Kit picks, tips and tricks

From: MPB - Thursday Mar 17,2022 12:15 pm

The Northern Lights can be seen anywhere between 60 and 75 degrees of latitude. That means Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Greenland, Canada, Alaska and Russia. We chose Finland due to its accessibility and the country’s extent into the arctic circle.

You’re most likely to see them from August to April. Although the Northern Lights occur throughout the year, the light they emit is weaker than sunlight so you need dark skies to be able to spot them. Winter is ideal- longer and darker nights making the Northern Lights more visible to the naked eye.

Maximise your chances by keeping a close eye on local weather conditions and a local weather app. Most countries with visible Northern Lights will have a section in their weather forecast app dedicated to spotting them.

The less light there is around you, the better off you will be. Sometimes the lights are so faint, it's often best to test if the Northern Lights are there at all by doing a long-exposure test. Many people think the Northern Lights are as bright as they see in photos, but unless you have a pure dark sky, the Northern Lights can often look more vibrant in photos than to the human eye.

Make sure that your tripod is sturdy, especially if you’re using longer lenses and there are high winds.

Everyone has their own preferences in terms of how to shoot the Northern Lights. Some prefer a strict nature-only vibe, while others prefer to incorporate a little of the human-made world. Get creative and try to frame the lights in different ways. Use a torch to light-paint a little of the landscape to add some drama. Same goes with houses. Adding something from the human world can give an idea of scale and presence to the natural world.