Northern Lights Photography in Levi — Settings and Tips

Do You Need a Camera or Will a Phone Do?

A modern phone photographs aurora surprisingly well in night mode — often even on automatic settings. Phone camera technology has advanced enormously and results are often sufficient for social media and memories.

But a mirrorless or DSLR camera gives dramatically better results — especially for capturing faint aurora and fine details. If you own one, definitely bring it along.

Both work — the most important thing is a tripod. Without a stable base, neither will produce good results during long exposures.

Essential Gear: Tripod

When photographing northern lights, exposure times are long — 5–25 seconds depending on aurora brightness and camera settings. During this time, the camera must be completely still. Handheld shooting is impossible.

Even a small travel tripod works perfectly. It fits in a suitcase and typically weighs under a kilo. Price is €30–50 — the single best investment for an aurora holiday.

Without a tripod, you can in an emergency place your phone or camera on snow, a railing, or a fixed surface. But results are unreliable and angles are hard to adjust.

Tip: A compact travel tripod fits in your suitcase and costs €30–50. Best investment for an aurora holiday.

Camera Settings (Mirrorless/DSLR)

Set your camera to manual mode (M) and adjust:

• ISO: 1600–6400 — Start at 3200 and adjust based on results. Higher ISO = brighter image but more noise. Modern cameras handle ISO 3200 well.

• Aperture: As wide as possible — f/2.8 or faster is ideal. This lets the most light reach the sensor. f/4 also works but requires longer exposure or higher ISO.

• Shutter speed: 8–25 seconds — Shorter if aurora is moving fast (dancing curtains), longer if aurora is faint and static. Over 25 seconds shows stars as lines due to Earth's rotation.

• Focus: Manual, set to infinity (∞) — Autofocus doesn't work in darkness. Switch to manual and set to infinity. Test with a sample shot and check sharpness.

• White balance: 3500–4000K — Cool tone brings out aurora green best. Auto white balance also works, but manual gives more consistent results.

• File format: RAW if possible — RAW files give significantly more flexibility in post-processing (brightness, colours, contrast).

Lenses

Wide-angle (10–24 mm) is ideal for aurora photography. It allows capturing a wide sky and foreground landscape in the same frame. f/2.8 or faster aperture is best — more light, shorter exposure time.

Popular wide-angle lenses: Samyang/Rokinon 14mm f/2.8, Tokina 11–20mm f/2.8, Sigma 14–24mm f/2.8.

Kit lens (18–55 mm f/3.5–5.6) also works — at the widest end (18 mm) results are acceptable. Slower aperture means longer exposure or higher ISO, but decent images are still possible.

Fast primes (e.g., 24 mm f/1.4 or 35 mm f/1.8) are excellent for light gathering but focal length limits the field of view.

Phone Photography

Most modern phones have a Night Mode that activates automatically in darkness. Place the phone on a tripod, open the camera and let the phone choose a long exposure — typically 10–30 seconds in darkness. Keep the phone completely still during the entire exposure.

Many phones also offer a Pro Mode where you can manually adjust ISO (800–3200) and shutter speed (10–30 seconds). Some phones also have a dedicated astrophotography mode that automatically stacks multiple frames.

Additional apps: ProCamera, NightCap Camera or similar apps give more control over ISO, aperture and exposure settings.

Most important: keep the phone completely still. Even slight vibration — touching the screen, a gust of wind — ruins the image during long exposure. Use a timer (2–10 second delay) so touching the phone doesn't cause vibration.

Practical Tips for Cold Weather

Battery drains rapidly in cold. Lithium-ion batteries lose capacity in frost — at −20°C a battery may drain 3x faster than at room temperature. Keep a spare battery warm in an inside pocket and swap when needed.

Condensation danger: Don't bring cameras or phones directly from freezing temperatures into warm interiors. Warm moist air condenses on cold lenses and electronics, potentially causing damage. Let the camera warm up slowly — for example in a vestibule or inside the camera bag for 15–30 minutes before opening.

Gloves: Wear thin liner gloves (touchscreen-compatible) for operating the camera, with thick mittens over them at other times. Frostbitten fingers are a real risk at −20°C.

Headlamp: Use red light. Red light doesn't ruin night vision — white or blue light destroys 15 minutes of dark adaptation instantly.

Composition — The Importance of Foreground

Sky alone is monotonous — include a foreground. A foreground element gives scale, atmosphere and makes the image unique. Around Levi, natural foregrounds are everywhere:

• Cabin or building — warm light from windows + aurora = classic Lapland image
• Fell silhouette — the fell outline against the sky
• Single tree or tree group — snow-laden trees are particularly beautiful
• Lake ice — reflections and vastness
• Person — silhouette or flashlight beam gives scale

Use the rule of thirds: horizon in the lower third, sky and aurora in the upper two-thirds. Experiment with different angles and perspectives — a tree or person shot from low down looks dramatic against the aurora sky.

Frequently Asked Questions

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