How to photograph the northern lights?

Step-by-step tips to make your Northern Lights photos a success.

Understand the polar aurora

They are called Northern Lights in the northern hemisphere and Southern Lights in the southern hemisphere, but they are generated by the same phenomenon: a history of solar particles that electromagnetize. The release of this energy creates the colored phenomenon. Auroras are generally green because it is the color produced by oxygen, the dominant element in solar particles. However, depending on the altitude and components of the particles, violet, blue or red polar aurora can also be observed.

I won't go into the details here. Let's go straight to the conclusion: the power of the dawn depends on strictly physical phenomena that we know how to measure which means that we are also able to predict them at the minimum (There is still some randomness, as with weather forecasts, of course).

Observe the northern lights

To admire the auroras in the northern hemisphere, you must be close to the Pole. You can choose to go to Scandinavia, Iceland or Siberia. You can also go to Greenland or parts of Canada. Generally speaking, if you enter the Arctic Circle, you have a good chance of seeing it. Personally, I have seen them in Alberta (Canada) and the Lofoten Islands, Norway.

Onwards from February, I will be accompanying photo trips to Iceland, where we will devote our evenings to the Northern Lights.
The itinerary and the dates chose to bring together all the conditions to make beautiful photos of aurora borealis, in one of the most photogenic countries in the world.
When can we see the northern lights?

To see an aurora borealis, you should be in a dark place. So, I am not telling you anything if I don't tell you that the best period for this is between September and April. The closer we get to the northern latitudes, the shorter the winter days (in summer, on the other hand, the sunshine is very long; these same regions benefit from the midnight sunshine). Depending on the place and month, you can start observing the aurora borealis from 4 pm. Among other things to know is the duration of sunshine of a place at a specific date. Visit the site (my reference when I organize my days!).

When planning your trip, avoid full moon weeks. If you want to see the stars, it is better to choose a night without a moon because it generates a lot of parasitic light.

To determine if it will be possible to see an aurora borealis, there are two things to know: the weather forecast and the Kp index. Auroras occur at high altitudes, well above the clouds: you need a clear sky to have the chance to observe them. The Kp index tells you the probabilities of the Aurora. This is not 100% reliable data, but it is a good indicator.
So there are a few sites and applications that give forecasts:

For iPhone: Live! Aurora, Aurora Fcst

For Android: Aurora Buddy, Aurora Forecast

Websites: in Alaska, Iceland, a generalist site, another generalist site, in Scandinavia, in Canada.

If a large Kp index does not guarantee an aurora borealis, it is also important to know that many low-intensity auroras remain photographed. These auroras will be less impressive, less attractive, and perhaps even invisible to the naked eye, but the sensors on our cameras are more sensitive to these colors than our eyes.

Here are, for example, some raw images from a time-lapse. On the spot, impossible to see the green trails, they were imperceptible. My camera has seen them well, though! Proof that you should not hesitate to go out in the evening even if the Kp index is low!

What equipment should i use to photograph an aurora borealis?

It is essential to have a device with which you can adjust the exposure time and increase sensitivity. This does not mean that it is imperative to have the latest high-end, expensive SLR, but that it will be easier to make a great shot in good conditions. To simplify, your camera must be able to take beautiful photos at night.
(Note: in the Icelandic photo trip I mentioned above, Manfrotto tripods are available to participants, as in all the photo courses I organize)

You must be able to pose for several seconds without the camera moving. You also need a good tripod, stable and solid. If your tripod doesn't have small foam clips, wrap up the woven scotch generously on each stand: touching the metal with bare hands at negative temperatures is not pleasant.

The remote control

The remote control has a dual purpose here. The first is not to make the camera shake by pressing the shutter-release button (the self-timer could then be used). The second is to put the remote control in your pocket to keep your hands warm!

Replacement batteries

With the cold, the batteries seem to drain very quickly. In reality, they are not empty, you just need to warm them up a little to reuse them. The trick is simple: keep one or two batteries warm, replace the battery as soon as necessary and store it in a warm place. To buy spare batteries: small guide here.

A headlamp

It's a small accessory that is always useful (because you can't count on a mobile phone at -30°C!), to watch where you put the tripod, see where you focus, and return safely to the hotel!

Something to warm you up!

Because northern lights photography involves a lot of waiting in the cold, you need warm clothes, possibly some hand-warmers, a thermos, etc.

Succeeding in the northern lights photo: settings and procedures

You have put on your warmest coat, you have all your gear, the sky is clear and the Kp index is high. It's time to get down to business: photographing an aurora borealis! Yeah, but how do we do that?

Locate

Ideally, during the day, you have seen a beautiful landscape and you know that it will only be more beautiful with a dawn dancing above. All you have to do is go back to the spot!
Tracking is an important part of the photo's success.

The perfect spot is far enough away from the cities so that no light pollution can spoil the show. (Note: personally, I have already bypassed this problem by using degraded filters to darken urban areas as soon as I took the shot. Find a landscape that is already photogenic, a special place, a place that tells a story: the aurora borealis will sublimate the image!

Check the hardware before you go out

Before you go hunting in the Northern Lights, check your photographic equipment:

Spare at least one battery in an inner pocket, the tripod shoe fixed underneath the case (because it won't be easy to do it outside, at night, with your fingers frozen!
the file format set to RAW (in any case, you photograph all the time in RAW, right?)
the well-arranged polarizing filter (because it will not be used for aurora borealis and may darken the image)
Settle in comfortably

Go to the photo spot! Don't wait until dawn, take the time to install the tripod and make your adjustments.