Few of us will ever experience firsthand the awe-inspiring sight of arctic light, so we are fortunate that photographer Ole Salomonsen shares this amazing phenomenon with us through his stunning portfolio of photographs.

I recently discovered Ole’s extraordinary long-exposure arctic light images on Diana Eftaiha’s great blog, The D-Photo.

Ole lives in Tromsø in Norway, which boasts the northernmost University in the world, known for its research into aurora borealis.

Speaking of his passion for arctic light photography, Ole says:

I am fascinated by the northern lights as a phenomena, and love being out in the cold at nights watching her different shapes and colors, and try to capture to best of my ability and describe what my eyes are seeing.

Here are just some of the amazing results of Ole’s efforts:

It’s not surprising that Ole’s arctic light photography has met with much critical acclaim, his work featuring in IMAX films and National Geographic documentaries, while Ole was also a finalist and runner up in the 2011 Astronomy Photographer of The Year contest.

These gorgeous images are sure to have whet your appetite for more, so do take a few minutes to check out Ole’s remarkable time-lapse video showcasing the Northern Lights below: