How to photograph the northern light

Veröffentlicht: 16. Juli 2022, 05:16 Uhr

Aktualisiert: 09. Juni 2025, 22:57 Uhr

Von: wom87

We catch up with some expert advice on how to photograph the northern lights

I longed for a Nikon since I ruined mine in the Maldives a few years ago. Since I was stuck with a chunky used canon, I often had to fiddle with settings instead of making the recording that I was aiming for.

So before our trip to Norway I bitten the sour apple and bought a new Nikon D610 together with a wide -angle lens. I also spent some time to learn how to photograph the northern light. I knew maybe I would only get a chance and I wanted to be ready. In order to maximize my chances of the desired recordings, I booked a tour with Andrei, an experienced photographer of Enjoy the Arctic.

We were picked up by our hotel at 6 p.m. and made our way to an evening chase. The lights were difficult to grasp that night, but Andrei helped me to do my settings exactly, so I was ready when the lights finally appeared.

Here are my (and Andrei’s) best tips for taking pictures of the northern lights.

you will find dark sky

The most important thing first: the northern light cannot be seen during the day. To capture them in all their splendor, the sky must be as dark as possible. In the Norwegian Arctic, the northern light tours start at 6:00 p.m. and last until the early hours of the morning. Further south you may have to start your search later in the evening.

In addition, light pollution rarely ensures great northern lights. We stayed in Tromso, but traveled from the city both times. The further away from a city area, the darker the sky becomes. We discovered the lights for the first time after we had driven outside the city for 20 minutes. They were “visible”, but the actual representation began for another 30 minutes away under a black ink black, which could not be penetrated by the city's lights.

alt = “How to photograph the northern nights 1 ″> Atlas & Boots 20 seconds, aperture 3.5, ISO2000

you will find clear sky

The lights will probably not be clear under a cloudy sky, which unfortunately is outside of their control. The best advice is to find out about local geography, to use as many expert sources as possible and to stick to local weather forecasts.

Andrei had lived in the area for years and spent the majority of his time with hiking and fishing in the surrounding wilderness. He knew the area well and knew when and where the lights could be seen best. During our tour he streamed several live weather forecasts on his tablet and was in constant contact with colleagues and friends in the area to see what they saw.

The weather cannot be checked, but you can get to know it as well as possible.

alt = “How to photograph the northern nights 4 ″> Atlas & Boots 6 seconds, aperture 3.5, ISO1600

minimal equipment list

tripod: Without one you don't get a decent recording of the lights. Ideally, you would like a high and robust tripod with quick -making clamps for quick furnishings and mobility.

Manual camera: Every camera with manual mode should work. The manual mode means that you can adapt ISO, aperture and shutter speed independently. However, a DSLR (digital SLR camera) is ideal for the best results.

Alt = “How to photograph the northern nights 3 ″> Atlas & Boots 6 seconds, aperture 3.5, ISO1250

recommended equipment list

full screen camera: You can achieve the best results with a full screen (35 mm or larger sensor) with high ISO capability, with which you can photograph the northern light without creating any significant noise in your pictures.

wide -angle lens: Ideal would be a wide -angle lens with a bright aperture - after all, the sky is great! I take pictures with a Sigma 10-20mm F3.5.

buffer batteries: The use of long shutter speeds will empty your battery, as will the icy cold. For safety's sake, make a backup (or two).

headlamp: A flashlight helps you to see in the dark what you are doing while fiddling with the camera settings. It is also practical to illuminate faces when you take the focus on people.

alt = “How to photograph the northern nights”> Enjoy the Arctic Andrei with which he photographed us with us

Okular cover: Unwanted ambient light can really affect your photos, so that the use of an eyepiece coverage prevents back light from reaching the sensor.

Remote control / trigger mechanism: This makes life easier and ensures a stable status of your camera.

alt = "On the hunt for the northern light in Tromso new trees"> Atlas & Boots 25 seconds, aperture 3.5, ISO 800

focus

The northern light is far away so that you can focus on infinitely and usually get a clear and sharp focus. Most lenses have a ∞ symbol that represents the endless focus point.

