Photographing the Aurora Borealis and capturing perfect images

Photographing the Aurora Borealis requires a good knowledge of the camera and determination. To return home with the best photographs of the Northern Lights, you need to follow a few tips and know a little about the basic elements of photography, such as aperture, ISO or shutter speed.

As a professional photographer, I can give you some useful advice that you can put into practice during your trip. This guide to capturing this natural phenomenon is aimed above all at those with little photographic experience.

As well as technical knowledge, to record on film or digitally, you need to bear in mind that you will most likely be in a cold (and snowy) place. Therefore, one of the things to take into account is the physical factor associated with the weather conditions. If you want to photograph the Aurora Borealis, I recommend that you practise for a few days (or nights) and don't forget your warm clothes. See everything you need to know to see the Aurora Borealis.

In this guide you can find information on photographing the Northern Lights, such as equipment, ideal settings and basic photography settings: ISO, Aperture or shutter speed.

Information for photographing the Aurora Borealis

Photographic equipment = vital

Just as important as the weather is your photographic equipment for capturing the Aurora Borealis. You'll need a wide angle lens (10mm to 35mm) for the most striking shots, as well as a decent camera that can withstand extreme temperature conditions.

The wider the angle of the lens, the more of the surrounding landscape you'll capture. Opt for an adjustable zoom lens rather than a fixed (prime) zoom lens. As well as a tripod, I also recommend a self-timer.

If you need help choosing equipment, leave a comment and I'll try to help.

Equipment I use to photograph the Northern Lights

• Canon 5d Mkiii
• Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM
• Tamron 24-70 mm F2.8 VC USD
• Two tripods - one smaller and one larger. I recommend the Benro brand for its value for money. If your budget allows, opt for a tripod made of carbon fibre
• Timer or remote control
• Lens cleaning products
• Several spare batteries - batteries tend to discharge very quickly in cold places. Keep them close to your body, in your inside pockets, to conserve power
• Lexar memory cards

Tripod = indispensable

Holding your breath isn't enough for a clear image and, to photograph the Northern Lights, a stable tripod is an essential tool. You'll need the tripod for long exposures, and with a tripod you can also put yourself in the picture (see one of the following points) or free your hands to protect them from the cold or to hold a hot drink.

ISO, Aperture and Shutter Speed

It's the right combination of ISO, Aperture and Shutter Speed that allows you to capture a quality photograph of the Aurora Borealis (and any other image). The best cameras and lenses allow for the widest ranges and combinations of Aperture, Shutter Speed and ISO without compromising the quality of the final image.

Auroras are usually most visible around midnight and, although they generally move slowly, they can "explode" suddenly, increasing the intensity of the light considerably. Take several photos and adjust the exposure accordingly.

Start with an aperture of f/2.8 and an exposure of five to ten seconds. When the light of the Aurora Borealis is stronger, try using a faster shutter speed. Read below about the important rule of 500 to calculate your perfect exposure.

Raw or JPEG?

If you're a beginner, you may not be able to photograph the Aurora Borealis in RAW format. However, this is the format I recommend because the image quality is substantially better than JPG. In fact, this is the only format I work with because it allows flexibility and extremely high-quality images.

The downside is that all photos taken in RAW will necessarily need to be edited with the help of image software (such as Photoshop, Lightroom or Capture One).

As a beginner, it may be best to opt for JPG and let the image be processed by the camera. When you have more experience, you can then move on to the RAW format.

Human factor = scale

Auroras spread across dark skies. To get a sense of the real scale of the Aurora Borealis, it's best to include a human element in the composition - so that your image gains a perspective of scale. An object, or preferably a human element, in the foreground will enhance the final quality of your image composition.

I also recommend that you try to find a spot with water to catch the reflection of the Northern Lights. The Lofoten archipelago, in Norway, is particularly attractive in this respect.

Clothes

To photograph the Aurora Borealis, you will most likely be exposed to the elements. In other words, you'll be in a very cold place, with very low or negative temperatures for a few hours. I therefore recommend very warm clothing, such as snow trousers, gloves, a beanie and a thermos to keep drinks warm.

Time

The weather is the most important factor when deciding where to catch the Aurora Borealis. I mean weather in both senses of the word: time available for the trip and the state of the weather. The state of the weather is out of your control, however, there are ways to have some degree of certainty about your chances of spotting this fantastic natural phenomenon. At the very least, I recommend that you book three nights for your expedition to one of the places where you can see the Aurora Borealis.

I've been to Finland and, in three nights, I've seen the Aurora Borealis twice, but I've heard and read comments from many people who only went for two nights and weren't as lucky. So, to maximise the chance of seeing the Northern Lights, opt for a multi-night holiday. As for the weather, you'll need clear skies and preferably a night with a new moon.

Recommended settings for photographing the Northern Lights

These are some of the ideal recommendations for photographing the Aurora Borealis, but they should only be seen as a starting point and not as fixed rules. It's advisable to go outside and test a few images (even without the Northern Lights) and then adjust the settings depending on whether the night or the location is darker or not.

