Night photography presents unique challenges, but with the advancements in smartphone technology, especially iPhones, capturing the mesmerizing Northern Lights is now within everyone’s reach. Even if you’re a beginner, your iPhone can be a powerful tool to photograph the Aurora Borealis.
As the Northern Hemisphere tilts further into autumn and winter, nights grow longer, heralding the start of the Northern Lights season. For those near or above the Arctic Circle, this means a chance to witness the breathtaking spectacle of the Aurora Borealis. Naturally, capturing these ethereal lights is a desire for many. This guide will walk you through the essential steps to photograph the Northern Lights with your iPhone, ensuring you’re ready to capture those magical moments.
Firstly, finding the Northern Lights and a suitable location is crucial – we’ll touch upon this later. Secondly, understanding how to properly configure your iPhone for aurora photography and having the right accessory will significantly enhance your results.
Essential iPhone Settings for Northern Lights Photography
Don’t be intimidated; setting up your iPhone for Northern Lights photography is simpler than you might think. If you prefer a straightforward approach, focusing on Night Mode is paramount. It’s the single most critical setting for capturing the Aurora Borealis. Without it, photographing the Northern Lights effectively is impossible.
Mastering Night Mode
iPhone’s Night Mode activates automatically in low-light environments, indicated by a Night Mode icon in the top-left corner of your screen. This feature extends the camera’s sensor exposure time, allowing more light to enter and capture greater detail in dim conditions – a technique known as long exposure in photography. The duration your iPhone uses for Night Mode exposure is essentially the time it takes to capture a photo.
By default, iPhone’s Night Mode exposure ranges from 1 to 3 seconds, depending on the darkness of your surroundings. However, for capturing the Northern Lights, we need to extend this beyond the default. To maximize the exposure time:
- Access the hidden settings menu within your iPhone’s Camera app by tapping the arrow at the top of the screen.
- Locate the Night Mode icon and tap it.
- An exposure time slider will appear, allowing manual adjustments.
- Slide the adjuster completely to the right, selecting Max.
When set to “Max,” Night Mode exposure can reach up to 10 seconds if the iPhone detects movement, such as hand shake. However, when using a tripod, the maximum exposure extends to 30 seconds. This longer exposure is crucial for capturing the faint light of the Aurora Borealis and achieving higher quality images. While 10-second exposures can capture something, the image quality significantly improves with 30-second exposures.
For optimal Northern Lights photos, aim for 30-second Night Mode exposures. In instances of exceptionally bright aurora displays, the “Max” value might automatically adjust to slightly shorter durations, such as 27 or 22 seconds.
Even with a tripod, the stability of your setup matters. Placing a tripod on a vibrating surface, like a running car engine, might cause the iPhone to detect movement and limit the exposure to 10 seconds. Similarly, strong winds can hinder achieving the desired 30-second exposure.
Fine-Tuning Brightness with Exposure Adjustment
While potentially less frequently needed, Exposure Adjustment is another setting that can be beneficial. In particularly bright environments, such as snowy landscapes reflecting significant light, Night Mode’s light-gathering can sometimes result in overexposed photos. In such situations, adjusting the Exposure Adjustment can help.
It’s important to differentiate between Night Mode (long exposure for capturing details in darkness) and Exposure Adjustment (modifying brightness to prevent overexposure).
To access Exposure Adjustment, return to the hidden menu (top arrow). You’ll find an icon with a “+/-” symbol within a circle. Tapping this allows you to decrease the exposure to a negative value. The current Exposure Adjustment value will be displayed at the top of the screen, beside the Night Mode indicator. If your iPhone is set to preserve settings, remember to reset Exposure Adjustment to 0 when it’s no longer needed.
There isn’t a universal “best” Exposure Adjustment value; it’s highly dependent on your specific environment. Experiment with different values to see what yields the best results. Starting with a value of -0.7 is a good point to begin testing.
