WHAT A SHOT!

Hong Kong-based travel photographer Callaghan Walsh knows how to take an award-winning photograph. Here are his top tips for capturing the Northern Lights with your camera

GET CLOSE

To see the Northern Lights at their best, you need to be as close as possible to the North Pole—in winter. Which means bare hands are a no-no. I’d suggest two pairs of gloves, thin ones for the actual shooting and thick mittens for all the waiting around. And get a head torch for changing lenses.

STEADY DOES IT

Pack a tripod. When you shoot a natural phenomenon like this, even the smallest movement will blur the shot.

OPEN WIDE

Take a shutter-release cable or wireless trigger so you can keep the shutter open as long as you need.

PUT IT IN PERSPECTIVE

When shooting the Northern Lights, the usual rules of good photography apply: spend some time considering composition. Always get a slither of landscape into the image to keep it in perspective, as the contrast between the land and sky will make it seem even more otherworldly. I’d suggest one-third land, two-thirds sky.

TAKE IT ALL IN

Don’t forget to put your camera down for a while so you can enjoy the incredible show nature is putting on without a camera lens in the way.