Smartphones are getting smarter with every new generation, and so are their cameras. But when you combine a good photographer and a good smartphone, the sky is the limit. Quite literally. Zach Honig of The Points Guy recently shot magnificent Northern lights with nothing but his iPhone, handheld at a 3s exposure. He shared his experience and some photos with DIYP, so let’s see how he did it.
The journey of learning to capture the magic of Northern Lights
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In December 2014 I decided that I wanted to practice shooting the night sky in order to expand my photography skills. Of course I made every possible mistake. My compositions were completely off, I severely underexposed or blew out the sky and the images were not sharp.
This photographer captured a dragon in the Northern Lights sky over Iceland
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We just posted yesterday about the incredible sights that nature can present us with when Ted Chin showed us his photographs of the Firefall at Yosemite National Park. Things like that, though, you can plan for. You’re never guaranteed to see it as well as Ted did, but you have a reasonable idea of when it’s going to appear.
This, though, is something completely random, that you can never plan for, or even consider getting in your wildest dreams. Photographer Jingyi Zhang was in Iceland earlier this month and they actually managed to photograph the appearance of a dragon in the Northern Lights display over Iceland.
The Northern Lights can be seen tonight in the USA
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According to the Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC), there’s a minor geomagnetic storm going on today and tomorrow (9th and 10th) that will cause the Aurora Borealis to appear over the USA’s northern states including Montana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, north Dakota and the northern tip of Maine as well as Canada and Alaska.
Interesting Engineering reports that it’s expected to start pretty soon, too. They’re scheduled to appear on Friday the 9th from 4-7pm EST and then again from 10pm until 1am tomorrow morning.
Have you ever wanted to shoot the northern lights? Here’s how to do it
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Auroras look so magical, and it’s no surprise that it’s on a lot of photographers’ bucket list. Not all of us will ever get the chance to photograph these magnificent lights, but if you happen to be lucky enough, will you know how to shoot them? Thankfully, expert aurora photographer Mads Peter Iversen just posted the ultimate video guide on how to predict and photograph this elusive phenomenon.
Ten quick tips for photographing northern lights
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The other day I was lucky enough to catch some Northern Lights over my hometown Stockholm. It is quite rare to see them here, especially on a full moon night, and with all the light pollution from the city. The experience of seeing and photographing Aurora Borealis inspired me to compile a video and this article with my 10 best quick tips to catch the northern lights with a camera.
This photographer shot Northern Lights reflected in a volcanic crater lake
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Photos of Northern Lights and volcanic craters are mesmerizing on their own. Photographer Sigurður (Siggi) William managed to capture them together and created a stunning photo of Aurora Borealis reflected on the water surface of a volcanic crater. We asked Siggi to share with us how he made this fantastic shot, and he shared the details with DIYP.
The Northern Lights look even more magical from the air
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If you thought the views of the Northern Lights looked good from the ground, wait until you see them from the air. This footage captured by Nathan Starzynski shows a rather unique vantage point. Aboard a flight over Southeastern Alberta around 8pm local time, he was surprised when he looked out of the window to see this.
To capture the timelapse, Nathan extended a tripod and wedged it against the window seat to hold it steady. Plane windows are notorious for reflections, especially when flying at night. So, the camera was pressed against the glass, and then the whole thing covered with a sweater to prevent reflection. Fortunately, he had the whole row to himself, making things a little easier.
Timelapse video of Aurora Borealis from an airplane window will take your breath away
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Shots from an airplane window can be truly beautiful. And shots of Northern lights can be even more beautiful. But how about combining these two? Well, this is exactly what Aryeh Nirenberg did. This lucky photographer saw Aurora from an airplane window at 35,000ft and created a wonderful timelapsevideo that will take your breath away.
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Photographer captures incredible light pillars that look like something out of a Sci-Fi show
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Beam me up, Scotty! At least, that’s what photographer Timothy Joseph Elzinga (AKA Timmy Joe) thought when he was woken up by his 2 year old son at 1:30am and saw this through the window. Being based in Canada, Timmy initially thought these were actually the Northern Lights. What was odd, though, was that they seemed to be emanating from the ground. He says they were “blasting hundreds of feet into the air” while shimmering and moving.
To further investigate, he went outside and grabbed a little footage with his phone. He also saw his neighbours out looking at the strange lights in the sky. Now convinced that it’s the Northern Lights, he gets into his vehicle to head areas free from light pollution. Upon seeing them disappear, he heads back home, where they’re still shining brightly in the sky. He later finds out they’re called light pillars. Caused by light shining off ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere.
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