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Page Two Because the earth's magnetic field lines are concentrated near the north and south magnetic poles, that's where the auroras are most likely to occur. They are most dramatic when there is a lot of solar activity, as explained on the previous page.
Experiment with different times, and take a variety of shots. Actual times and settings will depend on the film type you're using, the size of your lens, and the aperture settings available on the camera. With ASA 400 film and a standard lens, you should get good results at around 30 seconds. ASA 200 will require longer times, but might produce better results if you have a better lens (f/1.8). You might also try ASA 1000 film, especially if you have a less expensive (f/4) lens. When you get your films processed, ask for custom processing, and ask that all negatives be printed. Automatic developing machines aren't meant for nighttime photos, and will distort the colours, or more likely, not print anything, 'assuming' all the shots were blank. If you're lucky, you should be able to capture an image of an aurora, perhaps even a great image. You'll also capture a few stars, and perhaps a satellite or two moving across the sky (this will appear on the photo as a short white streak). We have no direct experience with photographing auroras, although we've taken a lot of pictures of stars and planets, and the moon. Many of the suggestions above were confirmed when we visited the excellent site Shooting the Aurora Borealis, by Dick Hutchinson, who lives in Circle, Alaska. |
