How to Photograph the Northern Lights in Teesdale

A simple guide for phones, DSLRs and mirrorless cameras

The Northern Lights can feel impossible to capture… until you realise you don’t need to be a professional photographer.
Whether you're standing on the moors above Bowlees, by Grassholme Reservoir, or looking north from Barnard Castle or Middleton-in-Teesdale, you can photograph the aurora with:

  • a mobile phone,

  • a DSLR,

  • or a mirrorless camera.

This guide explains everything in a simple, adult-friendly way  but still easy enough for beginners and children to follow.

You don’t need fancy gear.
You just need a dark sky, a steady surface, and the right settings.

Let’s make it fun and stress-free. 🌙

Before You Start: The Three Golden Rules

These apply no matter what you’re using:

1) Keep the camera still
Tripod = best.
Rock, wall or fence = works too.
Hand-held = blurred aurora.

2) Point your camera north
Towards Cow Green, Middleton-in-Teesdale or the horizon beyond Bowes.

3) Take LOTS of photos
The aurora changes every few seconds.
The more photos you take, the more likely you’ll capture something special.

How to Photograph the Northern Lights with a Mobile Phone

Most people start here and modern phones are surprisingly good.

📱 iPhone (all models with Night Mode)

  1. Open the Camera

  2. Switch to Photo

  3. Night Mode will turn on automatically (yellow moon icon)

  4. Tap the moon icon and slide to 10 seconds

  5. Tap to focus on the sky

  6. Hold your phone still and take the photo

If the aurora is bright:

  • Exposure time: 3–5 seconds

If the aurora is faint:

  • Exposure time: 10 seconds

Extra tips:

  • Turn off flash

  • Set exposure down slightly to reduce brightness

  • Use a tripod or lean the phone on your car roof

🤖 Android (Samsung, Google Pixel, etc.)

Nearly all Android phones have long-exposure modes.

Samsung

  1. Open Camera

  2. Tap More

  3. Choose Night mode or Pro mode

  4. If in Pro mode:

    • ISO: 800–1600

    • Shutter: 5–10 seconds

    • Focus: Tap the sky or set to infinity (∞)

Google Pixel

  1. Open Camera

  2. Tap Night Sight

  3. Place phone on a steady surface

  4. It will automatically take a long exposure

  5. Hold still for the full duration

Extra Android tips

  • ISO higher = more colour

  • Longer shutter = more detail

  • Don’t worry about grain  it’s normal at night

How to Photograph the Northern Lights with a DSLR or Mirrorless Camera

This is where your photos really shine.

Use these as your starting settings:

📷 DSLR & Mirrorless Settings (Simple Version)

  • Mode: Manual (M)

  • ISO: 800–3200

  • Shutter: 5–15 seconds

  • Aperture: f/2.8 – f/4 (as wide as your lens allows)

  • Focus: Manual → set to infinity (∞)

  • White balance: Auto or 3500K

What each setting does:

  • ISO = brightness

  • Shutter = how long the camera collects light

  • Aperture = how much light enters

  • Focus = sharpness of stars and beams

Recommended settings for Teesdale specifically

Teesdale is very dark which is great so you can use:

Faint aurora (Teesdale’s most common)

  • ISO: 1600

  • Shutter: 10 seconds

  • Aperture: f/3.5

  • Focus: Manual, on infinity

Strong aurora

  • ISO: 800

  • Shutter: 5 seconds

  • Aperture: f/4

For big geomagnetic storms

(when the whole sky glows)

  • ISO: 400–800

  • Shutter: 1–3 seconds

  • Aperture: f/2.8 – f/4

How to Focus at Night (The Tricky Bit Made Easy)

Manual focus sounds scary, but here’s the simple method:

  1. Switch your lens to MF (manual focus)

  2. Point at a bright star or faraway light

  3. Zoom in using Live View (magnify button)

  4. Turn the focus ring until the star becomes a tiny sharp dot

  5. Don’t touch the focus ring again

This works on Canon, Sony, Nikon, Fuji — everything.

If you can’t see any stars (cloudy), set the lens to ∞ (infinity) and slightly back off the mark.

Composition Tips (Make Your Photos Beautiful)

Teesdale has incredible night backdrops:

✔ silhouettes of Bowes Castle
✔ reflections on Grassholme Reservoir
✔ frosty fields around Barnard Castle
✔ moorland views towards Cow Green Reservoir
✔ gentle hills behind Middleton-in-Teesdale

When you're composing your Northern Lights photos in Teesdale, try to include natural features like trees, hills, dry stone walls or even waterfalls glowing softly in the moonlight at places such as High Force, as these add depth and atmosphere to your images. It’s best to avoid bright streetlights, passing headlights and shooting towards the south, as these can wash out the sky and make the aurora harder to capture.

Why Your Photos Might Look Different from Real Life

Your camera is much better at seeing in the dark than your eyes, it collects more light, picks up colour more easily, brightens the sky, smooths out shadows and even reveals beams you might not notice in real life, so don’t worry if you don’t see bright green with your own eyes; the camera often does.

⭐ If the Aurora Is Faint

If the aurora is only just visible, use stronger settings to pull out colour and detail. Try ISO 3200–6400 with a shutter speed of 10–15 seconds and an aperture of around f/3.5. Aim north, take plenty of photos and adjust as needed until the glow becomes clearer.

⭐ If the Aurora Is Bright

On stronger nights, you can lower your settings because the sky will already be glowing. ISO 400–1600 with a shutter speed of 1–5 seconds and an aperture between f/2.8 and f/4 usually works well. Bright aurora moves quickly, so shorter exposures help you capture sharper beams and structure.

Extra Tips for Amazing Aurora Photos

✔ Turn off your flash
✔ Turn off image stabilisation if using a tripod
✔ Use a 2-second timer or remote shutter
✔ Wipe the lens (cold nights cause fog)
✔ Bring spare batteries — the cold drains them fast

🔗 Explore More in Teesdale’s Night Sky

🧭 Discover Teesdale
our complete guide to waterfalls, walks and wild places across the dale.