How to Photograph the Northern Lights
Camera settings, essential gear, and everything you need to capture the aurora — from your first night under the lights to stunning professional results.
You travelled thousands of kilometres to stand under the northern lights. The last thing you want is blurry, underexposed images that don’t come close to what your eyes saw. This guide covers everything — the right camera settings, the gear that actually makes a difference in arctic conditions, and the techniques that separate good aurora photos from extraordinary ones.
🔰 Complete Beginner? Start Here
Never shot in manual mode before? Never photographed at night? You’re in the right place. Find your question below.
“I’ve never used manual mode”
Don’t worry — Section 3 gives you exact numbers to dial in. No experience needed.
“I don’t know when to go outside”
Check the Kp Index guide in Section 7. A free app tells you exactly when to step out.
“What’s the minimum gear I need?”
Camera + wide lens + tripod. That’s it. See the budget kit in Section 9.
“Where do I point the camera?”
Point north, include a foreground. Section 6 shows you exactly how.
Can I use my iPhone or Android? Technically yes — but results will disappoint. Even the best smartphones struggle at −15°C in near-total darkness. A basic mirrorless camera makes the difference between a blurry green smudge and a photograph worth printing. If a camera isn’t in the budget, a guided photography tour provides equipment and coaching on-site.
In This Guide
1. Choosing the Right Camera
Aurora photography is fundamentally a low-light challenge. You are shooting at night, in freezing temperatures, with a subject that moves unpredictably across the sky. Your camera needs to handle high ISO without excessive noise — this is the single most important technical requirement.
Best Camera for Northern Lights — Sony a7S III
The Sony a7S III is the gold standard for aurora photography. Its full-frame sensor is designed specifically for low-light and video work, producing clean images at ISO 12800 that most cameras struggle with at ISO 3200. Used by professional aurora photographers across Tromsø, Finnish Lapland, and Iceland. View Sony a7S III on Amazon →
Best Value — Sony a6700
At roughly half the price of the a7S III, the Sony a6700 is the best APS-C camera for aurora photography. Its AI-based noise reduction and excellent high-ISO performance make it a genuine option for serious aurora photography without the full-frame price tag. View Sony a6700 on Amazon →
Your smartphone will not capture the aurora well. Even the best iPhone or Android produces noisy, inaccurate images at night. A dedicated camera is not optional — it is the difference between a record of the trip and a photograph you will keep for life.
2. The Best Lens for Aurora Photography
Two things matter in an aurora lens: field of view and maximum aperture. You want the widest angle possible to capture the full arc of the aurora across the sky, and the fastest aperture possible to let in maximum light.
Rokinon 12mm f/2.0 — Best Under $400
The most recommended aurora lens in its price range. Ultra-wide at 12mm, fast at f/2.0 for maximum light, and sharp from edge to edge. View Rokinon 12mm on Amazon →
| Lens | Aperture | Best For | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rokinon 12mm | f/2.0 | Best value, all mounts | Amazon → |
| Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 GM | f/2.8 | Zoom flexibility, Sony full-frame | Amazon → |
| Sigma 14mm f/1.8 Art | f/1.8 | Fastest ultra-wide available | Amazon → |
3. Camera Settings — Step by Step for Beginners
Never shot in manual mode before? Follow these steps in order on your first aurora night. Each step takes less than 30 seconds.
- Set your mode dial to M (Manual). This gives you full control over exposure — essential at night when your camera’s automatic modes will fail.
- Set your aperture to the lowest number your lens allows — f/1.8, f/2.0, or f/2.8. The lower the number, the more light reaches the sensor.
- Set your ISO to 3200 as a starting point. You can increase to 6400 if the aurora is faint, or decrease to 1600 if it’s very bright.
- Set your shutter speed to 15 seconds. This captures enough light without excessive star movement. If the aurora is moving fast, reduce to 8–10 seconds.
- Switch focus to Manual (MF) and turn the focus ring to infinity (∞). Autofocus cannot lock onto stars or aurora in darkness.
- Take a test shot and check the result. Too bright — lower ISO or shutter speed. Too dark — raise ISO or increase shutter speed. Adjust and repeat.
Your Starting Settings — Dial These In First
To avoid star trails, divide 500 by your focal length. 12mm lens: 500 ÷ 12 = 41 sec max. 24mm lens: 500 ÷ 24 = 20 sec max. Stay under these limits for sharp stars.
4. Tripod and Remote Shutter
Long exposures require absolute stability. Any vibration — including pressing the shutter button — will blur your image.
Joby GorillaPod 5K
Lightweight, packs small, grips uneven snow-covered terrain. View GorillaPod on Amazon →
Wireless Remote Shutter
A wireless remote triggers the shutter without contact — essential for sharp aurora images. Alternatively, use your camera’s 2-second self-timer. View Remote Shutter on Amazon →
5. Shooting in Arctic Cold
Standing still at −15°C for two hours while operating a camera requires specific preparation. Temperature is the factor most beginners completely underestimate.
