2019-01-16

How to Photograph the Northern Lights in Iceland

by: Rafn Sig,-

Northern lights at Fögrufossar │ Iceland

It’s really no magic grabbing these Northern Lights or “Aurora borealis” into your camera.

Let’s start from the beginning.

Will there be any “Lights” tonight:

You can go to many locations to see if they will appear or not.
I usually go to “Veðurstofa Íslands” “Norðurljósaspá” ( https://www.vedur.is/vedur/spar/nordurljos/ ) as I trust them to give me correct information’s.

How do I read out of all these numbers, they are all in Icelandic?

Ok let’s go through it.

In the column “Spá um norðurljós” (forecast for the Northern lights) you see numbers from 0 to 9. The higher number is, more likely you will see the Aurora.
0: Stay home with a good hot chocolate and listen to some good music.
1: Stay home and work your other photos.
2: Go to sleep early and be fresh for tomorrow photo tour.
3: I would think about it. 50/50 chance. (I would stay home as I live in Iceland and I can wait) If you are Guest in Iceland then you should look up to the sky and check if you can see the starts. If you can, perhaps you should take the chance. It’s up to you.
4 – 8: Yes I would definitely go if the sky is clear.
9: ooooh Yes I would definitely go if the sky is clear. It has only happened ones in my lifetime and it was the most spectacular sight I’ve ever seen. The colors and the sound were far out from this world. It was WOOOOOOW

Next you have the box “Sól”
Sólsetur = Sunset and the time
Myrkur = Time of darkness – from and to
Sólarupprás = Sunrise and the time

Next you have the box “Tungl”
The photo shows you how big the Moon will be
Tunglið sest = Moonset and the time

The map of Iceland.
If there is a white spot on the map where you are staying it means “No clouds” and you have a chance.
The darker the green is the less chance you have as it will be cloudy and you don’t see the Aurora when it’s cloudy.

Best time to see the Northern Lights

The best season to see the northern lights in Iceland is from early September to late April – these are the months where there are full dark nights. It is also not unheard of to see the lights as early as mid-August, once the final traces of the midnight sun summer are gone.

Clothes:

Ok, When I go out at night trying to capture these lights I dress well and comfortable because we never actually know if they are going to come or when they will come so it can be a long wait in the windy winter cold.

Use warm inner layer and outer layer. Put on a good cap or deerstalker, some scarf or comforter (or both) and extra pair of rag socks. You can never wear enough clothes to keep you warm because you are standing still; there is little circulation, so you need to over-dress to offset this.
Remember that we are not going to any Fashion show, here it’s all about keeping warm and be able to stay out in the frost and wind.

I’m using inner and outer gloves, that is, my inner gloves are thin so I can operate on the camera easily and the outer gloves are thick wool to keep my hands warm but the tip of my fingers can go through my thick ones and I can cover them when I’m not photographing or after my Camera setup on the location and I’m waiting.
If you look at my well used gloves you can see what I mean.

Don’t forget a good Flashlight or Headlight because it’s dark outside

Find dark place

Bright city lights affects the visibility on the Aurora lights, so find some dark place to get the Aurora as clear and visible as possible.

The Gear

Tripod – A sturdy tripod is needed to avoid camera shake.
You will be taking the shots from 2 to 30 sec. so it’s impossible to make it by hand. Sometimes it helps in a heavy wind to lower the tripod closer to the ground and spread the legs to get it more stable.
I´m using Manfrotto 055 PROB tripod in a heavy wind and Manfrotto 190 tripod when it’s less windy. Sometimes I go all the way down to Manfrotto BeFree Compact Travel Carbon Fiber if I have to walk long distances to find the right spot. It all depends on the situation you are in. You actually can use whatever tripod you want, but it has to be stable to get a clear sharp image.

Remotely shutter release – It is advisable to use wireless shutter release if possible to minimize the shake. The disadvantage using shutter release with cable is that it takes on to much wind and the rubber cable becomes solid and stiff in very cold conditions. If you don’t have the wireless one, use the 2 sec self-timer in the camera. I have started to use that more and more with good result.

Replacement batteries – Just to be sure, take with you 2 – 4 fully charged extra batteries (it depends on how long you will be staying on the site). When it’s really cold outside batteries die quickly. I keep them in my pocket as my body heat will keep them “alive” longer. There is nothing more frustrating than to be out of electric when you are at the location and it’s a long way home. (It has happened to me ones, ONLY ONES, believe me).

