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Articles Photo Techniques Auroral photography: A guide to capturing the ...

Auroral photography: A guide to capturing theNorthern LightsBy Ben Hattenbach | Published Oct 12, 2011 | Photo Techniques Previous page 1/2 Next page

Tagged with: aurora cold-weather northern-lights wilderness-photography

If you've ever been interested in aurora photography, now is a great time to get out there and give it a try.Here's why:

The activity of our sun (the cause of aurorae here on Earth) ebbs and flows in eleven year cycles. Thepeak of the current solar cycle - an apex of auroral activity - will occur around 2013.

Revolutionary improvements in imaging technology have been made since the last solar cycle. We haveprogressed from film to an age of digital image sensors which offer far greater sensitivity andresolution, along with real time feedback and less noise.

Our ability to predict the timing and intensity of aurorae has been enhanced considerably with thelaunch of the Solar & Heliospheric Observatory, the product of a collaboration between the EuropeanSpace Agency and NASA.

In the next few years we will enjoy sensational aurorae, advance notice of their arrival, and the equipment

necessary to capture them as never before. Even armed with all of these advantages, however, the auroraeare not going to put themselves on your memory cards. That's something you'll have to do yourself, and it canbe a struggle.

This article provides ten suggestions that, if followed, will improve your odds of emerging from that strugglewith some exceptional imagery. This article consists of two pages - the first page deals with how to find anaurora and equip yourself to capture it properly, and page 2 will guide you through the remainder of theprocess, including camera settings, composition and advanced topics.

1. Know Your SubjectLets begin by getting to know the aurora. According to my friend, astrophysicist Dr. Henry Throop, the aurorawas thought at one time to be caused by ices suspended high above the Earths coldest, darkest regions. Wenow know that the aurora is actually an electrical phenomenon, caused by interactions between the solar windand the Earths upper atmosphere. The sun emits massless photons that we see as light, but also emits out areal, physical, tangible wind of particles which moves at several hundred kilometers per second.

When this wind reaches the Earth, it begins a process that ends by exciting gasses in the Earths atmosphere,eventually leading to the emission of light. And just as a true neon light only comes in one color (red), thecolors of the aurora are limited too: green and red caused by oxygen, with the fainter blue and purple causedby nitrogen. Unlike the wispy shapes of the aurora, its colors are narrow and precise.

Just like stars, the aurora is present during the day and the night, though during the day it is overwhelmed bythe brightness of the sky. As the sun sets, it starts to become visible, being brightest near midnight when theorientation of the Earths magnetic field and the solar wind cause it to be strongest. The aurora is seen mostlyin a ring centered roughly around the poles, where the solar wind is focused most intensely by the Earthsmagnetic field.

If the Earth had no magnetic field, wed still have an aurora, but it would be weaker and more flat across thesky: a dull glow seen in every direction. A planet like Jupiter with a stronger magnetic field has a comparablymore intense aurora, while Mercury - having neither an atmosphere nor magnetic field - has no aurora at all.

A terrestrial wind passing across the continents creates an unsettled display of turbulence and eddies, whichwe see in the form of dynamic cloud patterns, vortices, weather, and storms. In much the same way, the solarwind crossing the Earths magnetic field makes visible to us the turbulence of space: the vortices and eddies of

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magnetic fields peel off and pass rapidly overhead.

Even though - like wind - the magnetic fields themselves are invisible to us, we can see it through its tracers:charged particles. As the aurora moves in the sky overhead, the ripples in it are like the wakes and eddiespeeling off a boat as at travels up a rough river at night, working at times with, at time against, the currentand forcing whats there out of the way.

2. Timing Is Everything

Now that you know what youre chasing, when should you expect to actually see your quarry? Sadly there isno easy answer to that question. Here are some notes to consider, as you prepare for the hunt:

Aurorae are caused by Earth-directed coronal mass ejections. Those ejections often come from solarflares associated with sunspots, or originate from coronal holes on the sun. The sun rotates around intoan Earth-facing position roughly every 27 days, meaning that at least on a short term basis there is anelement of a 27 day cycle to geoeffective emissions.

There is an annual cycle that results in disproportionately high numbers of aurorae in the weeks oneither side of the spring and fall equinoxes.

