HOW TO SHOOT THE NORTHERN LIGHTS IN 6 EASY STEPS

1 CHECK THE WEATHER

Especially in the UK, the weather can be unpredictable, with the Jet Stream coming across the Atlantic. So make sure to regularly check weather updates on the day before the shoot. Also, make sure you have the right clothing and kit for the conditions.

2 AURORA FORECAST

This is your best chance of predicting when the aurora will be visible. Once you have a potential ‘strong substorm’, check the likelihood of clear skies. At lower latitudes, the aurora is visible for shorter periods of time, so be prepared and check the Aurora app regularly for updates.

3 USE A TRIPOD

A sturdy tripod is an essential piece of kit for astrophotography. With the longer exposure times, you want to avoid as much potential for camera shake as possible, so make sure to use a firm tripod when setting up your composition, and fire the shutter with a remote release.

4 USE A WIDE LENS

Use a wide lens to let as much light as possible into your camera – an aperture of around f/2.8 is optimal. This, combined with your shutter speed, should be sufficient to capture the auroral arc, curtains and pillars in your image.

5 ISO SENSITIVITY

This is crucial for capturing images of the aurora. Your latitude will determine how visible the aurora is and what ISO values you use. Start with a minimum ISO of 1000, and push your settings as far as they can go without creating too much noise amplification.

6 SHUTTER SPEED

Finally, experiment with the shutter speed. Shorter exposures of two seconds may be adequate depending on your aperture and ISO settings, but the key to a good shot is getting the balance of all three right and creating a clean signal-to-noise ratio.