Camera – Now I’m using Canon EOS 5 MK IV Full frame DSLR camera, but when I started I used EOS 20 and EOS 7D and they produced sharp images as well. A good camera with high ISO capability and good noise filter will do the trick.

Lenses – Since the aurora can cover huge areas of the sky, most photographers use wide angle lenses with fast aperture of f/2,8-f/4. I’m usually using Canon EF 16 – 35 1:2,8 L II USM and Tamron SP 24 – 70 F2,8 USD.

If I tell you the truth I have also used Canon EF 70 – 200 1:2,8 L IS II USM with good result. The problem with the 70 -200 lens is that it’s really heavy so most of the time it stays home or in the car. Yes I’m sometimes lazy.

It really all depends on what you want to get into the shot, what kind of lens you want to use.

Let’s bind this together and how we use this gear

Focusing:

Switch the lens to manual focus.

The Northern lights and stars are far away objects so we can focus at infinity and obtain sharp focus. Most lenses have a ∞ symbol on them which symbolize this focus point.

I have noticed however, when I’m shooting I put it on the ∞ symbol and then I slightly turn it back, just a touch back actually.

Aperture, ISO & Shutter speed:

When I shoot the Northern Lights I want to capture detail. I want to have the fastest shutter speed possible so I put the Aperture to f/2,8 or larger (f2.0, f1.8, f1.4 ) if you have it. The trick is to allow as much amount of light to hit the sensor in the least amount of time, allowing you to keep your ISO at a lowest value to reduce the noise (Higher ISO = more noise in the picture).

I keep it on ISO 800 mostly (Sometimes only need 400) up to ISO 3200 on very dark moonless nights. Those two factors will allow a fast shutter speed, which is absolutely crucial to capturing detail in the aurora. Every aurora show is different, it can move faster one night than the next, so you may need to adjust your exposure times to suit it. But typically anything from 2 to 10 seconds will show you lot of details in the aurora. More than 10/15 seconds and it will start to lose details and start to get blurry, like a fog ore mist in the sky, also if you are using a long shutter speed the stars will start to move and make a trail. When The Aurora is week you might need to use all up to 30 seconds just to get something in your shot.
So the thing is, Aperture on f/2,8 and adjust the ISO so you will have the shutter speed from 2 to maximum 10 seconds (if possible).

Night shooting is similar to day shooting in many ways. Don’t put your camera straight up in the sky unless there is an Aurora explosion. Find a good spot where you have foreground that lead you to the sky with the Aurora so you get some depth in the shot. Reflection from a Lake is Ideal if possible. Sometimes I’m using Graduated filter on the Aurora just to get the foreground lighten up a little bit. I hate it when the foreground is completely black.

RAW or JPEG:

If you want to get the best result, you should shoot in RAW. It gives you the cleanest images and they respond excellently to adjustments in post editing. You can of course shoot in JPEG but you will always run into problems when you start to develop the images.

Other tips:

You can’t use the flash to capture Northern lights but it can be good to use it to take picture of you in front of the Aurora (just to light you up) and then let the camera continue to work for the last 2 – 10 sec to catch the Aurora.

Be patient and be patient and be p. . .

Liked it?

Take a second to support me on Patreon

As a native photographer I feel responsible to leave all I can behind to show how it looked like, with my photography, before it’s too late.

Help Support This Blog

This blog is offered free of advertising and corporate sponsors, but needs your support. Making an income in art and writing is not easy or consistent. If you find these essays useful, please consider showing your appreciation by making a small donation.

116 Comments

Immobilienberater on October 17, 2024 at 12:54

Simply wish to say your article is as amazing. The clearness in your post is simply nice and i can assume you’re an expert on this subject. Well with your permission let me to grab your RSS feed to keep updated with forthcoming post. Thanks a million and please keep up the enjoyable work.
https://bankstreetgrillal.com/ on May 27, 2024 at 19:32

I couldn’t resist commenting. Perfectly written!
Simon W on April 27, 2024 at 15:30

I love how you explained [topic] in such a clear and understandable way
슬롯추천사이트 on April 7, 2024 at 11:36

Thank you for sharing indeed great!
btyr on October 23, 2023 at 18:25

This actually answered my problem, thanks!
Brandyn on May 13, 2023 at 21:01

It’s a pity you don’t have a donate button! I’d most certainly donate to this fantastic blog!
I guess for now i’ll settle for book-marking and adding your RSS
feed to my Google account. I look forward to new updates and will talk about
this blog with my Facebook group. Chat soon!
порно насилие on March 25, 2023 at 10:52

Muchos Gracias for your article.Really thank you! Cool.
Betty on March 19, 2023 at 01:31

you are in reality a good webmaster. The site loading pace is amazing.

