Aurora Borealis

The Rewinder

Awarded Landscape First Prize 🏆at NEIL DANKOFF Photo competition. - Exhibited in Neil's Yorkdale Kandy Gallery in Toronto - Canada 🇨🇦 (April 2021) Senja - Northern Norway We can find windy roads in many places in Northern Norway, but finding the right angle to photograph them can be another story. Catching this incredible aurora into the narrow valleys of Senja took me good 2 hours of waiting under -10 degrees C, in a particularly awkward position perched on a sharp rock edge. I had studied and found this place using maps. I could see the potential before going there but I had never seen anyone taking a photo of it this way. The big work is to be able to anticipate the editing process once I am on spot. I knew roughly where to stand to have the right angle but it was not easy to access as the place is covered with big boulders fallen from the cliff edges. Taking a photo is something I love, but working hard beforehand to plan the photo is something I live for.

End Of Afternoon

Awarded HONORABLE MENTION in Landscape category in APA - ANNUAL PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS 2020 / LIMITED EDITION Print of 30 / Lyngen Alps - Norway After an afternoon spent in the Norwegian Alps, hiking and exploring the area. The aurora here is shot at 4.30PM to my biggest surprise. I was walking down that tiny river path, when I looked back and realised that the sky was dancing. Lucky the ground was quite frozen, so my footsteps did not affect the foreground. It is often really hard to capture lights showing toward South East above the Lyngen Alps Mountain range, but this day was full of luck. We can see this fainted brighter light on the left behind the mountains which is the low moon reflecting on the clouds giving pumping contrast with the diamond shape river in the foreground. The best thing about this capture is that the aurora is not the main subject into the frame, but brings the wow effect on top of this amazing landscape.

The Last Vision

Awarded Honorable Mention in the category Fine Art - Landscape in 2020 TOKYO INTERNATIONAL FOTO AWARDS Awarded HONORABLE MENTION in Landscape category in APA - ANNUAL PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS 2020 Tromsø - Northern Norway Last week of October, I went hiking up to that lake edge, a place I scouted during the day to find these great reflections and organize our light orientation for the aurora night shoot. I waited up there for 3 hours, cameras on tripods, composition ready to shoot, the battery in the pocket to save power. After a long game of waiting, I decided to pack my bags, mentally ready to hike back down, when suddenly.. at the last sight behind me, that dance happened in the sky... . . Cond: New moon, strong auroras Orient: NW Set: F2.0, 8sec, 2500 Tech: Foc Stacked PS + LR

Beyond The Pier

Ringvassøya - Northern Norway - By cumulating experience as an outdoor guide and night photographer, I have the chance to bring people from around the world close to the Aurora Borealis. Working as a guide has now brought me to the Arctic where I can develop my photography skills, get off the beaten track to find a place never shot before, and bring tourists to it. I have spent many nights on this spot waiting to catch the right moment. And here it is!

The Shark Fin

Going off the beaten track is something that brings so much value to a photo. It builds an incredible story behind it. On this overnight trip to the Northern tip of the Lyngen Alps, I came along with 3 Norwegian girls friends to find the tiny hytta located on this coastline. We only knew about the GPS coordinates and got ourselves onto a mission to find it. We brought our own wood supply, food, and water, and stayed overnight. A few meters behind it, and to my biggest surprise, we found a stunning rock formation. Is this whole shot actually real? It is. The auroras are here, the high clouds in the sky are dancing, and I am up here hanging on the side on the shark fin. The only thing distorted is the scale of the little climber as this rock formation is four meters high above the snow line and not fifteen meters as it appears.

Higher Prediction

Exhibited at " Exhibition Of The Arts Of Aurora 2021" in the Hong Kong Culture Centre in April 2021. Organized by AuroraAssociation. Co-organized by UNESCO (H.K. Association) Signaldalen - Northern Norway The Arctic hosts some of the most beautiful and dramatic sights you can find in Europe and is complemented with the lady aurora dancing in the sky. This night was strong intensities of lights planned in Northern Norway (up to KP7). The activity we got far North was not the strongest but enough to send you in green dreamy land. We can find here frozen shapes close by the river, and gather some reflecting aurora light in the ice.

The Third Mirror

Selected by Federation Française de Photographie et des Métiers de l'Image. (FFPMI) to represent the French Team for the 2121 editions of the World Photography Cup - WPC - Category Nature Tromvik - Northern Norway - I have learned that luck, patience and creativity are the weapons you need every day and every night in Northern Norway. "The Third Mirror'' selected by "Fédération française de la photographie et des métiers de l'image (FFPMI)" to represent ''l’équipe de France'' for the photography world cup 2021.

Meeting In The Bay

One of the first images of our 15 days sailing trip in this amazing area of Lofoten, in Northern Norway in Mid April. The last aurora shows were so rewarding. We anchored our sailing boat " La Boheme " in this little bay. We noticed a sailboat already here, standing in the middle, and we realized it was the famous YouTubers Dan and Kika from Sailing Uma. We shared the night out there, in this epic landscape. I wanted to shoot some of the last auroras of the season so around 11 pm, I got the little dinghy boat out in the water. I love the silence of the night and rowed from the boat to the shoreline alone, with all my camera equipment. I stayed there about an hour, time to find this incredible composition, with our sailboat on the right side, when the lights started pounding above my head. After a few minutes, my adrenaline was as high as I could get it. I packed my bag after capturing this moment, jumped back in the dingy boat, started rowing, and quickly realized I was going to sweat as the wind was in my face. I felt that it was going to be really hard to reach the boat back by myself. I have to say I was happy I had rafting paddling experience before, that taught me how to paddle strongly and efficiently alone!

