Northern Lights (Aurora) Alaska Photography Tours and Workshops

Join us on a Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) Alaska photo tour and workshop. This tour is led by world renowned professional astrophotographer John Chumack and professional nature photographer John Slonina. This tour has been covered by NASA, Spaceweather.com, Universe Today, Alaska News, Space.com, EScience, other media. It is a popular tour that always sells out.

For centuries, the captivating phenomenon of the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, has captivated the minds of scientists, poets, and everyday individuals alike. Historical accounts of “Great Auroral Displays” trace back over two thousand years, solidifying its status as one of the most breathtaking natural spectacles our planet has to offer.

Try to imagine the most colorful, textured sunset you've ever seen, then send it swirling and pulsing across an otherwise clear and starry sky. Maybe add some faint outlines of mountains on the horizon and a hooting owl or a howling wolf for ambiance.

John Chumack watches the sunspots almost every day so he has experience looking for unusual vs normal activity. This is a huge aid in predicting activity. We will also be monitoring the latest reports and predictions on the weather and solar wind.

Why Fairbanks?
Greater Fairbanks is one of the best places on earth for experiencing the beautiful and mysterious northern lights. Bright, energetic curtains of yellow, green, red or even purple light brighten the night skies regularly. Fairbanks is situated within a ring-shaped region around the North Pole called the Aurora Oval. This location provides a terrific balance of occurrence, frequency and activity. Plus, our continental climate offers many more clear nights than you would find in a coastal area.

To experience the northern lights away from the city lights, we will travel to various locations. This not only allows us to escape light pollution but also provides a multitude of backdrops, adding diversity to our photographs.

These magical lights are just one of the many things we have planned on this trip. This trip is scheduled to coincide with the new moon. This is one of the darkest nights of the month. This will enhance the strength of the aurora which makes for some breathtaking images. While no one can ever say with certainty exactly when and where the aurora borealis display might occur, we are at one of the best spots in the world at one of the best time of the year.

Why March?
This time of year has several other advantages. It has a high percentage of clear days. It is near the Spring Equinox when the tilt of the earth's magnetic field mixes with the sun’s magnetic fields. The Aurora combined with the snow makes for some incredible foregrounds and backgrounds.

Please note we can't guarantee that you will see the aurora but obviously the odds are as good as it can get with this area, time of year, and the new moon. We have been incredibly fortunate during our trips, as we have been able to witness the aurora on every occasion and nearly every night. Interestingly, some participants in our photo workshop ventured to various destinations such as Iceland and Churchill, but unfortunately, they were unsuccessful due to heavy cloud cover or visiting during the wrong season.

“Fairbanks has been an aurora destination for decades,” said Luke Hopkins, Fairbanks North Star Borough Mayor, “With a high degree of successful sightings, visitors from all over the world come to Fairbanks each and every year to see spectacular northern lights displays. Our clear, dark nights and global position under the ‘Auroral Oval’ make this one of the best places on earth to see the aurora borealis.”

The northern lights are the main focus, but we have other subjects we plan on photographing such as the beautiful Alaskan landscapes. We will also keep a look-out for local wildlife.

Our schedule will be determined by the aurora borealis and the weather. We will shoot sunset followed by dinner then wait to see what happens. We will have the latest forecasts and predictions, but it is honestly a wait and see approach. We will be flexible and ready to go.

We will be giving a couple of presentations on photography throughout the trip. Photography of the Night Sky will be the first lecture, where we will be discussing the use of wide field camera lenses to capture constellations and the Milky Way. We will discuss more advanced portable tracking options as well. Our second presentation will be on Outdoor Landscapes and Wildlife Photography. We also will be doing photo critiques.

In the following days we travel 60 miles to an acclaimed resort. It is world renowned for being one of the best places on Earth to see the northern lights. The resort is located under one of the most active regions of magnetic fields producing the aurora borealis. It is away from the light pollution, and the skies are clear more often than those over Fairbanks. We will be there near the vernal equinox when auroras are typically the strongest, as well as during the new moon when the night sky is also the darkest!

The resort has a large, heated mineral indoor pool, the outdoor rock lake and numerous hot tubs provide a great opportunity to soak, swim, or rejuvenate. We will also visit the famous Aurora Ice Museum and Ice Bar.

After dinner it is time to view the aurora. We can either take a 10-minute walk to a heated cabin or join the spectacular snow coach tour to see the aurora. You may even see the northern lights just outside the door of your room.

Snow Coach: Some of the nights we will be taking a heated snow coach which will drive us for 30 minutes to the top of a hill where the city lights will not interfere. After arriving on top, you can step inside the heated Mongolian Yurt to warm up and enjoy a hot beverage. For the next few hours enjoy spectacular 360-degree Aurora displays. We will return to the resort at around 3 AM or later if the lights are active. Please note the snow coach can be a bumpy ride which can be a problem for people with back or medical issues.

