How to Photograph the Milky Way and Aurora
Capturing the night sky is one of the most magical experiences in photography. Whether it’s the Milky Way stretching across a dark sky or the Northern Lights dancing above a frozen landscape, these moments remind us how small we are in the vastness of space.
Nicolas Jægergaard
Settings
Shooting the Milky Way and Aurora is all about patience, preparation, and darkness. For both, use a sturdy tripod, a wide-angle lens, and manual settings. Keep your shutter open for several seconds, use a wide aperture (around f/2), and adjust ISO between 1600–6400 depending on brightness.
For the Milky Way, aim for longer exposures (10–30s) on clear, moonless nights far from city lights. For the Aurora, use shorter exposures (1–6s) to capture movement and detail without overexposing. Always focus manually to infinity, use a 2-second timer, and take test shots to fine-tune your settings.
Once everything’s ready — step back, breathe in the silence, and let the sky do the rest.
See QUICK GUIDE below.
