Ronn and Marketa sure know how to give you the best experience of a lifetime! My cousin and I were recently in Fairbanks for the sole purpose of catching Aurora Borealis, we were able to come back home with such a memorable experience. Lucky for us, we booked a night with clear skies and good but very cold weather. I'm from Los Angeles so I had never experienced weather this bizarre! I booked this workshop with zero background knowledge on photography, hence I rented a camera kit directly from Ronn and Marketa. Because I have no photography experience, they were able to guide me with the proper camera settings and any other helpful info that pertains to capturing shots of the beautiful lights! Even if you do think you have photography experience, I'm sure you will learn a thing or two when you book this tour. I am very happy with the way everything went, from the easy booking, communication from both Ronn & Marketa, their expertise and friendliness, and their ability to make sure everyone is safe/healthy during these times of a lingering pandemic. This experience was worth every penny! I highly recommend you book your adventure with The Aurora Chasers. read more

Ronn Murray Photography - Aurora Borealis in Fairbanks, AK. - Photographers Near Me - Fairbanks, Alaska

I live in Fairbanks. I've been taking aurora photos since I was a teen. I've also gone with Ronn and Marketa, a couple times and prove after 50 years of photography these two can teach this old dog some new tricks. Book em, even if your not a tourist. If you're a tourist they will make your stay a memory of a lifetime. read more

Ronn Murray Photography - Photo credit Marketa. - Photographers Near Me - Fairbanks, Alaska

See all

Ronn and Marketa really made our Fairbanks trip as memorable as can be. We really did the right thing to book them early on in our itinerary. This was a night that was mostly stormy/overcast in the Fairbanks vicinity, but Ronn planned ahead and offered to drive us 3 hours south to some clear sky. Now, the weather is the weather -- and it is always going to have that unpredictable aspect -- so what we experienced on this ride was nothing short of adventurous. Marketa was always peering under the windshield to see if it was possible to see stars. While we waited, we received a ton of useful information about the aurora and how to use our camera to photograph it. What was most amazing was that Ronn asked us to each talk about what model of cameras we had, and then he was able to tailor his instructions about required settings based on our specific models. All this while Marketa shows illustrations (again tailored to each of our camera types) to show which buttons we'd press to find certain settings. I have never learned so much about aurora forecasting until this night. Well, it turned out that 3 hours drive was not sufficient to get us to clear sky, and at this point I was feeling rather sorry for Ronn for having to drive all this way and deal with our audible though silent disappointment. He offered, however, to forge onwards for yet another hour to see if we might catch some break in the clouds. We of course, said we were willing to do that -- even though he would be the one to bear the consequences of driving further. And boy were we glad we did. We ended up off the highway past Cantwell. Our first sighting of the northern lights. It was this bright beam of green that completely lit up the sky, but Ronn mentioned that this is what happens when we see the lights this far south; the ribbons are much more blurred together. I'll bet it also had to do with the patches of clouds in the sky. The biggest take-away however was just how to find the aurora. The following night, we headed out on our own, feeling much more knowledgeable from our experience, and we shot some really breathtaking photos. Also, it is truly amazing to see how well organized this whole tour is. As someone who is in higher-ed, it is always inspiring to see how people can convey very technical information (e.g. aurora formation + DSLR camera settings) to a not-so-experienced crowd. Ronn and Marketa were patient, resourceful, and so energetic you would think they do these long tours on a regular basis (Ronn said this was the farthest they had ever driven a tour to see the aurora, but really, he didn't sound exhausted/exasperated at all.). It is vacations like this that really helps to reinvigorate my commitment to my profession. read more

Ronn Murray Photography - Aurora hunting south of Cantwell, AK. - Photographers Near Me - Fairbanks, Alaska

Robb and Marquette were great and knowledgeable and super friendly and helpful. We saw some amazing lights and when I come back I will not hesitate to use them again! read more

Ronn Murray Photography - Taken with iPhone 13 pro max. No filter no edits. - Photographers Near Me - Fairbanks, Alaska

