Northern Lights Photography – I’m sure like most people, viewing the Northern Lights in something on your bucket list. In our blog post, we are going to provide lots of useful information about how to capture the aurora borealis with your camera or smartphone. This week in Ireland, we have been been lucky enough to witness the aurora in all it’s majesty. I thought I would share my top tips for anyone who does get the chance to view them where they live or on their travels.

What are the Northern Lights?

The aurora borealis or Northern Lights is a spectacular light show that appears when a solar storm takes place. The sun emits a coronal mass ejection towards earth, sending charged solar wind particles that travel through space at high speeds. When they collide with air molecules in the earth’s atmosphere, they are transferred into light. This takes place around the Polar Regions where the magnetic fields converge and they produce auroral ovals around the top and bottom of our planet.

As the earth rotates, these move and change creating solar flares. Green and Red auroras produce green and red light, whereas nitrogen glows purple and blue.

The aurora borealis means light of dawn and it’s name comes from the ‘Aurora’, the goddess of dawn and ‘Boreas’ the northern wind. In the southern hemisphere, they also witness the same phenomenon known as the ‘aurora australis’.

When is the best time of year to see Northern Lights?

Traditionally, the aurora borealis is visible from late August until April. The best viewing conditions are clear and cloudless skies. They take place throughout the year but due to more sunshine in the summertime, it’s more difficult to witness them from May until July.

From November to February is a great time to view the Northern Lights and typically from around 9pm until 2am, with the best viewing times around 11pm until midnight. The Spring and Autumn equinoxes offer more stable weather conditions with somewhat milder temperatures, producing increased aurora activity.

Where are the best locations for Northern Lights Photography?

The most common locations to view the Northern Lights are in countries such as Norway, Northern Sweden and Iceland, as well as Russia and North America. Due to the nature of the aurora, it is not consistently visible in these countries as the auroral oval shifts and moves.

Living in Ireland, we normally tend to go to the likes of Iceland or Norway if we want to view the Northern Lights. This past week we have been blessed to be able to see them right here, at home in Ireland. I’m a member of a few Aurora Alert groups on Facebook and happened to see that things were looking promising for Sunday evening. The skies were clear and I decided to visit Beaghmore Stone Circles to see if anything was visible.

Let’s just say, nature didn’t disappoint. I stood in awe as I witnessed the aurora appear in the sky. First the green hue was visible close to the horizon. Then spears of red streaked upwards and danced between the stars, illuminating the sky with tones of pink, red and purple. It truly was magnificent.

Location is everything – What you need to keep in mind is the area you are taking the images in. Look for somewhere with very low light pollution. I am blessed to live reasonably close to the Om Dark Sky Park & Observatory, Northern Ireland’s first accredited International Dark Sky Place. Situated in a protected site in the foothills of the Sperrin Mountains outside Cookstown, County Tyrone, the location is perfect for astrophotography and Northern Lights Photography. Having a clear sky is another plus when taking photos of the aurora. Considering download a cloud cover app to keep track and plan ahead.

How can I take a photo of the aurora?

Depending on what you are using to take photos of the Northern Lights, your kit will vary. However, here are some of the basic things you need to consider: –

Your Camera – Preferably you will have a camera that allows you to shoot in manual mode, where you can adjust all your exposure settings yourself. You want to be able to experiment with the ISO, Shutter Speed & Aperture to get the best results. A full frame camera body will provide you with high quality images and help reduce noise in your photos.

Your Lens – Ideally you will use a wide-angle lens to take in as much of the sky as possible. Anything between 16mm to 30mm is perfect but don’t get too hung up if you only have a 35mm option. That’s what I used to shoot the images above at Beaghmore. If you can access a lens that allows you to shoot with wider apertures (lower f-stop numbers) such as f1.8 or f2.0 even better. This allows more light in and allows you to use faster shutter speeds, reducing the risk of camera shake.

Accessories – A tripod is a must for long exposure photography. Also bring along a spare battery if you have one as colder temperatures drain battery life. A cable release / remote trigger is beneficial to help reduces the risk of unintentional movement in your photo from pressing the shutter button on the camera whilst taking your shot. You can also use the timer option on your camera to release the shutter if you don’t have a cable. Bring along a torch and / or head torch to help you see in the dark. Trust me – it’s so helpful.

