If you’re a stargazer, you know the perfect place to really get a good look at the celestial heavens is in the great outdoors, far from the light pollution of our populated metropolises. Even if you aren’t a stargazer, you can still appreciate the magnificence of the night sky. When you’re out glamping in comfort, that’s the perfect time to snap an amazing picture of the night sky or even the aurora borealis!
Our phones have become equipped with some pretty incredible photographic technology, so much so that we can capture incredible photos of the moon or other unbelievable night sky occurrences with just a few adjustments. Make sure you’re switching your settings to night mode and adjust your lighting down to get the details of the moon or even the aurora borealis if you’re lucky! Editing your photos to bring out the colour of the aurora will really boost the quality, but our phones can’t always get what we want them to so don’t be afraid to bring along an actual camera to try out some night photography!
If you’re working with a professional or hobbyist camera, here are a few of our recommendations on how to get that incredible night sky or aurora borealis photo. A tripod will become your best friend as we are pretty wobbly creatures and you’ll get sharper photos if you set up your camera on a sturdy tripod. Turn your settings to manual and don’t forget to turn off the flash! Pack a few extra batteries as they won’t hold a charge as well in colder weather and grab your lens that allows for a wider angle, preferably an f2.8, but an f4 will also do the trick! You’ll want your aperture wide open because you’re in the dark and don’t be afraid to get your ISO up a little higher, but you’ll need to adjust to how bright the sky or the northern lights are. For faster or more active auroras, you’ll want a 5 to 10-second shutter speed, but you can get some incredible shots of slow-moving auroras at 12 to 20 seconds. Take your time and experiment with your settings. It’s incredible to be able to capture the stars, the moon and the aurora borealis in a photo, but don’t forget to truly be present in the moment and step back from your camera as it does its thing to really enjoy the sight.
Our eyes aren’t able to comprehend the full colours of the aurora borealis at night as we don’t have good night vision, but a camera will be able to see all those colours in their full glory. Even if you’re just learning photography, it’s never a bad idea to take your tripod and your camera with you to give night sky photography a shot! You might even just get THE shot! Book with us for your next night sky photographic adventure today!