This was the absolute best experience!!! I had begun planning our 5yr anniversary/honeymoon trip and in the process started researching via Youtube about the Aurora and the best time of year to visit. That is when I found out about The Aurora Chasers. From their posted videos I felt that Ronn and Marketa Murray had a thorough understanding of Aurora and while they cannot guarantee successful weather cooperation I had a "feeling" they would offer us the best chances of seeing the Aurora on this once in a lifetime opportunity. I WAS RIGHT!!! We got more than we could have imagined. I learned so much about the Aurora that I didn't understand before having this experience. Some perks of our tour: They care about safety. They pick you up from select hotels and drop you back off. You do not have to be a photographer. We were able to rent one of their camera's and with their help captured beautiful pictures and even VIDEO to cherish forever. In addition our portraits which Marketa photographed were beautiful. It is because of their comprehensive knowledge we were successful in having a great experience. read more

The best. They know the auroras and the cameras. With Ronn and Marketa's assistance we got great pictures and had a memorable evening. They are knowledgeable and super helpful. read more

If you want to Photograph the Aurora and don't even own a camera- Ron and Marketa are the best choice! They have gear to rent, including cameras, lenses, and tripods and they have the knowledge of the best settings to help you capture the Aurora so you have images to share and remember! read more

Ronn and Marketa made this such a fabulous experience. Every step of the way was done in the best most thought out way. All of the advice on how to prepare was spot on. Ronn helped us to identify the best time with the best chances for success to make the trip in general. They picked us up in a very comfortable van, exactly on time. Both Ronn and Marketa are so genuinely friendly and fun and experts in their work. Their enthusiasm is contagious. With their help, our photos turned out amazing. We didn't even mind sub-zero temperatures. I give them my highest possible recommendation! read more

Ronn Murray Photography - The Aurora was BREATHTAKING!! - Photographers Near Me - Fairbanks, Alaska

This tour was the highlight of my entire Alaskan trip. Ronn and Marquetta are amazing people. Do not think twice about taking this tour. It doesn't matter if you don't have a fancy camera, or if it's a cloudy night or if the KP index is 2. Both Ronn and Marquetta have a ton of knowledge about auroras and the science behind them. Your viewing probability is extremely high when compared to other tour operators cause they determine the location on the spot based on cloud coverage. We had a great time last night and had a fun time chatting with Ronn under the auroras. We loved the movie they show at the end of this tour. We are thinking about coming back again just for this. read more

Ronn and Marketa are one the best tour guides we've had. We recently had a tour with them, and I can say that they pretty much care about their group. They cater to the groups needs, do things to make their group satisfied, and make their tours amazing. read more