Settings to Use – as with everything in photography you need to work these out based on where you are taking the photo, your equipment and the area you are shooting in. For Northern Lights Photography, you could start off with an ISO of around 800, a shutter speed of 10 seconds and aperture of around f2.0. If your lens doesn’t permit you to set a low aperture number, then you will need to adjust your other two exposure settings (ISO & Shutter Speed) accordingly to give you a correct exposure. In terms of White Balance, start around 3500K point for more natural colours. It’s also best to shoot in RAW if possible and turn off any noise reduction on the camera.

Focus – the challenge with all long exposure photography is getting your focus spot on. It is challenging as you normally want to take a photo in an area with minimal light pollution. The problem with that is you can’t see to focus! If you are travelling with other people to take photos, if someone with a light can walk into the distance and stand, you can manually focus your lens to achieve proper focus. If you are on your own, try focusing your lens close to or at the infinity point.

Can you use your smartphone to take photos of the aurora?

Yes you can. The quality will obviously not be the same as using a more professional camera but you can still capture memorable images to keep forever. I would recommend using a mini tripod where possible to keep your photos sharp and avoid camera shake.

If your phone has a ‘Pro Mode’ all the better. Set a slower shutter speed e.g. around 10 seconds or longer and set your ISO to a higher setting e.g. around 1600. If your phone allows you to set the aperture, choose a lower f-number of around f2.0 or f2.8 is possible. Take a test shot and adjust your settings accordingly.

I’ve included a photo I took on my iPhone 11 Pro at the weekend – it was a very quick snap taken in the ‘Night Mode’ and handheld (forgot my mini tripod!). Far from perfect but I was too focused on watching the Northern Lights and capturing the images on my professional camera. If you have a newer model of iPhone or a more high-end Android device, I’m sure you could get a better quality image but it’s still nice to have.

Any other tips when photographing the aurora?

Keep warm – when you are standing in the one spot at night, for a few hours at a time it can get very cold. Layer up and remove any that you don’t need if you get too warm. Photographer’s hands tend to get numb so keeping my hands warm is always a priority for me. Thermal gloves are great but they can be a bit cumbersome when you are trying to adjust your settings on the camera. I tend to bring hand warmers with me and keep them in my coat pockets. I have heard of people wearing thinner gloves inside mittens that they can remove when they need to press any of the dials on the camera. A hot water bottle goes down a treat inside your coat! Worked for me during the winter and I never leave home without one now when heading out at night.

Have Patience – this applies to all long exposure photography. It’s not something you can do in a rush and you need to be prepared to invest your time to get the correct exposure, focus and composition. I normally find either going alone or with other photographers works best for night photography. Bringing a partner, family member or friend who isn’t a photographer can be challenging … they run out of patience and you could feel pressured to not spend the time you want to invest in your work. Another photographer will get where you are coming from and appreciate the excitement when you get ‘the shot’.

Think Composition – don’t get carried away thinking just about exposure. Think about your composition too. Keep the rule of thirds in mind and consider where you are placing your horizon line in the image. Do you want to include any features in the landscape in the photo or simply capture the majesty of the aurora. Maybe even take a shot with you featured in it as well!

Plan Ahead – to avoid condensation on your lens, try and keep your camera in a room or location that’s a little cooler when you go outside. I normally find having my gear in the boot of the car when I go shooting works a treat. If it’s in the main body of the car, it tends to be warmer. When the lens hits the cold night air, this avoid condensation and your images looking misty or out of focus.

Be Present – don’t get too focused on the capturing the perfect image that you forget to take in the amazing light show that nature is putting on. Get the shot and then take a moment to fully appreciate the colours dancing above your head. It truly is one of the most memorable scenes in life and a beauty to behold. Stop, breathe and enjoy!

Interested in Learning More about Long Exposure Photography?

If you would like to experiment with your camera and using slower shutter speeds, why not join me on our next Light Painting Course. New date will be going live later this week so feel free to follow me on Instagram or Facebook to keep up to date.

I hope you enjoyed the article and feel free to share with anyone you think might find this useful too. Thanks for reading and feel free to send me some of your Northern Lights Photography shots from Ireland or abroad.