richardpearl

We're going to be in Iceland and Lapland in February to see the Northern Nights. Tips on picture-taking would be appreciated. They'll be some instruction on the trip, but I'd like to get a head start. I've got a Nikon 750.

Richard

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

There are some very good tutorials on the web that can be found with google. Virtually all of them seen to be fairly accurate, though a few say some things that are questionable.

The trick, generally, with Aurora is not the Aurora! Like shooting fireworks it's the foreground that makes the picture. It takes some planning to find a good location where there is something to see, and no stray ambient light either.

With that in mind... Use a wide angle lens. And it need not be used wide open either! Stop it down to get depth of field, and a sharper image. On an FX Nikon body something like a 20mm f/2.8, or even a 24-120mm f/4, is a good lens.

Pre-focus at the hyperfocal distance or just a little farther away, but definitely not at infinity!

Shutter speeds can vary from 1 second to 30 or more seconds. Consider that you are photographing a light source. And possibly a moving light source. It it is moving you want a short shutter speed, otherwise you'll capture a blur rather than a curtain of light. Also, star trails start showing up at about 20 seconds.

Probably the most significant thing is to take lots of pictures, and change settings as you go. There is no way to predict what happens in the next 10 to 30 seconds...

JPL

It is easier than you may think. Use tripod, fast lens, use 4 sec shutter speed at f 2.8 and ISO 3200, remote shutter or the 2 sec timer and work from there. Northern lights have a behavior that can be interesting, sometimes it gives better pics to have faster shutter speed, sometimes you prefer longer shutter speed. But anyway we are talking about something in the range of 1-15 seconds mostly, and other settings accordingly.

Haveago Loc: Swindon, Wiltshire. UK.

I was there a couple of months ago but for the best info re the lights I suggest you look up this Facebook forum "ICELAND THE PHOTOGRAPHER'S PARADISE". I suggest that you say what you are after other than havng (yet) any photos of Iceland to post on thier forum.

You will not get any better info than those that live there that take the shots whenever they can.

Failing that i'll dig out my picks & help where I can.

Baz

Haveago Loc: Swindon, Wiltshire. UK.

If you haven't booked any coach trips yet then don't. That's the mistake we made. If you can afford it book on the landrover trips they travel to better places & the foreground is a lot more interesting as well as the actual drive to them.

Baz

richardpearl

This is my first posting to this user group, and I want to thank all the photographers who have taken the time to offer their advice. I'm a fairly experienced traveler (six of the seven continents - including Antarctica), and reasonably accomplished photographer for normal circumstances, but the Lights are something else.

Richard