How to photograph the Northern Lights? These enthusiasts give us their tips

At the start of the year, amateur photographers were spoiled: from January 1st, the Northern Lights appeared almost everywhere in the Burgundian skies.

Marie-Charlotte Rochette and Jérémy Moron are amateur photographers and aurora borealis hunters. On January 1, 2025, it was around 6:30 p.m., on the heights of Santenay in the south of the Côte-d’Or, that they unearthed them. More precisely at the Trois-Croix mountain.

They are not the only ones to have had the privilege of observing this fascinating and very aesthetic phenomenon. In Yonne too, the lucky ones were able to capture these pink streaks in the early evening. Like here in the Chablis vineyards, in this photo by Jérémy Faillat.

Near Dijon too, the auroras were visible on January 1st. In the Saône plain in Varanges, Corinne Gauthray photographed a SAR. “It’s a motionless red arc that forms during strong auroras. You can’t see it with the naked eye but it’s often high in the sky like last night”she explains. “There had already been dawns on the night of the 31st to the 1st, and as the fog finally lifted on the Saône plain, I watched to see if there was another salvo.”

In Châtillonnais too, photographers have succeeded in capturing the Northern Lights. Karen De Sa took these images in Coulmier-le-Sec (Côte-d’Or), between 8:10 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

In Franche-Comté too, superb northern lights have been observed as here in the Jura.

Do you also want to take photos of the Northern Lights? There are a few prerequisites to know.

First: a tripod! The Northern Lights are not visible to the naked eye but they become visible by using a long exposure time on your camera: 10, 20 to 30 seconds. To do this, you absolutely have to be static. The use of a tripod is therefore almost essential, “so as not to move and have clear stars”details Corinne Gauthray.

As for the lens, preferably use a wide angle, to capture as much of the sky as possible. On the heights of Santenay, Jérémy Moron used a hybrid, with a large aperture (F/2), 3200 ISO and an exposure time of 8 seconds.

However, you don’t have to have an ultra-advanced camera to take successful shots! A good smartphone and adequate settings may be enough. Karen De Sa, in Châtillonnais, uses “an iPhone 15 with night mode, and an exposure time of 10 to 30 seconds”.

• Knowing how to spot the right moment

This is the most technical part: anticipating the weather conditions that will allow the Northern Lights to appear. Northern lights forecasts depend on many parameters: hemispheric power, magnetic field, etc. Applications exist with fairly technical data for beginners. “Honestly, I don’t understand much about it”admits Jérémy Moron, the Santenay photographer. There’s nothing to be ashamed of :pAmong aurora hunters, many learn on the job.

“We started, with Marie-Charlotte, in May 2024 after seeing photos on social networks, a little by chance”explains Jérémy Moron. “Yesterday we saw on Instagram that there was a high chance of seeing the aurora.” It also has an application providing information on the Kp, an indicator of geomagnetic storms. The closer it is to 9, the greater the chance of seeing auroras.

The clearer the sky, the more beautiful and visible the auroras will be. On rainy or foggy evenings, you risk being left empty-handed.

Finally, you have to know how to position yourself well! Facing north, because that’s where the auroras come from. Also avoid areas that are too bright, close to towns.

“Light pollution can give a veiling effect, the lights are reflected on the clouds”explains Jérémy Moron. So aim for an isolated location, and high up, so as not to be hampered by trees or terrain. Happy shooting!