Aurora-inspiring: Amateur photographer guided by ex-bricklayer captures stunning shots of northern lights

Add to My Stories Share These pictures may look like stills from a sci-fi film but they are in fact photographs taken by an amateur photographer on an aurora-chasing tour led by a former bricklayer.
Dorset-born Antony Spencer took the photography world by storm when he ditched his work boots for hiking boots and bagged the Landscape Photographer of the Year Award last year.
And now he is combining his orienteering and camera skills in a bid to help ordinary people snap stunning natural spectacles.

Amateur photographer Joe Rainbow captured this stunning snap while in the city of Tromso, NorwayThe 30-year-old has built a worldwide reputation as the best in the business at capturing the northern lights - and leads five amateurs at a time through the harsh Norwegian landscape so they too can capture the light show.Amateur photographer Joe Rainbow, who recently went on one of Mr Spencer's tours, took these amazing images of the dancing light display high above the city of Tromso, Norway.
Mr Rainbow, who takes pictures as a hobby, captured one incredible shot of what appears to be a lush green rainbow developing above the windswept city.

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Mr Rainbow, from Cornwall, endured an arduous six days of travelling through wind, rain, sleet and snow in temperatures verging on minus 12.
And although he admits he almost gave up after a nervous 24-hour wait for the light display to appear, he has praised his guide's navigation skills.
Tour guide Mr Spencer, who uses GPS systems to help locate the perfect place to catch the Northern Lights, was forced to resort to something slightly less scientific than a compass - his gut instinct.
But it paid off when the green, purple and red lights came dancing across the sky just as they had lost all hope.
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Mr Rainbow, who takes pictures as a hobby, captured one incredible shot of what appears to be a lush green rainbow developing above the windswept cityMr Rainbow said: 'When you have stood on a windswept Norwegian mountain in the Arctic circle at minus 12 degrees waiting for aurora to arrive for nearly 24 hours, it is easy to give up hope and lose faith.
'But luckily Antony's instinct was as good as his navigation skills.'
The tour guide added: 'Even though Joe was beginning to give up, I always knew my gut instinct was right and that this was the best spot at that moment in time to see the northern lights.'
The group of intrepid aurora-chasers had to brave wind, rain and snow to finally get the shot they had travelled 1284 miles for.
Mr Rainbow, 34, added: 'It is never a certainty seeing the aurora, but Antony knew all the spots, and checked the space weather for upcoming solar activity that might cause the magical lights. So we were pretty confident of getting our shot.

The group (including Mr Rainbow, far left) express their joy as they see the northern lights after six days of travelling through Norway'After six days travelling, we arrived at Tromso and were innocently taking pictures when the lights showed up above us right as we decided to give up.
'I remember feeling like I was seeing something from another world.
'It is unlike anything I have ever seen, and is a must for everyone at least once in their lives - a truly awe-inspiring experience.
'To have that memory caught on camera is a real bonus. I would have found it hard to have caught that without the help of someone like Antony to guide me.
'It gets pretty hairy driving around seemingly endless miles of twisting Norwegian roads around Fjord after fjord - especially when you spend half your time wit! h your n ose pressed to the window trying to catch a glimpse of the dancing lights.'
Mr Spencer said: 'We were studying weather forecasts and cloud radar.
'When we arrived there was 100 per cent cloud which makes it impossible to see any aurora.
'But after hours waiting with nothing but a flask full of coffee and all our thermals on for warmth the clear skies approached.
'It couldn't have worked out any better as the moment the clear skies were overhead we saw a big spike on the geomagnetic graph and sure enough Aurora Borealis began its majestic dance and unfolded in front of us.'


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