Spirits in the Sky (Northern Lights Photography)

Few natural phenomena compare to the drama, surprise, and beauty of the northern lights. Witnessing their dance across the sky is a magical and unforgettable experience. Capturing the aurora borealis with a camera, though, takes careful planning and persistence, an understanding of the science, attention to the data and conditions, and a dose of luck.

For over a decade, landscape photographer Paul Zizka has been on a chase to capture the northern lights – one that has taken him right off his doorstep in Banff, Canada, throughout the Canadian Rockies, and to the far-flung corners of the Northern Hemisphere: the Northwest Territories, Yukon, Nunavik, Labrador, Iceland, and Greenland.

This spectacular collection compiles Zizka’s finest northern lights photographs and showcases the varied nature of this celestial display in an array of settings. From electric green to royal purple, streaking the sky over mountains or reflecting off iceberg-laden seas, Spirits in the Sky displays the aurora borealis like you’ve never seen it before.