Northern lights – Aurora Borealis

Witnessing a powerful Aurora display will give you a deep sensation in your stomach, like being on a gentle roller-coaster or your first time in love. It is easy to fall under the Aurora spell and an amazing Northern Lights experience is something you will never forget. Photography the Northern lights with your camera will take your relationship with the Northern lights to a deeper level.

Aurora Colours

The colours of the Aurora Borealis are a geomagnetic phenomenon that occurs as a result of solar energy from the sun entering earth’s outer atmosphere. Electrons collide with different gases in the atmosphere to give a range of different colours. Oxygen emits a green/yellow colour during this violent energy event.  Reds, Blues and violets are caused by Nitrogen (the most abundant gas) although the colour depends if it is atomic or particle nitrogen.

Superstition

The vikings believed that the dancing lights were the souls of the war-dead on their journey to Valhalla.  Many other cultures have seen them as omens of war.  In medieval Iceland, a pregnant woman was not allowed to whistle for fear of being whisked away by the lights.  In nearby Greenland, the aurora was thought to be a giant walrus in the sky.

Where to go

Just get away from the city lights and face North (90% of the time). You don’t have to go far outside the city if the Northern Lights are strong.

When to see them

In Iceland, Northern lights can be seen from the end of August to the beginning of April.  It is impossible to see them in the Summer because the sky is too bright.

The Weather

The perfect weather is zero clouds although a few clouds can help to add depth to the photo. The trouble is that clouds love Iceland.  It rains every other here. If it is raining, the chances of seeing Northern lights are very slim because rain clouds are very deep and this also means very big.  If you go out in the rain, you could get a window in the clouds which could let you see the aurora, but going out expecting this is close to madness.

Wind is fine, but you have to be careful with your camera tripod because it is not fun when that blows over. A steady camera is crucial for a successful long exposure.The trouble with Arctic winds is that it feels 10 degrees colder. The other problem with severe weather is that it makes travel very difficult. Those clear skies can bring black ice conditions. Even a careful driver can get into a mess very quickly and especially an in-experienced driver with a large 4X4 who is not used to Winter Driving.

Multi-day tours and workshops

The best Northern lights photography experience is on our multi-day tours and workshops. Having many nights in great locations is the only way to maximise your chances of success. Our Scheduled photo tours run during new moon phases for enhanced aurora viewing. These are the best value. The workshops are for people who want to learn.

Aurora Forecast links