My first encounter with the aurora borealis, or northern lights, was during my first visit to Iceland in 2013. It was quite underwhelming, and I left disappointed. In February 2019 I visited the Loften Islands of Norway, which lie within the Arctic Circle. They didn’t disappoint, with a display on two consecutive nights. I re-visited in September 2022, and got lucky again. The lights provide a canvas of vibrant colours and dynamic shapes. The ever-changing nature of the lights means that each photograph is unique, even when taken only a few minutes apart. It’s an awe-inspiring experience.

By way of an update : On the Friday night of the 10/5/24, into the early hours of the following morning, my friend Paul and I had the good fortune of photographing an incredible aurora display. In northern Norway, at a latitude of 68 degrees north it’s normal to see the aurora all over the sky. In the UK however, the aurora is usually only faintly visible on the northern horizon, and I’ve previously had little interest in trying to photograph it here in Yorkshire. This particular night was forecast to be a bit different though. I got a phone alert at breakfast time, possibly the best aurora display for a decade was forecast (it was even better !) We decided to give it a go.

Malham Tarn was the chosen destination, because the calm conditions were likely to produce a reflection. I know from experience an aurora display always looks better when reflected. We arrived towards the end of twilight at around 21.40. The conditions were just perfect, clear skies and a calm lake. From then on it was a waiting game. The ambient light levels had to drop to make the aurora visible. It quickly revealed itself. At first only a green aurora was visible. At 54 degrees north, I was a bit sceptical, but it quickly became apparent the aurora was all around. What followed was simply jaw dropping. I've never experienced anything quite like it. The aurora exploded in colour and brightness for around 20 minutes or so. What we saw was a KP9 and G5 solar storm, which means its about as strong as it ever gets. To witness this natural phenomenon is incredible in itself, but to see it in the Yorkshire Dales is surely a once in a lifetime experience. The strongest aurora was actually to the east and south.

At just after 23.30 the aurora calmed a bit, but it was always present, in all directions, ebbing and flowing in intensity.  Simply amazing. We were positioned on the southern shore of Malham Tarn. Most of the images I made were facing north and also east, because generally that’s where the strongest aurora consistently was, apart from the G5 explosion, which was to the south. I really wanted the aurora to move in to the the west and north west, because that direction gave extensive views across the tarn towards Fountains Fell, providing a more familiar view. My wish was granted at just after midnight, bingo. I’ve always struggled to photograph Malham Tarn successfully, but to capture it under an aurora display has buried that hoodoo. We stayed on the shore until around 02.30. On the drive home we also photographed at Eshton. I got to bed at 04.30, having been awake for over 22 hours. My goodness it was worth losing sleep for !