How to see and photograph The Northern Lights

Watching the Northern Lights dancing above the earth, for the first time, is like witnessing something out of this world: a beautiful miracle. I have always dreamed to see The Northern Lights and I am grateful the aurora occurred during my one week trip in Levi, Lapland. I have decided to make this guide after I realized that the lights can be seen, not only by chance, but also with a little preparation.

Where and when is the best time to see The Northern Lights

The Northern Lights appear in the Northern countries which are located in the Aurora zone, with biggest chances of occurring in Tromsø – Norway, Finnish Lapland, Swedish Lapland, Iceland, Alaska or Canada. Northern Finland is one of the best places from viewing this incredible phenomenon and the best months to see Aurora is between September -March. We spent one week in Northern Finland, Levi Resort area, being a perfect place to watch The Northern Lights.

How to see The Northern Lights

Watch a forecast for The Northern Lights

There are many apps which estimate when are the biggest chances of Northern Lights are most likely to appear. We installed MyAuroraForecast app, but my favorite was the official website of Finnish Meteorological Institute , which was very useful. On this website we found information about the chances of Northern Lights appearing and which are the areas with high visibility. These are only short terms predictions, not a certainty, but for me this information was sufficient in choosing the right time to go out and wait. In January, good chances to spot the aurora is between 20.00 – 01:00, so is better to always keep an eye on the forecast after 19:00 / 20:00, since it changes quickly.

When I first experienced the Northern Lights, there were only 20% chances to appear. But, after 2 hours of waiting outside, the wonder was shown in all its splendor and it was one of the best things I have ever seen.

Go in a place far away from any sources of light pollution

Just like the stars, the Northern Lights are much more visible in the middle of the nature, far away from any sources of light pollution. Luckily, in Finland the nature is predominant, making it far easier to find a place away from light sources. Also, there are some amazing accommodation options in Northern Finland, located right in the middle of the nature, with sky view rooftop, including Northern Lights Ranch, where we stayed (here you can read the post), which offer perfect conditions to see the lights directly from your bed, if by chance they show.

Wear thermal clothes and wait

It is not easy to stay outside in the lowest temperatures hoping to see The Northern Lights. This is why, wearing thermal clothes is essential, as the time spent outside may be longer than estimated. Following the forecast, I went outside for 2 nights, going somewhere away from any light sources, but I waited at least 2 hours until the lights came on. Aurora occurred suddenly, with different intensity and its spectacle is so incredible, that it remains a life experience worth waiting for.

Photographing the Northern Lights: use a tripod and a camera with manual exposure

In order to photograph the Northern Lights I used a tripod, which is essential, together with a camera with manual exposure and a lens with f 2.8. After setting the ISO around 1600 and the exposure time to 10 seconds (depending on the light conditions), you must set the focus by switching it to manual, after you automatically point and focus something situated at approximately 30m. It is important not to move the focus ring after you switched to manual.