This BEST aurora viewing and photography tour in Fairbanks and a complete value for money. The tour is exceptional and completely stands out. The guides Ronn and Marketa are highly knowledgeable, informative, energetic, and kind duo (husband and wife) Ronn and Marketa Murray. If you are going to Alaska mainly to catch the Aurora dancing, book this tour without a second thought.Trust me, you will not regret a penny. Professional - Quick response to emails, punctual, deliver portrait and video within 24 hours of tour.Do not photoshop the portrait and keep it authentic.Gives equal attention to each client whether you are traveling solo or in a group.Provide high end camera on rental which captures incredible portraits. Safety- Covid test report or a vaccination required.Wearing mask is compulsory,tour van and cameras are sanitized after every use.Hand sanitizer available in the van.Fire extinguisher and an advanced first aid kit available in the van.They use is a premium Mercedes Benz van which comes with good controls,shockers and safety equipment.We were told which emergency number to call in case any mishap happens.The van also has an exceptionally good heating system. Very important when you are going to locations with temperature as low as -30 F. They keep the heater ON when when the van is parked.When we were out in the dark and remote landscape, guides always stayed around to sure that no one went out of sight. Photography workshop- LED display screen inside van to display audio and video content.If you have never used a camera,still in this tour you will come back with amazing aurora portraits clicked by yourself. Ronn teaches from basics and has intensive camera knowledge. Informative and Knowledgeable-Guides have a thorough knowledge on KP index,on why and how of auroras or on how to predict a good show of lights,the science behind. They have all the required sources to get information on where the clouds are clear and where the lights will shine brighter. Their expertise and experience takes this aurora viewing to another level. Location-On my day of booking KP index dropped to 2, cloud cover was 70% and snow fell morning and night to make things worse.But Ronn drove and drove for hours till he could capture a clear sky with 0% cloud cover. When I stepped out of the van,I saw Lady Aurora in all its glory.Marketa clicked photos of all of us under the northern lights.The guides are so passionate and committed to what they do that they drove us from this location to another to get an even better view of the northern lights until we saw a proper dancing bright aurora display. The personal touch- As this tour had a very small guide to client ratio, each one of us got personal attention. hey helped each of us to set our cameras, were patient to answer our absurd questions,clicked multiple photos of us at multiple locations. Remaining 2 days of my trip I had to attend other 2 aurora viewing tours as this tour was sold out. These tours lacked most of the points I have mentioned above. Some examples are -Heater of their van was not effective. Did not drive long enough to get a clear sky. They parked the van at Cleary Summit where other cars were parked with headlights ON and thus interrupting in photography.Guide was not too interested to click our portraits even when the aurora started dancing.He just clicked one portrait when the aurora was stable and refused for more portraits when the aurora started dancing. I came back with just 1 picture clicked. This day the KP was 5 with clear sky and still I was not happy with the portrait the guide clicked for me. I am attaching a few pictures here. You can yourself see if they can show me such a display on a cloudy night with KP 2, what they can show on a clear night with KP 5! The only tip I can give you from my experience is, if money is a concern, save it on accommodation, commute, or food etc. Do NOT miss this tour as it delivers more than what you pay for. And if you still want to go for other tours, just remember one thing - you will only get what you pay for!! read more

AMAZINGLY AWESOME!!! I had the most spectacular experience with Ronn and Marketa last night/this morning! The Aurora was unbelievable and we saw it intensely just a short distance out of town, and Ronn and Marketa are so friendly and personable, as well as being great photographers and super knowledgeable about all things Aurora. We had a small group without any photographer people, so they could focus on getting us great portraits without having to wait for a bunch of other people to get their pictures taken. Ronn even showed us how to get an app to get the best pictures using our iPhone. They used technology and experience to get us the best chance of seeing the beautiful Aurora and then helped us to see where it was developing best, though last night it was all over, so it was difficult to know in which direction to look because it was everywhere! We were in a remote location and never saw another car or person. I would absolutely recommend them for your best Aurora experience. It was so worth the money and the lost sleep. Don't think you can find it on your own as well as they can. If this is your once-in-a-lifetime chance to see the Aurora, go with the professionals and have an awesome photograph of you with the Aurora. Bucket list item...check! Perfect photo for my Christmas card this year...check!! read more

I experienced my 1st Aurora Chaser tour with Ronn & Marketa last night. We got to see the lights briefly but some clouds rolled-in obscuring the view. Still - I had an amazing time. Ronn & Marketta are absolutely delightful. They are impressively organized with their visual aids to teach about camera settings and the science behind the lights. As a beginner, their mix of preparedness and layman explanation was very much appreciated. Another aspect of the tour that impressed me is that the Murrays were constantly checking weather indicators, live cams, etc to best set us up for successful viewing. The simplest way to describe why their tour is a MUST-DO is that Ronn & Marketta are passionate about Aurora Borealis and seek to share their love of the lights with their guests. One can't help but enjoy the whole experience when the tour guides get "school girl giddy" at the lights, despite having seen them hundreds of times. Going on a Murray tour is the best investment any Aurora fan can make. Although we had a brief showing of the lights due to cloud cover, my boyfriend and I had a lovely and memorable experience. Only tip I can provide is, if you're coming to Fairbanks specifically for Aurora and have a tour booked -- let them know you're in town when you land. I arrived Saturday night and there was apparently an amazing show on Sunday night that we missed. Being a photography newbie and new to driving on icy roads...we did not venture out by ourselves. Ronn said if he knew we were in town, they would've given us some notice. My consolation to the fleeting lights was that we saw 4 moose within a 2-minute time span as we headed home. Ronn mentioned that, in some ways, the moose were actually a much more rare sight to Alaskans than the lights. I'm already trying to figure when we can come visit again. Ronn & Marketta, your tour did not disappoint. Thank you for planting crazy thoughts in my head, such as moving to Fairbanks just to chase Aurora. read more

