Aurora in North Wales: 10th May 2024

Like most photographers, photographing, or even just seeing the Northern Lights was high on my bucket list. I don’t really ever do Astrophotography, and I don’t really photograph the night sky because i’m not really a night owl. Now that i’m 32, I guess i’ve just embraced the fact that I like to be in bed at a reasonable hour. That being said, I will always drag myself out of bed if there’s an opportunity to capture something truly special and last night presented that opportunity to me.

As expected, it was 11pm and I was tucked up in bed when I get a text from my friend saying that I need to go up to the Horseshoe Pass, a hill around 25 minutes away from where I live here in North Wales. I’d read earlier in the day that, due to a geomagnetic storm, there was a high likelihood that the aurora would be visible in the UK but I assumed it would be in the early hours of the morning… probably up in Scotland…and definitely not on my doorstep.

I couldn’t have been more wrong…

Curiosity got the better of me when that text came through on my phone. I went to the window in our spare room, which has a lamp post outside it (we don’t live in a dark sky area) and there’s always light pollution around here. I took a quick snap on my iphone and noticed a faint green glow in the sky.

Could it be?

Is it the aurora, or is it just my potato phone adding a weird colour cast to the image? Both were plausible at this point.

For reference, here’s the unedited iphone photo (I get zero points for composition or execution)

I convinced myself that if it was the aurora, and if it was this visible at 11pm, which I considered pretty early, then it was worth taking the trip to try and tick off a bucket list item.

I got to the Horseshoe Pass just before midnight and parked up alongside around 20 other people who all had the same idea - it was actually cool to see everyone having a collective experience and appreciating how rare and fleeting experiences like this are.

I found my friends amongst the crowds and we just stared at the milky white streaks dancing across the sky. It was the first time they’d seen the aurora too so it was pretty special being able to share this with them.

The photographer in me wanted to do that thing that all Landscape Photographers preach - Find a good foreground. But, to be completely truthful, I was so in awe of what I was seeing and overwhelmed by the moment that my photography head just disappeared. I understood in that moment that the aurora is beautiful enough on its own, and I don’t need to overcomplicate this. Plus, with this being potentially a once every 20 year occurrence here in North Wales, I was adamant that I wouldn’t spend the whole night just staring at a small LCD screen and I’d actually be present in the moment.

I’m so glad I took my own advice. I didn’t overthink the photography, I just took a few frames to capture the moment and then the camera went away. So, here are the photos.

Main take away from last night - If you’re ever in two minds about whether you should go out with your camera… JUST GO!