Landscapes - By Subject

Northern Lights Landscape Photography Fine Art Prints

Pictures of Northern Lights from Alaska and Norway

Northern lights landscape photography gallery by Joseph C. Filer of beautiful pictures of the northern lights from the Brooks Range in Alaska and the Lofoten Islands in Norway.

Northern Lights landscape photographs are for sale as Limited Edition Luxury Fine Art Paper Prints, Chromaluxe ® Metal Prints, and non-glare TruLife ® Acrylic Prints. Frames and large-scale prints 8 feet or more in size are available.

A Northern Lights Photography Experience

The Northern Lights are mesmerizing and I have made numerous trips to Alaska and Norway to photograph them. If you haven’t witnessed them in person, it is impossible to describe the feeling of standing under them.

It may be brutally cold outside. It may require waiting in the dark for hours. I just make the decision to come prepared and be there when it happens. There are times I would like to forget the camera and tripod and just lie on the ground and watch, but the photographer in me winds up winning out.

Photographing the Northern Lights Landscape – Facts and Reflections

Capturing the beauty of the aurora borealis as it lights up the landscape is a magical experience. The aurora borealis – otherwise known as the northern lights – is a vivid demonstration of the Earth's magnetic field interacting with charged particles from the sun.

The best time to see the northern lights is between 9 p.m. - 1 a.m. local time. In the high arctic, you may be able to experience the Aurora 50 nights per year. Bring a tripod and set your shutter to capture light for 5 seconds. 1600 is a good beginning ISO setting on your camera. The photos in this gallery showcase the vivid color and designs that the warped auroras provide the photographer.

See Photos Below and These Related Galleries

Purchase A Fine Art Print With Confidence

Work directly with me, the photographer and artist, instead of through a gallery art director or manager. I will help you every step of the way, from the selection of the photograph and print style to the status of the printing and delivery process. I can also provide room mockup photos, if needed.

My prints are produced using the highest standards and materials in the industry. For more information, see my Print Options and Custom Framing pages.

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View Slideshow

northern lights or aurora borealis over a snow covered mountain in alaska that is illuminated by a full moon — Full Moon Aurora

Green northern lights bursting above the trees and snow in Fairbanks, Alaska — Green Fire

Green northern lights bursting above the snow and trees in Fairbanks, Alaska — Night Light

Green northern lights bursting above the trees and full moon in Fairbanks, Alaska — From The Moon

green northern lights or aurora borealis swilring in the sky above a meadow in alaska — Sky Spectacle

Green northern lights swirling above the snow and trees in Fairbanks, Alaska — Swirl

The northern lights swirling above the trees and snow near Fairbanks, Alaska — Skylight

Green and purple colors in the the northern lights overhead near Fairbanks, Alaska — Warped Space

Green and red northern lights bursting above the snow and trees in Fairbanks, Alaska — Red Sky Explosion

Green and red northern lights bursting across the sky above in Fairbanks, Alaska — Comet Trail

Green and purple northern lights bursting in a wing formation in the sky above in Fairbanks, Alaska — Wings Of Light

Green northern lights rising high above the moon near Fairbanks, Alaska — Green Smoke

Northern lights over a harbor at night in Norway — Lofoten Lights

A bright green aurora at night over a mountain on the coast of Norway — Norwegian Nights

Northern Lights Are Fine Art

Watching the Northern Lights, also known as the Aurora Borealis, is watching a Fine Art Light Show. The colors and shapes change constantly. It doesn’t really matter why they happen. This is Mother Nature’s way of creating Fine Art. I have been fortunate to be there to photograph them, but I never feel it truly captures the experience. I do know that prints of these images look great on your wall.

Visiting and Photographing the Northern Lights

The easiest place to photograph the Aurora is in Alaska. Just outside the city of Fairbanks, there are a number of excellent locations with open fields, lakes, rivers, and trees that make for good scenes with the aurora above. Further north from Fairbanks is the Brooks Range with beautiful mountains to complete the scene.

The colorful display in the sky from the Aurora Borealis, also known as the Northern Lights, is something everyone should try to experience at least once. There are scientific reasons for why it occurs relating to charged particles, plasma, electrons, etc., but I really don’t try to understand it.

In addition to clear skies, all those scientific factors have to be just right for the Aurora to appear. There are no guarantees and it might happen only one out of five nights. When it happens, there is nothing else like it. It can be landscape photography at its best.

The Northern Lights: What Causes Them and How They Are Seen

Known as the Aurora Borealis, the Northern Lights are a natural phenomenon that can be seen in the sky at night. They are most often green, but they can also be red, blue, purple, or white. The more powerful this natural light is, the more an object will appear to move. This is how it looks to us on Earth.

This light is caused by charged particles from the sun interacting with gases in our atmosphere. It can be seen all around the world if you know where to look for it. Here are some more details on how you can see this beautiful sight for yourself.

What Causes The Northern Lights?

The Northern Light is a natural phenomenon that's caused by charged particles from the sun interacting with gases in our atmosphere. The sun's particles are called ions. As these ions reach Earth, they react to gas molecules in our atmosphere.

Usually, this reaction produces an orange glow. However, when the sun has a solar storm where it sends out more ions than usual, the reaction causes our planet's magnetic field to bend the light in the sky to green and other colors.

The Northern Lights also known as Aurora Borealis are typically seen at night and can be seen all around the world if you know where to look for them.

It can appear with red color, blue color, purple color, or white depending on how strong this natural light is and how powerful an object appears to move due to its effects on Earth.

How They Are Seen?

The Northern Lights are seen best in the Arctic and Antarctic regions. But if you happen to be in North America, Europe, or Asia, you can see them at night.

You'll need to know where to look for them—and that's not as easy as it sounds. The lights are something that happens naturally and can't be predicted, so it's impossible to say when they will appear. However, there are some methods you can use to find them.

One of these methods is by checking the Aurora Borealis forecast on Clear Dark Sky's website. This site offers a map so you can figure out exactly where to go to see the lights.

When Is The Best Time To See Them?

In some parts of the world, you can see this phenomenon from as early as September. In those regions, you can often see it all year round, but it is more common in the months of March to August. For locations in North America and Europe, the best viewing time is usually around April or September.

The Northern Lights are most often visible at night. The best times to see them are between 11 pm and 3 am during periods of low light pollution.

Where Do You See Them?

The Northern Lights are most commonly seen in the Arctic Circle. This is not a fixed area, but rather a large circle around the North Pole where it's possible to see them.

In the summer, the Aurora Borealis can be seen from almost anywhere in Alaska and northern Canada. In winter, it's usually only visible from a few places in Alaska, like Fairbanks and Whitehorse.

The best time to see them is between September and April because there isn't as much sunlight for your eyes to process at night. However, you can still see them during this time if they're bright enough. You may need to go north of the Arctic Circle though!

You might be thinking "well I don't live in one of these areas." Don't worry! You can still visit these places or even just plan an outdoor vacation here for when the lights are visible. There are many tours that you can take for this purpose.

Summary

The Northern Lights are a natural phenomenon that can be seen in the sky when charged particles from the sun interact with the Earth's magnetic field. The best time to see them is in the winter when you are in a place that is far from light pollution, in any direction.