Unveiling the 2025 Northern Lights Photographer of the Year: A Captivating Journey Through the Aurora Borealis and Australis
The 8th annual Northern Lights Photographer of the Year contest by Capture the Atlas (https://capturetheatlas.com/) has unveiled its winners, showcasing the awe-inspiring beauty of the Aurora Borealis and Australis. The 15 award-winning photos, captured by photographers from 15 different countries, are a testament to the stunning natural phenomenon that illuminated skies far beyond the Earth's polar regions in 2025.
This year's contest was particularly remarkable due to heightened solar cycle activity, resulting in excellent auroral displays. Despite the solar maximum passing its peak, geomagnetic activity remained vibrant, producing powerful storms that illuminated the skies in breathtaking locations around the world. The featured photos include classic locales like Iceland, Norway, Finland, and Greenland, as well as the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.
Dan Zafra, a talented photographer and the founder of Capture the Atlas, hopes that this collection will inspire other photographers to venture out and capture the aurora for themselves. Zafra invites photographers to embark on a journey that will take them 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.
The other 10 beautiful aurora photos from the 2025 contest are available to view on Capture the Atlas (https://capturetheatlas.com/northern-lights-photographer-of-the-year/).
Image credits: Capture the Atlas. Individual photographers are credited in the captions.
Explore the captivating world of aurora photography, nature, and night sky photography at Capture the Atlas. Discover the contest, competition, and the beauty of the northern lights, and be inspired by the talent of photographers worldwide. PetaPixel articles may include affiliate links; if you buy something through such a link, PetaPixel may earn a commission.
