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Kleifarvatn Aurora Hunt - Capturing the Northern Lights

42, Iceland

Description

Added by Icelandic Explorer

One of the best places to spot and photograph the northern lights in proximity of Reykjavik.

Kleifarvatn is a great place to photograph the Northern Lights. It's a lake area, hidden in a valley, meaning little "light polution". If you are lucky, the aurora will be reflecting on the lake.

How to get there Drive towards Kleifarvatn until you reach a small outpost, overlooking the lake (there are a few posts, but continue onwards until you find a large parkingspace overlooking the lake area from above.

How to shoot the Northern Lights Most people use a low aperture to shoot the Northern Lights. Depending on the object, I personally I like setting the aperature a little higher, to ensure a sharp landscape.

Since you will want to capture the landscape at this location, you could consider trying out the following settings on your camera- Set lens to manual focus and set to infinity (the infinity symbol on your lens)- Use 15-20 sec. shutter time- ISO 1600- Aperture between 4 and 9 (f/5 - F/9)

Try different settings, but something similar to this should ensure a sharp landscape.

If your camera does not do well at higher ISO's, then consider increasing the aperture (lower f-number) and reducing the ISO to 400-800.

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Features

Chillin
Photography
Easy Parking
Lake
Scenic

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