Camera Settings & Best Tips to See Northern Lights in Alaska

​While chasing the Northern Lights in Alaska...and in Minnesota before that...and Iceland before that...we've managed to learn a few tips and camera settings on how to best see the Northern Lights. Below I've gathered all of my best Northern Lights tips - as well as a list of what camera settings we use to capture them. Please avoid booking any tours for the Northern Lights during the months of mid May-mid August, it does not get dark enough to see the Northern Lights.

My Essential Alaska Travel Resources :
There are a lot of travel companies out there, but some are better than others. These are my favorite websites and resources to help plan an incredible trip to the 49th State.

For flights, I recommend using WayAway or Hopper to compare the cheapest dates to travel to Alaska.

Car rentals, arguably the best way to see Alaska, are best through Discover Cars!

I always use AGODA for hotels. They have an easy-to-use platform where you can compare the best rates.

To keep cell phone service if you're traveling internationally, I always use Airalo’s easy to purchase eSIM’s (no installation required).

For fun things to do, I recommend Viator to find the best tours in the area, otherwise Klook also does the trick.

Just in case, Safetywing is the insurance I always use for travel insurance.

Lastly, my Alaska packing list for your travels to the Last Frontier.

Best Camera Settings to Capture the Aurora

Using an iPhone :

• Flash mode is off (the lightning bolt is crossed out)
• Night mode is on (the small moon icon)
• Adjust night mode from 3 seconds to 10 seconds - this will capture more of the aurora in a single shot - adjust this depending on how strongly the aurora appears to the naked eye, for example, the brighter the lights look to your own eyes the shorter the night mode can be.
• Take the photo and be as still as possible, if you're moving you might see a white plus sign and yellow plus sign show up - try to keep these as overlapped as possible.
  

Using a DSLR :

• ​Aperture at f/2.8 or the widest/lowest it'll go
• ISO at 3200-8000, the brighter the moon is the lower you'll want to go
• Shutter at 1-12 seconds, I typically start around 8
• Based on how strong the lights appear and on your surroundings, you'll have to adjust these settings, but this is a great starting point!

For both of these options, I recommend using a tripod if possible. If you shake at all you'll be able to see it in the photo because of the extra long exposure. If you don't have access to a tripod, try leaning it against something and using the timer mode to take a photo! You can also try using a GoPro or PowerShot type digital camera. We've had varied results with these, but they're always worth trying out in our opinion!

Best Rated Northern Lights Tours in Alaska :
- Fairbanks Northern Lights Tour
- Anchorage Northern Lights Tour

Best Tips to Chase the Northern Lights

Step 1 : Clear Skies
The Northern Lights can be difficult to see, especially if you don't know what to look for. In order for the Northern Lights to be visible to the human eye (in Alaska or anywhere else) you first need a clear sky - or at the very least, large breaks in the cloud cover. If it's cloudy then unfortunately you won't have a chance to see the Northern Lights. Any app that shows cloud cover should have a map that also shows you where the breaks in the clouds will be. My husband and I use the Enhanced Real View Radar on the AccuWeather app to track this. My tip is if it's clear enough to see the stars, then it's clear enough to see the Northern Lights as well.

Step 2 : Dark Skies
Just like you need clear skies to see the Northern Lights, it's just as important to have dark skies as well. Get away from any city lights, street lights, head lights, etc. - basically you'll want to get as far away from any extra light pollution as you can. This is why it is so essential to turn off your headlights while waiting for the Northern Lights. We encourage you to head out onto one of Alaska's highways - away from any cities and using one of the many pull-offs along the roads. Of course, I also encourage you to make sure to always have enough gas, and be safe while venturing out in an Alaskan winter.


Step 3 : Look North, Be North
Just like you need clear, dark skies, the more "North" you are - the better chances you'll have to see the Northern Lights. This is why the best places to view the Northern Lights in the entire world are all in the North - Alaska, Finland, Norway, Iceland, Sweden, etc. In order to look North, you'll first need to know which way is North. Nowadays most cars have a small compass that'll show you which direction you're pointing, otherwise iPhones also come preinstalled with a compass app. Unless the Northern Lights are VERY strong, the Northern Lights will always be coming from the North. We've only had the Northern Lights completely surrounding us a handful of times, and you should consider yourself very lucky if this happens!

Step 4 : Watch the NOAA Website
The NOAA (National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration) shares information on the probability of seeing the Northern Lights as well as any other major weather events. Their data can be a bit difficult to read if you're new to these types of graphs, but in general you want to look for a higher KP number (7 being the best chance to see the Northern Lights, 0 meaning there's not much of a chance at all) and a negative BZ number (the lowest number the better, for example a -5 would be much better than a positive 5). There are also multiple apps you can download that shows you this information. I always use the Aurora Alerts App, which tells you the exact probability of seeing the Northern Lights based on exactly where you are, in real time. There's also a paid version of the app that will send you alerts when the probability is high to see the Northern Lights, however we've always just used the free version.

Step 5 : Stay Up LATE
We cannot tell you the number of times that we've been watching the Northern Lights and people starting leaving at 11 pm or midnight because the Aurora hasn't come out yet. Anytime you're watching the Northern Lights (or chasing them) we always recommend that you plan on staying out until 2-3 am. This is when we've always seen our best Northern Lights shows in Alaska, and the more patiently you can wait them out the better.

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Other Alaska blog posts you might be interested in : 
-> 15 Easiest Alaska Glaciers to Visit
-> Where to Rent Bear Spray in Alaska
-> 7 Best Tours in Alaska

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