Intrepid Highland photographer Ed Smith is planning to capture the Northern Lights in all their transcendent glory, in what could be one of the last opportunities of the decade.
It won’t be a task for the faint-hearted, nor those with an aversion to the cold. But, as he prepares to negotiate freezing temperatures, equipped with a hefty camera, ice axe, bivvy bag and camping stove, the Kingussie man is optimistic the months ahead will be the prime time to create a visual record of awe-inspiring displays.
The phenomenon depends on solar activity which follows an 11-year cycle and we are currently in Solar Cycle 25, which began in 2019 and is predicted to peak in 2025.
So he has decided this is the perfect moment to embark on a mission to snap them from the heights of the Cairngorms and other Scottish mountain ranges – and his passion for the project suggests nothing will halt him in his quest.
He believes the incentive of witnessing the Aurora Borealis makes journeys to the wilderness all the more extraordinary, not least because nothing is ever certain when anybody goes searching for what have been described as the “merrie dancers”.
As he said: “Everything it encapsulates is very involved from the planning and preparation to the endurance required to stay in one position for hours. There is an element of risk associated with that, it’s extremely arduous and, of course, freezing.
‘It’s me immersed in nature’
“Yes, you can capture amazing shots at the side of a loch, but you’ll probably hear cars and other people out doing the same. But to be on a summit alone, where you’ve got to be out all night, it’s me immersed in nature.
“It’s colder, you’re more susceptible to weather changes and, of course, it might happen or it might not, so you’ve got to cope with these emotions too. It’s like storm-chasing, there’s a lot of energy involved in the approach to it, the waiting and the capturing it.”
Ed has already taken a stunning shot of the Aurora Borealis which featured in his first book, Northern Cairngorms, which brings together a collection of almost 70 memorable images, depicting the six years he has lived and worked in the area.
He regarded it as a “career-defining image” with plenty of work assessing the weather that day as the prelude to heading off on a three-hour hike to the summit with all his gear. He finished his journey at sunset and was there for the rest of the night.
But, as you can see, his patience and persistence were amply justified.
A waiting game
He recalled: “It’s a long waiting game, but suddenly I started to see the first ripples, it is like a wave. You start photographing it, seeing where it’s kicking off.
“You get pulses, so you are adjusting your camera all the time. Then you start to see where the main epicentre is and wait for the stronger, more powerful pulses.
“That night was very special. It’s common to get greener horizontal waves and swirls but then it became more vibrant, with vertical pillars of red and purple. It’s like watching organ pipes in the sky, hence me naming the image Concert of Light.”
It’s a gig with a true wow factor.
For further information, visit edsmithphotography.com