One of the most wondrous sights that nature offers is the aurora. If you want to capture its beauty forever, photography is essential. In this article, we'll explore how to effectively capture the aurora and some tips.

Unlike the actual sight, auroras are not easy to capture in photos. The dark environment of the night sky makes it difficult to capture the faint aurora light. To address this, proper equipment and settings are necessary.

It is difficult to expect perfect aurora shots with ordinary cameras or smartphones. It is best to use a digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) or mirrorless camera. Especially full-frame DSLR cameras have high ISO sensitivity, so even in dark nighttime environments, they can capture clear aurora photos at a professional level.

In addition to a DSLR camera, special equipment and settings are required. A wide-angle lens can capture the entire aurora in the vast sky. It can also capture the majestic nature of Iceland as the foreground or background, leaving you with stunning photos.

The lens aperture value (F value) is also important. Choosing a lens with a bright aperture of F2.8 or lower will allow more light to enter the camera sensor, capturing even faint auroras clearly.

A tripod and wireless remote shutter are essential. Securing the camera firmly on a tripod and slowing down the shutter speed will allow the aurora, which lacks brightness, to receive enough light. Using a shutter remote will prevent image shake caused by pressing the shutter directly.

In Iceland, where it is windy, it is safer to use a remote instead of pressing the shutter. It is also necessary to cover the camera with a waterproof cover or lens cover as a precaution against the weather. Battery life can be significantly reduced due to cold weather, so it is necessary to prepare spare batteries as well.

Proper white balance settings are important for aurora photography. Instead of auto white balance, manually setting it to around 3500-4000K (Kelvin) will capture natural aurora colors. Using the "fluorescent light" white balance setting can also capture the aurora as close as possible to how it looks to the eye.

Pay attention to the shutter speed and ISO sensitivity settings as well. Setting the aperture value to F2.8, ISO to 1600, and shutter speed to about 5 seconds will allow you to capture a clear aurora. However, you may need to adjust these settings depending on the weather or the scene you are shooting.

If the weather is cloudy or the aurora is faint, you need to slow down the shutter speed and increase the ISO. Conversely, in bright situations, reducing the ISO or increasing the shutter speed will prevent image degradation due to overexposure.

When the aurora is dancing, you can increase the shutter speed to 5 seconds or more to create a bokeh effect and express movement. However, it is important to avoid overexposure and turn off the flash in night mode.

To prevent shake when pressing the shutter, use a shutter remote and focus manually to capture both the clear aurora and the foreground. Shooting in RAW format is beneficial for image post-processing.

You can capture the aurora with your smartphone without expensive equipment. Using special apps, you can reproduce DSLR camera modes even with your smartphone, allowing you to take clear aurora photos. A representative app is "Northern Lights Photo Taker."

Finding a good point is also important. The aurora changes its appearance every time depending on the weather conditions. Ideally, it is best to capture a cloudless, clear day when the aurora is active. Taking photos in remote areas or rural areas with minimal light pollution will be more effective.

With the right shooting equipment and setup, you can capture the aurora and preserve its mysterious beauty. We hope you become a true artist who leaves behind the best aurora photos like masterpieces even in challenging environments.