How to take photos of the Northern Lights on your smartphone

Tourists hoping to see the Northern Lights in Iceland will quickly appreciate that their colours are much more vivid when captured by a camera than with the naked eye. But not everyone wants to travel with a heavy bag of camera equipment. In this article, we’ll explain how to capture a great image of the Northern Lights using a smartphone and offer some other tips about how to improve the quality of your aurora photos.

21.06.2024

Using a smartphone to take great Northern Lights photos

iPhone

The newest iPhones have a night mode feature which comes in very handy when taking photographs of the Northern Lights. When you open your camera up, at the top of your screen there’s a small arrow. If you press this arrow, a hidden menu appears at the bottom of the screen.

Tap the +/- icon to set the exposure to a negative value; experts suggest trying -0.7 and go from there. Next, there’s a circular icon which looks a little like a crescent moon beside some shading; press this and you reveal a slider. Move the slider and you can slow the shutter speed to as much as 10 seconds for a handheld shot. This compares favourably to the default setting which is typically between 1 and 3 seconds.

Now if you attach the iPhone to a tripod and it doesn’t detect any camera shake (pray that there’s no wind!), the 10 seconds becomes 30. This allows an even greater amount of light in and as a result the colours in your shot will be significantly brighter, which is just the effect you’re aiming for when you’re taking pictures of the Northern Lights.

Android

There are a wide range of Android phones on the market and many of them are well suited to capturing images of the Northern Lights, such as the Pixel 8 Pro or the Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus. Check to see if your smartphone has a manual mode, which means you can override the camera’s automatic settings to tailor them to your specific needs. If it doesn’t you may have to resort to an app.

Once you’re in position, check to see your smartphone is in night mode. As with the iPhone, play around with the shutter speed function and aim for between 10 and 30 seconds as above. You can also alter the exposure; this allows more or less light in and changes the end result accordingly. Lowering the exposure stops the finished photo from looking too washed out. Finally, use MF to ensure your shot is in focus and make sure you have turned off the flash.

Other tips for taking better photos of the aurora

Even if you don’t have the latest smartphone, there are things you can do that will improve your Northern Lights photos. Here are six tried and tested tips for you to bear in mind:

Download a forecasting app

Whichever smartphone you have, remember that you can also load a specialist app to monitor the Northern Lights forecast and track the aurora borealis which can help you time when to head outside. These work by keeping track of the aurora oval so that you know how far south the Northern Lights might appear and supply KP-index data so that you have an idea of their intensity – 0 is lowest and 9 is highest. Don’t forget to check an up-to-date local weather forecast too so you know where the clear skies are.

Find somewhere dark

One of the easiest things you can do to increase the wow factor of the Northern Lights photos you’re taking is to position yourself somewhere dark. Depending on the strength of the aurora, it could be as simple as moving away from street lights, or driving out into the Reykjanes countryside. Light pollution, whether it’s artificial or moonlight, can wash out the colours and giving you a distinctly underwhelming end result. If you’re unhappy with the end result, use your phone camera’s edit function to darken the image or boost the colour saturation to fix it.

Pack a tripod

Northern Lights photos require a longer exposure which means you’ll need to keep the camera steady for longer. This is difficult if you are holding a smartphone in your hand and so you’ll need to find a way to minimise camera shake. The best way to do this is by using a tripod – even a small one – and being careful as you touch the screen to take the shot.. Attach the phone to the tripod and make sure it’s out of the wind. Alternatively, push yourself up against a wall or put the phone down onto a hard surface such as a bench or a low wall so that you’re able to brace. This should result in a sharper image.

Pay attention to your phone’s battery level

If you’re out on a midwinter Northern Lights hunt then it’s likely to be very cold. Although you can wrap yourself up in warm layers, your phone will be exposed to cold air while you’re using it. Make sure your battery is fully charged before setting out. Until you’re ready to use it, transport your phone close to your body heat, such as in an inside pocket. It’s also a good idea to carry a portable power bank to top up the battery if it dips lower than you’d like before you’re ready to call it a night.

Think about composition

Composition is always important in photography but if we focus our attention too much on the Northern Lights we might forget the bigger picture (literally). Adding some foreground interest can really help. Seek out a recognisable building or other structure, such as the Bridge between Continents, which will add interest to your photo. Another technique is to find something to create a reflection, such as a pond or even a puddle. This will work most effectively if it’s a calm night as there’ll be few or no ripples on the water’s surface and the reflection will be more impactful.

Practise using your smartphone for night photography before you leave home

You might not live somewhere that experiences the Northern Lights but there will be other ways you can practise getting decent night shots. For instance, you could try photographing illuminated shop signs, light trails in traffic or any other things that involve some form of coloured light against the dark night sky. The aurora borealis is highly unpredictable: it can dance across the sky for hours or be over in just a few minutes. By knowing how the settings work on your camera up front, you’ll be ready to grab a shot and not squander the opportunity if it’s all over in a flash.

One last thing: even though you’ll want to capture more than a handful of images, don’t lose sight of the magic of the aurora in the moment. Put your phone back in your pocket for a while and watch the Northern Lights dance with your own eyes. It might not be as bright or as colourful as through your camera screen, but there’s something truly special about staring up at the sky and simply drinking it all in.