2021 Winners: The Night Sky
Category Winner
‘The Eye’ by Ivan Pedretti
On Uttakleiv beach, in Norway, these particular rocks looked like a eye. The shot is set against the beautiful colours of the Northern Lights above.
Sony A7R II with Sony 16-35mm lens. 20 seconds, f/2.8, ISO 1,600.
Runner-up
‘Sleeping Dragon’ by Amos Ravid
Night photography at minus 25 degrees Celsius can be a a bit challenging. And yet, it is most enjoyable and satisfying. This photo is from Ogoy Island in Lale Baikal, Russia. It is also known as the Dragon Island, hence I call it The Sleeping Dragon.
Nikon D750 with Nikon 14-24mm lens. 30 seconds, f/3.5, ISO 4,000.
Highly Commended
‘Purple Skies’ by Bence Máté
The birds standing in the lake were made visible by huge flashes of lightning. The image is purple because of the short wavelength of lightning.
Canon 300D with 28-80mm lens. 30 seconds, f/8, ISO 100.
Highly Commended
‘Under Aurora Bridge’ by Yevhen Samuchenko
Aurora borealis with an unusual arc shape above Kirkjufell mountain in Iceland.
Nikon D750 with Nikon 16mm lens. 10 seconds, f/2.8, ISO 4,000.
Highly Commended
‘Aurora’ by Marcus Westberg
A rare type of Aurora over an alpine lake in northern Sweden, far from any disturbing light pollution.
Canon 1DX Mark II with Sigma 14mm lens. 25 seconds, f/2.2, ISO 1,600.
Highly Commended
‘Moon Halo’ by Bartlomiej Jurecki
This image was taken late at night and shows a luminous ring surrounding the moon. This is very rare and spectacular: it is called a Moon Halo and is an optical phenomenon.
A halo is formed under the refraction of light in a cloud containing ice crystals. A halo can appear in the sky at any time of the year, although it is most likely to be seen in winter. It most often appears over ice-covered areas and in the mountains.
Nikon D850 with Nikon 14-24mm lens. 15 seconds, f/4.5, ISO 400.