Kristian Batge, The Lady Dancing (LANDSCAPE 2023)

Ever since catching the Aurora chasing bug after a successful night adventure in 2017 I have longed to capture 'the lady' dancing at one of Tasmania's most iconic landscapes, Cradle Mountain. Last July I happened to be in the right place at the right time, staying for a couple of nights at the Cradle Mountain Hotel when I received an aurora alert via facebook. I gathered all of my gear and set off towards Dove Lake, crossing my fingers the Aurora would still be active by the time I had driven to Ronny Creek and then walked the remaining 3-4 km in the dark and cold. I was rewarded for my efforts with a cloudless sky, perfectly calm waters and an Aurora that danced on the horizon for hours. For much of the night I took photos for a time lapse, but towards the end of my time there I took 5 portrait photos which I have stitched into this panorama, giving a much wider view than my 24mm lens would otherwise allow. ~ Canon 5D Mk IV | 24mm | ISO 3200 | f/2.8 | 30 sec

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.