It seems that you are doing any unique trick.
Furthermore, The contents are masterpiece. you’ve done a excellent task in this subject!
yoshkatra on January 7, 2023 at 21:07

Muchos Gracias for your article.Really thank you! Cool.
порно дома on December 31, 2022 at 08:49

Muchos Gracias for your article.Really thank you! Cool.
yoshkata on December 30, 2022 at 20:21

I’m extremely pleased to discover this website. I wanted to thank you for ones time just for this fantastic read!
yosh on December 28, 2022 at 15:46

Thanks-a-mundo for the post.Really thank you! Awesome.
florens on May 1, 2022 at 08:19

thank you
christopher on April 29, 2022 at 09:26

An outstanding share!
isabella schofield on April 29, 2022 at 08:08

great work
pamela chiassi on April 27, 2022 at 08:16

Nice blog!
Thanks a lot
kandis batten on April 27, 2022 at 04:49

cool. learned a lot
arleen bodin on April 25, 2022 at 18:46

just like in paradise – happy
william stark on April 23, 2022 at 07:15

I am extremely impressed with your writing skills as well as with the layout and photos.
keep up the nice quality, it’s rare to see.
John Watkin on November 3, 2021 at 17:01

Taanks for sharing. Learned a lot
agen sbobet on August 23, 2021 at 18:45

Greetings from Carolina! I’m bored at work so I decided to
check out your photos as they always make me happy.
Erika on August 21, 2021 at 15:50

Amazing!
http://bandar-sbobet.com/ on March 10, 2021 at 20:55

Great work – Thank you
userbolavip on March 10, 2021 at 18:38

Love how ypu teach
Agen-338a on March 9, 2021 at 12:28

Wow. – Love it
George 98 on January 6, 2020 at 04:13

The information talked about in the article are several of the best readily available.
Gerge Gore on January 4, 2020 at 20:00

Very few sites that take place to be comprehensive below, from our point of view are undoubtedly effectively really worth checking out.
Lorna on December 13, 2019 at 02:59

Thank you admin
Russ Nell on November 14, 2019 at 09:33

I will try it out next time I come to Iceland.
Thank you
Linda Bell on November 13, 2019 at 18:48

Always wanted to learn how to photograph the Northern lights.
Thank you so much for a good article
George Russel on November 13, 2019 at 10:23

Cool stuff. I will share it.
Thanks
Lisa Lionel on November 13, 2019 at 08:39

Nice tips
Thanks
Minella Hansen on November 12, 2019 at 14:23

Hope I can use what I learned
Mona Braund on November 12, 2019 at 14:17

Hi to all, how is everything, I think every one is getting more
from this website, and your views are pleasant designed for new users.
I learned good things about the Northern lights.
Thank you
George Aswell on November 6, 2019 at 09:10

Great Blog. Thanks a million
Luigi Chapple on October 21, 2019 at 20:06

I am really grateful to the holder of this web site who has shared this impressive post.
Sabrina Lanz on October 20, 2019 at 16:44

I must thank you for this site.
Myrtis Andrews on October 20, 2019 at 09:36

Usually I don’t learn post on blogs, but I would like
to say that this write-up very pressured me to take a look at and do it!
Your writing taste has been surprised me. Thank you,
very nice post.
Geri Cobar on October 20, 2019 at 09:19

Great article. See on our next photo tour
=)
Wilhelmina Longshore on October 20, 2019 at 03:31

I know it will be cold up in the Highlands in Iceland so I wanted to prepare me for our tour.
Later
Ivy Salcido on October 20, 2019 at 03:10

when i read this article i thought i could also create comment due to this good piece
of writing.
Grant Stallucp on October 19, 2019 at 21:27

Keep up the superb works Rafn. See on our next trip
Brian Sheed on October 19, 2019 at 19:36

This article is worth everyone’s attention. thank you Rafn
George on October 19, 2019 at 18:48

Just preparing my self for our tour in December. See you soon
Everett Gargett on September 30, 2019 at 06:48

I’m really impressed with your writing skills as well as with the layout
on your weblog. , it’s rare to see a great blog like this one nowadays.
Cortez on September 30, 2019 at 01:22

Your way of telling the whole thing in this article is truly pleasant, every
one can learn from it, Thanks
a lot.
Marian on September 29, 2019 at 22:26

Oh my goodness! Incredible article dude! Many thanks
Diana on September 23, 2019 at 23:34

Keep up the superb work, I read few blog posts on this internet site and I conceive that your blog is
really interesting and holds circles of wonderful info.
Boyd Larena on September 18, 2019 at 21:52

Good post.
I highlyrate super stuff. 🙂
Tawanna on September 15, 2019 at 10:34

I am really impressed with your writing skills and also with the layout on your
blog.

