good! The ‘break’ you see in the aurora is exactly how it looked. 2 bands in the sky.
Here’s a wider shot of the aurora as the purple developed
Video and Timelapse:
2013-2014 Aurora Season
Pictures:
The mixing of the reds and the greens was fascinating and differed from the distinctly separated watermelon aurora
Overhead aurora over the Tanana River, Fairbanks, AK. kP5 02/28/14
Northern Lights over Tanana River, Fairbanks, AK 02/07 – 02/08/14
Northern Lights over Tanana River, Fairbanks, AK 02/07 – 02/08/14
Aurora over the Tanana River, Fairbanks, AK. kP5 02/28/14
Aurora borealis in the sunset over Toolik Field Station
Aurora Borealis over Toolik Field Station.
Aurora over Murphy Dome. kP 5
Aurora over the Tanana River, Fairbanks, AK. kP5
Aurora Borealis over Toolik Field Station.
The watermelon aurora.
Do you see the angel in this Aurora?
Aurora Borealis over Toolik Field Station.
Northern Lights over Tanana River, Fairbanks, AK 02/07 – 02/08/14
Aurora Borealis over Toolik Field Station.
Northern Lights over Tanana River, Fairbanks, AK 02/07 – 02/08/14
Aurora Borealis over Toolik Field Station.
Looking Straight up at the Aurora over the Tanana River kP 5, 02/28/14
Aurora Borealis over Toolik Field Station.
Do you see the angel in this Aurora?
Aurora over the Tanana River, Fairbanks, AK. kP5 02/28/14
The northern lights over Murphy Dome, 01/29/14
Video and Timelapse:
Hey Ian,
Thanks for the “Tokina assist” last night! You truly saved my aurora experience. You’re an awesome guy and this is a great site! Keep it up.
Ben
🙂 Thanks for stopping by Ben. More than happy to help! It was quite a set or circumstances that put you next to me, and for me to have an extra lens handy. Was great! If you get a chance, check back soon. Those purples I captured that night are really something! Will be a post about that soon.
Cheers!
Ian