There is an 11-year solar cycle (the 'Schwabe cycle') during which the activity of the sun rises and falls.The number of sunspots tends to track this cycle, resulting in prevalent aurorae around the peak of thiscycle. Oddly enough, though, coronal holes are most common about three years after the sunspotmaximum, resulting in large numbers of aurorae also appearing about three years after the peak of theSchwabe cycle.

There are also much longer solar cycles stacked on top of these shorter ones, including cycles withperiods of 22 years (the 'Hale cycle'), 87 years (the 'Gleissberg cycle'), 210 years (the 'Suess cycle')and 2,300 years (the 'Hallstatt cycle'). Most of us wont be around for more than a few of these,

though, so there is little sense letting them drive our planning.

The weather on Earth is another important factor. If the sky is cloudy, it doesn't matter what's goingon above the cloud layer - you won't see it. In much of the arctic, the skies tend to be clearer in latewinter and early spring than in fall.

Ambient light is another critical issue. In the high arctic, excessive sunlight will overwhelm any auroraeduring summer and the surrounding months. The moon is another source of ambient light that must beconsidered. A partial moon may helpfully illuminate the surrounding countryside, avoiding thesilhouette effect common in aurora photographs. I usually prefer about a quarter to a half of a moonwhen Im including landscape in a photograph and want it to be illuminated. Anything approaching afull moon, however, can make it quite difficult even to see, much less photograph, ordinary aurorae.

Fortunately, the modern auroral photographer can take advantage of a lot of 'real time' information andanalysis of so-called 'space weather', freely available online. Resources I recommend include:

The most informative space weather related information on the net, in my view iswww.spaceweather.com.

An alternative presentation of similar information is available from the Space Weather PredictionCenter.

Good short-term auroral predictions for Alaska are available on the University of Alaska website.

iPhone and iPad applications 'LightTrac' and 'Darkness,' which provide location-based data regardingsun and moon rise/set.


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Further information on solar cycles is available on Wikipedia.

3. Location, Location, Location

Photographers in search of exceptional aurora imagery will generally need to travel a significant distance. Thisis because aurorae form in oval rings that, roughly speaking, circle the magnetic north pole (the 'auroraborealis') and magnetic south pole (the 'aurora australis'). When observed from far away, these rings willappear as a faint glow on the horizon. When viewed from the arctic or antarctic, however, even an ordinaryaurora will often appear directly overhead.

Overhead aurorae tend to be more photogenic, clearer and brighter because of reduced atmosphericinterference, and will more effectively illuminate the foreground. Auroral displays over snow, for instance, willgenerally cause the snow to take on the coloration of the aurora. In comparison, when an aurora is low on thehorizon, the foreground will often appear as a less-interesting silhouette.

In addition to finding a location remote from the equator, youll want to situate yourself far away from citylights, airports, and other sources of light pollution. To give you a quantitative sense of what this means, whenphotographing around Fairbanks, Alaska (population under 100,000, counting the surrounding boroughs), Iprefer to be at least 30 to 40 miles out of town. The farther, the better. Even from 100 miles into the bush, myphotos will occasionally still show a faint orange glow on the horizon.Here are a few popular spots:

Central and Northern Alaska: Relatively easy access from most of the United States, via Fairbanks.Hundreds of miles of beautiful mountain scenery, with year-round road access. The best locations, inmy opinion, are along the Dalton Highway north of Coldfoot.

Iceland: Astoundingly beautiful landscapes abound, and unfrozen water suitable for reflections is

abundant, even in winter. Frequently overcast, but still one of the worlds most wonderful countries tovisit. However, travel from most places outside of Europe can be time-consuming, and staying inIceland can be very costly.Yellowknife, Canada: Well-situated in the auroral belt, but most photos from Yellowknife seem tofeature flat fields of snow with pine forests.

Greenland: At the time of writing Greenland is quite difficult to reach directly from the United States ormost other countries, unless youre a world-class swimmer. There's no road system, but Greenland is asuperb place to snowshoe around in the dark, searching for aurorae. Greenland isn't for the faint ofheart though - think twice before wandering around in the dark, searching for aurorae in a land filledwith polar bears.

Troms, Norway: A very long trip from North America, not even counting the time required to find the'' on your computer when booking the flight. This location offers picturesque mountains and water inwhich auroral reflections regularly appear, but you might struggle to completely exclude the glow oftown and city lights from your photographs.

