aidan kean, Red Light Over Red Gate (October theme: Light and Dark)

This shot took 30 seconds to expose, but it’s taken half a lifetime to create them. It’s been a dream of mine to photograph the aurora australis for years, but weather or time has always gotten in the way. I realized it was happening in less than 24 hours. I packed my gear, checked the weather apps, and made the call to stay up till 2 am and head down to Redgate, dodging kangaroos along the way. The car park was empty, and the sky was dark, but I was dismayed when I went to the beach to shoot some night lapses, and that’s when the clouds parted, and I stared in awe at my own personal light show.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.