Moonrise Sprites Over Storr

This image won 1st place at the Sony World Photography Awards, claiming the title of “Open Photogrpaher of the year 2024”

As a moonrise burns across the horizon, lights dance above the Old Man of Storr, in Scotland.

For the first time in its 2800-million-year history, this iconic rock formation was illuminated with powerful lights attached to drones, cutting through the darkness and revealing the icy landscape.

Blizzards howled through much of the night, leaving mere minutes to execute the photograph before the moon became too bright. As the storm passed, the icy crystals hanging in the air refracted the moonlight creating this orange backdrop.