It was a cold December night when Darlene Tanner looked out her car window and spotted the unworldly sight of “light pillars” in the sky.
The Canadian hobby photographer regularly braves darkness and freezing temperatures in search of nature’s finest light shows; she has been chasing such celestial phenomena for over a decade.
Hailing from Alix, Alberta, Tanner, 52, started out taking storm photos on her phone, before seeking to capture the northern lights and eventually investing in a DSLR, upgrading cameras as her passion grew.
Tanner has been lucky enough to witness light pillars near her home several times. The rare optical phenomenon occurs when airborne ice crystals and extreme cold converge, causing artificial light—usually street lights—to cast a sort of “reflection upon the sky,” reaching upward toward the heavens….