How to Photograph the Northern Lights covers what lenses you’ll need, exposure times, and ISO settings for how to best photograph the aurora borealis. It also covers how to focus at infinity and how to great night photography compositions. Please let us know what other How-To videos you’d like to see in the ‘Comments’ below.
Hey, im an absolute ignorant in terms of photography. I have no pro camera, they are way TOO expensive here. Is it possible at all to capture aurora borealis with an iPhone X? If possible, i know the results will be poor, but still, possible? I heard its possible if you take the "live" photos and then edit them as Long Exposure mode.
Great video btw
Very useful information here, and outstanding images! Thanks for sharing!
Hi there! What kind of lens were you using??
Great video John, all your tips are noted especially with regards to focussing – Thanks for sharing! I'm planning a trip for November just deciding on the best place to go? All the best.
Excellent tutorial. I’m heading the Arctic Norway 🇳🇴 next week and this will help. Thank you.
Amazing!
i have the trouble if i put my focus on infinite it's always a bit blurry, just a half mm before infinite it is sharp…why's that ? Sony a7 with any lens so far
since you mentioned it…any tips on taking photos of orcas? i will be on on a rib boat as well as snorkeling with them for 2 days in andenes norway in january
Thanks!
Great video. I would LOVE to see you do a how to video on shooting whitetail deer, particularly bucks. They can be extremely illusive & skittish. Where I’m from (S Louisiana) your best chances of seeing 1 is at dusk or dawn when the light is the lowest. It’s difficult getting close to them, making a large telephoto lens a must. It’s extremely challenging getting quality photos of these animals. Any tips on equipment, setup, etc would be amazing. Thanks
very good tutorial , how to take Aurora photography. thnak you very much
Great video! Thanks for the tips. Any advice on trying to take a photo with people infront of the northern lights?
Thank you
Ok question I have a 17 to 40 mm f4 so too slow ? or I have a 50 mm f1.8 is that too long ?Which one would you go with. OR would you say try them both and see.
i followed your instructions and got AMAZING photos of the northern lights in Iceland!
I was in Iceland back in September and I'm so happy with how my Northern Lights photos turned out thanks to these awesome tips!
Great video! Thnx
Thank you for video! Going to photograph them tonight 🙂
Hi John, thank you for the video! The footage looks amazing! Quick question about your interval timer settings. You've mentioned that you have a 6 seconds exposure and a 2 second interval. Do you maybe mean an 8 second interval? I also shoot with a MK IV and when I shoot night time-lapses and set the camera to a 6 second exposure after 3 or 4 exposures the camera would get into "BUSY" mode and wait to finish processing before taking another shot, therefore cause a delay. Do you have a way to bypass that in the settings? or did you mean a longer interval? (I use a 2.8 16-35mm L, with extreme pro 94mb/s sandisk SD card). Thanks in advance!
This is very helpful. My first attempt was pretty blurry and grainy, I look forward to trying again with your tips. Thank you.
What are your settings for the camera's high ISO noise reduction?
What kind of camera do you have? A DSLR?
Hi John. I'm organising a Northern Lights hunting trip in Norway in November and I want to capture it with my Nikon D3300.
Right now I've got a 18-55 f/3.5. Do you think it should work or it is necessary a f 2.8 lens?
Thanks for the advice and congrats for the very well done video.
What lens are you using?
Which lens in particular do you use to shoot the Aurora? And is it possible to manually focus at infinity with an STM lens?
Will 50mm f1.8 lens works?
well done! Nice!
Thanks…nice tips
Thanks so much for the tip(s) especially the exposure (under 30sec.) which is very handy to keep in mind. Also, perhaps another good tip for others is; try to shoot away from ambient lighting like that of the city lights. Traveling as far out of town as reasonably possible of course, will help!
Also, in Northern BC (and possibly Northern Alberta and Canada for that matter) where the Northern lights are more spectacular (naturally) It can get rather chilly after the sun sets and who knows when the Aura will display itself (no given exact time!) And when it gets cold outside, people have a tendency to start a small camp fire to keep warm and therefore creates an amber glow which could distort or distract. best to simply keep the car going – stay warm and then when the Northern lights show up, go outside to shoot. Don't forget to shut off the car so the headlights (another unwanted light source) does not effect your shooting. Just my 2 bits worth!
Grizzlies!!
Awesome i am a great fan of yours:
Please may know what is the soundtrack you are using in the background of the video
Great instructions, unbelievable video's! thanks!
Great video