Northern Lights: How To Photograph

The days are getting shorter in the northern hemisphere so it’s time to start thinking about photographing Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis.

 How to photograph Northern Lights :

• Shutter Priority Mode:  Shutter speed about 20” second, ISO Auto. This should give you a wide-open aperture with an ISO in the 800 to 1600 range.
• Alternative with Manual Mode – 20” shutter, wide open aperture in the 1.4, 2.8, or 3.5 range, ISO 800 to 1600 to balance the light meter. NOTE: this will change as the lights dance across the sky so watch the light meter.  Only change the ISO to balance the light meter.
• Long Exposure Noise Reduction OFF.
• Camera on tripod.
• Shutter release attached to camera.  My preference is the Vello Shutterboss II wired.
  • Focus 1/3 of the way into the scene.  Turn off Auto Focus.  Watch your focus during shooting.
    • Set Focus Peaking if you’d like.  It works very well in the dark.
  • • Mirrorless cameras have a focusing scale viewable on the back screen. 
    • Usually there’s a line that you put in the middle of the infinity symbol.
• Compose so there’s an interesting foreground.  Reflections in the water are nice.
• Check the first photos to make sure the stars are pinpoints of light.  Double-check the edges. We don’t want streaks on the stars.  If the stars are not pinpoints of light, make the shutter speed faster.  My lens likes 13” seconds.   
• When the lights are “dancing” across the sky, a faster shutter speed is needed to get defined streaks of color.
• Green is the only color you’ll see with your naked eye.  The reds, blues, and purples look like hazy clouds.  We see those colors on the finished photo.