October was an eventful month for astrophotography, featuring Northern Lights, a comet, and numerous new locations. I managed seven trips, which is likely a personal record for a single month. The first trip took me to North Cornwall, Tintagel. With a favorable Aurora forecast, I hoped to capture the Northern Lights, but I also appreciated that the location offered dramatic compositions even without the Aurora.
My second shoot was a true highlight of my astrophotography adventures. I traveled to Dartmoor's Foggingtor Quarry with my friend Kris, where we witnessed an incredible display of the Northern Lights—one of the best in years. What made this trip especially memorable was sharing the experience with such a close friend at an iconic Dartmoor location, which we had entirely to ourselves for the whole night. We spent the shoot slowly moving around the quarry, capturing as many compositions as possible. It was a night to remember.
After the incredible experience of capturing the Aurora, my next focus was a comet expected to be visible from the 17th onward. I embarked on three shoots: first at the cliffs of Beer, then at Broadway Tower in the Cotswolds, and finally in Exeter. It was a rewarding change to photograph the comet, even though my location choices were somewhat limited due to work commitments.
My final shoots in October took me to Bodmin’s Cheesewrings, near the town of Minions, to once again attempt to photograph the comet, which had now positioned itself near the Milky Way. I also aimed to explore other photographic opportunities, which ended up including a brief glimpse of the Northern Lights.
