Where the Storm Gathered

I had come to Devils Tower on May 10, 2024 hoping to photograph one of Wyoming's most recognizable landmarks beneath the Northern Lights. But as the night unfolded, it became clear that the most powerful part of the display wasn't always happening above the Tower.

Turning my camera toward another part of the sky revealed something entirely different. Behind the silhouette of this bare tree, brilliant green curtains of aurora climbed high overhead, folding and stretching through a sky filled with stars. The intensity was noticeably stronger in this direction, transforming an otherwise simple landscape into one of my favorite scenes from the night.

There was a reason the aurora seemed to be everywhere. That evening, Earth was being struck by a series of coronal mass ejections from the Sun, triggering a geomagnetic storm that ultimately reached G5 Extreme; the highest level on NOAA's scale and the first G5 storm observed since 2003.

During a storm this powerful, the auroral oval (the ring of auroral activity normally concentrated around Earth's polar regions) can expand dramatically toward lower latitudes. During the May 2024 storm, observations showed an exceptionally expanded auroral oval, allowing intense aurora to appear much farther south than usual and, in some locations, stretch across enormous portions of the sky.

The green dominating this photograph is primarily created when energetic particles interact with atomic oxygen high in Earth's atmosphere. The faint purple and violet tones appearing along portions of the sky can come from a mixture of auroral emissions, including interactions involving nitrogen.

What I love most about this photograph is that it wasn't the composition I had gone there expecting to make. I arrived thinking Devils Tower would be the centerpiece of the night. Instead, I simply followed where the sky was putting on its strongest show.

Where the Storm Gathered captures that moment. When the landscape became secondary, the camera turned toward the light, and one of the most powerful geomagnetic storms in decades took over the sky.

• Classic Borderless Frameless Prints – Printed on museum-grade cotton rag paper in a lustre finish, perfect for custom framing. These have an archival life of 100 years in typical display conditions and 200 years in dark storage. This style does NOT come with a frame.

• Metal Print – Satin-finish vibrancy and vibrant color depth and detail; edge-to-edge imagery on aluminum with sleek, modern finish. Mounted on a 3/4" float mount with pre-cut hanging holes. This medium style does NOT come with a frame.

• Float Frame Canvas Pro – Museum-grade artistry and timeless presentation; printed on archival fine art canvas with exceptional color accuracy, depth, and texture. Each piece is hand-stretched and expertly mounted within a refined floating frame that creates the illusion of the image “suspended” inside the frame. Crafted in Italy, these canvases combine traditional craftsmanship with modern precision for unmatched quality and longevity. Ready to hang and built to last, this premium format brings warmth, dimension, and a gallery-level finish to any space.

• Each print:

  • Ships ready to display (canvas and metal only come ready to hang)

  • Printed using archival-quality materials for 100+ year longevity

📅 Shipping Timeline:
Please allow 2–6 weeks for production and delivery for float frame wall art. Please allow 2 weeks for metals and classic borderless prints for production and delivery. Each piece is made-to-order and carefully inspected for quality before shipping.

📐 Custom Sizing:
Custom sizes or special installation inquiries are welcome. Please contact Ellen directly for bespoke sizing, framing, or large-scale project options either through my contact page or emailing ellenscollection@gmail.com

🕯️ Care & Longevity:
Each piece is crafted using archival materials for 100+ years of display life. To preserve the integrity of your artwork, display it away from direct sunlight and high humidity. Clean gently with a soft, dry cloth as needed.