Ideally, you should own or buy a lens with a large aperture, as this will prevent you from increasing the ISO too much. Also pay attention to the rule of 500 so you don't end up with dragging, unclear stars. See below for an explanation of the rule of 500. In my case, I couldn't avoid some dragging of the stars.

• Set your camera to manual mode
• Switch your lens to manual mode
• Deactivate Image Stabilisation (usually on the lens)
• Switch off the Flash
• Turn the Lens focus to infinity - labelled with the "∞" symbol
• Use an aperture of f/2.8, f/4 or f/5.6 - the smallest number (largest aperture) that your lens allows. I don't recommend going below f/2.8, as it will be more difficult to focus
• Set the exposure time with the help of the rule of 500
• Test a few images with the ISO speed starting at 800 ISO and gradually increasing. Adjust the aperture accordingly, if necessary, to keep the ISO as low as possible, avoiding images with a lot of digital noise (grain).
• Customise the white balance to a Kelvin value between 2800 and 4000 or automatic
• Use the matrix metering mode (Evaluative on Canon and Matrix on Nikon). Find a similar mode for your camera

Basic photography assumptions

There are three pillars in photography: Shutter Speed, Lens Aperture and Sensitivity (ISO) and all three work in harmony. By changing one of the elements, you affect the others. It may seem complicated at first, but with practice you'll find that you can assimilate these basic assumptions more easily.

ISO or Sensitivity

ISO controls the sensitivity of your image to the existing light. In the days of analogue cameras, rolls of film were sold according to the occasion you needed to photograph. For example, ISO 100 or lower for sunny days, or places with lots of light, and ISO 200-400 for cloudy days.

Now, instead of changing the roll of film, all you have to do is press a button to change the ISO. The higher the number, the more light available for your images. However, this facility has negative consequences: the higher the ISO, the lower the image quality.

In borderline situations, I've taken photos with an ISO of 25000 or higher. However, try to keep that number up to 3200 ISO, if possible, and compensate with a larger aperture (f/2.8 or lower). Everything will depend on the quality of your camera and lens.

Aperture or f-stop

The aperture, or f-stop (f/2.8, f/4, f/22, etc), tells you how wide open the lens diaphragm is, i.e. the size of the opening that allows light to pass through the lens. This aperture is adjusted by the f-stop. However, the larger number, i.e. f/22, represents a smaller aperture, while f/1.4 represents a larger aperture.

To photograph the Aurora Borealis, you'll want a wide aperture, i.e. the smallest number your lens will allow. The explanation is simple: the more light your lens can handle, the slower the shutter speed and the more detail you can get in your image of the Northern Lights.

Shutter speed

The shutter speed defines the exposure time, i.e. how long the sensor is open, absorbing light. You will need to adjust the shutter speed as the light intensity varies.

To photograph the Northern Lights, keep the shutter speed between 5 and 25 seconds. When the Aurora Borealis is moving fast, try exposures of 5 to 7 seconds. Conversely, if the Lights move at a slower speed, try exposures of 10 to 25 seconds.

When photographing the Aurora Borealis, it's always best to underexpose the photo so as not to "burn out" the green channel of the histogram. See the rule of 500 below.

Lens zoom and focus

Most lenses have a "∞" symbol that is used to mark the approximate point of infinity focus. But just focussing the lens on that infinity symbol doesn't mean that the photo is perfectly sharp. Most lenses need to be adjusted to ensure perfect focus, but "∞" is a good place to start.

Ideally, identify the focus during the day and memorise it or use tape to mark the point on the lens. Alternatively, zoom in and set the focus on a bright star, then zoom out and keep the lens in manual mode. One suggestion is to take two photos - one focusing on the stars and the other on an object in the foreground - and then merge the two with editing software.

Rule of 500

The rule of 500 is defined as follows: 500 divided by the focal length of the lens = the right exposure to avoid dragging stars. For example: with a 17 mm lens - on a sensor camera full frame, i.e. 24×36 mm (full frame) - the calculation will be 500/17 = 29 seconds.

If you have a camera with a 1.5x, 1.6x or 2x APS-C sensor, then the calculation will be slightly different: 500/(24×1.5) = 19 seconds, 500/(24×1.6) = 13 seconds, 500/(24×2) = 10 seconds. Consult your camera's specifications to find out what type of sensor it has, to get the exact calculation.

I advise you to round off at the bottom, to ensure that the stars are clear, without dragging. However, using this rule isn't always possible. Use it if you can and before photographing the Aurora Borealis, practise at night in a dark area with the stars.

Photo editing

When you return home, you need to process the photos. As well as selecting the best photos, cataloguing them and - depending on how you want to use them - inserting metadata so that you can find them later. I do all this at the end of every trip or photo shoot and I've been using this programme to edit my photos for years. And believe me, photos of the Aurora Borealis really do need to be edited.

Where to see the Aurora Borealis?

Now that you know how to photograph the Northern Lights, all that remains is to decide where on the planet you can see the phenomenon. I've written an article with the best places to see the Aurora Borealis and recommended hotels to stay in. Also check out where to go on holiday in winter.

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