Antarctica: Exotic, and one of few locations where one can photograph the aurora while huddling forwarmth with a colony of emperor penguins. Unfortunately, unless youre a scientist overwintering at aresearch station, its virtually impossible to access the continent when aurora are most prevalent.

As Im based on the west coast of the United States, northern Alaska has become my preferred location foraurora photography.


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4. Gear Up For Battle

When photographers are asked how they managed to achieve a certain result, they will usually point to theirown artistic proficiency, not the capability of their tools. 'Its the photographer, not the camera,' is the common

refrain. There are, of course, elements of artistry in aurora photography as well. However, the importance ofgood quality equipment cannot be overstated. Aurora photography does not require the most expensive kitavailable; it requires gear that can capture broad views, in low light, in cold weather. You will need:

A camera body that excels with clean high-ISO operation. There are a number of new bodies in recentyears that meet these criteria well, and which have enabled revolutionary advances in the field ofaurora photography. Weather-sealing is a definite plus, although not a necessity.

A wide, fast lens. On a full frame camera, a focal length of 24mm or less is desirable but the wider,the better, in my experience. Ideally the lens will be able to shoot sharp pictures with minimalvignetting at a maximum aperture of f 2.8 or less, as youll want to keep your exposures short. All elsebeing equal, your exposure will be inversely proportional to the square of your aperture, meaning thata lens at f 2.8 will need four times as long to capture an image as at f 1.4. Currently, my favorite lensfor this purpose is Nikons AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm f 2.8G ED.

A sturdy tripod, and a remote shutter release (or, at a pinch, your camera's self-timer function). Dontbother leaving home without them. Theyre essential for aurora photography. A robust ballhead is alsoextremely useful.

Gearing up for winter photography, at night, in the arctic, necessitates psychological preparation as well. Ifyou want to get the most out of your journey, youll need to be prepared to be awake and working most of thenight.

5. Brace Yourself For A Chilly Reception


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Aurorae just dont seem to enjoy the warmth of the tropics or the glow of the midnight sun during summer.Youll need to play on their home turf, during the dark months. That means planning to spend hours on end,standing around outside at night, quite possibly in extreme cold, and probably a long way from home.

Clothing: be sure youre dressed for the occasion. This is not a party youll want to attend in a mini-skirt. Forwinter aurora photography Ive settled on a down-filled mountaineering suit (the Mountain Hardwear AbsoluteZero), winter boots rated to -40 degrees F (the Sorel Caribou Reserve), multiple pairs of long thermalunderwear (Under Armour ColdGear Base 3.0, both top and bottom), and a wind-proof cap (by MountainHardwear).

For the hands, youll want gloves thick enough to keep you warm, but thin enough to allow you to operateyour camera. Personally I prefer to forgo gloves and keep my hands in warm pockets between shots. Most ofthe time it works fine. If youre averse to occasional frostbite, try a different approach.

Batteries: The temperatures of the far north take an enormous toll on battery life. My camera batteries lastaround 1,500 actuations in normal conditions, but in the arctic winter have become exhausted after as few as25 frames. The conventional cold weather advice is to keep your battery warm by storing it in a jacket pocketwhile not in use, but that is not an adequate solution under extreme arctic conditions. I recommend bringingmultiple batteries and a charger, and rotating the batteries through the charging station when theyre not inuse. If your aurora photography will take you far from the nearest well-stocked camera store, consider alsobringing backups for any other 'mission critical' elements of your system.

Tripods: Carbon fiber tripods are just wonderful. Theyre light, and in cold weather can be carried withoutchilling your hands as much as metal would. In frigid temperatures, however, both the carbon fiber legs andthe adhesive used to connect then to your tripod base can become brittle. Exerting substantial pressure onyour tripod, particularly when its legs are buried in deep snow, can easily result in the amputation of a leg. Ifyoud prefer not to find yourself hundreds of miles from civilization, with only a 'dipod' for support, beparticularly cautious when planting your gear in deep snow.

Cameras and lenses: As noted above, weather-sealing is preferable. In part, this is to help preventcondensation from forming inside your equipment, when you move from an exceptionally cold environment

(e.g., shooting outside) to a much warmer space (e.g., into a heated car). Particularly for non-weather-sealedequipment, including most medium format cameras and lenses, it is essential that the cold-to-warm transitionbe made gradually. It only takes one misstep to generate trip-ending amounts of condensation inside yourlenses or sensor. To help slow the transition, I transfer my equipment to a camera bag that has also beenoutside, and only after sealing the bag do I move the bag and its contents into a warmer space. The camera isthen allowed to heat up, slowly and safely, within the bag. For even better protection, consider placing yourequipment in an airtight enclosure, such as a Ziploc bag, during the thawing process.

