In case you missed it this week, the Northern Lights have been visible in many parts of the UK – with more possible sights incoming!
Maybe you’re an amateur photographer, or maybe you don’t have access to a professional DSLR… Don’t worry, your modern-day smartphone is actually more than enough to capture the magic of the Northern Lights, also known as the Aurora Borealis.
Immortalise this bucket list sighting with nothing more than the phone in your hand right now. Antony Willets, resident photography expert Max Spielmann, tells you how…
Which iPhone model do I need?
Because shooting the Northern Lights relies heavily on Night Mode, you’ll need an iPhone 11 or above, because Night Mode only started becoming available with this model. We recommend using either a 12 Pro or 13 Pro if you can!
Shoot in RAW
If your iPhone allows it, shoot your photos in RAW format instead of JPEG. RAW photos preserve more details and provide greater flexibility for editing your photos later on. To show in RAW, head to Settings > Camera > Formats, then click Apple ProRAW & Resolution Control under Photo Camera. When you’re ready to take the picture, tap RAW in the camera app.
Go into night mode
If you’re shooting in low-light, Night Mode will automatically turn on for most phones – you’ll notice the Night Mode icon in the top corner of your screen. This keeps your camera sensor open for longer, allowing more light to be let in and capturing more detail, also known as prolonged exposure.
The iPhone’s Night Mode is usually between one and three seconds, but for the Northern Lights, you want this to be as long as possible. Here’s how to do it…
- Open the iPhone camera’s hidden menu using the top arrow
- Find the Night Mode icon and tap it
- You’ll find a slider that lets you adjust the exposure time
- Slide it all the way to the max
Oh, and don’t forget to turn your flash OFF.
Keep it steady
If your iPhone detects tremors or shakes, such as when trying to hold it still for an extended period, your maximum exposure will be approximately 10 seconds.
But to capture the Northern Lights in all their glory, you’ll want to keep things steady. We recommend using a tripod – you’ll want to place it on an even and steady surface – and your long exposure time should extend to between 25 and 30 seconds.
Light exposure
Chances are, you’re probably not going to be photographing the Aurora on the sweeping plains of Iceland this week – unless you’re fortunate – so having maximum light is something you’ll want to take advantage of.
Enter: exposure adjustment. This is different from prolonged exposure, where the camera is exposed to the light for longer to capture details in the dark – the exposure adjustment stops the photo from being overexposed and details are lost.
Here’s how to change the exposure adjustment:
- Open the hidden menu again
- Look for a tiny + and – inside a circle
- Click on this icon and lower the exposure to a negative value
- Alternatively, on new iPhone models, you can tap the screen, hold, and drag up or down to increase or decrease the exposure.
The perfect exposure adjustment depends on your surroundings, so you may need to experiment with different settings.
Source: London Daily News / Digpu NewsTex