- Bring minimum 3 camera batteries — cold drains them fast. Keep spares in an inside pocket close to body heat.
- Use hand warmers inside gloves during long sessions
- Use a headlamp with red light mode to preserve your night vision
- Keep your power bank in an inside pocket — cold kills these too
- Before going inside, seal your camera in a bag and let it warm slowly — prevents condensation on the sensor
- Bring a microfibre cloth for lens condensation
6. Composition Techniques
The strongest aurora images include a compelling foreground — a frozen lake, snow-covered trees, a glass igloo, or a forest silhouette. Aurora filling the whole frame with no foreground is the single most common beginner mistake.
Use a reflective foreground. A frozen lake doubles the aurora and creates a mirror image. Point the camera slightly downward to capture both sky and reflection.
Get low. Crouching close to the snow makes the foreground much more prominent — this one change transforms average aurora shots into compelling images.
Include a person. A silhouette looking up at the aurora creates scale and emotion. Ask your travel companion to stand still for 15 seconds while you shoot.
Stay at a glass igloo. The warm glow from inside the igloo against the aurora outside is one of the most photographed compositions in Lapland — for good reason.
Walk your shooting location during the day. When it is −15°C and 2am and the aurora is active, you want to already know exactly where to stand and where to point your camera.
7. Reading the Aurora Forecast
The aurora is measured by the Kp index — a scale from 0 to 9. At higher latitudes like Lapland and Tromsø, Kp 2 or above on a clear night is enough for visible aurora and good photographs.
| Kp Index | Aurora Visibility | Where Visible |
|---|---|---|
| Kp 0–1 | Weak, often invisible | Only far northern Norway/Finland |
| Kp 2–3 | Moderate — visible on clear nights | Lapland, Tromsø, northern Iceland |
| Kp 4–5 | Active — good photography conditions | Southern Iceland, northern Scotland |
| Kp 6+ | Strong — excellent aurora storm | Central Europe, northern USA |
Best free apps: Space Weather Live, My Aurora Forecast, and yr.no for cloud cover. Check both Kp index and cloud cover simultaneously — a Kp 7 with full cloud cover means you see nothing.
8. 5 Mistakes Beginners Always Make
These are the errors that show up in almost every first-timer’s aurora photos. Avoid them and you’re already ahead of 90% of beginners.
Leaving autofocus on. Your camera cannot lock focus in near-total darkness. The result: every image slightly soft.
Switch to Manual focus, turn the ring to ∞, then back just slightly. Take a test shot of a distant star and zoom in to confirm sharpness.
No foreground. Sky-only aurora shots look flat. The aurora becomes background noise without something in the frame to give it scale.
Always position yourself near trees, a lake, a building, or a person. Get low. Fill the bottom third of the frame with something interesting.
Shutter speed too long. 30+ second exposures turn moving aurora into a blurry smear with no structure or detail.
Start at 15 seconds. If the aurora is moving fast, go down to 6–8 seconds and raise ISO to compensate for the shorter exposure.
Dead battery. Cold kills batteries within an hour. Many beginners miss the best displays because their camera dies at 1am.
Bring at least 3 fully charged batteries. Keep two in an inside pocket against your body. Rotate when the active battery drops below 30%.
Shooting JPEG. Aurora images need significant post-processing. JPEG discards the data you need to recover highlights and shadows.
Always shoot RAW. The file sizes are larger but every detail is preserved. Edit in Lightroom or even the free Adobe Lightroom Mobile app.
9. Guided Aurora Photography Tours
A guided aurora photography tour is the fastest way to improve your results — especially as a beginner. Expert guides know the best locations, track cloud cover in real time, provide equipment coaching, and drive you to clear skies when your accommodation location is clouded over.
📸 Aurora Photography Tours — Book Now
Small-group guided sessions with expert photographers. All levels welcome — from complete beginners to enthusiasts wanting to push their skills.
10. Complete Aurora Photography Kit
| Item | Why It Matters | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Sony a7S III | Best low-light camera available | Amazon → |
| Sony a6700 | Best value aurora camera | Amazon → |
| Rokinon 12mm f/2.0 | Widest field, maximum light | Amazon → |
| Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 GM | Zoom flexibility, full-frame | Amazon → |
| Sigma 14mm f/1.8 Art | Fastest ultra-wide available | Amazon → |
| Joby GorillaPod 5K | Stable on snow, packs small | Amazon → |
| Wireless Remote | No-blur shutter trigger | Amazon → |
| Outdoor Research Alti Mitts | Expedition gloves with camera access | Amazon → |
| Anker 26800mAh Power Bank | Keeps phone alive all night | Amazon → |
| HotHands Hand Warmers | Essential for long sessions | Amazon → |
| Black Diamond Spot 400 | Red mode for night vision | Amazon → |
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