The captivating sight of colors spreading across the Arctic sky is something you wouldn’t want to miss. You can witness these lights from the seashore or a mountainside. They can also be seen from the observation deck on one of the ships of Hurtingruten. If you’ve just started landscape photography, here are some valuable tips on photographing Northern Lights:

1. Wear warm clothes

Frozen fingers and shaky hands won’t be of any use if you want to photograph the aurora. The northern parts of Norway are extremely cold during winter. So, you’ll need to put on many layers of clothing. Don’t be concerned about your appearance after wrapping yourself up in this manner. The real star in your photograph is Northern Lights.

2. Check the forecasts

You must pay attention to the aurora forecast as well as the weather forecast. This will help you in getting to the right spot on days when the sky is clear. You must also ensure that the light show is visible during your visit. You can book a guided trip of Northern Lights, as the guides would know the local weather.

Consider installing the forecast app NorwayLights on your smartphone. This will give you easy access to the Northern Lights forecast on-the-go.

3. Move away from the city lights

To photograph the aurora you’ll need to move away from the city lights. This is absolutely necessary if you wish to click some excellent photos. Make sure you find an ideal spot, which is far from the city center. You can also consider hiring a local guide who knows the right spots for watching this natural phenomenon. Don’t use a flash when you’re photographing this fascinating show of lights.

4. Use the manual camera settings if available

Manual camera settings are always the best when you’re photographing this fabulous show of lights. Of course, the automatic settings would make things a lot more easier for you. However, when it’s dark, manual settings would be your best companion. If you rely on automatic settings, you might not get the Northern Lights in your photograph at all.

The manual settings allow you to adjust the shutter speed, focus, aperture, and ISO. To begin with, you must familiarize yourself well with the settings of your camera. Once you’re good at using them, you can travel to the designated spot confidently and get the perfect shot.

5. Keep the camera steady

To keep your camera steady while capturing the images of Northern Lights, use a tripod. The blurry images might seem quite artistic to you, but you wouldn’t want your photograph to appear like them. In case you don’t have a tripod, look for a big rock to keep your camera still. You can also consider placing it on the hood of a car. Use anything that can keep the camera steady for getting the right shot.

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Although one comes across many photos of sunset, only a few can be considered excellent. You’ll need to click sunset photographs that appear professional to make an impact. One good thing to know is that you don’t need to do something extraordinary to achieve this. Consider using these fabulous tips for photographing sunsets:

1. Find out the position of the sun

When you’re photographing sunset, you must know the sun’s position to get an idea about the light. Of course, luck plays an important role in photography, but you must do your bit as well. This is one of the factors you need to pay attention to.

It will certainly increase your chances of getting some impactful photos of sunset. Knowing the position of the sun will help you shoot your subject in the most appropriate way. You’ll be able to decide whether to shoot directly into the sun, get the sidelight, or the backlight.

2. Reach early and be prepared to stay late

Sunset photography is not that simple as it appears to be. One can’t just show up, take some snaps, and go back with fantastic photos. If there’s such a possibility, it’s something quite rare. Not many photographers will have such lucky instances. The usual way is to arrive at your chosen location early and stay late.

This will increase your chances of walking away with some great photographs of the sunset. How early you should reach your location greatly depends on the location itself. If you’ve never visited the place, you might need to arrive much earlier. You’ll also need to set everything up and wait for the best light to show up.

3. Avoid the unwanted flares of the lens

Lens flares can take away the most charming aspects of your sunset photograph. You’ll find it hard to avoid them, especially when you’re shooting towards the sun. It won’t be wrong to say that lens flares are one of the worst enemies of those photographing sunsets.

There are three methods you can use to avoid these unwanted flares. One is to use a lens hood. The other method is adjusting your perspective until the sun goes out of the frame. The third method is capturing two or more images that can then be blended together after processing.

4. Try different shutter speeds

Even some slight adjustments made in shutter speeds can create a significant impact in sunset photography. This makes the shutter speed one of the most important camera settings for capturing creative images. You’ll never have an exact blueprint of which shutter speed works the best. It’s all up to you. There can be a lot of differences between images clicked with different shutter speeds.

A photograph with a slower shutter speed may look much more enchanting. In some cases, a photograph with a higher shutter speed may appear fascinating. So, it’s necessary that you experiment with different shutter speeds. This will give you an idea about what works best for your photos.

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