HOW TO Photograph the Northern Lights / Auroras 2024

[@TaleOfTwoIdiots]

“Remove your lens cap.” Love it!

[@ro3843]

For anyone who is serious about Aurora photography, this is an incredibly accurate introductory guide. I'm writing this during a KP 7.33 night. Everything he's saying is very accurate

[@kozziemoto11]

Incredible video with tons of great info! Thanks so much! We’ve been so blessed to get some great viewing of the Aurora around the Pacific Northwest (I’m just a bit south of Seattle in Washington State, USA), so I’m just beginning to learn all I’ll need to keep mind in order to give myself the best chances of capturing them!

[@westenbergerstephan5955]

And the Oscar goes to ......Mads! Folks, take this video as your bibel for (landscape) photography. All you need to know in 30 Min. - what an awesome work! Skip all vblogs you have seen or you want to watch -> take this vblog only!!! Yes, it is an awful lot of information but all is perfectly described. The order of topic like weather, how to focus, all the practical examples like baterie life and clothing, etc, etc.. Don't get frustrated about the amount of info. Watch this vlog again and again and you'll soon understand what Mads want to tell you, if you don't know already......and most important "Remove your lense cap"! :-)

[@MadsPeterIversen]

Thank you so much! I'd like to thank my mom, my dad, my girlfriend and all of you guys! :D No, really thanks a lot, Stephan! :)

[@Jon_Godfrey]

"remove your lens cap"... classic. :-)

[@MadsPeterIversen]

Yes exactly! :D

[@robertfrase3846]

I didn't know you were going to say that, but I was thinking it.. I almost had some Coke-Cola come out my nose I laughed so hard.

[@mclark87nz]

That's a good one. I'm going to Whitehorse march next year to see the Northern Lights. I've got a Nikon D3500, I was testing some night photography from my balcony and was trying to understand why I couldn't get any shots. Helps if the lens cap is removed :)

[@icehawkutube]

My favorite tip on manual focusing technique at night: “If you still can’t see any lights after zooming in, remove your lens cap.” 😂 WOW! This is an EPIC, super informative video! The music toward the end was effectively climatic. THANK YOU so much, Mads! Happy to be a new subscriber to your channel here. I’m planning to be in Iceland in October. Hope to experience the Aurora then. Have to rewatch this video a few more times to unpack all the content into quick tip notes.

[@Frustrationcentral]

Hey Mads, thank you so much for this tutorial and posting this. It helped me SO much; I had the opportunity to be in Iceland last month and did my first night and first aurora shots and they actually turned out sharp and resembling real life. Thank you!!

[@pratikpatel8991]

Your ability to compress knowledge is simply unsurpassed. Can't begin to fathom the amount of time and effort you've taken to produce this material. Thank you.

[@MadsPeterIversen]

This specific one was hard!

[@marieta.s]

That was the most comprehensive guide I’ve seen regarding the auroras. Thank you for all your effort and work you are putting in these guides. This is truly useful information.

[@MadsPeterIversen]

You're very welcome, Marieta! :)

[@StephenBridgett]

Extremely useful Mads. Thank you

[@robertwhite-photography]

This is #1 for me on the upcoming trip !! @20:45 the shooting star over the mountain :)

[@luannewilliams3410]

This was one of the best aurora videos I've seen. Very detailed and easy to understand. Thanks! I'm interested in your aurora editing techniques.

[@Anonymous-td6bd]

Amazing video, so much detail. Thank you!

[@DarrenJSpoonley]

ASTOUNDING MADS A MASTERCLASS AND COMPLETE RESOURCE FOR EVERY PHOTOGRAPHER !! BRAVO !!!

[@MadsPeterIversen]

Thank you very, very much, Darren! :)

[@JaypeaFoto]

Now there’s a mouthful of information. I get up at 4:30 am and spend an hour enjoying my coffee and your videos. After this video I’m definitely awake. Great job at such detail.

[@GhazaliAziz]

Thank you for sharing !!!!! You inspire me !!!!

[@siddharthabhuyan6875]

Awsome northern lights from terminal

[@mudhead31]

So excellent! Thank you! Going to Bettles, AK tomorrow to see what I can to with what I have.