Safety gear: If youre headed to the far north during winter you should, of course, also read up on how totravel safely in cold, icy climates. When travelling in northern Alaska between November and March, Ill usuallybring extra fuel, chemical additives to prevent the fuel from freezing, an oversupply of food (including foodthat will be palatable when frozen), a cold weather sleeping bag (rated to -25 degrees F), jumper cables and atow rope with which a vehicle could be rescued after sliding off of an icy road. My tow rope has paid for itselfon multiple occasions.

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81Like

By Earthlight (Nov 22, 2011 at 15:30:40 GMT) LIKE 1


12 25/12/2011 12:36


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Thanks for the nice article. If only all Dpreview articles were of thisquality.

I do quite a bit of celestial photography here in high latitudes and myrecommendation is an aluminum tripod with foam covered legs. I alsorefuse to leave home without a thermos flask full of hot drink.

By NikonD3sUser (Nov 17, 2011 at 17:52:58 GMT)

http://www.photopark.ca/Fun/Aurora-2011/19724169_8sKvsV#1549941004_wkgJVNz

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By Umbris (Nov 17, 2011 at 00:55:04 GMT)

Thanks for the very informative article and inspiring photos. I plan totravel to Fairbanks, Alaska in March of next year to try to capture someof my own Aurora shots. I really look forward to skies without lightpollution also. Something I haven't seen since I was a child, living on afarm in central Washington (state).

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By Maraya (Nov 7, 2011 at 15:46:33 GMT)

http://vimeo.com/21419634Here is an excellent video of aurora in Norway

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By DanCee (Nov 3, 2011 at 15:26:28 GMT)

Very good article and detailed. Thanks for sharing!

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By fdxx (Oct 30, 2011 at 22:46:56 GMT)

Very good article,thanks for sharing your experience and expertise.

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By gvtran (Oct 25, 2011 at 19:07:04 GMT)

Excellent article! very education. Thanks

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By photographynamkhanh (Oct 24, 2011 at 03:29:08 GMT)

p qu.

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By Jan Privat (Oct 18, 2011 at 11:17:47 GMT)

Very good article! Do you offer aurora shooting trips? ;-)

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By PixLvr_Sanan (Oct 18, 2011 at 09:49:53 GMT)

Hello Ben,I was wondering if you could provide us with details on "Astralphotography" too.Also, though this article sounds great, but I think I won't be able toactually execute it since I'm based in India, and there's no info. aboutmy country herein, as to examples of favourable places.

Yes, I can Google it up, but obviously, I won't regard that as authentic;and though I get the idea to travel farther away from the city lights, Iwant to know, whether these (or astral) photography can be effectivelycaptured from the terrace of our homes (Yea, I know that it wouldn't bea great idea, but my parents won't let me go anywhere just like that,and that too, for PHOTOGRAPHY !)Anyways, waiting for your reply :))AWESOME article, once again, and Thanks whole LOADS :))))

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By Golferbetrue (Oct 17, 2011 at 17:48:39 GMT)

Great to share with every photographer who appreciates space/ naturephotography! Best of Wishes always!

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By KaiserAng (Oct 17, 2011 at 06:06:10 GMT)

An excellent read, I must say this is the kind of article I've been lookingfor for a long time.

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By ChipTz (Oct 16, 2011 at 20:57:39 GMT)

Excellent article, the best I read here so far!

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By Ben Hattenbach (Oct 16, 2011 at 16:44:44 GMT)

Boorrris- you raise a good question about the 24 f/1.4. I have both thatlens and the 14-24, but strongly prefer the 14-24 when I'm in a locationwith arourae regularly appearing overhead (such as Iceland, whereyou're going). If you want to include some foreground as well as a largeportion of the sky, a 14mm field of view makes an enormous difference

-- one that more than compensates for its narrower aperture, in myopinion.

When the aurora can be seen significantly south of the arctic (e.g., inMinnesota, or even Mexico, where it reportedly appeared in 1859!), itwill more often be hovering near the horizon. In those situations, a24mm view may work better from a compositional perspective and thewider aperature of the prime would be a plus.