World Ice Championship: Fairbanks is home to one of the largest ice sculpting competitions and exhibitions on earth featuring more than 70 teams from around the world. 45,000 visitors come to the park to see these intricately carved masterpieces. Please note: Alaska temperatures are rising like many parts of the world. Some years the festival dates were cut short due to melting sculptures. When we pick the dates each year, we have to follow the New Moon as a priority. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always line up well with this event.

Itinerary:

Day 1: Our group meets in the lobby of our Fairbanks hotel for an orientation slide show.

Day 2: We will photograph local landscapes and present our afternoon lecture. We may also photograph ice sculptures at the World Ice Art Championship (weather permitting). Later that night we will photograph the northern lights.

Day 3: We will drive to the resort, photographing landscapes and any wildlife we may see on the way. After dinner we will take a 30-minute snow coach ride to a nearby mountain top for unobstructed views of the northern lights. A large yurt and hot beverages provide warmth as we photograph until early morning.

Days 4 and 5: The resort is world-renowned for exceptional indoor and outdoor hot springs and other activities. We will visit a world-famous ice museum and photograph ice carvings. It will be fun to try the famous apple martini which is served on a glass made of ice! Also don’t forget your bathing suit if you want to swim in the hot springs. During the day there are several other activities you can do at your own expense like snowmobiling and dog sledding.

We will be leading some photography walks and drives. Winter is a beautiful time of year to photograph.

We will take some time during the day for relaxing as we shoot late into the night. Following an afternoon nap and dinner we head out by snow coach or on foot to shoot the aurora.

Day 6: Following breakfast, we load our vans and head back to Fairbanks, photographing along the way. After we check in to the hotel, we will have some activities and/or lectures followed by another Northern Light adventure.

Day 7: Depart for home.

Skill and Fitness Level Requirements:
Anyone with an interest in photography from beginner to professional. The participants should have a love of nature and enjoy the company of other people in a small group setting.

Participants must be in good health, physically fit, and self-sufficient. They must be able to withstand cold temperatures and icy conditions. Travelers must be comfortable walking and sitting for extended periods in the cold. Excursions include walking on slippery ice and snow for up to a mile.

The Snowcoach ride is bumpy, so it is not advisable for anyone with back, neck or joint problems.

Group size:
Our groups are small in size and are limited to 12 people. This is a 6- to-1 instructor ratio which is excellent. This group size allows for flexibility in our plans if interesting and unexpected photo opportunities present themselves. Also, it will allow us to work with each participate to provide complete, informative, helpful lessons.

Getting There:
The trip will meet in Fairbanks, Alaska.

When:

• March 23-29, 2025: (Sold Out)

• March 30-April 5, 2025: (Sold Out)

• March 20-26, 2026 (3 spaces left)

Price Includes:

• Six nights lodging (double occupancy). If you prefer your own private room (single occupancy), it is an additional $300. Please select the Single Room option on the shopping cart if you want your own room.
  One of the hotels is a world famous which can be sold out for the next 3-4 years in advance.

• Instruction, snow coach fees, ice museum admission.

• Transportation to and from hotel in Fairbanks to field locations. No need to rent a car. You can take a taxi from the airport to the hotel and then we will take over

Not Included:

• All flights are not covered.

• Meals: Each participant will run their own tab.

• Dog Sledding: There is an option to go dog sledding at one of the hotels.

• Pickup from hotel to airport and back. There are taxi services.

Testimonials

Cost:
$5395 per person
Deposit: $1000
Balance due: Six months before the trip start date.

Payment:
Payment can be made by check to Slonina Photography. We also accept credit cards through our online shopping cart.

Cancellation Policy:

About Us:
John Chumack: Astronomer & Astrophotographer, Director of the Chumack Observatories

Featured on the front cover of Time magazine and with over 500 of his images published in such notable periodicals as National Geographic, Science, Astronomy, Discover, Smithsonian Air & Space, and Newsweek, John has taken astrophotography to the realm of an art form. John also specializes in solar imaging, and thus monitors sunspots and aurora activity regularly and has captured dozens of aurora events on film and digital over the last 25 years.

John Slonina: is a professional nature photographer who has been photographing nature for over 35 years. He has been published in multiple books, magazines, and calendars. He has a love of natural history as well. You will receive education not just in photo technique, but also in the natural world. Understanding the natural world not only increases your appreciation of nature but also helps you become a better photographer.

For more info on our tour leaders please visit the “Meet the Team” page on this website.