The skies put on a spectacular show in 2024. With the sun experiencing a particularly active year, the aurora displays around the globe stunned in their colorful beauty.
The Northern Lights Photographer of the Year, presented by Capture the Atlas, honors not only the photographers who captured these aurora images but also their stories. Photographer Adrian Cormie was on the northern coast of California when a friend in Nepal texted “Get as far north as you can by sunset, it’s going down tonight!” The friend was referring to the incoming geomagnetic storm that was the strongest observed in two decades. Comrie hit the road and drove to Crater Lake National Park in Oregon, which was covered 7 feet of snow. That didn’t stop the intrepid photographer who had packed cold-weather gear and snowshoes. Comrie set his camera up on the lake’s South Rim and captured a vibrant shot of the celestial light show (seen below).
May 10, 2024, began like any other new moon cycle for me. I was shooting at one of my favorite spots along the Sonoma coastline. Around 2:30 a.m., I was surprised to feel my phone buzz with a notification, as my location had sporadic cell coverage. The alert was one I never expected—and will never forget! A fellow Sony Alpha photographer, who was in Nepal at the time, messaged me: “Get as far north as you can by sunset, it’s going down tonight!” A historic geomagnetic storm, possibly peaking at G5, was predicted.
I immediately drove home to grab my Atlas pack full of cold weather gear. My gut told me to head to Crater Lake National Park in Oregon. Shortly into the drive, I learned the CLNP Rim Road was completely closed due to 7 feet of recent snowfall. Fortunately, I was prepared for deep snow conditions and pressed on.
Confident and armed with snowshoes, I settled on a spot along the South Rim, east of the Crater Lake Lodge, which was closed due to the extreme snow levels. My…
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