This is the condensed cheat sheet version of our full photography guide — just the settings, no fluff. Save this page for when you're standing outside in −15°C and need a quick reference.
The Universal Starting Point
- ISO: 3200
- Aperture: f/2.8 (or the widest your lens allows)
- Shutter: 8 seconds
- Focus: manual, set to infinity (use live view to confirm a star is sharp)
- White balance: ~3500K or Auto
- Format: RAW (not JPEG)
Take one shot, review it, then adjust. The goal is a bright aurora with visible detail in the foreground. If the image is too bright, shorten the shutter or lower the ISO. If it's too dark, do the opposite.
When to Adjust
| Situation | Adjustment | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Aurora is very bright / fast-moving | Shutter 3–5s, ISO 1600 | Freeze curtain movement, prevent overexposure |
| Aurora is faint / barely visible | ISO 6400, shutter 15s | Capture more photons from a weak display |
| Foreground too dark | Shutter 15–20s | Let more ambient light into the scene |
| Stars are trailing (streaks, not dots) | Shutter under 15s (500-rule: 500 / focal length) | Star rotation becomes visible at longer exposures |
| Image looks too green / yellow | White balance 3200K | Cool the colour tone down toward neutral |
| Image is sharp on stars but aurora is blurry | Shorten shutter to 5s | Fast-moving aurora blurs with longer exposures |
Gear You Actually Need
- Camera with manual mode — any mirrorless or DSLR works. Smartphone night mode is a valid backup (see below).
- Wide-angle lens, f/2.8 or wider — 14–24mm is ideal. The wider the aperture, the more light you collect.
- Sturdy tripod — not a travel tripod that shakes in wind. Stability matters more than portability here.
- Spare batteries in your jacket pocket — cold kills lithium batteries fast. A battery that reads 50% indoors can hit zero in 20 minutes at −15°C.
Skip the filters (they reduce light), skip the star tracker (unnecessary for aurora shots), skip the remote shutter release (use your camera's 2-second self-timer instead to avoid shake). Keep it simple.
Phone Photography
Modern phones can capture aurora better than you'd expect. iPhone 15 Pro, Pixel 7+, and Samsung Galaxy S23+ all have night modes capable of recording a good display. The key is stability — prop the phone against a rock, a bag, or a car mirror. Night mode needs 3–10 seconds of exposure, and any movement ruins the shot.
On iPhone, use the native camera app and let Night Mode engage automatically. On Pixel, use Astrophotography mode for longer exposures. Results won't match a dedicated camera and wide-angle lens, but for a bright Kp 5+ display they're genuinely impressive — and shareable directly from your pocket.
Composition in 30 Seconds
- Include foreground — trees, mountains, a frozen lake, a cabin. A blank sky with aurora is less interesting than the same aurora over a landscape.
- Go as wide as possible — don't zoom in. Aurora fills the sky; you want all of it in the frame.
- Shoot vertical too — aurora curtains extend upward. Portrait orientation captures the full height of a tall display.
- Take lots of frames — aurora changes every few seconds. Shoot continuously and pick the best later.
- Turn off your phone screen during long exposures — even a small light source ruins your night vision and can leak into the image.
For the full deep-dive on technique, gear, and troubleshooting, read our beginner's photography guide. And before you head out, check tonight's conditions at your destination — Tromsø, Abisko, and Yellowknife are among the best places to put these settings to work.