Photographing the aurora borealis is magical – but there are a few easy mistakes that can leave you with blurry, washed-out, or missed photos. Here are five things to avoid:
- Using autofocus – Always switch to manual focus and pre-focus on a distant light source.
- Wrong white balance – Set white balance manually, around 3500K–4000K, to preserve natural aurora tones.
- Too much exposure – Long exposures (20+ sec) can blur fast-moving auroras. Try 5–15 seconds instead.
- Low ISO or aperture – Use wide aperture (f/2.8) and ISO 1600–3200 depending on your camera.
- Forgetting composition – Don’t just shoot the sky. Include foreground (cabin, mountain, trees) for depth.
Want a full step-by-step guide? Check out our full Aurora Photography section.
