Photographing the Celestial Northern Lights: A Guide

One of the most breathtaking natural phenomena is the colorful display of auroras known as the northern lights. While witnessing the ethereal lights dance across the night sky is magical in itself, capturing this event with your camera takes some skill and preparation. If you plan on photographing the northern lights with a DSLR camera, follow these tips to help increase your chances of getting amazing shots.

Use a Tripod

This is a must since you’ll be taking long exposure shots in low-light conditions. Even using your camera’s stabilization or a monopod won’t be enough to prevent blurring from camera shake. Secure your DSLR to a sturdy tripod and use a remote shutter release or self-timer to eliminate any movement when taking the shot.

Go Wide

The northern lights can fill up a large portion of the sky, so use a wide-angle lens to capture as much of the scene as possible. Lenses with focal lengths of 14-35mm on a full-frame camera or 10-20mm on an APS-C sensor are ideal. This also allows you to include interesting foreground elements.

Maximize Exposure Time

To render the northern lights, you need to keep your camera’s shutter open for an extended period. Start with exposures of 10-30 seconds, and experiment from there. An intervalometer that can automatically take consecutive long exposures is very useful.

Keep ISO Low

While pushing the ISO high helps in low light, too high of an ISO will introduce excessive noise and grain. Start around ISO 800-1600 and only increase it if you need to.

Use Manual Focus

Autofocus likely won’t work well in the dark conditions. Focus manually on the sharpest bright star or distant light source you can find. This will ensure your northern lights are tack sharp.

Check Histograms

Review the exposure histogram after some test shots. The auroras tend to register as highlights, so make sure not to overexpose and clip those areas on the histogram.

Include Foreground Interest

While the northern lights are the star, including foreground elements like trees, mountains, or even people can add depth and scale. Just be aware that anything in the foreground may become blurred from the long exposures.

Dress in Layers

Be prepared to spend long hours outdoors in frigid temperatures waiting for the right auroral activity and clouds to clear. Dress extremely warmly in moisture-wicking base layers covered by insulating materials.

Be Patient

Finally, be prepared for a lot of waiting, possible disappointment, and trying again on another night. Photographing the northern lights takes incredible patience and perseverance, but capturing their incredible beauty is well worth it.