8 easy steps – How to capture Aurora?

Photography is letting light enter the camera, says Juha Tolonen, teacher of photography and entrepreneur in the tourism sector in Levi.

He knows how to capture the Aurora Borealis.

Capturing Aurora

1 – Go to an open, dark area. The best place to photograph the Northern Lights is overlooking a lake and the entire northern sky.

 2 – Mount the camera on a tripod and use manual settings.

 3 – Choose ISO 1600–3200. If the Northern Lights are really bright, ISO 400 will be sufficient. 

4 – Attach the focus ring with duct tape making sure the focus is about twenty metres ahead. 

5 – Choose the maximum aperture i.e. the smallest number, for example 2.8. 

6 – Test suitable shutter speed: often it is between 5 and 30 seconds depending on the brightness of the phenomena – the brighter, the shorter the time needed. 

7 – A remote shutter release is practical. You won't freeze your hands off and you can take a selfie in front of the Aurora Borealis.

8 – Enjoy! And remember to keep clicking the remote. 

In Levi, the Northern Lights season lasts about 7 months. During autumn you can see dual Northern Lights as the water reflects the lights.