The Northern Lights were our most researched and prepared for aspect of this trip to Iceland. Taking pictures of the night sky can be tricky and usually involves expensive and/or typically specialized equipment. Even with all of the know-how and equipment, nature still needs to cooperate.
Taking the pictures
We attended several classes at our local camera shop to learn how to take a picture of the low light night sky. It’s not as easy as it looks, we took a lot of notes and brought them with us because when the lights are out, you don’t always have time to mess around with the camera. Low light photography requires the lens to stay open for long periods of time and you need the right equipment for that.
The Equipment
We found two options for taking pictures of the Northern Lights. The one we went with was ensuring we had a tripod, camera remote, and specialized lens. The second option that we saw while we were out and discussed with one of our tour guides was a smartphone app. While we can’t really speak to the app, we can say that the results looked pretty good.
When and Where to Be
Like most anything else, there is an app for that called Aurora. The app will show the KP Index, which is the likelihood that the lights will be visible. Other information available in the app is cloud cover forecast, short and long term viewing probability, and solar wind activity.