Best Photos of Northern Lights

Nine photos taken in Iceland are among Capture the Atlas’ 25 Best Photos of the Northern Lights , just published. Capture the Atlas is a travel photography blog, which every year in December publishes its collection Northern Lights Photographer of the Year. This coincides with the northern lights season and is aimed at inspiring and sharing the beauty of this natural phenomenon.

This year’s list includes images that were taken around the world, in countries such as the United States, Russia, Finland, Norway, Iceland, Australia, Canada, and Antarctica, by 25 photographers of 18 different nationalities.

“The quality of the image, the story behind the shot, and the overall inspiration that the photograph can provide are the main factors for selecting the images every year,” a press release states.

The northern lights season ranges from September to April in the northern hemisphere and from March to September in the southern hemisphere. The best time to see and photograph the lights is during the fall and spring equinoxes because of the orientation of Earth’s axis.

A dark sky far away from light pollution provides the best condition for capturing the northern lights.

Dan Zafra, editor of Capture the Atlas, curates the photos throughout the year. He looks not only for images taken by some of the most renowned photographers, but also for new talents and for new locations where the northern lights haven’t been photographed before.

To see the complete collection of 25 photos, click here.