Beginner's Guide to Aurora Borealis Photography
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Seeing the Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, is a bucket list item for many people. It was for me, and was the main reason we planned our trip to Fairbanks, AK. If you’re like most people, you don’t want to make this once in a lifetime trip only to come home with really terrible photos to show friends and family. My husband and I are both avid photographers, but neither of us had ever captured the Northern Lights before. After a lot of internet research and tips from friends, we were able to get some beautiful images on our trip. If we could figure it out, you definitely can too.
There are several factors that go into not only photographing the Northern Lights, but even seeing them at all.
Location:
The first thing you need to do when planning this experience is figure out where you want to go. Some of the more common places to view the Aurora Borealis are northern Alaska, northern Canada, Finland, Iceland, and Norway. Basically, you have to be really far north.
It will need to be completely dark out for you to see the Northern Lights. Light pollution from a city can completely block out a mesmerizing scene. You will want either stay in a more rural area, or drive to one.
Time:
The Northern Lights aren’t easy to see all year. The best time of year is when the nights are long. Most sources suggest you try around the equinoxes in September and March. We ventured to Alaska in early March.
Not only is time of year important, time of night is as well. You might think that if it’s dark out, you should be able to see something. That’s not necessarily true. We found that the lights didn’t become visible until late at night. It’s a good idea to plan your daytime activities so you can sleep in. We were out past 4:00am at one point.
Weather:
This is one factor you can’t really control. It’s going to be cold, it was -20F when we arrived in Fairbanks. You’re going to need clear skies to see the lights. It’s a good idea to research the typical weather for the location you’ve selected at the time of year you will be traveling. Unfortunately, even if you plan everything else ideally, the weather can always change and surprise you. We planned a four night trip, just in case the weather was acting up, and we only ended up seeing the lights two nights. Try to give yourself several days, if not a week, so you have plenty of opportunity.
Aurora Activity:
This is another factor you can’t control or plan for. You want high Aurora activity, and there are plenty of resources, including apps and facebook groups, to get that information. We used the Aurora app and joined the Aurora Borealis Notifications Group.
Photography Tips:
Now that you’re going to be in the right place at the right time, let’s talk about how to get that picture. We didn’t realize before we went that the lights aren’t always super bright and obvious to the naked eye. If the Aurora activity is low, it can sometimes be difficult for the novice Northern Lights watcher to differentiate the lights from the clouds. A good way to tell if you’re seeing the real deal is to simply snap a picture. If you see green, you’ve got the Aurora. It is ever changing, so it can fluctuate between stronger and weaker activity.
What you’ll need:
A camera with manual functionality (you don’t need a fancy camera, many point-and-shoot cameras have the ability to use manual settings)
A remote shutter or camera with a timer
A tripod (I use a Gorilla Pod when I travel because they pack well and are durable)
Extra batteries in your pocket to keep them warm (the ambient cold drained ours really quickly)
Camera Settings:
Focus: You’ll want focus set at infinity. It’s hard to focus a camera in the dark, so focus it on the horizon during the day if you’re able to.
Aperture: Open that bad boy up as wide as you can. The lower the number, the more open it is.
ISO: The higher your ISO, the grainier your photo, so if the lights are bright enough to see vibrantly with the naked eye, you can try a lower ISO like 800. If they aren’t that bright, you may need to increase that to 1,600 or higher.
Exposure time/shutter speed: You want a long exposure time, anywhere from a few seconds to 20+ seconds.
This is why you need a tripod and remote shutter. It is impossible to hold perfectly still that long. The reverberation from clicking the shutter can also come through in a shot with a long exposure. Some cameras have the ability to connect to an app on your phone so you can remote capture that way. Otherwise, set the timer on your camera so you can click the shutter and get your hand off it before it actually exposes.
I am certainly no expert on the topic, but this worked for us. The Aurora activity was low during our trip, so to the naked eye it looked like we were seeing clouds. But just look at the images we captured.