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By eagle_I (Oct 16, 2011 at 15:36:27 GMT)

Images of the Northern Lights have always captivated me. Even with nochance of ever experiencing or photographing them I very muchenjoyed your well written article. And the photos .... WOW! Thanks somuch for the best I've ever seen!

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By yuyucheu (Oct 16, 2011 at 10:02:21 GMT)

very nice auroral photos. I realy want to go to north to having looks.

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By Booorrris (Oct 16, 2011 at 09:55:08 GMT)

Very nice article.

I plan to go to Iceland near next Spring Equinoxe and hope to see someaurora.I need a fast wide lens. The article cites the Nikkor 14-24 f/2.8.Has anyone tried the new 24 f/1.4 for aurora photography ?

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By fred schumacher (Oct 15, 2011 at 14:16:29 GMT)

You don't have to go so far. Northern Minnesota, western Ontario andManitoba are straight south of the magnetic north pole. I've gottenexcellent northern lights photos off the deck of my house in the "bush"near Orr, MN, where there are few people and few lights.

For equipment, a manual Olympus OM-1 with a 21mm f2 Zuiko does thetrick. No batteries to worry about in the 40 below weather. It alwaysworks. No muss, no fuss, and cheap.

Having no indoor toilet and having to go to the outhouse is a great aidin getting northern lights shots. It gets you outside at night. By the way,Highway 11 along the south side of the Rainy River is called the Underthe Dancing Sky Highway in honor of the northern lights.

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By Road Lice (Oct 14, 2011 at 17:10:08 GMT)

Re: Frozen batteries

I do not travel with a car to warm batteries. My photo safaris consist ofbeing outdoors for days at a time. I hit a pocket of air south ofYellowknife that went below the lowest capability of my thermometer(-50C). My camera batteries stopped working and it was a beautifulclear evening due to the cold temperatures. I have not come up with abattery solution. The only thing I can think of is wiring up some kind ofcontraption to make the camera use disposable lithium batteries (whichwork in cold temperatures).

Yes you can store batteries in a vest under your jacket but at -40 theyfreeze the instant you put them in the camera.

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By Bronze Age Man (Oct 14, 2011 at 14:12:21 GMT)

Well written article, very informative. Working in the Canadian northI've seen them frequently. Keeping the camera warm is an issue. I'vehad batteries die forever at -40C.Sadly most people never even see a real night sky, it is spectacular!A small but thick polystyrene box with warm packs will keep the camerawarm until you see the aurora, better than the humid inside of yourparka.

A quick release head is essential, one you can operate with gloves.Fleece liner with winter mit works well.

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12 25/12/2011 12:36


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Few Canadians have northern clothing! If you can't borrow the rightstuff it gets very expensive. -100F boots are a real joy!

By JPnyc (Oct 14, 2011 at 12:58:05 GMT)

... oh, now i see where the better comments are ... why are there 2'comments' sections though?

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By Ipsofoto (Oct 14, 2011 at 09:36:03 GMT)

x

Comment edited 1 minute after posting

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By mazzy80 (Oct 14, 2011 at 09:28:37 GMT)

For DX Kits, the single best len out of there is for sure the tokina 11-16F/2.8 by far.It's very sharp even wide-open, the vignetting is a problem only at11-12, but you can easy correct it after; and the corner sharpness isn'ta big deal in the night with a moving target.For long exposure the difference between F/2.8 Vs F/4 is huge, it costyou 10-15 secs (you really want keep the time under 15 sec) or a stepup from at least 800-1600 ISO with more noise less dynamic range.

Comment edited 3 times, last edit 11 minutes after posting

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By RHJ (Oct 14, 2011 at 03:50:24 GMT)

Canadian aurora borialis photographer Zoltan Kenwell has taken someexcellent images.

If you are interested in this type of photograpy, have a look at hisweb-site:

http://www.infocusimagery.com/

He has recently posted some time lapse video which is very interestingas well as some shots with purple auroras.

All his shots are taken outside of Edmonton, Alberta. It shows that youdo not need to go that far north to obtain these images!!!

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By Lan (Oct 13, 2011 at 23:30:47 GMT)

An excellent article; and some really great shots too Ben!

