How to shoot aurora with a mobile phone

Absrtact: I am always curious when I see the aurora photos taken by photographers. How on earth did they take such great photos? Can we take such cool photos with mobile phones or ordinary cameras? This article is specially prepared for photographers who want to shoot aurora. This paper introduces the parameter setting and shooting skills of shooting aurora with mobile phone SLR. Let's have a look. First, the mobile phone shoots the aurora

Using a mobile phone to shoot aurora requires auxiliary equipment, but the requirements of auxiliary equipment are not high. Only a tripod is needed to stabilize the mobile phone. At the same time, you need to adjust the mobile phone camera to professional mode and set your own parameters. It should be difficult for ordinary people to set their own parameters.

It is suggested that the white balance be set to 3700K, the focus be set to 100 (infinity), the shutter be set to 32 seconds, the sensitivity be set to 1600, and the 64 million ultra-clear mode be turned on.

Another trick is to start the 3S countdown shooting, which can prevent the phone from shaking when clicking the shooting button.

If you want to shoot a delayed aurora video, you can shoot 100 photos continuously by the above method. Finally, all the photo materials are edited together in sequence by video editing software to get a perfect delayed aurora video.

Second, SLR shooting aurora

Shooting skill

1, quickly locate the aurora with the camera.

If the aurora is not strong with naked eyes, or the surrounding environment is too dark, you may wish to set the aperture and ISO to the maximum before the official shooting, and set the shutter for about 2-4 seconds (hand-held), and then pat the place suspected of aurora. Before starting the actual composition or shooting, let the camera help you confirm the position and environmental conditions of the aurora to avoid misunderstanding for a long time.

2. Pay more attention to the surrounding environment when shooting.

After arriving at the shooting location, you can study the environment first to see which angles have beautiful scenery, so that you can always pay attention to whether the aurora has "walked" to the right position after shooting. And even if the aurora is really lucky to appear at the perfect angle, don't forget to continue to look around and listen to all directions.

3. You can expose two photos of aurora and HDR scenery.

If the scenery is too dark without the help of moonlight, it is suggested to take a photo with brighter scenery besides the aurora. In this way, as long as you go home and enter the computer HDR, you can get a beautiful photo of the aurora with clear landscape. If the moonlight itself is bright enough and the landscape is clear enough, this step is unnecessary. )

Parameter setting

1, aperture F4.0 (the aperture value of most camera lenses)

2, 4 seconds exposure (make the aurora more obvious)

3. ISO8000 (If the camera does not have ISO8000, you can also choose to use ISO6400 or 12800).

If the aurora changes quickly, increase the ISO as much as possible to speed up the exposure. If the change is slow, the ISO can be lowered to reduce noise, and then the exposure time can be extended.

Matters needing attention

1, a solid and stable tripod is a good partner for taking good photos of the aurora. Usually when we take pictures during the day, we can get clear photos by pressing the shutter button, but it takes a long time to shoot the aurora, and a little jitter will make the photos not clear enough, so remember to bring a tripod.

2. Battery consumption is faster in cold environment, and it is safest to bring an extra battery.

3. It is best to shoot the aurora with a bright future, and the proportion of the aurora is set off by the environment. Otherwise, the aurora is bare and monotonous. Of course, if there is a water surface to reflect the aurora, it will also have a very dreamy effect.