From my first visit to the Arctic in 2010 to shoot the Northern Lights I've been hooked. There is no experience like it. Seeing the lights night after night is the best medicine for a modern world and I was fortunate to spend several months studying them in Alaska.
Northern lights are surrounded by folklore from every country they are viewed in. In Canada whistling voices have been heard which some say are of spirits that echo over the night trying to communicate. Their rapid movements dance across the sky and Nordic countries believe them to be the reflections of racing swans.
The nature of the aurora oval, which shifts around the pole region, often means that the lights are seen in areas we wouldn't normally expect. Descriptions of the lights are also found amongst ancient Egyptian texts. Some state they were visible both night and day and are linked to the Egyptians god of light - Amun.
Here are a selection taken in the Alaskan Arctic region and in and around the Canadian city of Vancouver. Catching them over the city has become a favourite pastime over the last few years. When I began to regularly check the forecast and learn more about solar activity it wasn't long before I realized they are easily seen at lower latitudes with a keen eye and our modern cameras. I hope you go out in search of them the next time there is a solar storm in your area.
A selection of these images have appeared in National Geographic books, displayed on the Times Square Billboards in New York and are featured by the Huffington Post.