Tips for photographing the Northern Lights

[Longers]

We're off to Iceland next weekend and are hoping to be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights. This may well be a once in a lifetime opportunity so does anyone have any tips for photographing them?

I'm assuming highish ISO, wide lense, low aperture and reasonably long shutter speeds (so I need to take my tripod)?

Thanks in advance

[DIW35]

Keep your fingers crossed. We went to Iceland this time last year, and in November of the year before, and both times it was cloudy and overcast all the time. We are going again in just under a couple of weeks, but I am not expecting too much, and will count it as a bonus if the skies are clear and the lights are in evidence.

[craig1912]

https://happyworld.is/northern-lights-photography-...

https://iso.500px.com/northern-lights-photo-tutori...

Definitely need a tripod- what camera do you have.
I used an Olympus Om and in live composite mode you can watch the photo “develop”. Exposures were something like 20 secs. Best also using a remote release, red torch/ headlight to see settings and very warm clothes/gloves.

Make sure you take time to watch the lights rather than concentrate too much on taking photos- the postcards in the shops are always better than the photos you take!

Edited by craig1912 on Friday 30th March 17:43

[Likeomg]

I got lucky last September, did about 6 nights causing around Iceland on our transatlantic...

One night the sky lit up, a few of the guys on the overnights drove into the country away from light pollution and witnessed them,

I got treat to a 3 hour show starting about 11pm after just crossing into the artic circle,


Tripod basically essential... was a little harder for me as we were obviously moving and then relative wind up to about 35 so the camera isn't perfectly steady,

anyway 2 of my images..

[satans worm]

As you said, wide as you can apertura, f2.8 is great if you can,, tripod, then adjust the ISO to suit.

Out of 5 or 6 nights in the Yukon we got 1 with lights, it lasted about 1 hour or so and stopped as fast it came.

My only other advice (from a very amateur amateur i need to point out!) is think of the composition before it even gets dark with some interesting foreground etc

My efforts

_MG_4767-13 by justin bowdidge, on Flickr

_MG_4779-12 by justin bowdidge, on Flickr

[Fordo]

Good advice already from everyone - especially picking a location in advance with a good foreground.

I’d add- focus manually. Autofocus will struggle at night. Infinity on most lenses is often a little beyond infinity, so using live view and checking focus with expanded focus is a good idea.

What’s the widest, fastest lens you have? Might be worth picking up something like a Samyang 14mm f2.8, or sigma 20mm f1.4 - you can always sell on eBay when you get back

[sticks090460]

I used my Sigma 18-35 wide open at f1.8, shutter speed about 6 seconds at ISO800. If you go too long, you just end up with a smeary mess of light. One weird thing is that (to me) they didn't look green or pink at all - more like a white mist, but on the camera back you could actually see the green light when they went bright. Use live view, focus manually on a star then don't touch the focus again. Tripod mandatory, remote release or use delayed release so you don't move when making the shot. Incorporate some of the horizon into the composition to give scale.
I went to the Grotta lighthouse outside Reykyavik, along with half the town it seemed. Be prepared for people asking for tips on how you're getting your results!

[Fordo]

sticks090460 said:

I used my Sigma 18-35 wide open at f1.8, shutter speed about 6 seconds at ISO800. If you go too long, you just end up with a smeary mess of light. One weird thing is that (to me) they didn't look green or pink at all - more like a white mist, but on the camera back you could actually see the green light when they went bright. Use live view, focus manually on a star then don't touch the focus again. Tripod mandatory, remote release or use delayed release so you don't move when making the shot. Incorporate some of the horizon into the composition to give scale.
I went to the Grotta lighthouse outside Reykyavik, along with half the town it seemed. Be prepared for people asking for tips on how you're getting your results!

I had the same thing - they looked almost more black and white to my eye, only becoming green when they got occasionally more intense. The camera picked up way more green.

I did a little research - our eyes just can't see colour below a certain level, so in really low light, we only really see in black and white! So the cameras doing abetter job of picking up the colour.

[8.4L 154]

When your staring at a black sky with a few wispy bits of grey you can use the camera on a mega high ISO and wide open to see if its cloud or the start of a aurora your looking at, photo will be throwaway potato with noise but at least you can stay in the warm car a bit longer or get out ready if you see some green.

I'd also add to the above advice on focusing to take along your laptop if you can. You have a better chance of picking up on things going wrong with your shots (over exposed, blury too long shots, noise or out of focus) if you have a quick check of them on the bigger laptop screen in any down time with lower storm activity. it gives you a chance to correct and get better ones on the night rather than be disappointed in the hotel room later with the possibility of not getting a second chance.

[8.4L 154]

If your not comfortable getting an accurate manual focus, then you can use auto-focus on a distant light source (star, distant car headlight) then set the lens to manual focus and be careful not to knock it.

[Longers]

Sorry for not having the time before now to say "thanks for the comments"

A combination of 1 cloudy evening, it not getting dark until after 10.30 when it wasn't cloudy and having a tired 11 year old with us meant we didn't get to see the Northern Lights but we still had a bloomin' brilliant time in Iceland. A stunning place to visit even if it was horrendously expensive!

Cheers,
L'rs