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How do I photograph the Northern Lights?
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What settings do you need to take pictures of Northern Lights?
May 11, 2024 · 1) Where to photograph the Northern Lights. The Northern Lights are best visible in the high latitude regions of the Earth, generally north of the Arctic Circle. Of late, the most popular places to photograph this phenomenon have been in Iceland, Scandinavian countries like Norway, Finland and Sweden and Greenland.
- Use an aperture of f/2.8 or the widest in your lens. The aperture is the first setting you must adjust to take pictures of the Northern Lights. To shoot the Northern Lights correctly, it’s fundamental to choose the best exposure settings for Northern Lights photography: aperture, ISO, and shutter speed.
- Adjust an ISO from 3200 to 8000. Using the best ISO for Northern Lights photography is crucial. It will allow you to have the right exposure using a shorter shutter speed, which is the ultimate goal in Aurora Borealis photography.
- Set a shutter speed between 1-12 seconds. The last and most important exposure setting for Northern Lights photography is the shutter speed. The exposure time is the most challenging setting for shooting the Northern Lights, mainly for one reason: the Aurora Borealis is unpredictable.
- Adjust your white balance to 3500k. In Northern Lights photography, you should always set a manual White Balance. A good starting point is to set your Northern Lights white balance around 3500 Kelvin, which is when the Northern Lights show a more natural color.
- Overview
- When and where to travel
- How to travel safely and smartly
- Pack a tripod for stability
- Use a wide-angle lens
- Focus on composition
- Camera settings
- Using a phone
The next 12 months are expected to bring some of the brightest aurora displays in over a decade, so we asked a professional travel photographer for their top tips on where, when and how to capture them.
Active, bright displays such as this one in Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon in Iceland are predicted to occur longer and more frequently in 2024 thanks to the solar maximum.
This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK).
Experiencing the Northern Lights in all their majesty is a dream for most travellers. Caused by solar-charged particles reacting with the Earth’s atmosphere, the mostly green dancing lights of this natural phenomenon are often spectacular. Seeing auroras is a thrill in itself, but getting a great photo might just be the crowning glory. Given their ethereality, this takes patience, the right kit and a fair bit of forward planning. And, with 2024 expected to bring some of the brightest Northern Lights displays in over 20 years, thanks to the approaching ‘solar maximum’ (a peak in the Sun’s activity), there’s never been a better time to try to capture them.
In the Northern Hemisphere, the Aurora Borealis is often stronger around the autumn and spring equinoxes in late September and April. From November to January, longer nights mean more hours of darkness and an increased chance of sightings — but bear in mind that inclement, wintry Northern Hemisphere skies might obscure the view. You should also aim to avoid any periods of full, bright moonlight, which will diminish any light shows.
Displays do occur in the UK and Ireland (recently more so because of the period of high solar activity we’re currently in) but across sparsely populated parts of Alaska, Canada, the Nordic countries and inside the Arctic Circle, the lack of light pollution and closer proximity to the north magnetic pole combine to intensify these mesmerising bursts of light.
Although auroras are never guaranteed, Norway is one of the best places to see them, with the Lofoten archipelago, Tromsø and Kirkenes all picturesque, accessible and perfectly positioned in the far north. Cruise ships also sail along the Norwegian coastline, offering even darker viewing conditions. Be warned, though — while ships often provide a more comfortable experience, it’s harder to control framing and focus while on a moving vessel.
Iceland, with its spectacular waterfalls, geothermal activity and glaciers, is another of the most popular short-haul adventure destinations for Europeans — and superb for aurora chasing, too. Darkness is key, so if staying in Reykjavík, book a night tour away from the glare of the city. Better still, opt for a more remote location like Hotel Rangá, on the south coast, or the westerly Snaefellsnes Peninsula.
Starkly beautiful Greenland, inside the Arctic Circle, is another option. Harder to get to than Iceland and therefore less crowded, its rural landscapes and remoteness make it a special destination for photographers seeking adventure.
