GEAR:
- DSLR/Mirrorless Camera
- Wide angle lens (fast lens preferred with an aperture of 2.8 or faster but not required)
Tripod - Shutter Remote Release (or have a 2 second timer to avoid camera shake)
SETTINGS: 
Aperture: Start with the widest aperture your lens offers (1.8., 2.8 or 3.5, etc) Shutter speed: For a Fast moving aurora – 5 seconds, for slow moving Aurora- 10-15 seconds
ISO: Start with 1600 and adjust accordingly (if it too bright, lower it to 1,000 if it is too dark, increase your ISO to over 2000). You can reduce the level of noise/grain in your photo in post process (Lightroom) by adding Luminance to the photo and decreasing noise
White Balance: Incandescent for more blueish tones / Sunlight for warmer tones
FOCUS:
There are 3 main ways to focus in the dark. However, it is all through MANUAL focus. Your camera’s auto focus will not work in dark conditions. Ensure that your lens is switched to Manual Focus.
- If you have a focus ring, set focus to infinity
- Focus on on the brightest star or point in the sky
- If you have a digital screen, you can touch the back of your screen to set your focus points
WHERE AND HOW TO FIND NORTHERN LIGHTS:
Lady Aurora season is usually between September – April (sometimes May). You are better able to see them in dark locations between 10pm to 3am, hence why you will never see them from Calgary. You have to drive somewhere dark and always have your camera pointing NE. If you do not know where NE is, use the compass on your phone to locate NE.
Here is a Map specifically pinpointing where you can watch Lady Aurora:
To know when Aurora displays will be happening you can download the App “My Aurora Forecast and Alerts” which is a free app.
There are two conditions to see the Aurora:
- KP5 and over
- Minimal cloud coverage. If you have cloudy skies, no matter how strong the Aurora is, you will not be able to photograph it.
Below is the long term forecast for Auroras for the remainder of May:
Sun – Wednesday- you might as well sleep. However, Thursday & Friday May 14th shows a promising strong aurora display of KP6 (KP 9 is the strongest). If the skies are clear, this will be a great night to go out shooting Auroras.
For daily resources and Aurora updates in Alberta- I would highly recommend joining the Facebook Group- Alberta Aurora Chasers and monitoring their daily posts: https://www.facebook.com/groups/AlbertaAuroraChasers
A final tip- Some auroras you will be able to see with the naked eye, while some your eyes will just pick up a faint white glow. However, your camera will pick up the green tones of the aurora display. So don’t trust your eyes, but trust your camera.
