03/06/2026
One of my favorite shots from my recent Norway trip with and one of the most challenging to capture. From the multi colored aurora, to the composition, to the clear water you can see through below.
The aurora is filled with color at different levels of the atmosphere. You might be used to the tall pinkish purple pillars extending into the sky in photos. But when the aurora is very active there is a lavender purple edge UNDER the green that can be seen with the naked eye. It looks like a bright sparkle highlighting the edge of the aurora, moving all on its own. This edge is so subtle and fleeting that it’s very difficult to capture with a camera, often ending up an overexposed light green.
This composition was on my bucket list and I was ecstatic that my camera was exposed for the one second this purple beam whipped around the mountain. And even more excited when I saw the color was captured!