Location is everything, so aim to stay in a good spot and for long enough to maximise the photographic opportunities. And don’t forget that where you stay can also become part of the frame. Glass domes, ice hotels and tree-top accommodations are great photographic subjects and place you close to the action. At the Aurora Sky Station in Sweden’s Abisko National Park, you can gaze at the heavens on your way to the observation tower from an open-air chairlift, then use the structural shapes in your compositions. Similarly, mountain ranges like the snowy sawtooth topography of Spitsbergen provide dramatic backdrops.
Waiting for the lights can often be a long, cold affair, as they usually occur well into the small hours, so ensure you bundle up and think about travelling with others for safety. Keep extra camera batteries or your phone warm in an interior clothing pocket, too — below-zero temperatures will zap them of energy. A good pair of photography gloves e...
Even if you’re heading to a remote area and need to travel light, one thing you mustn’t leave behind is a tripod. Stability is everything when photographing the night sky because the shutter needs to be kept open to let light in — trying to rest your camera on a snowy ledge just won’t cut it. A carbon fibre or other lightweight but sturdy tripod is...
A wide-angle lens is recommended to capture the enormity of the sky— at times of high intensity, the lights will dance around, even flaring into corona, fringed with purples, pinks, blues and reds. But a very wide angle might also pick up unwanted subjects, therefore watch out for distracting vehicle headlights in more built-up areas, or other trav...
Strong composition can really lift an image. Look for a tree, body of water or an interesting structure, like a brightly coloured timber-framed house, choosing one that’s subtly lit so that it doesn’t become over-exposed. Alternatively, seek out a strong horizon for background interest, such as a hill or mountain range, or get your companion to sta...
In addition to using a wide-angle lens and stabilisation, it helps to have a low-light capable lens, with an aperture or F-stop of 4.0 or lower. This means you won’t have to whack the ISO up too high, as this will add noise to your image. Each camera is different, so do some night sky test shots before you travel. Shoot in RAW for extra detail.
Manual settings mean you can control the focus and exposure — keep the shutter open for too long and any stars will become blobs, while a very short exposure will be too dark. It’s a good idea to take a number of varied exposures between five and 30 seconds, checking and adjusting your aperture, ISO and shutter speed according to the strength of the auroras. Don’t forget to switch to manual focus with the lens fixed on infinity, since you’re aiming at the sky and into the far distance.
With recent technological advancements, the unthinkable has happened, and pretty decent aurora images can now be shot on most newer Apple and Android models. Just like using a camera, a phone needs to be held still long enough for light to hit the sensor. A tripod is recommended, alongside a remote, Bluetooth release, or using the phone’s inbuilt timer. Turn off any flash, switch to night mode or use the manual settings, if you have them, to adjust the exposure and shoot in RAW. Aurora alert apps, such as hello aurora, help predict when there’s going to be a strong display, while others can process your shots, saving you the bother of editing or stacking shots for the perfect image.
Nori Jemil is the author of The Travel Photographer’s Way, £18.99, Bradt Guides.
- Bring a tripod and a remote shutter release. Photographing at night means that you’re working with long exposures (i.e., slow shutter speeds). It’s therefore essential that you mount your camera on a tripod, which will make sure that your camera stays perfectly still for the duration of the exposure.
- Bring a capable camera and a wide-angle lens with a large aperture. So you have your tripod and remote release – now it’s time to pick a camera and a lens for shooting the aurora display.
- Choose your composition and set up your camera. Now that you have the right gear, it’s time to turn to the fun stuff: actually capturing your aurora photos!
- Adjust the shutter speed and ISO according to the northern lights (and use a cold white balance) Guides such as the 500 Rule or the NPF Rule are great indicators of the shutter speed you should use for night photography – but these do not work for northern lights.
Mar 31, 2020 · Reading Time: 14 min. Share this article: 329 Shares. The northern lights are one of the most unpredictable night “objects” to photograph but also one of the most spectacular. As quick as it’s commenced, it can be over. That’s why you must prepare and be ready when trekking out to photograph the Aurora borealis.
Sep 23, 2021 · To capture the northern lights, you'll be taking long exposure photographs to allow as much light into the sensor as possible using a DSLR or mirrorless camera in manual or bulb mode (more on...
Learn how to photograph the Northern Lights, or the Aurora Borealis, from two photographers familiar with astrophotography, Tom Bol and Adam Woodworth.