[@karinstrobl1910]

Hello Mads, I am back in Reine/Lofoten and I cant wait for night to come. I watch this Video over an over again. I also had a wonderful Aurora at Eystrahorn last year. Thank you so much for your pictures. 💝

[@mstpierre]

This MUST be the best Aurora "how to" video found anywhere on the web. Fantastic job !!!

[@MadsPeterIversen]

You're very welcome and thank you very much!

[@Souljacker7]

OMG, this made me more anxious! Assuming I'm there at thre right time and place I have about 15 minutes to set my tripod, adjust focus, ISO, aperture, shutter speed, remote shutter release, find a good composition, take a couple test shots, readjust ... I'll probably faint

[@johnredmond7085]

Well done, thank you very much.

[@Lillyiphone88]

Wow❤️❤️❤️

[@bruceleonard3096]

Removing the lens cap was a great tip. It's now much easier to focus and get a properly exposed image.

[@shelleydansereau6481]

Phenomenal. So interesting.

[@MrJak427]

Massively helpful video 😊 Hopefully tonight I can get something in the Southern Hemisphere we had a good one last night very red

[@gordroberts53]

Loved the scientific/technical details but the photos and time-lapse starting around 23:06 render me speechless! Thank you

[@jannavc449]

This is very informative 👏 👌 thank you so much.

[@victor-ferreira]

Two words: ABSOLUTELY STUNNING!!!!

[@MadsPeterIversen]

Haha! Thanks a lot Victor! :)

[@razafiarisonmichael4421]

If you make a book with these knowledges (different types of light including northern lights) I'd buy it without hesitation. Nice video and thank you for the share !

[@RalfWeyer]

I have to be honest, since I’m only a hobby photographer for roughly 1,5 years and never looked at any of the details of Aurora photography before, I didn’t fully understand all of the information. And there was a lot of information in this video. But I will definitely come back and watch it again after digging a bit deeper into Aurora and the physics. But what I can say about the resulting images is just wow, absolutely stunning pictures 👍🙂

[@jtcmedia349]

Thank you for making this. This is so good. Educational, clear, and very inspiring. I live in Alaska and recently acquired a new camera and lens to seriously attempt to capture the aurora. Just last night I got some amazing shots, and this guide will certainly help me improve and even taught me new ideas such as the composite shots. Again, thank you for sharing your knowledge and best of luck to you in future aurora hunting! Cheers!

[@marcielabasan5751]

Thank you!!

[@gullirogg154]

Well done, greetings from Iceland

[@heshanwijeratne2155]

Very Useful video :) Thank u for sharing ur knowledge with us

[@carlowagner6752]

Just 2 more weeks to go and we will leave for Tromsö. Having no experience in photographing northern lights this was the best tutorial I found so far, thanks a lot. Got some inspiring ideas out of it, hope they will work out.

[@MadsPeterIversen]

Thanks a lot, Carlo, good luck :)

[@tonykirkham1663]

Thank you so much for producing and publishing the video.

[@MadsPeterIversen]

You are very welcome, Tony :)

[@trentb4631]

Thank you Mads for sharing your knowledge of Aurora’s and how to photograph them.

[@petemellows]

Very nice Mads. Whilst we have beautiful aurorae in Tasmania (southern hemisphere), I am insanely jealous of the thought of being underneath one. And, as I have recently learned, the colours here are different hues. Cheers.

[@rasicaphoto6450]

Most comprehensive tutorial of aurora photography and more...

[@MadsPeterIversen]

Thanks a lot! :D

[@fredericdemeus6163]

For someone like me, who hasn't seen this spectacular yet, I found it great that at least someone takes time to share some information and tips & tricks around the Aurora's. It was quiet a big theoretical part, but once you get it, it's just the explanation I was searching for. Thanks Mads !

[@MadsPeterIversen]

You're very welcome, Frederic! I hope you did learn something. It's a video I really poured a lot energy into since I wanted to make something different from all the other people on KZbin :)

[@PrimeMatt]

Wow! What a fantastic video!

[@TommyPanigale]

Absolutely fantastic video. Been researching this stuff as I’m traveling to Iceland from the states in March, specifically to photograph the northern lights. Thank you for putting out such an informative and well thought out video!