I'd add a sachet or two of silica gel to the warming-up-bag to furtherreduce the risk of condensation. I'd also make sure that peopleremember to get the camera out of the bag eventually. If there'smoisture and you're in the warm, your camera lens is at risk of fungalattack if you leave it in there for a few days. Getting it cleaned will beexpensive.

I didn't realise that my CF tripod could have problems in the very cold,so thankyou for that warning; I'll be more gentle with it in future! Iprefer CF tripods over metal tripods in the very cold; if you get stuck tothem it'll take less heat to get unstuck ;)

For those from milder climates (like me, in England) the polar cold issomething you need to treat with respect. You might think you knowwhat cold is, but unless you've been up there, you probably don't. I

know I didn't. Luckily I had a tame Canadian who led me in the rightdirection, others might not be so lucky...

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By dopravopat (Oct 13, 2011 at 19:03:14 GMT)

Thanks for the article and posted examples! Nice reading and even nicerwatching.

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Byjcmarfilph (Oct 13, 2011 at 18:32:26 GMT)

Awesome and I envy people seeing personally this magnificent displayof nature.

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By Simon Zeev (Oct 13, 2011 at 17:20:55 GMT)

I not plan to shoot auroras but I enjoyed very much to read the article.Thank you!

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By Maraya (Oct 13, 2011 at 16:11:17 GMT)

Thank you so much for such an informative article with absolutely

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stunning shots. Not only was the article great for capture of Aurorashots but for me it contained some very valuable info on cold weatherphotography. Judging by the winter weather predictions for this year forwhere I live that info will be vital. It will be either stay inside and keepyour camera equipment and self warm or get out and catch some greatcold weather shots.

Comment edited 2 times, last edit 2 minutes after posting

Byjoe mccabe (Oct 13, 2011 at 15:54:00 GMT)

Very good & informative article. Thanks!

One potential problem I didn't see mentioned was frost build up on yourlens. Here in Southeast Alaska we seldom have arid, cold weather -there always seems to be some moisture in the air. When out for hoursphotographing auroras, frost can eventually build up on the surface ofthe lens. It pays to keep checking for this. 5 tips to help avoid theproblem are 1) keep your lens covered when not shooting, 2) strapchemical hand warmers to the lens barre to keep it warm, 3) keep thelens pointed downwards when not shooting, 4) don't exhalenear/towards the lens and 5) use a lens shade.

Happy aurora hunting! Cheers!

Comment edited 2 minutes after posting

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By SimenO1 (Oct 13, 2011 at 15:18:46 GMT)

About exposure time and ISO. I prefer 1-5 seconds exposure to catch

the "fibres of light". The higher ISO and noise are in my opinion worthit.

If the intensity is low its not possible and you have to opt for the secondbest. A fast lens and camera with good high ISO is always helping.

Both space weather and earth weather have to be good to take auroraphotos. A couple of weeks dosent garantee you a match, but i think twoweeks give you good chances (80%?).

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About the location Troms, Norway. The city lights are easy toeliminate. Just leave the city and enyoy the dramatic costal landscape.The weather tends to vary a lot along the cost, so you should plan onspending some time to get the most out of the stay. Northern Sweedenand Finland offers a better weather, but far less dramatic landscape.

Mostly flat and foresty. The northern Norwegian coastline has lots andlots of fjords surrounded by 1000m peeks. Nearby sites worth checkingout is Ersfjorden, Lyngen, Senja, Andya, Vesterlen and Lofoten.Google theese names + aurora.

The temperatures is usually not below -10 C near the coast, but it canbe quite windy so bring a sturty tripod and warm clothes.

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By Cy Cheze (Oct 13, 2011 at 13:43:34 GMT)

The "skinny": To see auroras, one must go to the Arctic regions inmidwinter darkness, have a clear sky on a frigid night, go 30-40 milesaway from any city lights, and preferrably pick a year that fits one ofthe solar cycles (every 22, 87, or 210 years). To photograph them, youbetter keep the batteries warm and not freeze your own fingers or nose,either.

I'd truly wonder how you could photograph the auroras with a full moonin the frame. Do montage and layering help? I presume that most of theshots involve some enhancement relative to what the naked eyeactually sees. This also happens with astronomical or microsopicimaging, but the boundary between nature photography and paintingmay be a dim swath of of green.

Where are the red, purple, or violet aurorae? The samples are allemerald. No multi-color "shows" on a given night? Is it necessary topick another season or year?

