Northern Lights in Northern Norway: A Sky Full of Light

Searching for the Northern Lights in Norwegian Lapland!

Or hunting for the aurora borealis, the scientific name for the northern lights. Sounds amazing, right? The light seems close, but it's actually over 100 km away. Make sure you're in a dark environment to minimize light pollution. It's certainly exciting. You never know if it will actually come, when it will, or how bright it will be.
Photo by Mark Groen

The full moon and the sparkling snow already create a magical effect. And so much light. It's incredibly beautiful. For a while, we see nothing and chat for a bit. But then someone sees "something." That something grows bigger and brighter. Almost euphorically, we scream at each other when we see the green lines of the Northern Lights. They come and go. Make sure you dress for it, because with a temperature of -15 degrees Celsius, it's tough for us shivering little ones!

Tips: How to Photograph the Northern Lights

Your camera captures more than the naked eye can see. So you probably won't see it as brightly as in the photos. But it's still overwhelming. Luckily, we still have the photos. I still dream about them regularly.
Tips from the pro Mark Groen, who photographed for Discovery Magazine during the trip, in order to photograph the Northern Lights (these are all his photos!):

• * Manual mode: ISO 200 – 400, aperture 2,8 (minimum), shutter speed 4 – 8 sec;
• * Best effect with a 24mm wide-angle lens, for a full-frame camera 20 – 24mm;
• * Always use a tripod;
• * Plus remote control for the sharpest photos;
• * Headlamp can be useful;
• * Shoot in raw (easy to edit);
• * In this cold I wear those thin iPhone gloves;
• * Look for an interesting setting (a typical cozy red Norwegian house, a lake, etc.). For this first photo, I used the enormous mountains to capture the immensity of the place.

My additions:

• *Wear thermal socks!;
• *Make sure you have a charged battery and plenty of memory;
• *Clothing built up in layers with a windproof winter coat (tip from a tough fisherman's wife: wear wool);
• *Test your camera beforehand. Set your manual mode (or have it set, as in my case…);
• *Download the app Norway lights , so you know at what time you need to be ready.

What is the best time to see the Northern Lights?

Statistically, March is the best time to spot the Northern Lights. But keep in mind that you have a good chance of seeing them from September through April.

How do you get to this northern part of Norway?

You fly from Amsterdam to Oslo and from Oslo to Andenes.
There's also an occasional direct flight from Amsterdam to Evenes. From there, you can rent a car. It's a bit of a drive, but the scenery is beautiful.

Tip: KLM flies to Oslo from just €99! Click here for the best rates >> or use Skyscanner to find cheap tickets for all airlines.

* Want to know what other beautiful things Norway has to offer?
You will find plenty of information, photos, videos and tips about Norway on the website of visit Norway.

This is B.!

An explorer through and through, as befits a true YLBB correspondent. She loves to share the best and most unique spots with anyone who will listen.