[@stanguilbaud8612]

Excellent video ! Thanks a lot, i learned a lot.

[@leticiajc349]

What an amazing lesson you gave to those who plan to photograph Aurora! It’s far the best tutorial I’ve seen arround! I got amazed with your sensibility, determination and desire to comprehend all the aspects related to experiencing and shooting the Northern Lights. More than guiding us through this art, you clearly show your respect to this spectacular nature phenomenon. Great job and thank you very much for sharing your knowledge and experience!

[@tony_r_pierce]

This shows a lot of hard work and research. Well done!

[@MadsPeterIversen]

You're very welcome and yes, that was hard work :)

[@suzannebehan985]

Amazing !

[@musiqueetmontagne]

Wow, what a fantastic video and tutorial. You are a real professional Mads in every regard and understand your subject in depth. Thanks for sharing this information and giving us a visual treat. Wonderful, cheers, Robert.

[@jan.eigil.m]

I've seen this video 3 times now. And every time I enjoy it as much as the first. You just go so deep into the material and has so much knowledge that it takes time to take it all in. (Or I'm slow, haha). Fianlly, this time I also understood the KP index.

[@mountain_goat1]

Mads, is this technically episode 25 of Iceland series? We have been binge watching the series and I do like things in order. I couldn’t see episode 25 listed anywhere. Great work, you combine just the right amount of practical information and entertainment. Perfect!

[@MadsPeterIversen]

Yes it is, it's in the intro :)

[@mountain_goat1]

Mads Peter Iversen thanks, don’t know how I missed that.

[@la_mitchell]

I love the passion you have and your willingness to share with others....... Thank you!

[@MadsPeterIversen]

You're very welcome, Leigh-Ann! And thanks :)

[@javiervidal366]

Awesome job capturing a UFO @ 26:14. Really lovely Aurora Borealis pics too ;)

[@thanko1]

Fantastic video!

[@itsdavo5810]

Very comprehensive video. Thank you very much, Mads!

[@gugu_1973]

thank you!

[@thamalijayawickrnlinama3007]

Very nice explanations...

[@StanOm]

wow... can't get any better!

[@MadsPeterIversen]

Thank you so much, Alexander :)

[@johnbianchi6430]

Outstanding production. You did an excellent job of explaining what the auroras are and how to document them. Thank you for this video.

[@MadsPeterIversen]

Thanks a lot, John! Very happy to hear that :)

[@rottengolfer1]

Wow...unreal beauty. Thanks for sharing.

[@joejoe809]

Great photos 👍👍👍

[@prevalain]

Thank you once again for a most interesting and informative video. I saw northern lights only once in my life, in Montreal, back in 1969 I think it was. I was awestruck by the sheer beauty of the spectacle. You are a very lucky man to have witnessed a number of them. Hopefully, I’ll see northern lights once more if God wills!

[@danielcatalina1806]

Wonderful Mads, thank you very much for sharing!

[@MadsPeterIversen]

You're very welcome, Daniel! :)

[@tonyturner7676]

What an epic video and tutorial, Mads. Your work never ceases to amaze me. I found the ‘Physics’ section most interesting and the two images near the end (panorama and the township) are out of this world. Thank you.

[@MadsPeterIversen]

Thank you SO much, Tony! :)

[@MrPotts44]

Stunning, one of the best photography KZbin channels there is, great content, well done Mads keep them coming!

[@MadsPeterIversen]

Thanks a lot! I'm very happy to hear that :)

[@ToastandJam52]

Absolutely bloody fantastic!!!! Thanks for putting this together!!!

[@MadsPeterIversen]

You're very welcome! :)

[@iancooper5451]

Superb video Mads. We are traveling to Iceland in March 2019 for the first time. Can’t wait. I have seen all your 42 videos and will review them again and again. I thought I knew my stuff, but boy your really have helped me make some notes ready for this trip. Many many thanks

[@christopherbuckley94]

A great source of information. We are taking a tour of Iceland in December 2019 and we will have several opportunities to see and photograph the Aurora. We are looking forward to it!

