I’ll be traveling soon and hope to see the northern lights. I have an iPhone and I want to know the best way to take photos of them. Can anyone share tips or techniques for capturing good shots? I’ve heard it can be tricky due to low light.
So you want to photograph the northern lights with your iPhone, huh? Here’s the deal—you’re up against one of nature’s most unpredictable spectacles combined with a phone camera that’s great for brunch pics but not exactly meant for astrophotography. Still, it’s doable with some effort. Buckle up, here’s the list:
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Use a tripod. Seriously, your hands are too shaky for this. Even the tiniest movement will ruin your shot. Get a cheap phone tripod or stabilize it on a rock, or your backpack—anything sturdy.
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Adjust camera settings. Download a decent manual camera app (like Halide or ProCamera). The default Camera app won’t cut it. What you need to fiddle with:
- Shutter speed: 10-25 seconds
- ISO: Set it around 800-1600 (higher can get too noisy)
- Focus: Lock it to infinity
- Pro tip: Shoot in RAW format if the app allows. It gives you more options to edit later.
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Night mode? Maybe. If you’re using a newer iPhone (like 12 or later), Night Mode could actually help, though it’s auto-adjusted, and you don’t have much control. Test both Night Mode and your manual app to see which delivers better results.
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Find a dark location. Light pollution is your enemy. Get FAR away from cities, streetlights, and anything brighter than your phone screen.
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Patience is key. Exposure times are long, and you’ll be tweaking settings constantly. Oh, and the auroras aren’t always dense and colorful—you might just see faint green clouds unless they’re real strong that night.
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Dress warm, obviously. You’ll be outside for a while. Frozen fingers = bad photography.
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Edit later. Your raw images will look bleh straight out of the phone. Process them in editing apps like Lightroom to bring out the natural glow and colors.
All that said, don’t get hung up on getting “the perfect shot.” The northern lights don’t exist for Instagram, and half the joy is just standing there being amazed they even exist. If the pics turn out meh, you’ve still got the memory, right?
Honestly, if you’re expecting pro-level shots of the northern lights on an iPhone, you might need to recalibrate those expectations. While @codecrafter gave you a solid step-by-step, there are a few alternative approaches or tweaks to consider if you’re really serious about this.
Firstly, ditch the idea of a manual app if it becomes too technical to handle—try apps like NightCap instead. It’s less intimidating than, say, Halide, and it’s designed specifically for low-light photography. Also, instead of stressing about RAW, just focus on nailing your settings. Editing can only do so much if your shot’s a mess to begin with.
Next, let’s semi-disagree with the tripod suggestion for a sec. While a proper tripod is ideal, it’s not always practical if you’re traveling light. A beanbag or even stacking some rocks for stability works in a pinch. Just make sure your phone is 100% still.
Another thing people forget—clouds. If it’s a cloudy night, calling it quits is probably your best bet. No amount of skill or camera settings can pierce through stratus overkill. Apps like My Aurora Forecast can help predict visibility and weather conditions around the northern lights.
And let’s talk composition. Don’t focus just on the sky. Including some ground elements like trees, mountains, or even your bundled-up silhouette makes the photo way more interesting. A glowing sky by itself can look flat.
Lastly, remember your own eyes are better than any iPhone camera. No offense to Apple’s engineers, but your takeaway shouldn’t solely rely on the pics. So soak it in, breathe, maybe even forget about the phone for a solid few minutes. The experience is the real memory card here.
Let me throw my two cents in here. First off, photographing the northern lights with an iPhone is both a challenge and an opportunity to geek out on camera settings and creativity. That said, I’m going to offer a few angles that slightly diverge from @waldgeist and @codecrafter’s advice while still keeping it practical.
1. Forget the 10+ second shutter speed myth for beginners. Why? The northern lights can move faster than you think, and a super-long exposure risks turning them into an indistinct blur rather than capturing those crisp streaks of light. Stick to 3–10 seconds if the lights are active and dancing.
2. Try stacking images. Instead of relying on a single exposure, you can shoot multiple images (shorter exposures!) and combine them later using stacking software. This cuts down noise without losing too many details. Sure, it sounds nerdy, but the results are worth it.
3. iPhone hacks? Close, but not magic. Newer iPhones like the iPhone 14 Pro Max excel in computational photography, but they can’t rival DSLRs or mirrorless cameras here. That’s okay! Use the NightCap app for an easy way to optimize exposure and focus—even better for non-techies than apps like Halide.
4. Light trails with filters. Call me crazy, but try using a gradient ND filter or a soft diffuser in front of your lens during the shot to emphasize the aurora’s movement while retaining background clarity. It’s unconventional but opens up a new artistic layer.
5. Layer storytelling into your composition. A photo of just the aurora is cool… for two seconds. Frame it against water reflections, a cozy cabin, or even your shadow. The key here is narrative—convince people you were actually there enjoying it.
6. Accept imperfection…but embrace creativity. Unlike @waldgeist’s emphasis on stabilization (he’s not wrong, but maybe “pro-tripod” is overrated), consider hand-held shots when the aurora is faint and less photogenic. Pan slowly—deliberate motion blur can sometimes paint the scene in unexpected ways.
Lastly, while apps like My Aurora Forecast are useful, don’t trust them blindly. Conditions can change on a dime, so always scout out locations in advance. And trust me, capturing northern lights is thrilling, but don’t let chasing the shot rob you of that cosmic magic happening overhead.
Oh, and the disadvantage of using an iPhone here? You’ll miss some dynamic range and clarity compared to DSLRs. But the pro? Unbeatable portability, which matters when you’re squeezing through rocky terrains or freezing tundras. Just balance your expectations—this is less about capturing textbook-perfect shots and more about immortalizing the moment your way.