Thank you for showing me how to photograph the Northern Lights
Stevie Dow on September 13, 2019 at 02:22

I’m certainly happy I stumbled upon your Northern light article and I’ll be bookmarking
it and checking on the others!
Thanks
Chasma on September 12, 2019 at 23:58

Great article.
Cyrus on September 12, 2019 at 19:48

Hello mates, fastidious article.
Thank you
Shella Mickey on September 12, 2019 at 17:03

Good day! This is my first comment here so I just wanted
to give a quick shout out and tell you I really enjoy reading your
Northern Light posts.
Thank you so much!
Salina on September 11, 2019 at 22:01

You are incredible!
Just what I needed.
I will be in Iceland next December.
Thanks!
Kerstin Nielsen on August 28, 2019 at 17:45

Love your article.
THanks
Trewvor Tarr on August 27, 2019 at 14:20

If some one needs expert view about blogging and site-building
after that i advise him/her to go to see this web site, Keep up the fastidious job.
Grant Stallucp on August 25, 2019 at 19:29

No w I only need to come to Iceland and follow up my Northern Light skills.
Thank you
Rosalin Eramon on August 22, 2019 at 07:12

I am reading this enormous post to improve my knowledge of the Northern lights and it’s working.
Thanks man
Loren Canady on August 21, 2019 at 07:32

Very good post. I’m dealing with a few of these issues
userbola.com on August 18, 2019 at 05:52

Very soon this web page will be famous due to
it’s fastidious articles.
Thanks
Karol on August 17, 2019 at 11:44

Thank you
Bernard Meyer on August 17, 2019 at 03:49

Your mode of explaining all in this paragraph is truly pleasant,
Thank you.
Maisie Ludwig on August 16, 2019 at 15:24

Amazing blog!
Luca on August 16, 2019 at 14:22

Great article
Thank you
Shanon Dunrossil on August 16, 2019 at 12:52

Its like you read my mind!
You seem to know a lot about Northern light photogrphy,
I will certainly be back.
mabosbet.com on August 16, 2019 at 11:37

You are incredible!
THank you for your information.
Thanks!
Jeramy on August 16, 2019 at 11:32

Hi there, I check your blog daily. Your writing style
is awesome, keep it up!
Carsons Olberg on August 16, 2019 at 10:27

This page really has all the information and facts I needed to know about Northern light photography.
Thank you so much
Kasy Huffman on August 16, 2019 at 06:55

Ok cool article.
best regards
Fredric Leund on August 16, 2019 at 03:43

Great post.
Thanks
Leila on August 15, 2019 at 18:48

Hello, after reading this great articl I think I can shoot the Northern lights now.
Thanks
Kristopher Blum on August 15, 2019 at 18:12

Good article. I certainly love this site. Continue the good work!
Leopold Obarraza on August 15, 2019 at 15:16

Your writing style is awesome, keep it up!
Sosby on August 15, 2019 at 14:32

You absolutely come with fabulous articles. Cheers for sharing your web site.
Andrea Pederson on August 15, 2019 at 06:03

Useful info about Northernlight photographing.
Thank you
Cristal on August 15, 2019 at 02:17

Wonderful work!
God bless you
Mesilsa Chardt on August 14, 2019 at 07:58

Best blog about Northernlight that I have seen
Thank you so much
Keep up the good work
Aguede on August 14, 2019 at 05:28

This info is priceless. Thank you
Victoria Arrowood on August 10, 2019 at 21:46

Hello there! This article couldn’t be written any better!
I Will try it out next I come to Iceland
Regards
Vicente on August 7, 2019 at 23:17

Just wanna input on few general things, The website layout is perfect, the articles is very superb : D.
Jolie Hubert on August 6, 2019 at 14:27

Good day! This Northern Lights post couldn’t be written any better!

