How to photograph aurora – quick tips<\/strong><\/h2>To photograph the aurora, follow these basic steps:<\/p>
- Always use a tripod<\/li>
- Shoot in RAW<\/li>
- Remove any filters<\/li>
- Have a release cable or timer to trigger the shutter.<\/li><\/ul>
After that, it\u2019s mostly about finding the right spot and waiting.<\/p>
When the perfect moment finally arrives, here\u2019s our guide to making the most of the opportunity.<\/p>
How to photograph aurora 8 top tips<\/strong><\/h2>Choose a wide angle lens<\/strong><\/h3>![\"A](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2019\/03\/JC-FuertaEDIT10--4b8932b.jpg\")
A wide-angle lens is crucial, as is a tripod. \u00a9 Jamie Carter<\/figcaption><\/figure>The aurora<\/a> can appear right across the night sky, so the wider angle lens you use, the more impressive your vista will look.<\/p>An 18\u201355mm kit lens is fine, but know that cheaper crop-sensor (APS-C) DSLR cameras and more expensive full-frame models get different results.<\/p>
For example, a 24mm lens on a full-frame DSLR produces a wide-angle as promised, but the same specification of lens on an APS-C DSLR produces a narrower image equivalent to what you would expect from a 38mm lens on a full-frame DSLR.<\/p>
Whatever you use to photograph the aurora, set the aperture as wide open as possible, probably f\/2.8 or so.<\/p>
Keep your aurora photograph<\/strong> sharp<\/h3>![\"Want](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2019\/04\/Aurora-photography-d5392ad.jpg\" "\\"\\"\/")
You\u2019ll need to shoot fast with a short exposure if the corona passes directly above you. Credit: Jamie Carter<\/figcaption><\/figure>Practice manually focusing on infinity. Take test shots outside at night and check for sharpness to determine exactly where the infinity focus point is on your lens \u2013 it may not be where the manufacturer indicates.<\/p>
Nothing\u2019s worse than taking a spectacular aurora image, only to find that it\u2019s ruined by blurry stars.<\/p>
Get to the Arctic Circle<\/strong><\/h3>![\"Northern](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2019\/02\/image_24-1489918.jpeg\")
Northern Lights alive by James Robertson, Norway. Equipment: Canon 1100d, 18-55mm lens.<\/figcaption><\/figure>For your best chance of catching a display, head to the Arctic Circle between 64\u00b0 and 70\u00b0 North, the closest places to the UK being Iceland and Lapland (the northern parts of Norway, Sweden and Finland).<\/p>
Northern Russia and Alaska see the aurora too.<\/p>
Aurora activity is constant throughout the year, though the longer, darker nights between September and March emphasise the aurora\u2019s vivid colours.<\/p>
It is also possible to see the aurora from the UK<\/a>, but will require much more luck in getting a good showing.<\/p>Consider composition<\/h3>![\"Amazing](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2019\/02\/IMG_5359_ChumackHRweb-0f4d8d8.jpg\")
Amazing Aurora Borealis in Alaska by John Chumack, Mongolia. Equipment: Canon 6D DSLR, 24 mm lens.<\/figcaption><\/figure>Photos featuring only \u2018green clouds\u2019 are dull. Reflections, rugged foregrounds and even people often feature in the best images.<\/p>
Scout out locations in daylight looking for interesting trees, buildings or mountains.<\/p>
But be flexible; the northern lights probably won\u2019t appear where you want them.<\/p>
A good rule of thumb is to think of the aurora as a backdrop to an already well-composed landscape photograph.<\/p>
Experiment with long exposures<\/h3>![\"Aurora](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2019\/02\/Aurora-Eruption-smaller-5f5d02d.jpg\")
Aurora Eruption by Dan Bartley, Abisko, Sweden. Equipment: Nikon D3200<\/figcaption><\/figure>Photographing the Northern Lights successfully is largely about hunting down clear skies.<\/p>
Once clear, the most common sighting is of an almost stationary green glow arcing above the northern horizon.<\/p>
To the human eye it looks greyish and often not much of a spectacle at all.<\/p>
However, take a long exposure (try 25\u201330 seconds on ISO 800\u20131600) in a beautiful snowy landscape and the resulting image can be delightful.<\/p>
Be ready to shoot at any time<\/h3>![\"The](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2019\/04\/Northern-lights-photograph-0110221.jpg\" "\\"\\"\/")
Credit: Jamie Carter<\/figcaption><\/figure>The Northern Lights can appear at any time of night, so if you want to photograph the aurora, keep your boots by your bed.<\/p>
Set an alarm and check the sky every hour or so, or if your hotel has an aurora wake-up service, use it.<\/p>
After that, it\u2019s mostly about finding the right spot and waiting.<\/p>
When the perfect moment finally arrives, here\u2019s our guide to making the most of the opportunity.<\/p>
How to photograph aurora 8 top tips<\/strong><\/h2>Choose a wide angle lens<\/strong><\/h3>A wide-angle lens is crucial, as is a tripod. \u00a9 Jamie Carter<\/figcaption><\/figure>The aurora<\/a> can appear right across the night sky, so the wider angle lens you use, the more impressive your vista will look.<\/p>An 18\u201355mm kit lens is fine, but know that cheaper crop-sensor (APS-C) DSLR cameras and more expensive full-frame models get different results.<\/p>
For example, a 24mm lens on a full-frame DSLR produces a wide-angle as promised, but the same specification of lens on an APS-C DSLR produces a narrower image equivalent to what you would expect from a 38mm lens on a full-frame DSLR.<\/p>
Whatever you use to photograph the aurora, set the aperture as wide open as possible, probably f\/2.8 or so.<\/p>