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Other colors appear mosty when its intense. Its when thesolar wind reaches deeper in the atmosphere and exites othergases then those in the uppermost atmosphere. Colors canappear and disappear. Theese color briefs can last from

seconds to hours. Most of the time its just emarald.

When its intense, you can have the moon in the framewithout over exposing. But i like to shoot a different directionand get aurora pictures with moonlit landscape.

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By Henrik Herranen (Oct 13, 2011 at 16:12:23 GMT) LIKE


12 25/12/2011 12:36


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Hide replies REPLY

Slight correction: The shortest solar cycle is 11, not 22 years.Also, there isn't any "pre-known" top year. The top of thesolar cycle can (and usually does) last for several years.

By Poul Jensen (Oct 13, 2011 at 20:21:20 GMT)

Indeed, most of the time the naked eye does not see thecolors that the camera does - it needs a certain intensity oflight to be able to identify colors. So most of the aurora inthese shots would actually look pale white with a hint ofgreen, but when the aurora gets really bright (and especially

if it's overhead) you do get to see the colors.

Also, the colors actually do depend on season and time ofnight.

Magenta lower borders occur mostly in evening and aroundmidnight. They are hard to capture because they come inbrief and bright bursts, and you'll have to dial down theexposure quickly and just right not to overexpose and washout the magenta.

Often you also get a different color at the top of curtains - redor blue. If the sun is shining at the altitude of the curtain tops(close to sunset/sunrise) it will be blue. If it's solidly in Earth'sshadow it will be red, and during transition you can get abeautiful mix of blue and red.


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By Jan3x5 (Oct 13, 2011 at 12:55:21 GMT)

Possibly the best photographic article on DPR so far, verycomprehensive and full of stunning pictures, many thanks!

Just curious why namely the Troms is included, when you can capturethat in so many locations in Norway (well, in Sweden, Finland or Russiatoo!) and there are better places even in Norway (possibly not in Tromsbut Finnmark county, which is the nothernmost part of Norway).Wondering if the reason is airport in Troms?

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I guess its the airport. Its the largest airline hub in the area,and not nearly as expensive as tickets to I.E. Btsfjord. Itsalso the larges city in the area with lots of photo enthusiastsspreading aurora pictures on the net. Me being one of them.Thus, probably the most known aurora place in the region,according to photo count on the internet. Its worth noting thethat the dramatic landscape along the whole coastline fromKirkenes to Bod could enhance aurora photos.

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By Stein Nilsen (Oct 23, 2011 at 19:52:11 GMT)

Troms and Troms County has ice free fjords, majesticmountains, valleys and great access to different locations inNorthern Norway. Within 2 hours drive you can go to Finlandor other locations. Check out http://nng.no and come andsee. Less than 2 hours flight from Oslo and 40GBP/80USDone way.

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By Jan3x5 (Nov 6, 2011 at 23:44:39 GMT)

I know Troms and Finnmark counties (and many more inNorway) quite well as I am going there almost each year (bycar, a much better option than the plane!). This was exactlythe reason I was asking why namely Troms is listed.

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By ag0176 (Oct 13, 2011 at 12:09:28 GMT)

Thanks for crisp and clear information. And for maintaining a tinge ofwell-intended humor.

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By bajanshutterbug (Oct 13, 2011 at 11:54:38 GMT)

Just beautiful, and one of those cool folks who share all they have, andall they know.. Thanks ben. Tony Webster, Barbados

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By Tomix (Oct 13, 2011 at 10:19:20 GMT) LIKE


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Simply brilliant!

By dtra (Oct 13, 2011 at 07:48:00 GMT)

Awesome article, and great information, I will be going to Iceland atxmas time, so hopefully I can remember (to bookmark this page atleast) and I can capture something remotely close to the great picturesyou've displayed here.

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By intrnst (Oct 13, 2011 at 07:22:30 GMT)

Thanks for sharing your not so easily attainable experience andknowledge. Nice reading, unusual photos.

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By photo nuts (Oct 13, 2011 at 04:13:41 GMT)

Brilliant post. The person who doubts the description of the sciencebehind aurora in this article ought to examine his own understanding.

