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How to photograph the northern lights

A recipe for a camera and a phone: the settings, the focus and the mistakes everyone makes the first time.

Start here, and adjust after the first shot

ISO
1600
Shutter
10 s
Aperture
f/2.8

With a cameraWith a phone

Adjust to the aurora

The aurora changes from minute to minute. The faster it moves, the shorter the exposure it needs, or it turns into a green haze without shape.

  • Faint and calm

    15–20 sISO 1600–3200

    A pale arc low in the sky. Give it time.

  • Moderate

    8–15 sISO 1600

    Clear bands that move slowly. The starting point fits.

  • Bright and fast

    2–5 sISO 3200–6400

    Dancing curtains and a corona. A short exposure keeps the shapes sharp.

  • Moonlight

    5–8 sISO 400–800

    The moon lights the landscape. Lower the ISO so the sky is not washed out.

With a DSLR or mirrorless camera

Works with any camera where you set the shutter, aperture and ISO yourself. Practise at home before the trip: it is hard with cold fingers in the dark.

  1. A steady tripod

    Put the camera on a sturdy tripod. Take off UV and other filters: they cause rings and flare at night.

  2. Manual mode and RAW

    Turn the dial to M and choose RAW. RAW keeps the colours and makes white balance and exposure easy to fix later.

  3. Wide angle, widest aperture

    Zoom all the way out (for example 14–24 mm) and choose the lowest f-number, ideally f/2.8 or faster. At f/4, give it a little more time or ISO.

  4. Focus on infinity

    Turn off autofocus. Set focus to infinity, zoom in on a bright star on the screen and turn the ring until it is as small a point as possible. Tape the ring if you can.

  5. The starting values

    ISO 1600, 10 seconds, f/2.8. White balance around 3500–4000 K, or auto, since RAW can be corrected later. Flash off.

  6. Turn off what gets in the way

    Turn off image stabilisation on a tripod. Turn off long-exposure noise reduction, or the camera waits as long as the exposure before the next shot.

  7. Release without touching

    Use a remote or a 2-second self-timer so the camera stays perfectly still.

  8. Check and adjust

    Zoom in on the stars: small and sharp? Too dark: longer or higher ISO. Green haze without shape: shorter. Stars turn into streaks if the exposure is too long, roughly over 30 s at 14 mm and 20 s at 24 mm.

With a phone

Recent phones take good aurora photos, but only when the phone is perfectly still. That is the most important advice.

iPhone

  1. Steady, flash off

    Put the phone on a small tripod or against something solid, such as a fence or a car roof. Turn off the flash.

  2. Night mode

    In the dark, Night mode turns on by itself and the moon icon turns yellow. Tap it and drag the slider all the way to Max.

  3. Longer on a tripod

    When the iPhone senses it is still, it offers longer exposures, up to 30 seconds.

  4. Lock focus far away

    Press and hold on something distant, such as a mountain top or a light on the horizon, until it says AE/AF Lock.

  5. Release without touching

    Use the 3-second timer, an Apple Watch or a Bluetooth remote. On a Pro model, turn on ProRAW.

Android

  1. Steady, flash off

    A tripod or a solid surface, and turn off the flash.

  2. Pixel: Night Sight

    Choose Night Sight. When the phone is perfectly still it switches to astrophotography and takes several exposures over up to a few minutes.

  3. Samsung and others: Pro mode

    Choose Pro or Manual. Shutter 10–30 seconds, ISO 800–1600 and focus manually on infinity (the mountain icon).

  4. White balance

    Fix it around 4000 K in Pro mode so the colours do not shift from shot to shot. Choose RAW if the app has it.

  5. Release without touching

    A 2–3 second timer or a Bluetooth remote.

For both: dim the screen, avoid digital zoom, and keep the phone in an inside pocket between shots. Cold drains the battery fast, so bring a power bank.

Northern lights over houses and mountains by the sea

Photo: DANTE FABILLAR / Unsplash

Composition

A photo that tells where you were

  1. Include a foreground

    A mountain, a boathouse or water that mirrors the sky gives the photo a place and a sense of scale.

  2. Keep the horizon low

    Give the sky two thirds of the frame, and keep the horizon level. That is where the aurora is.

  3. Try portrait format

    Portrait takes in more of the sky, landscape more of the land. Take both.

  4. Find the spot in daylight

    Then you know where to stand, and where street lights and roads light up the frame.

When the photo is not what you wanted

Blurry
The focus is off, or the camera moved. Focus on a star and use the self-timer.
Green haze without shape
The exposure is too long. Try 3–5 seconds and a higher ISO.
A lot of noise
The photo is too dark or the ISO too high. Give it a little more time instead.
Fog on the lens
A cold lens meets warm breath or warm air. Put the camera in a sealed bag before you go inside and let it warm up slowly.

Bring

  • Tripod
  • Spare battery in an inside pocket
  • Remote or self-timer
  • Head torch with red light
  • Thin gloves under mittens
  • Warm clothes and a flask
  • A sealed bag for the camera

Give your eyes 15–20 minutes in the dark. White light and bright screens reset night vision, so use red light.

Photo: Kevin Lofthouse / Unsplash

Find the night first

The best photo needs a clear sky and some activity. See the chance where you are tonight, or plan your trip for the next four weeks.

The chance tonight Plan your trip