[@1JYNOT]

Almost 16 minutes until you started to show how to photograph the Northern lights.......pleased I fast forwarded to that bit!!!!

[@bobbyw59]

Excellent. Excellent. Very in-depth information. Thanks.

[@ricardaalip8702]

Perfect!!Thank you so much for taking your time showing details. You are scientifically gifted. keep sharing.

[@MadsPeterIversen]

Thank you very much :)

[@birjupatel7159]

awesome really helpful

[@wendyarthur3941]

Hello Mads. That was the best aurora video I have ever seen, thank you so much for sharing all that information. Your images are brilliant along with the B-Roll.

[@MadsPeterIversen]

Thank you, so very much, Wendy!

[@MegaDwilkinson]

fantastic video Mads - love your work; thank you

[@MadsPeterIversen]

You're very welcome, David! :)

[@Sesark]

Always learning new things..Thanks so much for this video 👍

[@MadsPeterIversen]

You're most welcome, Karl! :)

[@calebschmitt7358]

Mads you’re amazing! Thank you for all these videos on your channel. I’ve been following you for a while, but I’m going through all of your recent videos and it’s a heap of a help!

[@MadsPeterIversen]

So happy to hear that! :)

[@mariamullin4031]

Fantastic video

[@joeduffyy]

Wow I came here expecting to just hear about some camera settings but you made an entire guide on the aurora, this is amazing!

[@OutofUsers22]

Thanks

[@MadsPeterIversen]

Wow, thank you so much, Michael!

[@saramarion4423]

Astonishing in its detail and overall content! I thought I had a good grasp on the physics of the auroras -- only to learn my understanding was that of a kindergartener. I SOOO appreciate all the effort you poured into this excellent tutorial. I hope I have absorbed enough new material that my photos on my trip next month will improve greatly. What a find you are!

[@afeldmar74]

Thanks Mads! Very informative and sharp. Thanks for all of the playlist sharing. Can't wait for my trip to Iceland next month!

[@jasmck3261]

So I've been watching many of your videos this year Mads, and now I've found this gem! What an incredible video you've put together. Thanks alot for this info. I managed to take a photo a couple of weeks ago of it. Tho there was much information here I hadn't thought about. So although I was happy with the photo. I believe the next will be even better. Thanks.

[@Bee0213]

Mads your Videos are amazing, thank you for sharing these. 👌🏼

[@tripityourself]

Some very useful tips, thank you very much. I can't wait to try on my own now!!

[@darrenbooker9438]

Fantastic video Mads, love your work mate.

[@MadsPeterIversen]

Thank you very much, Darren! :)

[@larrysernyk6154]

This is GREAT Mads Peter! I am so glad I found it today as we are planning a trip to Fairbanks AK for this fall for Aurora photography.

[@ethanrambacher]

Mads, the quality of your work and the attention to detail you put in is amazing! I love your channel and your photography; please release as much as possible ;)

[@MadsPeterIversen]

Thank you very much! I'd love to release more, but I know people would just be tired of it and I can't do more than one video a week when it's on this level :)

[@andrewboland8170]

Fantastic video Mads - a lot of work has gone into this and it's much appreciated. Gorgeous photos too - I hope i get to see the Northern Lights one day.

[@MadsPeterIversen]

A lot of work yes but thanks a lot Andrew :)

[@carloottavianocasana1248]

Most interesting,most useful, fantastic video!!! Thank you so much!!!

[@MadsPeterIversen]

You're very welcome, Carlo and thank you :)

[@olo101olo]

Absolutely stunning photos!

[@patricklee8062]

What an amazing video and tutorial. Simply spectacular. Thank you for sharing and keep up the great work!!

[@azizghanim]

Thank you so very much for this tutorial.

[@MadsPeterIversen]

You're most welcome, Aziz! :)

[@RohanBarrett]

Mads ...you’re top 5 ..in my opinion .. incredible work as usual

[@MadsPeterIversen]

Thanks a lot, Rohan! Who else is in the top5? :D

[@RohanBarrett]

Mads Peter Iversen For me.. my personal favorites currently are Micheal shainblum .. Nick Page... Max Rive .. Thomas Heaton and you of course.. no particular order..