Preserving Your Preferred Settings
To manage whether your iPhone remembers specific settings, navigate to Settings > Camera > Preserve Settings. Here, you’ll find toggles for Exposure Adjustment and Night Mode.
Preserving Night Mode is generally useful as it automatically deactivates in sufficient light, such as during daylight. However, preserving Exposure Adjustment might be less desirable as you may forget to reset it, potentially affecting your daytime photos. Since Exposure Adjustment is situational, adjusting it each time it’s needed is often more practical.
iPhone Models for Aurora Photography
To effectively photograph the Northern Lights, you’ll need an iPhone model from iPhone 11 onwards. This is because Night Mode is exclusively available on iPhone 11 and later models.
While iPhone 11 can capture the Northern Lights, newer models like iPhone 13 and beyond offer significantly improved image quality. Despite claims of minimal camera improvements across iPhone generations, real-world tests, including aurora photography with iPhone 11 Pro, 12 Pro, and 13 Pro, reveal noticeable differences in image quality.
From left to right: iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro
While the intensity of the Northern Lights is a significant factor, comparing sky detail, stars, surrounding elements, and image noise reveals the advancements in newer iPhone cameras. The iPhone 13 Pro even excels at capturing the Milky Way, as demonstrated in this unedited photo taken with iPhone 13 Pro (not in RAW mode).
iPhone 13 Pro’s capabilities extend to filming the Northern Lights, producing decent videos, a feat less achievable with iPhone 12 Pro.
The Essential Accessory: A Tripod
As hinted earlier, a tripod is an indispensable accessory for iPhone Northern Lights photography. Night photography necessitates keeping your phone perfectly still for extended periods of up to 30 seconds. A tripod eliminates camera shake, ensuring sharp, clear photos.
The tripod market offers countless options, catering to various budgets and needs. Prioritize a tripod that balances affordability with reasonable quality. While specific recommendations are challenging due to durability issues, consider that extreme cold can impact plastic components.
Cracked Joby tripod
Even with damage, a tripod might remain usable, but positioning becomes challenging. The iPhone’s weight can cause unwanted tilting or movement during long exposures due to instability, especially with cracked components.
Update: Despite durability concerns in cold environments, a compact and lightweight tripod remains ideal for travel. The Joby tripod is a favored choice for its portability and convenience for travelers and amateur photographers, despite not being designed for heavy professional use or vlogging.
Preserving iPhone Battery Life in Cold Conditions
Cold temperatures significantly accelerate iPhone battery drain. Unexpected battery depletion is a common issue in cold environments. Always carry a portable charger to avoid missing photo opportunities. Keeping your iPhone warm by storing it in an inside pocket when not in use can also substantially extend battery life in freezing temperatures.
While various power banks are suitable, consider models from reputable brands. Upgrading to a higher capacity power bank can be a worthwhile investment for extended aurora chasing sessions.
With these settings and gear tips, you’re now well-equipped to capture stunning Northern Lights photos with your iPhone. The next step is learning how to effectively locate and chase the aurora.
How To Chase The Northern Lights – Aurora Borealis
](https://www.travelfoss.com/how-to-chase-the-northern-lights-aurora-borealis/)
The Diary Of 24 Consecutive Days Of Northern Lights Chasing – Aurora Borealis
](https://www.travelfoss.com/the-diary-of-24-consecutive-days-of-northern-lights-chasing/)
How To Stay Warm While Photo Shooting The Northern Lights – Aurora Borealis
](https://www.travelfoss.com/how-to-stay-warm-while-photo-shooting-the-northern-lights-aurora-borealis/)
Considering a Northern Lights Photography Tour
If you’re uncertain about photographing the Northern Lights independently, a professional tour is a highly recommended option. Numerous Northern Lights photography tours are available through platforms like Get Your Guide, offering various choices to suit different budgets and locations.
When selecting a guided tour, prioritize small group sizes, experienced photographers, and tours with favorable ratings and flexible cancellation policies to ensure a rewarding and hassle-free experience.