Light Season

Awarded HONORABLE MENTION WINNER in Landscape Category at APA - ANNUAL PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS 2019 Haifoss - Iceland - A banger from September 2nd early season, in front of this amazing wonder of Iceland. Such a beautiful show nature gave us, with incredible fast movements. A great way to start the northern light season

The Travel Bent

A long exposure under the northern lights of Northern Norway. This night, the red colors showed up above our greens. We see many times oversaturated and over-edited aurora colors on social media, and this one has a pure sky, not touched, not edited. Cameras are more powerful than our eyes, and reds are rarely perceived with our own eyes. I drove by this hill top many times and finally managed to capture that technical long exposure with this car light passing by the windy road.

The Tidal Rise Portrait

Laksvatn - Northern Norway When reaching the end of March, the window of the dark sky is getting shorter. I caught this incredible show around 11.30PM, after 2 hours of waiting in the cold and witnessing the lights kicking behind me toward the south, in the wrong direction. With patience, they eventually came above my head and dancing in the North behind this mountain top. I was thinking of going there early and find a great composition, but this area is a tiny arm linked to the fjord water, so the tide comes up and down, and it was really hard to stick to one composition because everything was changing shape as the water level was slowly rising.

Dimension

Senja Island - Northern Norway This is a photograph I had in mind a long time ago since one of my friend captured it with great symmetry in the water. I always thought I wanted to have a different approach to break that symmetry of the fjord but enhance the one perceived in the water. I had this night the most amazing luck as I was racing against the powerful light to try and reach that view point before they vanish in the starry sky. I just had time to get out of the car, put my tripod down, lock the camera, turn it on, and click as my settings were already locked in for fast motion auroras. The results offered amazing depth thought the scene and soft but strong aurora movement.

Polished By The Sea

round boulders by the sea in Tromvik area - Des rochers ronds polis par la mer vers Tromvik - Norway

Down Flow

A five hours wait rewarded by amazing light in Senja. This area is quite special, located on the second biggest island of Norway, It is not easy to access due to the high risk of avalanches around this area. Only a few winters can provide both in the same time: skies dark enough for the auroras to be seen, and level of snow low enough to get to this area safely; and December 2020 was one of them.

Mount Tame

Senja Island - Northern Norway Some fresh framing, and sharp lights that will convince you to come and visit this bit of paradise. I am used to shoot with my wide angle on 15mm, and I spent some time here playing with new shapes. Some of the first and surely not last shots on 28mm I will capture when I see the sharpness of the 28-200mm from Tamron.

A Bright night

Lofoten Islands - Northern Norway - A big favorite of our Lofoten photo-tour from Early April, Scouting, planning location, forecast analyzing, sun orientation, northern light spots; such a rich experience. This spot was on top of our list, It was one of the best shot of this photography tour, taken from the most famous bridge in the Lofoten Islands.

The Tidal Rise

Laksvatn - Northern Norway When reaching the end of March, the window of dark sky is getting shorter. I caught this incredible show around 11.30PM, after 2 hours of waiting in the cold and witnessing the lights kicking behind me toward the south, in the wrong direction. With patience, they eventually came above my head and dancing in the North behind this mountain top. I was thinking of going there early and find a great composition, but this area is a tiny arm linked to the fjord water, so the tide comes up and down, and it was really hard to stick to one composition because everything was changing shape as the water level was slowly rising.

Bright Panic

Grotfjord (Tromsø) - Northern Norway - When the show becomes a dance in itself. Crowns above your head are always incredible shapes to witness. I was standing facing North, toward the beautiful fjord, and set my tripod and camera for 20 minutes at least, to be able to wait for the aurora to show up. It did show up, but on the other side facing south above my head. Taken by a panic rush, scared to miss the shot, I had to change my whole position, and quickly switch my camera settings to catch this quick shot.

Power Of Night Sky

/ LIMITED EDITION Print of 30 / Tromsø - Northern Norway Many wonder how to capture this kind of photo in such an environment. I can say there is quite some work behind it. These are really long days of waiting for the right weather window, hours of scouting, studying the terrain, the light orientation, loads of knowledge about the auroras, and long hours to wait in the cold. On this shot, the sky and its reflection are absolutely untouched of editing and completely genuine, with no adjustment. The aurora is powerful, there is no moon to help to light the foreground, and these green lights bring the natural kick needed to show the beautiful bumpy snowy foreground.

Deserving

Vasstrand - Norway We Stayed and waited for the hit. This moment of truth, after hours of hiking, you are just praying for the aurora to hit early. I dont wanna walk back for 4 hours through rough terrain at midnight.. please nature send me true early power.. At 8pm the first glimpses came up and revealed an amazing show to our best satisfaction. The full sky was on fire, and I felt so overwhelmed to have made it all the way up here, facing this craziness..

Alive & Alone

Tromsø -Norway- I hiked to that location by myself late at night, trying to reach the lake at the bottom of the mountains. I have to say I got quite surprised by few ptarmigans flying off their snow holes just a meter away from me, filling me up with the biggest shivers ever .. Great time to feel alive and alone. The closer I got from the mountains, the less sharp they appeared so it is only down the river that i managed to capture the shapes i wanted and find the flow I needed..

View Cliché

The famous view point in Skaland Senja under the auroras - Le fameux point de vue de Skaland Senja sous les aurores

A different Plan

The amazing auroras in the sky of Senja - Norway - Les superbes aurores au dessus de Senja

Where No Goes

Vasstrand - Northern Norway Look left and look right. This shot is the perfect resume of what happened last night. Clear sky, heavy winds, and snow storm, all within one frame; a place where no one goes. . The more i shoot the auroras the more i realize they are not the main subject. They become the icing on the cake.