If you want to see the Aurora, and especially if you want to photograph it, you must hook up with Ronn and Marketa. They know everything there is to know about the Aurora and how to photograph it with any kind of camera. They picked myself and my daughter up at our hotel with their van. Took us to the top of a hill NE of town. Prepared us for the show and then, the sky exploded with brillant colors. It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. We could go into the van to get warm if we wanted and they served us hot drinks. You are going to want to stay outside and watch. Dress warm. It was truely memorable. read more

Ronn and his wife, Marketa, are awesome. On our evening with them, they were tracking the aurora in real time and changed directions, not once, but twice, in pursuit of the elusive lights. When they say Aurora Chasers, they mean it. The drive was comfortable in their heated van, and both Ronn and Marketa were full of interesting information about Auroras and the areas we were traveling in. We spent a few hours driving around only to get shut out by the weather. Finally, at the end, when we had given up and were driving back to the hotel, Marketa was still keeping an eye on the weather and sky. Suddenly she told Ronn to pull over and everyone hustled out of the van to see the lights. There were two little small puffs of what looked like white clouds in the sky and I thought everyone was crazy, but Marketa hurried my husband and me into position to take our portrait and, sure enough, the camera captured the aurora behind us. What looked like clouds to me, showed up dazzling green in our photo (it's amazing how much light a camera aperture can collect!). In the course of the evening, we were also given very detailed instruction on how to set up our own cameras to capture the lights. We were able to pass that knowledge onto to others we met during our trip. On a side note, Ronn and Marketa are incredibly sweet and adorable with each other. Ronn regaled us with the story of how they met and hearing him call her beautiful and amazing was just the sweetest thing ever. Final thought: I met some other people on my trip that said they took a different photography class and they were stationed in a yurt waiting for the lights to pass over them. In hearing them talk about their experience, I can't see why anyone would do that. It is so much better to be mobile and go chasing the aurora instead of hoping it passes over your area. I highly, highly recommend booking with Ronn Murray. Also, they are opening a business in Hawaii as well, so check that out too! read more

If you don't book an Aurora Chasers trip with Ronn and Marketta you are missing the experience of a lifetime. Catching the Aurora is a bucket list event. This husband and wife team are knowledge and passionate about what they do. It's not just a ride in a van to look at the skies. They are scientists/astronomers/photographers. They know where to go based on many years of experience. Ronn gives a photography workshop on the van and helps you set your camera to get the perfect picture. I'm happy to say we go what we came for! read more

Ron and Marketa are awesome when it comes to conducting an aurora viewing tour from the moment you step into their vehicle till you are dropped off at the end of the tour. Actually they even make you prep a day before the tour sending a detailed email. They are thoroughly professional with a great personal touch when it comes to the whole aurora viewing experience. My husband I and were on our last night and chance for aurora viewing in Fairbanks last weekend and it was our only chance out of the last three unsuccessful nights (not the same tour company). We gave it a last shot and booked with Ron and Marketa and we were super impressed with their knowledge and their ability to detect an almost exact time of the aurora appearance. Their 'photography class' just before the aurora event was great, helping us with the exact setting for best aurora pictures for that night. They were super prepared with the location, temperatures, beverages, what works, what does not.... I cannot seem to find any shortcoming. We finally did see the aurora late in the night and it definitely was worth the last minute change in our plans. We were not expecting a lot specially given the last three disappointing nights, so we were pretty happy with what turned out that night. The best part was the personal attention Ron and Marketa gave to all the tourists. My husband and I had booked another tour company on our first night in Fairbanks , and although they had all the great arrangements in terms of pickup, location, comfort, snacks etc, their was no one on one interaction and was almost boring. All in all I would highly recommend aurora viewing with Ron and Marketa. read more