Photo of the Month (December 2024): The Extraordinary

 

 

At the beginning of this year, I came across an account of an Arctic expedition in which the explorer mentioned she had seen so many northern lights that they had become “as ordinary as sunsets” in the tropics. Somehow, this statement struck a chord with me. Despite my admiration for her career, the comment bothered me. I mulled over it for a while and even spoke about it back in June, concluding that photographing the ordinary is just as challenging and beautiful as writing about it.

 

Indeed, I have the impression that the auroras are quite ordinary for those living in the Arctic. During a visit to Andenes, while I was freezing outside waiting for a photo, I noticed families going about their lives without paying much attention to the skies painted green and magenta. Perhaps it’s the same way we in the tropics carry on with our lives during a stunning sunset.

 

So, after half a year of intentionally focusing on the ordinary, I stand by my words. Since then, I haven’t managed to take great photos or write effectively about things as seemingly ordinary as sunsets. Yet, this challenge only seems to make the ordinary even more intriguing.

 

That said, I must admit I didn’t capture any remarkable photos of auroras this year. I had two brief opportunities, one in September and another in November, each at opposite poles of the Earth, both filled with high expectations due to the solar activity peak predicted for the year. I must confess I was a bit disappointed—whether due to the extensive cloud cover I faced at both poles or the weak solar activity on the few clear nights.

 

Like the adventurer with the statement that irked me, I’ve “seen auroras of all kinds, in all colors.” Yet, even with the frustrating solar storms, I couldn’t help but be moved by every single aurora I witnessed, just as I cherished every sunset I took the time to watch.

 

Unfortunately, I’ve not yet had the privilege of spending an entire polar winter in the Arctic. For someone from the tropics like me, having set foot in the Arctic once—let alone four times—is already a significant privilege. But I hope that moment will come in my life. Will I grow tired of the auroras? Will I yearn to return and see them again someday? I don’t know. What I do know is that, for me, “auroras are one of the most extraordinary natural phenomena a modern human can witness,” ordinary or not. As for me, they’re anything but.