Six! Count ’em, six talented 500px users made the shortlist of the incredibly selective and prestigious Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition for 2015. Section winners, runners up, and highly commended entries, we’ve got them all and couldn’t be prouder of our amazing community!
Scroll down to see them all and congratulate them on their high achievement.
Winner, Aurorae Category
The Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition gets so many Aurora images each year that they’ve created a category just for them. And guess what? 500pxers swept the Aurorae category!
The winning image was captured by London-based Jamen Percy in Abisko National Park, Lapland, Sweden. It shows the northern lights streaming up from a sheer white, snow-covered mountainside. A beautiful shot that earned Jamen the top spot in the category. Congratulations Jamen!
Runner Up, Aurorae Category
Runner up right behind Jamen in the Aurorae category also went to a 500px photographer: 36-year-old Kolbein Svensson from Norway. His image captivated the judges because of the beautiful separation of colors, not just within the aurora itself, but in the entire image.
From dark ground, to yellow horizon, blue sky, and then the green-to-purple streaks of the aurora itself.
Congratulations Kolbein! You definitely deserve it.
Highly Commended, Aurorae Category
Rounding out the 500px SWEEP of the Aurorae category is the stunning image above by Arild Heitmann, a landscape photographer who resides in Northern Norway and co-founder/co-owner of Lofoten Tours.
The photo was taken at Norway’s Lomaas River in Skanland, and is actually the most popular of the three images according to the 500px community.
Congrats Arild!
Runner Up, Skyscapes Category
Probably my favorite of the bunch, the runner up in the Skyscapes category was captured by 29-year-old Sunderland, UK-based 500pxer Matt Robinson… and it is absolutely, unequivocally eye-popping.
The image shows noctilucent clouds doing their colorful thing high in the sky above Sunderland long after sunset. According to the BBC:
Normally seen in mid-summer in the UK—noctilucent clouds are high enough in the atmosphere to still be illuminated long after sunset.
Congratulations Matt, your photo blew us away here at 500px HQ!
Runner Up, Our Sun Category
Being an astrophotography competition, Astronomy Photographer of the Year has an entire category dedicated to Sun photography.
The sun is notoriously tricky to photograph what with it being so freaking bright and all, but that didn’t stop David Wrangborg from snagging the Runner Up spot in the category with the photo above. Showing the “second diamond ring” of the solar eclipse of March 20th, 2015, the image is breathtaking and beautifully minimal at the same time.
Congratulations David! We can’t wait to see what you share with the community next.
Highly Commended, People and Space Category
We started with the aurora, let’s end with it too. Rounding out our all-star group of winners, runner ups, and commended photos is the gorgeous shot above by Tommy Eliassen. One of the contest judges said that Tommy’s image has “an alien quality” thanks to the lone silhouette in the center. We totally agree!
Congratulations to you too Tommy, we’re psyched to have you on 500px!
Please join us in congratulating your talented peers in the comments down below. Drop a line of encouragement, ask for advice, or just say hi. And then go out there and start shooting the celestial world. We had 6 photographers on this year’s shortlist… let’s sweep the whole damn thing next year!
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