[@MadsPeterIversen]

That is some really nice company! Thanks a lot :)

[@craigrobson1032]

Fabulous and very informative vlog! and stunning photos to match. thank you very much Mads! 👍 Cheers Craig

[@MadsPeterIversen]

You are most welcome, Craig and thanks a lot :)

[@jimcooke5590]

Thanks for that brilliant and educational vlog mads. Breathtaking images and great narration

[@MadsPeterIversen]

You're very welcome, Jim! :)

[@macoooy]

Absolutely brilliant Mads!!! Thanks so much to share all your skills. Your videos totally blew off my mind I'm thrilled

[@MadsPeterIversen]

Thank you so much for such kind words :)

[@alfredfeil3370]

I Love your work. Perfekt Job. My fav time settings are between 1 and Max 7 sec. I think longer times kill the sharpnes of the Aurora. So you miss the Strippes if there are any

[@jongrall]

WOW 😮 Mads, you really outdid yourself on this video! The information you presented is so well researched, and this lesson is densely packed with valuable information which is intelligently organized into sections. I learned a lot about the prediction part which was pretty mysterious to me until now even though I understood some of the science behind the lights. I had to rewind a few times just to process everything you were saying... and English is my first language (you talk fast!!). Fantastic content and images as always, and kind of amazing that it is freely available here on KZbin. I will be very happy to buy your post-processing tutorial to learn how you bring those finished aurora composites together, and to thank you for all I’ve learned on this channel over the past year! 😊

[@MadsPeterIversen]

Thank you so much, Jon! I'm so happy to hear that. Yeah, it's pretty packed with information and it's way more work I've put into this than any other video ever - also too much. It was really tough ;) I hope you'll enjoy the tutorial :)

[@jongrall]

It's really difficult to find that balance between what content you make available for free online, and what you ask people to pay for. I experienced that myself with a fairly successful free-to-play puzzle game that I released for iOS a couple of years ago. Few people appreciate how much work goes into creating digital content, and they often expect to get it all for free. Anyway, I hope the tutorial sells well enough to justify all the effort you put in, and encourages you to make more - I for one would definitely buy them. If you do more paid content in the future, maybe next time you can give yourself a bit of a break and make a shorter "teaser" trailer for the paid content instead of an epic 30 minute "ultimate guide." However, given that this was your first paid tutorial, I understand why you put the maximum effort in, and decided to be a bit more generous with free information for your subscribers. Of course it's up to you how you monetize your content and balance that against growing the channel! In any case, the hard work is very much appreciated, and I'm confident that the information in this video will help many people now and into the future looking for information about the auroras. I'll let you know what I think of the tutorial once I've had time to really work through it this coming weekend.

[@MadsPeterIversen]

Thanks a lot for the long answer, Jon. You're absolutely right. I actually wanted to make this video first and then I figured I might as well release the tutorial along with it. I have more ideas for digital content in the future, but I gotta sit down and make a proper strategy around it :)

[@isabelladavis1363]

SOOOOO much information...I will need to watch this several times to let this sink in lol...the technical advise ... the camera settings...phase of the moon...time of year ... super informative...thank you for all of your hard work and sharing this well of knowledge with us all...now if I can convince myself to stand out in these freezing conditions coming from our summer temperatures of upper 90s-100?? Will need to do research on clothing to wear and be WELL prepared...actually that would also be a great video..effect on cameras at certain temps ..clothing etc...stay blessed my friend..

[@MadsPeterIversen]

Lots of layers and preferably merino wool with an arctic jacket on top :) An you're welcome! :)

[@isabelladavis1363]

dankeschön@@MadsPeterIversen

[@bobincdas]

You should be breaking subscriber/view records for a photography channel Mads ! The quality of these videos are par excellent !

[@bobincdas]

Also did you move to sony system from canon ?

[@MadsPeterIversen]

Thank you so much as always, Bobin! I wish I did :) I'm slowly moving yes. I haven't got the main lenses yet.

[@finedecks]

Absolutely fantastic Mads. It is a whole other level, I mean way waaay up.

[@MadsPeterIversen]

Thank you SO much, Clemens! Means a lot as you've followed me for a long time :)