Thank you for sharing!
Kerrie Brookfield on August 3, 2019 at 02:04

Love how you are writing about Northern Lights photography.
Thank you
Courtney West on August 1, 2019 at 08:06

Hi, I do think this is a great website. I stumbledupon it
😉 I’m going to revisit yet again since I saved as a favorite it.
Valentina Mendenhall on July 31, 2019 at 22:38

Hey there! Would you mind if I share your blog with my facebook group?
There’s a lot of people that I think would really learn to photograph the Northern Lights
Please let me know. Thank you
* No problem
Karen Gibbs on July 31, 2019 at 21:42

I will try it out next time I’m in Iceland
Thanks
Desmond on July 30, 2019 at 18:51

Thanks for the good writeup.
I will be back
Sheree Cooksey on July 27, 2019 at 05:06

this website gives quality based articles.
Thank you
Britnay Culbertson on July 27, 2019 at 04:54

Thank you,
Eve Mullings on July 26, 2019 at 15:22

Good post. I learn something totally new and challenging on sites I stumbleupon every day.
Thanks
Tyrone on July 26, 2019 at 13:48

God Bless you man.
Great article of the Northern Lights
Have a great day.

Bye
Kathlene Merker on July 26, 2019 at 13:33

Excellent weblog
Beulah on July 26, 2019 at 13:32

thanks for the information!
Buddy on July 26, 2019 at 12:45

Thanks for one’s marvelous posting! I definitely enjoyed reading it.
I will always bookmark your blog and definitely will come back someday.
I want to encourage that you continue your great
writing, have a nice morning!
Frederick Hodson on July 26, 2019 at 12:38

The contents are masterpiece. you have performed a great
job.
Thank you
Darla Unger on July 26, 2019 at 12:22

I found my mistakes and Im thanksfull to you
Regards
Rash Adler on July 26, 2019 at 12:07

This was a great help.
I’l try it out next time im in Iceland
Tamela Beatty on July 26, 2019 at 11:31

whoah this weblog is great i love reading your posts.
Keep up the good work! You understand, a lot of persons are looking around for
this info, you could help them greatly.
Jina on July 26, 2019 at 11:27

Great article and Help
THANKS MAN
Theresa Rams on July 26, 2019 at 11:19

Best article I have found on Northern lights.
THanks
Rolando Sc on July 26, 2019 at 11:12

Thanks for sharing your thoughts
Regards
Rizvi on July 5, 2019 at 03:17

Hi, google lead me here.
Great artickle – keep up great work.
Pedro Arthur on June 18, 2019 at 22:34

THank you for the nice article.
stephen fatnowna on June 15, 2019 at 16:40

Personally, if all site owners and bloggers
made excellent content as you did, the net can be a lot more helpful than ever before.
Kurijan on June 12, 2019 at 18:02

I truly enjoy looking through on this web site , it holds superb content .
John Moore on June 11, 2019 at 10:00

I really enjoy examining on this website , it has got cool content .
THank you for this great article
Maddison Snider on June 8, 2019 at 00:34

I think this is among the most vital info for me.

And i’m glad reading your article. But want to remark on few general things, The
site style is perfect, the articles is really excellent : D.

Good job, cheers
S.H. Wab on June 5, 2019 at 13:55

This is a excellent blog, would you be involved in doing an interview about just how you designed it? If so e-mail me!
Lorri Herbert on May 26, 2019 at 07:56

THank you for a good blog
Reggie Chan on May 25, 2019 at 09:09

Pretty nice post. I just stumbled upon your weblog and wished
to say that I’ve truly enjoyed surfing around your blog posts.

In any case I will be subscribing to your feed and I hope you write again soon!
Connie Streit on May 22, 2019 at 21:02

Very quickly this site will be famous among all blogging
and site-building visitors, due to it’s good articles
Leandra Mattingly on May 13, 2019 at 23:24

That is very interesting, You’re an excessively skilled
blogger. I have joined your feed and look forward to searching for extra of your
fantastic post. Additionally, I’ve shared your site in my social networks
Rocasea on April 21, 2019 at 04:49

Looks realy great! Thanks for the post.
Ryder Keeling on February 19, 2019 at 02:21

Thank you for a nice blog. Loved it.
Yetta on February 13, 2019 at 20:41

Greetings! Very helpful advice within this post!
It’s the little changes which will make the largest changes.
Many thanks for sharing!
John Darer on February 5, 2019 at 07:30

Keep оn working, great job!