The

∞ ∞ does not necessarily mean that a perfectly sharp photo is automatically taken. Many lenses must be easily adjusted to find the ideal focus point. However, the symbol ∞ is a good starting point.

alt = “How to photograph the northern nights 6 ″> Atlas & Boots 10 seconds, aperture 3.5, ISO2000

Other techniques include focusing your camera during the day by using the most distant point on the horizon as a focus point, or using the live mode view on your camera, which is interpreted to help you get the clearest focus on the longest distance.

camera settings

white balance: In RAW so that you can adjust the white balance in post -processing. It is worth installing the white balance between 3700 and 4100 K when the moon light is present, or between 4000 and 5500 K if there is no moonlight.

aperture: Use the greatest possible aperture up to a maximum of F/2.8 (the ideal setting). The wider and it is difficult to focus. The key is to have so much light on the sensor in a very short time so that you can keep your ISO value at a lower value and generate less noise.

shutter speed: This depends on how quickly the lights move. I was able to get away with some recordings with only three seconds because the display was strong and moved quickly. However, I had to open the closure up to 25 seconds in weaker times. You can play around by increasing the ISO and exchanging some image quality.

ISO: This is about finding a good middle ground at the shutter speed. In some pictures I was able to photograph with a low ISO value of 800, but most of the time it was between 2000 and 3000.

alt = “How to photograph the northern nights 5 ″> Atlas & Boots 4 seconds, aperture 3.5, ISO2500

how to photograph the northern light: the essentials

What: How to take pictures of the northern lights in Tromso, Norway,

Where: We stayed in the Scandic Ishavshotel, an excellent alternative to the huge cycling next door. The Ishavshotel located directly on the water offers a panoramic view of the port of Tromso, the Tromso bridge and the Arctic Cathedral as well as easy access to local sights-the Polar Museum is only a few minutes away.

Our room had room -high windows and was equipped with the important heating and carpeting, which was a cozy refuge in the cold after a day (or one night!).

The breakfast (included in the room price) is exceptional. For the beginning, the hotel has its own barista that can prepare coffee for you. There is a delicious selection of warm dishes as well as fresh bread, cheese plates and cold cuts - but the highlight is the bowl with macarons that are quiet in the dessert corner. Unlimited macaroons! Have you ever heard of this? To mention unnecessarily that we can highly recommend the hotel.

alt = “Northern Lights in Tromso website”>

When: There is so much information about the best time to see the Northern Lights in Tromso, but many of them are contradictory. We were there in October and therefore trust Norway Lights, which indicates that March, April, September and October are the best times to see the Northern Lights in Tromsø.

It is worth mentioning that when we asked one of our guides after claims that the lights fade, he said: "As long as the sun is still on its face, the northern lights will appear."

like: hunting and taking pictures of the northern light is not cheap (approx. 1,250 NOK ($ 150) per person), but with a guide you really have the best chances. We recommend Andrei, who has been doing northern light tours for several years, very much.

Andrei’s tours contain warm drinks, a campfire, snacks and lots of advice on how to photograph the northern light. It is also possible to rent a camera and a tripod for your tour, and Andrei will be happy to inform you of his photographs after the tour. Private midnight sun and ice fishing tours are also available.

The most important thing you should think about is that the northern light in Tromsø (or actually everywhere) depends heavily on the weather. It requires patience, resilience (I mentioned that it is cold?) And also the acceptance of the fact that you may not see anything at all.

The best way to get to Tromsø is to fly from Oslo. Book via Skyscanner at the best prices.

From Tromso Airport, you can take the Flybussekspraten into the city. These cost 60 NOK ($ 7.3) and drive off directly in front of the airport. The somewhat cheaper option is the "state bus" (white -colored). You can buy tickets in the newspaper shop at Tromso Airport (36 NOK or 50 NOK on board). You can reach the right bus stop by crossing the parking lot underground or bypassing above ground. Just ask an airport employee if you are not sure.