Click image to enlarge: The Milky Way can be seen in the top left of the shot with the trademark green of the Aurora Borealis below, as the volcano erupts in the background (Picture: Maciej Winiarczyk/Ross Parry)

Few people can claim to have captured a photo of the Northern Lights on its own.

But one photographer has, and he’s gone gone not one, but two better – by capturing the Northern Lights, the Milky Way and an erupting volcano… in a single shot.

Aurora-chaser Maciej Winiarczyk, from Caithness, Scotland, was at Jokulsarlon Lagoon in Iceland when he took the amazing picture of the Bardarbunga volcano erupting on 21 October.

Click image to enlarge:The Bardarbunga volcano eruption is Iceland’s largest in two centuries (Picture: Maciej Winiarczyk/Ross Parry)

And Mr Winiarczyk, 42, whose breathtaking photographs have won astro-photography competitions around the world, revealed that taking pictures is purely a hobby, and he works full-time as a structural engineer.




‘I started shooting auroras and night sky about two and a half years ago,’ he told MailOnline.

‘I shot my first aurora picture in January 2012 from Wick in Scotland where I live and from that time I have been chasing them regularly. I could not believe to get such an amazing show of wonders, I was so lucky.’

Click image to enlarge:Mr Winiarcyzk has lived in Scotland for more than 10 years (Picture: Maciej Winiarczyk/Ross Parry)

‘I picked Iceland because it’s easy to get there from Scotland and in case of bad weather or poor aurora activity you always have an option to shoot remarkable and raw Icelandic landscape instead.’

Mr Winiarcyzk, who was born in Poland but has lived in Scotland more than 10 years, added:

‘I knew the volcano was erupting. I thought I might be able to photograph the Milky Way as well as the volcano but I never imagined for the cloud to break and release the glorious dancing lights.’

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