Landscapes Gallery - Honorable Mention

I actually didn't expect I would be photographing the Aurora Borealis during my eight-day trip to Iceland in March 2011. I've hoped to see a glimpse of the Northern Lights once in my life, but I know all the weather circumstances including sun storm activity have to be ideal. While being on the trip the odds became more and more favorable. So I decided to stay up late to watch the sky all night hoping there would be some activity. I already set up the photographic gear just in case. I knew I could go photograph on a large field with a view on some small mountains in the background just a few feet outside the hostel at Höfn. All of a sudden I saw some activity and it started to become very big! I was all set up and went immediately outside. The feeling I got was like I was in a fairytale, so unreal and magical was this moment to me. I even forgot to take photographs for a moment. It was a great bonus of my photographic trip.

Equipment Used: Nikon D700, Nikkor 16-35 VR 4.0, ISO 800, F4.0, 5 sec, Gitzo tripod with Markins M20 ballhead, cable release, mirror lock-up.

About the Photographer: Andrew George is a passionate Dutch nature, wildlife, and travel photographer. In his youth he already was interested in nature and its beauty. When he visited Iceland for the first time he got inspired by the magnificent landscapes and wildlife. He wanted to put it on (digital) film forever and share it with everybody all over the world. Soon he got more interested in nature photography and followed a course at the Fotovakschool (the foremost Dutch photography school) to understand the basics of photography. Andrew likes to travel, but the most beautiful and surprising wildlife and nature he finds nearby home and many of his photographs are taken locally. This way he can spend a lot of time in the field doing research and gaining knowledge about wildlife and nature. He likes to show people what can be found just "around the corner" and is often overlooked. All his photos are taken with respect for nature and wildlife with a great deal of passion and "natural inspiration". See more of his work at his website.