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Byjulieng (Oct 13, 2011 at 02:29:38 GMT)

If its to keep focus to infinity without hassle while traveling to Bod,Iceland or Greenland, I'd spare some of the budget for a Leica M9 witha summilux

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By inunnguaq (Oct 13, 2011 at 01:51:15 GMT)

Great article,- I live in Greenland and see this all the time,- well duringwinter. Aurora and ice are 2 subjects you never get tired of.Great website by the way, enjoyed looking.happy shooting


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By Torgny Dellsen (Oct 13, 2011 at 00:51:37 GMT)

Exquisite, instructive article

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By Top Dog Imaging (Oct 13, 2011 at 00:33:50 GMT)Excellent article and pictures. Living in Central Florida, I don't see sightslike this in the night sky. Nor, am I inclined to venture out into supercold climates to experience arorae firsthand. The photos are beautifuland they do appeal to me on a visceral level. People with red-greencolor blindness are at a disadvantage.

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By Ben Hattenbach (Oct 12, 2011 at 23:33:58 GMT)

Hi Folks. Thanks very much for all the positive feedback. It will helpkeep me warm on my next photoshoot. Poul, with respect to yourcomment on the science, the scientific portion of the article (Section 1)was provided by a Ph.D. astrophysicist who, as a professor andresearcher, has studied aurorae not only on earth but on other planets.It was intended to be understandable by lay people, not acomprehensive dissertation; nonetheless, I believe (and sure hope) it isentierly accurate from a scientific perspective.


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You did well then, but I would have some arguments with theastrophysicist (Henry Throop I take it) who authored yourSection 1 and 2. That discussion doesn't belong here, but Iwould like to point out that when you are watching theaurora, you are not seeing "focused solar wind" or turbulencecreated by the solar wind blowing by the magnetosphere asyou might think from this article. You are watching processesinternal to Earth's magnetosphere (though, ultimately theenergy fueling these processes does come from the solarwind).

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By JPnyc (Oct 12, 2011 at 23:09:04 GMT)

Thank you!Other than that, I am at a loss for words ...

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While there is plenty of good info/advice for aspiring auroraphotographers, the author is not on top of the science behind theaurora and would have done well to have the article revised bysomeone who is. But then, while the article wouldn't pass a scientificreview, the details that are off are practically irrelevant since this is aphotography and not a science forum...

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By anolphart (Oct 12, 2011 at 22:19:32 GMT)

I take my hat off to you guys.

Whilst I have skied and camped extensively in the back country in midwinter, the Australian Snowy Mountains temperature rarely gets below-20C (-4F). Relative to what you guys experience, our coldest is whatyou would consider a heat wave.

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By Dianoda (Oct 12, 2011 at 21:10:10 GMT)

Thanks for the excellent article. Good tips on the winter mountaineeringgear and batteries.

Good timing, too, as I'm in the early stages of planning an ice-climbingtrip to Canada (to Jasper, Alberta, or perhaps Banff) to welcome thenew year, and the chance to photograph the aurora is a big plus to me.Hopefully aurora activity will be significant. Can anyone from theJasper/Banff area offer comment on local aurora watching? Thanks inadvance!

Sounds like I'll also want to bring along the double plastic boots andsome serious down to keep me functioning in the frigid nighttime winterconditions. Fun stuff! Planning to bring my 7D and renting a 24mm f/1.4(with damage waiver), and I'm pretty sure my Manfrotto 190cxpro3 isup to the task. And snow shoes for the tripod might be worth it...

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By Road Lice (Oct 12, 2011 at 22:14:09 GMT)

Dianoda, Banff is quite far south and has lots of lightpollution. You can see northern lights fairly often in Jasper

but they are nothing like Ben's pictures (which are the mostastounding northern lights pictures I have seen). The bestforeground location for northern lights is halfway betweenBanff and Jasper in the Sunwapta Pass - which can be adangerous drive in winter and also very cold, like -40.

Like Ben says you have to go much further north for thebetter northern lights. Yellowknife is much better than Jasper.The Dalton Highway (see the above photo) and the DempsterHighway are even more awesome. Both of those highwaysinvolve extreme conditions, especially the Dempster Highway.

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By spokelse (Oct 12, 2011 at 21:04:50 GMT)

Lived in Tromso for many years, its actually pretty easy to get awayfrom the lights, I didn't do Aurora photography but I knew people whodid. And to be clear, the most amazing thing about Norlys is themovement, although Ben captured some great images. Also, weirdly, itsalmost like you can hear the aurora, can't be true, but people commenton this.

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