This week, we're excited to share a guest blog post from Holly Birch, who specializes in brand and commercial photography. She is the photographer and videographer behind all things OpenCase, and a fantastic partner in our marketing efforts. With the Northern Lights display in the U.S. and Canada today and tomorrow, we couldn't think of a better person to break down how to capture them with your iPhone than Holly. She's here to give you the tips to get it done right. Thank you, Holly! And please enjoy, OpenCasers!
Catching a glimpse of the Northern Lights is magical—but capturing them with your iPhone? Not as hard as you might think! In my experience, I’ve found that my phone actually takes better photos of the Northern Lights than my professional mirrorless camera does. In case you were wondering, I am a brand and business photographer with 18+ years of experience as a professional in photography.
This photo was taken with my professional mirrorless camera.
This photo was taken in the same location using my iPhone.
Your iPhone (especially a newer model) is surprisingly capable of photographing the Aurora Borealis with a little preparation and know how. Let’s get into it!
1. Use Night Mode (and a tripod or stand if you can)
iPhones with Night Mode (iPhone 11 and newer) will automatically adjust for low-light scenes, but you can manually extend the exposure up to 30 seconds—if your phone is stabilized.
You know that thing that your phone camera does when you’re trying to take photos in dark situations? You have to hold still for a few seconds while it exposes the photo (the timer counts down while the photo gets enough light to expose properly). It’s the same thing here, and you want to extend the exposure time as long as possible to get the most amount of light and color from the Northern Lights into your photos. With night mode, you can extend the amount of time the shutter is open up to 30 full seconds.
Use a tripod or prop your phone on something solid (like an OpenCase accessory!) to avoid blur during long exposures. This allows the phone to keep the “shutter” open longer which lets more light into the sensor. It’s also a way to try “motion blur” as long as you can keep your phone steady.
2. Turn off the flash and Live Photos
These features won’t help in this scenario. Instead, go manual: swipe up in the Camera app and tap the flash icon to turn it off. (Pro tip: I always have my phone flash OFF, especially at events like concerts!) Then, turn off Live Photos to reduce noise and file size. Live photos don’t work in night mode anyway. Personally, I like to keep live mode ON because I use the clips to create reels and stories on Instagram!
3. Dial in exposure manually
Tap the screen to focus on the sky, then drag the sun icon down slightly to avoid overexposing bright areas. Let the colors and movement of the aurora shine through naturally.
You can use the sun icon for other photos too. I use it to set focus on a specific object and also to adjust exposure for subjects that are too bright or too dark. When I teach on taking better photos with your phone, that’s the number one thing most people don’t know about!
4. Try a third-party camera app
Apps like NightCap or Slow Shutter Cam offer more manual controls, including ISO and shutter speed, which can help your iPhone mimic a DSLR-like long exposure. I have not used one of these apps, but if you have little to no photography experience, this may be a good option for you.
5. Keep it steady and experiment
Every aurora display is different—some are fast and dramatic, others are faint and dreamy. Take multiple shots with different exposure lengths to find what works best for your scene.
With patience, a steady hand (or better yet, a tripod), and a little experimentation, you’ll be amazed at what your iPhone can capture. Happy photographing!
Holly Birch Photography is a brand & business photographer based in Champaign, Illinois. Holly enjoys helping both small and large businesses with their product, marketing, headshots, and social media photo needs.