Photographing the aurora with a camera: settings, focus and gear

To photograph the aurora with a camera you need three things: a sturdy tripod, a wide-angle lens with a large maximum aperture, and manual settings. A good starting point is f/1.4 to f/2.8, ISO 1600 and 4 to 8 seconds, with manual focus on a star and the file format set to RAW. From there you adjust for how bright the aurora is and how fast it moves.

The gear that matters

Camera. Any mirrorless or DSLR camera with a manual (M) mode will do. A larger sensor gives less noise at high ISO, but the lens and tripod make the biggest difference.

Lens. A wide angle, ideally 14 to 24 mm on full frame, with a large maximum aperture. In Nikon's guide, photographer Tom Bol recommends a fast wide-angle lens at f/1.8 or f/2.8, to get plenty of sky in the frame and let in as much light as possible. A kit zoom at f/3.5 to f/4 also works, but needs longer exposures or higher ISO.

Tripod and release. Exposures last several seconds, so the camera must be completely still. Use a remote release or a 2-second self-timer. Visit Svalbard lists the same basics: manual focus, aperture, shutter speed, enough battery, a remote release and a camera that does not move.

Also useful. Spare batteries, a headlamp with a red light mode, a lens cloth, and warm gloves that still let you work the buttons.

Settings: a starting point

Set the camera to manual mode and turn off the flash, and image stabilisation when the camera is on a tripod. Use this table as a starting point with a lens of around 20 mm:

This lines up with the examples in Nikon's guide, shot at 4 to 15 seconds, f/1.8 to f/2.8 and ISO 1600 to 3200. Take a test shot, check it, and change one setting at a time.

Shutter speed: the aurora moves more than the stars

Two things can blur in a long aurora exposure: the stars and the aurora itself.

The aurora. Tom Bol shoots anywhere from 2 up to 30 seconds, and notes that 30 seconds gives softer edges and less defined shapes than 4 to 8 seconds when the aurora is moving. If you want rays and folds, keep the exposure short.

The stars. Earth rotates, so stars trail in long exposures. The old "500 rule" says you can expose for 500 divided by the focal length in seconds, for example 25 seconds at 20 mm. Photography Life shows that the rule does not hold up on modern high-resolution sensors: with a typical wide angle you often see slight movement after just 5 to 10 seconds when you zoom in on the image. The NPF rule is more precise, because it also accounts for aperture, pixel size and the direction you are pointing.

In practice the aurora almost always sets the limit, not the stars. Stay under 10 to 15 seconds and the stars are usually fine on a wide angle.

Focusing in the dark

Autofocus struggles at night, and the infinity mark on the lens is rarely exact. Here is how to do it:

1. Turn off autofocus on the lens or in the camera.
2. Use Live View and magnify digitally on the brightest star, or a distant light.
3. Turn the focus ring slowly until the star is as small and sharp a point as possible.
4. Take a test shot and zoom in on the screen.

Tom Bol describes a trick from his workshops: in daylight, autofocus on a distant point, switch autofocus off and tape the focus ring in place. You are then ready when you return in the dark. Just make sure the ring does not move in your bag.

Exposure, histogram and the Moon

Green aurora blows out easily. Nikon's guide recommends using the RGB histogram and watching the green channel. Even if the image looks fine on the screen, the green channel can be overexposed. If it is, shorten the exposure or stop down a little.

The Moon changes everything. NOAA notes that a full moon makes the aurora look fainter, even though it is not actually weaker. For photographers, moonlight means shorter exposures, a lit snowy landscape and an aurora that has to be bright enough to compete. Tom Bol had help from a partial moon in several of the photos in the guide.

A camera sees more than your eyes. As Tom Bol puts it, the eye sees in real time while the sensor gathers light over time, so a faint aurora can come out vividly green. More in aurora colours.

RAW and white balance

Shoot RAW, or RAW plus JPEG. That lets you adjust white balance, exposure and noise afterwards without ruining the image.

Set white balance manually instead of auto, so the sky does not change colour from frame to frame. Many photographers start around 3500 to 4000 kelvin, which gives a neutral to slightly blue sky and natural-looking green. It is a matter of taste, and with RAW you can change it later.

Composition and foreground

An aurora photo is much stronger with a foreground: a mountain, a fjord, a boathouse (Norwegian: naust) or a person. Face north, or wherever the forecast says the activity is, and include the horizon.

In real darkness the foreground often turns black. In Nikon's guide, photographer Adam Woodworth explains that he often takes several frames, one for the sky and one for the foreground, and blends them. If you do this, be honest that the image is a composite.

Headlamps and car lights ruin photos, yours and other people's. Use red light, and switch off your lights when others are shooting.

Cold, batteries and condensation

Camera batteries drain quickly in the cold. Carry two or three spares in an inside pocket and swap when the camera warns you. A cold battery that seems flat can regain some of its charge once it warms up.

The biggest risk comes when you go back inside. Warm, humid air condenses on an ice-cold camera, both outside and inside the lens. Put the camera in your camera bag or a sealed bag while you are still outdoors, and leave it closed until the gear has reached room temperature. Take out the memory card first if you want to look at your photos straight away.

Dress warmly: you will be standing still a lot. See safety and clothing.

When should you be ready?

NOAA says the most active aurora usually comes within an hour or two of midnight, between 10 pm and 2 am local time, and that the window widens when activity is high. Read more in the best time of night, and check tonight's verdict for your location before you pack your bag. Only have your phone with you? See photographing the aurora with a phone.

In short

• Tripod, a fast wide-angle lens, manual mode.
• Start at f/1.4 to f/2.8, ISO 1600 and 4 to 8 seconds, and adjust after a test shot.
• Focus manually on a star using Live View.
• Watch the green channel in the histogram.
• RAW, manual white balance, spare batteries in an inside pocket, and the camera in its bag before you go indoors.