Keep your aurora photograph<\/strong> sharp<\/h3>You\u2019ll need to shoot fast with a short exposure if the corona passes directly above you. Credit: Jamie Carter<\/figcaption><\/figure>Practice manually focusing on infinity. Take test shots outside at night and check for sharpness to determine exactly where the infinity focus point is on your lens \u2013 it may not be where the manufacturer indicates.<\/p>
Nothing\u2019s worse than taking a spectacular aurora image, only to find that it\u2019s ruined by blurry stars.<\/p>
Get to the Arctic Circle<\/strong><\/h3>Northern Lights alive by James Robertson, Norway. Equipment: Canon 1100d, 18-55mm lens.<\/figcaption><\/figure>For your best chance of catching a display, head to the Arctic Circle between 64\u00b0 and 70\u00b0 North, the closest places to the UK being Iceland and Lapland (the northern parts of Norway, Sweden and Finland).<\/p>
Northern Russia and Alaska see the aurora too.<\/p>
Aurora activity is constant throughout the year, though the longer, darker nights between September and March emphasise the aurora\u2019s vivid colours.<\/p>
It is also possible to see the aurora from the UK<\/a>, but will require much more luck in getting a good showing.<\/p>Consider composition<\/h3>Amazing Aurora Borealis in Alaska by John Chumack, Mongolia. Equipment: Canon 6D DSLR, 24 mm lens.<\/figcaption><\/figure>Photos featuring only \u2018green clouds\u2019 are dull. Reflections, rugged foregrounds and even people often feature in the best images.<\/p>
Scout out locations in daylight looking for interesting trees, buildings or mountains.<\/p>
But be flexible; the northern lights probably won\u2019t appear where you want them.<\/p>
A good rule of thumb is to think of the aurora as a backdrop to an already well-composed landscape photograph.<\/p>
Experiment with long exposures<\/h3>Aurora Eruption by Dan Bartley, Abisko, Sweden. Equipment: Nikon D3200<\/figcaption><\/figure>Photographing the Northern Lights successfully is largely about hunting down clear skies.<\/p>
Once clear, the most common sighting is of an almost stationary green glow arcing above the northern horizon.<\/p>
To the human eye it looks greyish and often not much of a spectacle at all.<\/p>
However, take a long exposure (try 25\u201330 seconds on ISO 800\u20131600) in a beautiful snowy landscape and the resulting image can be delightful.<\/p>
Be ready to shoot at any time<\/h3>Credit: Jamie Carter<\/figcaption><\/figure>The Northern Lights can appear at any time of night, so if you want to photograph the aurora, keep your boots by your bed.<\/p>
Set an alarm and check the sky every hour or so, or if your hotel has an aurora wake-up service, use it.<\/p>
The aurora<\/a> can appear right across the night sky, so the wider angle lens you use, the more impressive your vista will look.<\/p> An 18\u201355mm kit lens is fine, but know that cheaper crop-sensor (APS-C) DSLR cameras and more expensive full-frame models get different results.<\/p> For example, a 24mm lens on a full-frame DSLR produces a wide-angle as promised, but the same specification of lens on an APS-C DSLR produces a narrower image equivalent to what you would expect from a 38mm lens on a full-frame DSLR.<\/p> Whatever you use to photograph the aurora, set the aperture as wide open as possible, probably f\/2.8 or so.<\/p> Practice manually focusing on infinity. Take test shots outside at night and check for sharpness to determine exactly where the infinity focus point is on your lens \u2013 it may not be where the manufacturer indicates.<\/p> Nothing\u2019s worse than taking a spectacular aurora image, only to find that it\u2019s ruined by blurry stars.<\/p> For your best chance of catching a display, head to the Arctic Circle between 64\u00b0 and 70\u00b0 North, the closest places to the UK being Iceland and Lapland (the northern parts of Norway, Sweden and Finland).<\/p> Northern Russia and Alaska see the aurora too.<\/p> Aurora activity is constant throughout the year, though the longer, darker nights between September and March emphasise the aurora\u2019s vivid colours.<\/p> It is also possible to see the aurora from the UK<\/a>, but will require much more luck in getting a good showing.<\/p> Photos featuring only \u2018green clouds\u2019 are dull. Reflections, rugged foregrounds and even people often feature in the best images.<\/p> Scout out locations in daylight looking for interesting trees, buildings or mountains.<\/p> But be flexible; the northern lights probably won\u2019t appear where you want them.<\/p> A good rule of thumb is to think of the aurora as a backdrop to an already well-composed landscape photograph.<\/p> Photographing the Northern Lights successfully is largely about hunting down clear skies.<\/p> Once clear, the most common sighting is of an almost stationary green glow arcing above the northern horizon.<\/p> To the human eye it looks greyish and often not much of a spectacle at all.<\/p> However, take a long exposure (try 25\u201330 seconds on ISO 800\u20131600) in a beautiful snowy landscape and the resulting image can be delightful.<\/p> The Northern Lights can appear at any time of night, so if you want to photograph the aurora, keep your boots by your bed.<\/p> Set an alarm and check the sky every hour or so, or if your hotel has an aurora wake-up service, use it.<\/p>Keep your aurora photograph<\/strong> sharp<\/h3>
Get to the Arctic Circle<\/strong><\/h3>
Consider composition<\/h3>
Experiment with long exposures<\/h3>
Be ready to shoot at any time<\/h3>
![\"Aurora](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2019\/02\/Iceland-70D-1-060ab-1dc1ff3.jpg\")
![\"Keep](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2019\/04\/GettyImages-1350793598-1024x683.jpg?fit=800%2C534\")